A Godly Government

Everyone has their idea of what the government should do. As the 2012 Presidential campaign heats up, we’re sure to hear all sorts of notions and theories from the candidates. For this Fourth of July, I’d like to turn to the Bible to consider a role for the government that we often overlook.

Back in the days of the Bible, and of the Old Testament in particular, the government was the king. He had some advisors and assistants, but everything centered on the king himself. So if we want to see what God has to say about government, we should look at what the Bible tells us about being a good king. One of the best passages that does this is Psalm 72. Take a moment to read this psalm; but replace the word “the king” with “the government.” This will help you recognize what God wants from governments of all sorts, including ours.

1 Endow the government with your justice, O God,
the capital with your righteousness.
2 It will judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.
3 The mountains will bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
4 It will defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
it will crush the oppressor.
5 It will endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
6 It will be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
7 In its days the righteous will flourish;
prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.
8 It will rule from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 The desert tribes will bow before it
and its enemies will lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
will bring tribute to it;
the kings of Sheba and Seba
will present it gifts.
11 All kings will bow down to it
and all nations will serve it.
12 For it will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 It will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death.
14 It will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in its sight.
15 Long may it live!
May gold from Sheba be given it.
May people ever pray for it
and bless it all day long.
16 Let grain abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway.
Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon;
let it thrive like the grass of the field.
17 May its name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
All nations will be blessed through it,
and they will call it blessed.
18 Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
19 Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

This “royal psalm” can be read as a prediction of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. But it is also a down-to-earth, straightforward description of what God wants kings (and all governments) to do. The primary theme of the psalm is the king’s righteous care for the oppressed, the afflicted, and the needy. He is to bring justice who have no one else to help them. In other words, the king looks out for people who can’t look out for themselves. The king’s job is not to let people “sink or swim,” but to help those who have been taken advantage of by those who are stronger and richer.

It seems to me that this continues to be God’s desire for our government, even though we live in a democracy instead of a monarchy. God expects civil authorities to use their power and influence to help the disadvantaged and abused members of society. Yes, some people “work the system” to milk the government for more than what they deserve. And yes, there’s plenty of room for debate about who is truly “weak, needy, oppressed, and afflicted,” and who simply hasn’t made do with what they have. But when we move too quickly to these objections and exceptions, we sidestep the main point of the psalm. The job of the king, and of the government, includes helping the nation’s underclass.

In the days of the Old Testament, these words applied only to the king and his officials. But we, who live in a democracy, stand under the guidance of these words ourselves. Caring for the poor, the needy, and the disadvantaged is not only something that we should each do individually. As Christians, we are to use our role as voters and citizens to ensure that our government does it as well.

And if we do, we may discover that the other major theme of Psalm 72 will apply to our nation as well. The psalm describes the land under the authority of this sort of government as one filled with prosperity and abundance, receiving honor from all the other nations of the world. This is what it means for God to bless America.