When Not to Obey (2)

But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive… Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them. Exodus 1.17, 20, 21

The temptation of political power
Because governments are comprised of sinful people, even though they have been instituted by God to pursue His good purposes among men, it shouldn’t surprise us when, from time to time, governments turn very, very bad and become horrid.

The temptation to use political power in unjust ways for one’s own ends is a very powerful temptation, indeed. When the Founders of this country crafted our form of government, they built in a series of checks and balances between the various entities of our government – federal and state – so that this temptation could be minimized by lawful means. This system of checks and balances has served our country very well for more than 230 years.

But no system of checks and balances ever devised by men has always been able to keep government from overstepping its bounds, betraying its commission, and flouting the will and purposes of God. And in some places such checks and balances do not exist at all. Exhibit 1: Egypt in the days of Moses.

Unchecked power
The king of Egypt, or Pharaoh, in the days of Moses had no such system of checks and balances. Indeed, in the minds of many, Pharaoh was, if not a deity, at least as close to one as any human could ever be. He was therefore free to do whatever he felt was needed. In the days of Joseph, this turned out to be a very good thing, as Pharaoh gave God’s servant a free hand to follow the Lord’s will for saving not just a nation but an entire region.

But that same unchecked power that could work for good could also be wielded for evil. In Exodus 1, alarmed at the continuing growth of the population of Hebrews in his midst, Pharaoh determined that he needed to take drastic measures against what he feared might become a fifth column of resistance in the event of a foreign war.

The way, he reasoned, to reduce the population of Hebrews without some big public scandal – such as mass murder – was simple: prevent male children from being born. If Hebrew women would bear only female children, the population would be significantly reduced in a very short while, and the king’s fears would be relaxed.

However, since Hebrew women were not likely to produce only female children – even if they could have made that choice – Pharaoh decided to take matters into his own hands. He instructed the Hebrew midwives, among them two, Shiphrah and Puah, to kill any male children who were born and to preserve only the little girls alive. The Law of God had not been given at this time; yet the works of the Law were so deeply etched in the hearts of those Hebrew midwives, going all the way back to the days of Noah (Gen. 9.5-7), that they determined they could not obey this evil mandate.

The fear of God
Rather than kill the male children, therefore, the Hebrew midwives kept them alive, and then lied to the king about their actions when called to account (vv. 18, 19).

Why did they do this? Because they feared God more than they feared the king of Egypt. The king of Egypt, they knew, could put them to death for disobeying his order. But God could destroy their souls and bodies in hell if they were to go along with this diabolical scheme of the king of Egypt.

God, however, commended their actions and blessed them accordingly.

So here is the first principle to guide Christians in considering the question of when not to obey civil government: Whenever government, at any level, and by any means, tries to require disobedience to God’s Law, that government has overstepped its bounds, making itself god instead of God Who ordained it. Such a government must not be obeyed regarding the specific point at issue.

This may not have immediate application in our situation; however, we have seen the disastrous effects of such policies in China, where the one-child mandate – which has now been withdrawn – created social problems on an unforeseen and enormous scale.

When governments act in ways that deliberately oppose the will of God, they are setting their people up for horrid consequences, and they must not be obeyed.

For reflection
1.  The Hebrew midwives not only disobeyed, but they lied about their actions to the civil authorities. And still, God blessed them. Explain.

2.  What was the difference between the Roe v Wade ruling of 1973 and the “one-child” policy of the Chinese government? Are either of these grounds for disobedience? Explain.

3.  Does knowing that God will bless us when we fear Him and disobey government mean that He will always keep us from harm at the hands of civil government? Explain.

Next steps: Can you see any ways that civil government today is “pushing the envelope” in trying to make its citizens obey it rather than God? How should the Christian community respond in such situations? Do you pray for the people in civil government, following Paul’s instructions in 1 Timothy 2.1-8?

T. M. Moore

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This week’s study, When Not to Obey, is part 5 of a 5-part series on a Biblical view of government and politics, and is available as a free download by clicking here. We cannot understand God’s view of government, or how to function in a political environment apart from faith in King Jesus and His rule. Order T. M.’s books The Kingship of Jesus  and The Ground for Christian Ethics to supplement our studies of God and government.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.