Ecclesiastes 8:1-9 King’s Orders
Solomon instructs us to follow the king’s orders while also being aware of where those orders may lead. It takes courage to stand against an evil order.
Kings are humans too. They run the spectrum from righteous to vile. Power rests in their hands to direct the ways of their subjects. Their rule is law. Solomon advises us to follow their commands but he doesn’t make it an absolute ‘follow whatever he says’ statement.
We are told in many different places that God sets the rulers in place. He has a purpose for each of them, and it’s not always a ‘happy’ reason. Herod, who ruled at the time of Jesus’ birth was fulfilling prophecy as he searched for Him to kill Him as an infant. For Christians, that will be his most memorable act. I’m not a historian so I can’t tell you of other actions he did as king. The point is, the king’s authority is given by God.
There are times to follow the king’s command and times to question and possibly refuse to follow those commands. It takes wisdom to know which path to take. The wise men from the east were warned by God not to follow the Herod’s command to bring word as to Jesus’ location. They could have felt obligated to obey because Herod was king, but they didn’t. They bowed to the Higher Authority from their dreams.
When Solomon is telling us to follow the king’s command, within reason, he is NOT advising us to rise up in rebellion against the king. There are certainly times to rise up against unjust or even corrupt leadership, but that is not the starting place. We need to wait for the right time and right way to stand against an evil ruling. The ONLY way to know the right time is to use the wisdom God has given you. Let Him lead your path in this area too.
In my country, we don’t have a king. We have other rulers instead who we are expected to follow. They too are fallible. No man is the ultimate authority though. God is. HE is the one who controls life and death. A ruler may subject you to death but only God has the ability to restore a life. Kings have no more power over death than any other man. We ALL die and we ALL will have to answer to God for our lives. Don’t think you can get away with evil actions and say “The king told me to do it.” You are responsible for your own actions, even if the king did tell you to do it.
Father God, guide my actions. Don’t let me follow any man blindly. Give me wisdom as to the truth behind the commands. So MANY times the real motives are hidden by man. Yet You know the heart of all matters. Let me know when to back off quietly, when to speak up, and when to stand firmly against commands from my rulers. I want to honor You in ALL I do.
Forgive me for being so late tonight Father. I am trying hard to complete a task for an upcoming birthday. Help me in my task to get it all done in time and be of good quality. I’m sorry if I rattled on today. I’m tired and my mind is a muddle. I pray You got Your points through, no matter how distracted I may be. It’s time for sleep now Father for there is a new day ahead with many more tasks to do. Thank You for that too!
