40This is apparent bc when God ordained civil govt., he made it clear what He was doing—for the 1^st time giving man the authority to rule over man under His rules.  The entire context of the event and of the entire Bible clearly shows this principle.  How can the wicked rule under God?  It is an impossibility.  For the “natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yhet he himself is judged of no man.” 1 Cor. 2.14-15.

Pro. 29 “2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”

Pro. 14 “34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”

2 Sam. 23.3-4: From the last words of David: “He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.  And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.”

1 Sam. 12.6-25. “14 If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God; 15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.”

Jehoshaphat understood that God was the supreme ruler.  [Judah was being invaded by Moab, a great multitude]: 2 Chron. 20 “3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. [Jehoshaphat’s great prayer follows. See v “6And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of he heathen? And in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? 7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend forever? ]. 20 . . . Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. 22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.”

Psm. 2 “10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.  Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” (See the whole chapter.)

Psm. 9 “17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God. 20 Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.”

Psm. 100 “1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

Proverbs 16: “12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.”

Isa. 44.28-45.1 & N2 p753: The Lord calls Cyrus his anointed, the only instance in Scripture where the word is applied to a Gentile.  Nebuchadnezzar is called the “servant” of Jehovah. Cyrus is thus a Gentile type of Christ.

Hosea 8.2-4: “Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee. 3 Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him. 4 They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.”

Mt. 14 “34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 35 Behold, your houses is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

George Washington stated, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, on October 12, 1816, stated, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their  rulers.”

Noah Webster, the father of American Education, in 1823, wrote an article entitled, “Letters to a Young Gentleman Commencing His Education.” It was published in New Haven, CT. He wrote, “In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. . . . It is alleged by men of loose principles, or defective views of the subject, that religion and morality are not necessary or important qualifications for political stations. But the Scriptures teach a different doctrine. They direct that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, men of truth, hating covetousness. But if we had no divine instruction on the subject, our own interest would demand of us a strict observance3 of the principle of these injunctions. And it is to the neglect of this rule of conduct in our citizens, that we must ascribe  the multiplied frauds, breeches of trust, peculations and embezzlements of public property which astonish even ourselves; which tarnish the character of our country; which disgrace a republican government; and which will tend to reconcile men to monarchs in other countries and even our own. . . . When a citizen gives his suffrage [vote] to a man of known immorality, he abuses his trust; he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor, and he betrays the interest of his country.”