PROF. BEN ONYEUKWU (REV.)
NCE (English); Dip (Computer Studies);
ND/HD (Journalism); Dip, BA (Theology) MA, PhD.
GOD AND GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE
Main Text:
“For the Kingdom is the Lord’s and He
rules over the nations; let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.
For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are
appointed by God”, (Psalm 22:28; Romans 13:1).
INTRODUCTION:
According to Ben Onyeukwu (2009), in about .A.D. 57, the Apostle Paul
in a revelative insight highlights on the sovereignty of God over every
government of the world, (Romans 13:1)). This Christian treatise enforces the
fact that it does not matter who occupies a given government or runs its
affairs, nor does it matter the time and reign of such a government, one
absolute truth is that God has been (past) and is (present), and will remain
(future) the king of all nations and governments of the world, (Psalm 22:28).
This implies that every legitimate human occupant of any government, regardless
of place, time and type remains a delegate of the King of Heaven, and of course,
will one day render an account of his/her stewardship to Him that never
changes, (Romans 14:12). So, observe that;
GOVERNMENT IS GOD’S INSTRUMENT FOR
SOCIAL STABILITY
The word government simply refers to
a group of people vested with power to manage the affairs of the people in a
country. In a democratic arrangement as we have in Nigeria, three organs are in
focus, viz; the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. By function, the
Executive arm of government enforces the law, while the Legislature makes such
laws. The judiciary interprets the law and recommends punishments to offenders.
These functions make for the stability and smooth administration of a given
state or country. However, the absence of justice in any government breeds
instability. By way of definition, “Justice” means fairness to all.
In this case, persons in government
should as a matter of commitment shun nepotism, tribalism and despotism in
order to pave way for good governance. To function optimally, those in the;
(i)
Executive
arm of government must not allow bribery, greed and avarice to have an edge
over them, (Proverb 29:4);
(ii)
Legislature
must ensure that unjust laws that deprive the poor of their rights are never
put in place, (Isaiah 10:1);
(iii)
Judiciary
on their own part must not pervert justice or show partiality in the
dispensation of justice, (Deu. 16:19), etc.
GOD EXPECTS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO
BE CORRUPTION FREE
One good example of a corruption-free
government official in the Bible is Daniel. In fact, the testimony of the Holy
Scripture about him is a strong point of challenge to any government official
of today. Thus, it declares that when, “the governors and satraps sought to
find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom, they could find no
charge or fault” … (Daniel 6:4). But, nowadays, in Nigeria and the world-over,
hardly government officials are free from corruption charges or faults. This
negative development falls short of holy standards for that managing the
affairs of the people, and God is not happy about it. So, for a government
official to please God in the discharge of his/her duty, such an official must;
(i)
be
free from corruption (Luke3vrese12-14);
(ii)
avoid
extortion of money and materials from the public (verse 13);
(iii)
be
contented with his/her wages; (verse 14),
etc.
GOD WANTS THOSE IN GOVERNMENT TO BE
GUIDED BY HIS WORD
The book of Deuteronomy chapter 17
verses 18-19 clearly shows God’s desire for those in government to be guided by
His word. In the preceding verse, the Lord foresees Israel’s shift from
theocracy to democracy, and accordingly gives certain specifications to guide
the nation in its future democracy, (verses 14-17). Evidently, democracy runs
into confusions where this spiritual foundation is neglected. No doubt, here lies
the problem of democracy in Nigeria, and in the world at large. However, such
problems are put to rest when leaders learn’;
(i)
to
be selfless in governance, (verse 16);
(ii)
to
rule in the fear of the Lord, (verse 19),
(iii)
to
observe His words as they are in the Bible, (verse 19), etc.
In conclusion, let the attention of the reader be
drawn to the fact that government of the people is that established by God
through the popular mandate of the people, and not by rigging, brigandage or
falsehood. When a government transparently comes to power, every support and
obedience should be accorded to it, (Romans 13:1). However, when reverse is the
case, peace and civil decorum should be maintained, as prayers and lawful means
are taken up to ensure that justice prevails. The comportment of Comrade Adams
Oshimonole, (now the governor of Edo State of Nigeria) in the handling of his
court case against Professor Osunbor, the erstwhile governor of the state till
the people’s mandate was restored through the verdict of the Appeal Court on
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 stands as a shining example. To those yet with
stolen political mandate, be informed that God will judge every act of sin,
including every political robbery. Don’t forget also that those legitimately
appointed by God to govern the people are duty-bound to serve in the fear of
the Lord, (II Samuel 23L: 3). SO, BE
GUIDED BY THE PRINCIPLES OF GOD’S WORD.
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