The God Who created us is a covenant-keeping God. Covenant, first of all, describes the unchangeable partnership between an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent Creator and finite man. The covenant nature of our God is of utmost value because in covenant, we can know what to expect of each party – for example, God and man. I raise this issue because the secular drift of our world lures us away from the power of this covenant between God and man. That covenant is beautifully laid out in Psalm 91:

¹ The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. ² I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” ³ He Himself will deliver you from the hunter’s net, from the destructive plague. ⁴ He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield. ⁵ You will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day, ⁶ the plague that stalks in darkness, or the pestilence that ravages at noon. ⁷ Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you. ⁸ You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked. ⁹ Because you have made the Lord—my refuge, the Most High—your dwelling place, ¹⁰ no harm will come to you; no plague will come near your tent. ¹¹ For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways. ¹² They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. ¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the young lion and the serpent. ¹⁴ Because he is lovingly devoted to Me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows My name. ¹⁵ When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and give him honor. ¹⁶ I will satisfy him with a long life and show him My salvation.

Upon careful inspection, we see that there are two roles described – ours and God’s. What do we learn about these two roles in this passage?

Our Part. Our responsibility in this covenant relationship is described by these phrases:

The one who lives under the protection of the Most High (v. 1);

[The one who] will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust” (v. 2);

Because you have made the Lord—my refuge, the Most High—your dwelling place (v. 9);

Because he is lovingly devoted to Me (v. 14);

When he calls out to Me (v.15).

These phrases describe the things we must do as a part of this partnership to avail ourselves of the benefits of this covenant: live under His protection, make God our refuge and fortress, fully trust in Him, devote ourselves in love to Him, and call out to Him.

God’s Part.  Let us look at what God commits Himself to in this partnership in response to our acting as described above:

He Himself will deliver you from the hunter’s net, from the destructive plague (v. 3);

He will cover you with His feathers (v. 4);

His faithfulness will be a protective shield (v. 4);

You will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day, the plague that stalks in darkness, or the pestilence that ravages at noon (vv. 5-6);

Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you (v. 7);

No harm will come to you (v. 10);

No plague will come near your tent (v. 10);

For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways. They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone (vv. 11-12);

You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the young lion and the serpent (v. 13).

It is interesting to note that these are all described in the third person, as seen through the eyes of an objective observer. However, then, God becomes very personal and speaks in the first person, describing His role in the covenant:

I will deliver him (v. 14);

I will protect him (v. 14);

I will answer him (v. 15);

I will be with him in trouble (v. 15);

I will rescue him (v. 15);

[I will] give him honor (v. 15);

I will satisfy him with a long life (v. 16);

[I will] show him My salvation (v. 16).

The intimacy expressed by God emphasizes the seriousness and strength of His commitment to this covenant. This should be a tremendous encouragement to us as we seek to trust Him in this partnership. In this covenantal agreement, there are a few things we must do – basically placing ourselves in our loving Father’s protective care. In response, He commits to envelop us within His protection as we live and operate within that sphere of His protection.

Application to Our Lives as Human Beings. The reality of this covenant makes little sense apart from a powerful truth:

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power (1 Corinthians 4:20).

It is only as we grow in our understanding of His power displayed on our behalf in the 21^st century that this covenant makes sense. If we are not yet able to trust Him for this power, let us remember His challenge to us with our human limitations:

“Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure” (Malachi 3:10).

Let us begin with the smallest amount of trust that we can exercise, perhaps when we have no other place to turn, and test to see if He will not respond to us.

Application to the Life of the Statesman. The actions of the Statesman are filled with risk – political risk as well as the many other risks of being human. This covenant between God and man guarantees that He will care for us as we encounter these risks. As we step through each day and all of life, we can know that He is working on behalf of us with His invisible hand in ways we will not even understand until we stand before Him, but which we can be sure of, even though we cannot see Him with physical eyes. It does not mean we will always be free from troubles, but it does mean we can always have the peace of knowing He is caring for us. Let us refresh our commitment to Him each morning and each moment.  And let us do everything we can to get to know more intimately the Author of this covenant.

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The person who first introduced me to the challenge of development 45 years ago was at the time a student from Bhutan. He described how the King would travel to a village to meet with the elders to discuss what projects where needed. Then, the King would provide the materials necessary for a project, but the villagers would provide the labor to complete the project. Improvement in the quality of life was a partnership – a shared responsibility.

This example illustrates elements of the partnership as our Creator intended for us. However, the partnership our Creator intended is even more intertwined than this example demonstrates. This contrasts with the attitude that the well-being of the people is Government’s responsibility.

The people – the governed – bring resources that the Government lacks and which the combined effort needs to accomplish our Creator’s goal of “a tranquil and quiet life in godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2).

You will notice that each of the areas of involvement on the part of the governed, as listed below, requires personal obedience to God. It is God’s plan and requires His direction.

1. Obedience to Government.

Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good (1 Peter 2:13-15).

 If every member of our society would submit to the laws of our society, this would certainly contribute to the quality of life of our society. Furthermore, a significant portion of the budget for policing could be re-directed to more constructive programs. In addition, taxes would be paid, strengthening the public treasury.

2. Praying for wise decisions.

Government decision-makers, are first and foremost, human beings. As much as they may try, their thinking is not automatically the same as God’s:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Thus, the instruction to believers in society is to ask God to impart His wisdom in decision-making:

First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

3. Overcoming the spiritual battle in bringing blessing to the nation.

God makes clear that there is a spiritual battle over the nation:

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens (Ephesians 6:12).

The work of the devil is real and disruptive of our efforts for good. God speaking:

If … My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:13-14).

The prayers of “My people who are called by My name” who are willing to humble themselves before God can change the course of a nation, moving it from suffering to blessing as God adds His dimension to our efforts.

4. Bringing harmony within the nation.

Jesus described the second greatest commandment after loving God as:

Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39).

This includes admiring God’s handiwork in the creation of each individual and the desire to help that one to achieve the full potential for which God created them. With this attitude, many of the social issues that plague our communities would be eliminated.

5. Speaks wisdom from God to Government.

God instructs us:

Speak truth to one another (Zechariah 8:16).

God made it clear that the believers in society are:

God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).

The believers are to speak that truth from God to every segment of society including Government. They can also be expected to do this humbly and lovingly, recognizing that they are servants.

What our Creator intended was for governors to be granted authority to act on behalf of the people to meet needs they are unable to meet with their limited authority. Then, He intended for the governed to contribute their energy in supporting those efforts in partnership.

My encouragement for the Statesman is to recognize the value of the governed who fear God and to strengthen their role in the life of our nation. I view this group as the most important national treasure, which is what I believe they are intended to be. I believe we must recognize their intended role in strengthening our society. I am convinced we must recognize the invaluable role God intends for this resource to play in the life of our nation. Our encouraging them is in no way a conflict of the principle of “separation of Church and State”. Rather, it is a recognition of the role of our Creator in the well-being of our nation and a recognition of the partnership He intended between the governors and the governed.

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In the battle against the coronavirus, misunderstandings have arisen over the Church and the State. Many Governments have banned gatherings of people, including worship services. A handful of religious leaders have argued that ‘separation of Church and State’ allows the Church to operate without control from the Government. Let me caution that the concept ‘separation of Church and State’ is nowhere to be found in God’s instructions to us. It was coined by a well-meaning Government leader promising freedom of religion. Furthermore, I believe God intends for every governing official to be personally a part of both institutions: Church and State.

As we have discussed in the past, God has established three institutions that He has tasked with caring for His creation:

1. Family
2. Religious Institution
3. Government

Focusing on the two in question:

Religious Institution

Purpose: the human manifestation of the Kingdom of God on earth responsible for catalyzing man’s interaction with his Creator.

Government

Purpose: provide an orderly society within which the individual can reach his/her full, God-given potential.

Government has responsibility for creating the environment where the individual as a physical, temporal being can experience the best possible quality of life. On the other hand, the Church focuses on the eternal aspect of the human being – the soul, including the impact of the knowledge of the eternal upon our temporal behaviour. Both are essential and must work together as the body is the house for the soul and the soul is a driving force for our body. For example, one of the strongest commands in the New Testament from the apostle Paul is:

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Furthermore, the work of the Government is so important to believers that believers are to support the work of the Government, including through paying taxes. Thus, we have instructions such as:

Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor. (Romans 13:7)

Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. (1 Peter 2:13-14)

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work. (Titus 3:1)

Government, in turn, may exercise authority over the Church and its believers in temporal matters. Even Jesus acknowledged this as He appeared before Pilate, the governing authority: Pilate said to Jesus “Don’t You know that I have the authority to release You and the authority to crucify You?” Jesus responded “You would have no authority over Me at all if it hadn’t been given you from above.” (John 19:10)

The instruction some are tempted to use for demanding public worship at all cost to the public is:

And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

However, this instruction is not addressing Government, but rather insincere believers for whom collective, public worship is considered of no value or not a personal priority. That is not the issue here. It is a short-term safety measure as Government fulfills its responsibility to all society, including believers.

One must be extremely careful in quoting Peter’s words to the Jewish ruling council to justify our disobedience of Government in response to closing public worship at this time:

But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men”. (Acts 5:29)

This is in response to jealous religious leaders:

“Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this (Jesus’) name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man’s blood on us!” (Acts 5:28)

Here the order was from religious leaders operating in a quasi-governmental role, which they were entitled to do under the Roman administration. They ordered Peter and the Apostles not to preach Truth about Jesus Christ and God. This hearkens back to the book of Daniel, Chapters 3 and 6, where Daniel and his colleagues were ordered not to worship the God of the universe but rather a human being ‒ Nebuchadnezzar. Their obedience to God came first and they were willing to trust their God in facing the consequences.

To summarize, we have the example of men of God defying governments that were attempting to cause these men to disobey God.

A key part of the responsibility of the Church is making salvation in Jesus Christ available to every human being. We understand that the believers’ support of Government is an essential part of this (1 Timothy 2:4).

For the believer, worship is, first and foremost, a private matter, done in private. Most religious leaders have found ways to facilitate worship without jeopardizing the safety of the community.

Religious leaders must not undermine the work of Government. We in the Church must support Government in its efforts, even if we feel those efforts may be imperfect. However, it would seem disingenuous to impute impure motives, accusing the Government of using the lockdown as an excuse for obstructing the practice and spread of faith.

Rather, we in the Church need to be asking: What can we do to help meet the needs of those in our communities – spiritual and practical?

Furthermore, the Church has responsibility to fight this pandemic on another plane.

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. (Ephesians 6:12)

[God:] If … My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Both those in Religion and Government must recognize that believers have tools at their disposal that the Government does not. We, as believers, are to support the Government through prayer and spiritual battle against that which would seek to derail the Government’s efforts to create that environment of well-being for all human beings. This requires those in both institutions using every resource our Creator has given them.

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