A Godly Response To Tyranny
Word-Of-The-Day: ‘(1) Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, (2) to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.’ (Isaiah 10:1-2); ‘Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.’ (Romans 12:19)
Isaiah 10:1-2 are part of God’s declaration of His anger against Israel, which in Isaiah’s time turned away from God, and thus fell captive to tyrannical kings and depravity (in both kingdoms). We see today what Isaiah saw in his day; self-absorbed leaders who increased the burden of their people in their quest for power and wealth, and applied the ‘rules for thee but not for me’ form of justice. The victims of this were the weak, who were easy prey, and if all the people were made weak then all became prey to the wicked schemes of their leaders. It was not the aggression of the Babylonians that brought down Israel and sent them into exile, but God’s plan to avenge against the trespasses against Him and His Word. Babylon was simply a tool God used for His will to be done.
247 years ago, history repeated itself as the English crown, King George III, began his tyrannical rule of oppression against the American colonies. Excessive taxation, repression of freedoms, and forced housing of troops were among the many trespasses against the American people. The words of Isaiah held true for the colonists, who suffered under this oppression. The people sought God for His intervention, and it was God’s vengeance, not the colonists’, that brought forth the American Revolution that stripped the colonies from the hands of the British Empire. Like Babylon being the tool used against the Israelites for their wickedness, the Americans’ Continental Army was the tool used against the British to provide God’s response to the King.
Today, we are facing a tyranny of secular thought and actions. These actions look to inhibit freedoms, restrict liberties, and restrict Godly, righteous activities. The response to these actions must be Godly and righteous, with His approval and His will, to be authentic and meaningful. We cannot take matters into our own hands, but must seek His guidance and directions on such matters. This does not mean we should not speak up or defend ourselves, but we must do so righteously, without malice, and without vengeance. The best weapon against unrighteousness is God and His Word; never stop studying His Word so you can use it for rebuking and correction (2 Timothy 3:16) against that which is evil, pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you continuously, and fellowship with other Christians to remain sharp and ready.
