THE FIRST AND GREAT COMMANDMENT
How can we love our neighbor as ourselves?
“Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Matthew 22:36-39
If we pay attention, we will notice that Jesus said these are the two most important directives given to mankind by ourr creator, to love God above everything and love others as much as we love ourselves.
I think we can all agree that the way to fulfill the first directive is to study God’s word and obey it out of love for its author.
How can we fulfill the second directive? What is the English word that represents societal interactions?
Isn’t it “government?” Isn’t it the government that tells us what is acceptable, honorable, and kind through laws and law enforcement?
There are three main features of government, law-making, law enforcement, and the adjudication of legal infractions. These are covered by the three branches of American government.
Let’s consider where these principles originated. Was it from some historical kingdom or republic?
As with everything else, government originated with God.
Remember, all of the features of government are centered around laws. To reiterate, there is the making of laws, the enforcement of those laws, and the judgment of violations of those laws. This is the foundation of all government.
Since laws are central to government, what are the first laws given to mankind and where did they come from?
As far as I can tell, the very first laws are called “the Ten Commandments,” and they were given by God to Moses for the governance of the descendants of Abraham through Jacob, (or Israel.)
These laws were condensed by Jesus to those cited at the beginning of this discussion.
The first four of the Ten Commandments direct people on how to “love [their] Lord God with all [their] heart, and with all [their] soul, and with all [their] mind.”
The next six are concerned with how people conduct themselves within society, (otherwise known as “government.”)
I am going to make an assertion now. We cannot fulfill this second-greatest commandment if we are not concerned with government.
It is government that sets the rules that must be adhered to in business and social interactions, (or law-making.) It is government that enforces those laws, (or law-enforcement,) and it is government that decides who has violated those laws and what their penalties are, (this is called our justice system.)
In the USA, government emanates from the society as a whole, “we the people,“ and it is “we the people” who directly or indirectly staff the leadership in these three branches of government.
The Bible never suggests that God’s people are to obey unjust laws or the dictates of tyrants.
The closest we see is the crucifixion of Jesus.
On the surface, it could appear that His “crime” was to oppose the laws of the Pharisees, the Chief Priest, and even Cezar, but in reality, Jesus’ execution was a voluntary substitution for the offenses of the whole of mankind. He accepted the judgment and sentencing for the guilt of others.
Jesus was tried, convicted, and executed for non-crimes, made up by those whose guilt compelled them to demand the elimination of a righteous standard.
God’s word is the only righteous standard for the government of men. All righteous laws authored by men are either plagiarized or copied from God’s commandments
History is filled with men and women who suffered the penalty of disobeying unjust laws on behalf of righteousness. Our nation began with the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.
This was a public, written declaration that the colonists in America would no longer obey the unjust laws of the King of England. They would resist until death, relying on the righteous judgment and favor of a gracious and merciful God to preserve the lives, liberty, and sacred honor of themselves and their progeny.
I trust that everyone who reads this is an American, and knows that our Constitution begins with the words, “We the people,” giving every American the authorization and responsibility to direct the government of our nation, protecting this nation from those who hate God and believe themselves to be of greater importance than their neighbors.
We cannot faithfully fulfill our spiritual requirements if we reject our duty to participate in “self-government.” The Word of God is intended to instruct us in self-government.
If we leave the choices of leadership to others, we have relinquished our rights and responsibilities in these important areas.
While Israel was still in the wilderness, on their way to the “promised land,” God gave the first recorded written laws that I am aware of. He promoted the Levites as both the priests and keepers of the law. They were to assist the priestly order in the government of Israel.
God was not and is not un-concerned with government. The government of His people is quite possibly god’s greatest concern.
How highly do we think it should rank in our list of priorities?
God bless you, Dave