When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order, (28:2 NIV).

Yesterday, our country inaugurated the 46^th president of the United States of America. And as believers, no matter what side of the aisle we land on, we have two mandates from God’s Word regarding our rulers in government.

1. We are to pray for those in authority, that they would be saved and be enabled to lead in His truth, discernment, knowledge and peace.

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, ² for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

2. God has established every authority and we are to live in subjection to the governing authorities of our country (as long as said laws do not adamantly defy His Laws).

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God, (Romans 13:1).

“We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” ²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men,” (Acts 5:28-29).

But what we are never to do is to put our trust for salvation and deliverance, for ourselves or for our country, in any ruler other than Him, Our Righteous Ruler.

Some boast in chariots and some in horses,
But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God, (Psalm 20:7).

To make the point applicable in light of the condition of or our current political climate, we could say, “Some boast in donkeys and some in elephants, but we will boast in the Name of the Lord our God.”

Truth: no political party will save us. And those who have placed faith and hope in man-centered authorities are destined to fall. Only as we rely on the grace and strength of Christ our King, will we rise from out of the fray to stand upright in Him, Our Righteous Ruler.

They have bowed down and fallen,
But we have risen and stood upright.
⁹ Save, O Lord;
May the King answer us in the day we call, (Psalm 20:8-9).

Consider Him, Our Righteous Ruler

Much of today’s reading provides guidance for ruling in righteousness (what to do and not do). But only One would ever walk consistently in perfect alignment with the righteous principles laid out in this chapter; only One, would live blameless His entire life; only One… Him, Our Righteous Ruler.

And in every instruction and warning, in every principle addressing righteousness in leadership, we will clearly see Jesus, Our Righteous Ruler. (So yes, there are a lot of passages today. I pray that we will take our time to stop and ponder, and be amazed by Him, Our Righteous Ruler.)

• He is Our Righteous Ruler, Who came in poverty to walk in integrity.
  • Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
    Than he who is crooked though he be rich. (28:6).
    • who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men, (Philippians 2:6-7).

• He is Our Righteous Ruler Who came as the Father’s obedient and discerning Son.
  • He who keeps the law is a discerning son,
    But he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father. (28:7).
    • So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me,” (John 8:29).

• He is Our Righteous Ruler Who leads the upright to His good inheritance.
  • He who leads the upright astray in an evil way
    Will himself fall into his own pit,
    But the blameless will inherit good. (28:10).
    • also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, ¹² to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory, (Ephesians 1:11-12).

• He is Our Righteous Ruler Who brought great rejoicing through His triumph.
  • When the righteous triumph, there is great rejoicing,
    but when the wicked come to power, people hide, (28:12 CSB).
    • The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. ⁶ He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. ⁷ Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” ⁸ And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples, (Matthew 28:5-8).

• He is Our Righteous Ruler Who was blessed because of His reverent obedience.
  • How blessed is the man who fears always,
    But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. (28:14).
    • Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, (Philippians 2:8-11).

• He is Our Righteous Ruler Who was delivered once and for all from the agony of death.
  • He who walks blamelessly will be delivered,
    But he who is crooked will fall all at once. (28:18).
    • this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. ²⁴ But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power, (Acts 2:23-24).

• He is Our Righteous Ruler Who reaps a plentiful harvest as He faithfully tills the soil of man’s hearts.
  •  He who tills his land will have plenty of food,
    But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty. (28:19).
    • Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. ³⁵ Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest,” (John 4:34-35).

• He is Our Righteous Ruler Who faithfully demonstrates His patience that we might abound in His blessings of eternal life.
  • A faithful man will abound with blessings,
    But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished. (28:20).
    • Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen., (1 Timothy 1:16-17).

• He is Our Righteous Ruler Who rebukes in truth and love.
  • He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
    Than he who flatters with the tongue. (28:23).
    • “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent,” (Revelation 3:19:).

• He is Our Righteous Ruler Who humbly trusted the Lord’s plan for His prosperity.
  • An arrogant man stirs up strife,
    But he who trusts in the Lord will prosper. (28:25).
    • fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart, (Hebrews 12:2-3).

• He is Our Righteous Ruler Who walked in wisdom all His days.
  • He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
    But he who walks wisely will be delivered. (28:26).
    • The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him, (Luke 2:40).

• He is Our Righteous Ruler Who is abundant in selfless generosity.
  • He who gives to the poor will never want,
    But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses. (28:27).
    • For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich, (2 Corinthians 8:9).

How do we respond to Him, Our Righteous Ruler?

Let us always remember that earth is not our home; it is only a temporary place of residence, for we are citizens of another kingdom. A kingdom that will never be anything but Righteous, led in the discernment, knowledge and perfectly maintained order of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Until that day, let’s set our minds on Jesus rather than all the things of the earth, as we commit to pray for our ruling authorities and live peaceably in subjection to the laws that do not violate His law.

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. ³ For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God, (Colossians 3:1-3).

But of most importance: let us live by faith and in humble obedience as we eagerly await that day, the day when He will come to take us to His glorious kingdom to live with Him, Our Righteous Ruler, for all of eternity.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; ²¹ who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself, (Philippians 3:20-21).

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord, (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Until that day… Let’s Grow Together!