Why do we have to obey the government?
Here's the answer:
God is the one who put people in authority over us, and He expects us to obey those authorities.
We all need leaders who can help take care of us and make rules for us to follow. These rules are usually not meant to hurt us. In fact, they’re almost always meant to keep us safe and happy.
People in positions of authority (teachers, parents, policemen, the government, etc.) aren’t perfect. They’re not perfect like God, so sometimes they make mistakes. But God says that the only time we shouldn’t obey the government is when the government tells us to do something against God’s Word. For instance, you may have read the exciting story of baby Moses in Exodus 1–2. The king of Egypt (Pharaoh) commanded that all Hebrew boy babies were to be put to death. He feared they would grow up to fight against him in order to become free from slavery. The midwives (women who were like nurses) refused to obey the kings’ command, and God honored them. Baby Moses’ parents also refused to obey, and God miraculously protected him from death. God had planned all along that when Moses was grown, he would be the one to lead His people across the Red Sea to safety.
There are times when we disagree with the decisions our government makes. During those times, we can stop and think about why God has put them there. He knows better than we do!
Bible Truth
"All of you must be willing to obey completely those who rule over you. There are no authorities except the ones God has chosen. Those who now rule have been chosen by God" (Romans 13:1).
"Follow the lead of every human authority. Do it because the Lord wants you to. Obey the king. He is the highest authority. 14 Obey the governors. The king sends them to punish those who do wrong. He also sends them to praise those who do right" (1 Peter 2:13–14).
