#589 Kybernan Govern Part 3

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it Holy
Exodus 20:8-11 Sabbath

I placed a link above that goes more in to the Sabbath day, and while I may disagree with others views on its doctrine, I can be wrong or incomplete in my own. A good leader is not, by my own definition, someone who agrees with me across the board. Again there is no perfect leader here because there are no perfect human beings. How, you might say, does this ever apply to government? How could I possibly spin this? Hopefully very carefully, because I see this as a transition within the moral law. The last part we covered was pertaining to man's relationship to God, whereas this lies somewhere upon the middle, it is the respect of church and state, a harmonizing and most helpful bridge to the second half, our treatment of each other, relationships. There is both the physical and spiritual meeting, the care of body and of soul. 

It continues with our relationship towards God, setting apart the time to understand these things, feed these things, for man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Look at the passage and you will see that this was also extended to those not of the faith as well. This also pertains to our relationships with each other. In the text it applies the Sabbath to everyone, even the foreigner in your land, and this is an important area when it pertains to government, the common good, and welfare of a people. 

• First, it says God created the heavens and the earth in six days and then rested. I don't think He rested because He was exhausted, but rather set the moral principle for those made in His image. 

Then Jesus told them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”…Mark 2:27

Men need rest, and this law kept you from working your servant or hiring someone else from another land to work while you enjoy God's rest. It's similar to what we call work, life, balance, today, only God meant it, and included it with the moral law. I think there is that aspect for those who govern, that they look at fair and just labor practices.

• The passage is also reminding us that God created the heaven and the earth, so life belongs to Him regardless of how we see ourselves or would like to believe. It is important for us to have the time to stop our work and reflect on this. However, under this dispensation of grace, where Christ has fulfilled the law, I do not think it the place of the state to decide anyone's Holy day. The state should govern in such a way that those days are not held against people, and that even those who don't believe are respected in the image of God, that they are not over burdened. Let the people, the land and the animals all have their rest.

Honor your father and your mother

I believe that those who govern best, also understand the principle of the family, that this is the cornerstone and beginning of all societies. This is where we fail or succeed, for children were given to their parents, not the state to raise. This is a mistake of tyrants that they put their own picture up, that everyone should be after that image. Government should respect the role of parents, and parents should teach their children in such a way that they do not need the discipline of government. The family is the pro-creator of civilization, by way of that special and most sacred relationship between a man and woman. The state should intervene in the case of abuse, for this is against that which was made in the image of God. Those that govern must have the unfortunate work of dealing with those children whose parents refused, whose parents knowing that the law is for the lawless, still chose to leave their guidance to others. This is the strength of any nation, the family, and this is where they should first be taught.

Honor your father and mother