by Gen. Clyde Autio

 

Who should the people obey in the conflict between God’s law and the law of the land?

Recently, I was watching a morning news show on a major network. One of the hosts was interviewing the co-founder of a major electronics and computer organization. The subject of the interview was the potential problems of the emerging micro-technology industry. Included in this new industry are such things as genetically developed pathogens and micro-robots. The host asked his guest what problems he foresaw. The guest was concerned about the likelihood that elements of the new technology could fall into the hands of the ‘bad-guys.’ He cited, as a specific threat, the human devastation caused if a genetically designed pathogen was released into the population which had no natural immunity because the pathogen was new. His immediate solution was that the president should convene a panel for the purpose of developing government programs to control the new technology and to prevent any misuse.

My most immediate reaction was, "Why would such a learned and capable man think that our government would be the proper guardian to constructively manage any new technology?" This thought quickly gave way to another thought, "Why can’t the media and industrial leaders learn that, based upon the government’s track record, they are the last agency to put in charge of something that would have moral and ethical considerations?" It reminded me so much of Pharaoh’s experience with Moses and Aaron—Exodus 7:8 through 12:31. God had sent his word, through Moses and Aaron, to warn Pharaoh to not prevent God’s people from leaving their homes in Egypt to return to the land that had been promised to them. Pharaoh did not want to lose such a diligent and worthy labor force, which would then require the Egyptians to do their own manual labor. This passage recounts the various plagues Moses and Aaron promised to Pharaoh and how he subsequently hardened his heart after each warning. Finally, after numerous encounters, God took the lives of all the first-born in Egypt—except for those households which had been covered with blood—and Pharaoh reluctantly relented, long enough for the Israelites to get an adequate head start.

The current application of this story is that Pharaoh, the government of Egypt, was preventing God’s people from pursuing service to their God. The government then became an active force to prevent the Israelites from being obedient to this call from God.

Doing a fast forward to our time and issues, both our government and our culture have repeatedly ignored God’s warnings of obey or perish. The modern version of the message and messengers is not as colorful as the exhortations given by Moses and Aaron about specific catastrophes or the open rebellion by Pharaoh. The modern version has godly pastors and evangelists faithfully preaching God’s word from the Bible and both the government and culture turning their backs on the truth. In both scenarios, the source of the word is the same—God; the messengers are the same—called by God; the purpose is the same—obey my commands; and the results are the same—arrogant refusal to obey. If we see all of these elements to have similarities, why should we not expect to have the same final consequence? Should we be surprised if the repeated turning away from God doesn’t provoke ever more dreadful consequences? God’s messengers went to Pharaoh some fifteen times, ten to warn of an impending catastrophe and several to remove the catastrophe. On the last occasion, God had Moses and Aaron lay the dreaded gauntlet of death before Pharaoh. That broke his spirit long enough for the Israelites to pack their belongings, gather the valuables donated by the Egyptians and get out of town.

The objects of the modern catastrophes, our government and culture, cannot see God’s hand at work in their presence so they stubbornly ignore God’s warnings and set about to create new programs to solve the age-old problems of sinful rebellion. The family structure is in the process of being disassembled; sexual perversions, associated diseases and broken lives are rampant; the abuse of numerous substances has epidemic proportions; and integrity, morality and ethics have been thrown onto the altar of expedience. Yet, God’s messengers are ridiculed and the author of their message blasphemed.

Yes, in one respect Pharaoh is alive and we must be about making preparations, as the Israelites of old, to honor and obey God.