Wednesday: The Rulers of the Gentiles
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 23rd of April 2025
God’s dealings with Israel provide rich insights into His dealings with the New Testament church. In fact, in many ways, the nation of Israel served to foreshadow the errors of the church. Far from being able to claim any kind of superiority to ancient Israel, Christians have been, and still are, very much susceptible to the same temptations.
Read Matthew 20:25-28. What error did Jesus warn His disciples to avoid in establishing the work of the Christian church?
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Israel asked for a human king, a request that led to the moral downfall of the nation. The kings became progressively more wicked until God allowed the Babylonians to take His people captive as a matter of course correction.
Something similar happened in the history of the Christian church. Even though they were not to structure themselves like a Gentile nation, when Constantine came to power and professed to be a Christian, believers were relieved—persecution was now ended! That in itself was a blessing, but then it occurred to the church that they might be able to leverage the power of the emperor to their own advantage.
Several major disputes broke out among Christians in the fourth century, and when the church found itself incapable of resolving them, it allowed the emperor to intervene. Gradually the bishop of Rome rose in prominence, where he had once been one senior bishop among equals. The church allowed the state to intervene in the religious matters, and once the state had a foot in the door, things went from bad to worse.
Like Israel of old, many of the darkest chapters in Christian history are the direct result of the church compromising with the world. Where Israel turned to idol worship and her kings were corrupted by their appetite for power—to the point of offering children to idols—the church gradually adopted many of the means and methods of a pagan empire to the point that many faithful believers were martyred because they were perceived as threats to the church-state institution.
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In your own culture, your own society, what are the ways in which these same temptations can jeopardize the integrity of our faith? |
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Jesus called His disciples to warn them to be very careful not to do things as the Gentiles do (Matthew 20:25). It is important to remember the background to this warning. The loving mother of James and John (disciples of Jesus) had earlier come to Jesus with a strange request. She wanted Jesus to place her two sons (James and John) in positions of honour, one on the right and the other on the left, in His kingdom. When the other ten disciples knew about this request, they were indignant, the Bible says (Matthew 20:24). How did the Gentiles manage their affairs? Are there ways our Church, the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA), has emulated the Gentiles?
This Church belongs to Christ, and for this reason, all demonic forces have gathered to attack the Church. By the grace of God, may those who have been given the responsibility to accomplish the gospel mission be servant-leaders and not masters. May they put service first and not power and fame. As the Church of God, may we emulate Christ and not the world. May our leaders seek humility and sacrifice rather than fighting for positions as the world does.
“But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” — James 3:14 -16 (NKJV)
Amen.
Throughout the Bible stories, gentile rulers are painted as both enemies and instruments that God used to fulfil his plans, demonstrating a complex relationship between God's providence and human authority.
The presence of these "ungodly" rulers in the bible stories is a clear illustration of God as a universal God with unmatched power and sovereignty. Despite the fact that those rulers had power for example Nebuchadnezzar who once asked "which god can deliver you from my hand?" depicts gentile rulers as subject to God's will and purpose.
The gentile rulers were instrumental in testing God's people's faith and obedience to God. Lastly, the inclusion of Gentile rulers in the biblical narration foreshadowed the eventual inclusion of non believers in the covenant community and salvation story, as seen in the New Testament message of salvation for all people.
Power corrupts. It can cause division and strife between a husband and wife, or between church leaders and the laity. It seems some are unwilling to follow the example of Christ, the Servant who came "to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many". Why do we have such a hard time with this?
Anytime church and state comingle the church is going to cede something to the state. In Constantine's time the church was spared persecution as long as they went along with the government. The resulting flood of paganism into the church in the name of compromise to evangelize was the end result.
Even today for churches to be entangled with the government by receiving grants or other financial benefits, even tax exemption, requires the church to compromise their standards in order to keep receiving government funds. It becomes a slippery slope that usually çauses the church to lose or greatly diminish it's evangelistic mission. I see it as prostituting the truth for financial gain. This is why churches have been hiring the "alphabet" people. If you take government funds you have to take government interference.
Judas sold Jesus out for 40 pieces of silver. Today the christian church has sold him out for more, but it's still a sell out if we have to follow the dictates of the government rather than the dictates of scripture.
Prophecy reveals that in the last days the church will be controlling the government. The woman (church) rides (controls) the beast (government, kingdom). There has never been a good outcome when the two are in union with each other.
Tim, you have pinpointed essential thoughts which we really need to take seriously. Amen
If the concept of nations/governments was not GOD'S plan from the start, why then are we teaching that GOD also has a government?!
And also why did JESUS said that those of Cesar give Cesar?!
Help me.
Hello Lynn,
Our God is a God of order which is why He has order and a government of order in heaven. God knew that fallen, sinful man would need to be protected from anarchy and chaos that results from lack of government. Of course, God wanted the people to choose to have him as their King, a pure theocracy. God's people didn't know their own God and instead desired to have a fallen human govern them.
Jesus made a clear demarcation between the things of God and the things of earthly government, indicating that their should be a separation between the two.
You are right
There are many cultural things that people in the church have been complacent with; although subtle, these things can undermine perhaps the essential core of the Christian faith (the mind): the cult of ego and pleasure.
History reveals that humanity often fails to learn from its past, repeating many of the same mistakes over time. As the lesson highlights, during the Dark Ages, the church gradually adopted the means and methods of a pagan empire—leading to the persecution and martyrdom of faithful believers who were seen as threats to the church-state alliance. Tragically, as foretold in Revelation 13, this history will repeat itself—and likely sooner than we expect.
Just as early Christians suffered under a corrupted union of church and state, Seventh-day Adventists believe that in the final days, faithful followers of God will again face persecution for upholding biblical truth—especially concerning the Sabbath and the commandments of God. May the Lord help us to be among those who remain faithful, even unto death.
I believe it is important to keep in mind that it is in the name of “liberty” that Satan carries on his rebellion against the government of God and that “liberty” is what we now know to be called sin.
“Working with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealing his real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God, he (Satan) endeavored to excite dissatisfaction concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings, intimating that they imposed an unnecessary restraint. Since their natures were holy, he urged that the angels should obey the dictates of their own will. He sought to create sympathy for himself, by representing that God had dealt unjustly with him in bestowing supreme honor upon Christ. He claimed that in aspiring to greater power and honor he was not aiming at self-exaltation, but was seeking to secure liberty for all the inhabitants of Heaven, that by this means they might attain to a higher state of existence.”GC88 495.2
“The discord which his own course had caused in Heaven, Satan charged upon the law and government of God. All evil he declared to be the result of the divine administration. He claimed that it was his own object to improve upon the statutes of Jehovah. Therefore it was necessary that he should demonstrate the nature of his claims, and show the working out of his proposed changes in the divine law.”GC88 498.2
“When he (Satan) urged that changes be made in the order and laws of God's government, it was under the pretense that these were necessary in order to preserve harmony in Heaven.” . GC88 497.2
As long as the church is content with the appearance of "unity" shaped by earthly governments, it cannot establish the kind of unity that comes from and exists within the Spirit of God — the unity necessary to manifest God's presence on earth. One form of unity is grounded in the spirit of this world, promoting worldly values; the other seeks to cultivate a spiritual identity rooted in divine Truth.
I see a danger to the Ecclesia in forgetting our 'first love', as warned in Revelation 2:1–7. When material advantages begin to outweigh spiritual growth — when maturing in the fellowship of believers is sidelined — and the institution becomes more concerned with promoting itself than with proclaiming the Spirit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it risks withering on the vine of self-deception.
The organized church loses its purpose when it drifts from promoting the Spirit of Christ. Its relevance endures only as long as it fosters within its ranks — and among the individuals who make up the Ecclesia — a wholehearted love for God and a deep gratitude for the salvation we have received - Eph. 2:1–5.
Christ warned the disciples about the superiority complex and authoritarian regimes that were prevalent back then, advising, "you should not be like them, but be ready to serve instead of wanting to be served."
Today, the same level of "being better" permeates our politics in and out of the body of Christ. Even in the different religious organizations, our actions sometimes tell others that we are superior, we are the chosen people, so we cannot interact, communicate or offer the love of God to them. Yet that is precisely what we are called to do - be God's hands and feet. Love our neighbors (Mark 12:28-34; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39), do unto others (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31), humble ourselves like Christ (Philippians 2:5-8; Ephesians 5:1-2; 1 Corinthians 2:16...), among other things.
May we remember Isaiah 64:6.
Have a blessed day!
I guess we can smugly read the lesson and think that all the other churches,especially the one big one, are flawed in this regard and we aren't. But if we're honest, we have plenty of our own problems with hierarchy and power and throwing our weight around. I could mention many examples, but I won't because this is not a place for smears. But our church has plenty of its own skeletons and sometimes we've even justified force and power because it is meant to protect truth and orthodoxy.
The reality is that no system or belief system will protect individuals from the worldly system of power. If we're not committed to Jesus, we will fall into it even if we're living outwardly pious lives.
Yes we all fall short. Isn't it wonderful that God still loves us and uses us anyway.
Lately, more and more people in the Seventh-day Adventist Church seem to be upset with church leaders. Some even speak with anger or disrespect. This is a serious issue, and it’s worth thinking about carefully.
Some of the problem comes from not understanding how leadership works. Many church members don’t know the effort and prayer that goes into decision-making. At the same time, leaders don’t always communicate clearly, which can leave members confused or frustrated. Online criticism also adds fuel to the fire. Social media can make it easy to attack leaders without knowing all the facts.
But what does God think about all this?
The Bible shows us that God expects a lot from leaders. They are supposed to serve with love, humility, and care (1 Peter 5:2-3). When leaders mess up, God sees it—and He will deal with it. But God also asks us to respect those who lead (Hebrews 13:17), as long as they are following Him.
Showing contempt, being disrespectful, or spreading rumors doesn’t fix anything. It only creates more division in the church—and that’s not what God wants.
This is a time for all of us to:
-Pray for our leaders, that they will be faithful and wise.
- Speak with love, even when we have concerns.
- Try to understand, instead of jumping to conclusions.
-Be examples of respect and kindness, especially in public.
God wants His church to be united and loving, not full of conflict. Let’s ask Him to help us be part of the solution, not the problem. Together, we can create a church that reflects Christ in every way.
Hello Beverley. Yes all that is true however, part of the issue seems to be this two tiered level of dealing with conflicts in the church. Much like politicians that are often not held accountable for their actions, it seems that the same is true for the hierarchy. To call into question anything results in disciplining the questioner instead of the party or parties guilty of the infraction. This shouldn't be. Leaders should be held to a higher level of accountability than the laity. When they aren't allowed to be, it causes people to lose confidence in them. It causes schisms. "Rules for thee, but not for me" doesn't fly today.
I don't think it is just a "lately" issue Beverley. And reading Seventh-day Adventist Church history reveals any number of occassions when folk have been upset with leaders. We should remember that leaders are people too. One thing that I have learned over my years of working for the church is that we need to work with people who don't see issues the same way we do. We need to respect their differences, and recognise that it is not our responsbility to help them think our way. We should learn to continue the conversations even when we disagree. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is quite heirarchical and such structure temds to stifle two-way conversation. Praying for our leaders is good, but praying with our leaders is even better. It helps if we think of one another as community members rather than just the holders of theological ideas. There is a lot of the gospel in helping a conference president learn to use a computer, or a school headmaster helping out with a car mechanical problem. I once had a conference president and treasurer push-start my old car when I burned out the starter motor. When you have that sort of community interaction it makes it hard to be critical of leaders.
"We need to respect their differences, and recognise that it is now our responsbility to help them think our way." I think you intended the "now" to be "not".
Thank you Joe. You are quite right. One ltter makes a bit difference. 😀 I will fix it now.