ARE WE MEANT TO BE GOVERNED?

 

Our story is a story of “TRANSFORMATION; from hope concealed to hope revealed”

I recently watched a documentary on National Geographic, these scientist where trying to  prove whether there was a difference between the life cycle of a frog and the metamorphosis of a butterfly though similar in that they both start as eggs, have four stages of development the adult stage is totally different. A frog changes from egg to a tadpole to a frog-let and finally adult frog, well as a butterfly starts as an egg, caterpillar, pupae then finally butterfly. The word metamorphosis means significant change, it’s a big change! The final life stage bears no resemblance to the others; this is what butterflies go through. Frogs by the pupae stage (frog-let) resemble a smaller version of the adult frog so no huge change has occurred.

 

In every business, whether startup or huge corporation remaining relevant is vital. All customers are looking for  is products / services that  1)saves them time 2)saves them energy 3)saves them resources; as a business this is what you must be striving for. Why? Because customers are loyal to themselves, customer loyalty is a lie! In Politics, how many times have we seen die-hard politicians/ supporters cross over to opposition because their interests weren’t being met. But Kecho, that’s not true?  How many of you have fallen victim to the fuel trap? What is that you ask? Well there’s a fuel station near your home, you frequent it because it’s conveniently located near your home. Well one day they increase their prices by 300/= you will quickly drive past “your frequent fuel station” looking for another which sticks to the old price.

 

 

“The word metamorphosis means significant change, it’s a big change! The final life stage bears no resemblance to the others; this is what butterflies go through.”

Its human nature to put our hope in human beings, make them have a “god complex” This is why many leaders seem indifferent now. We put them there, we thought that our interests were being taken care of. When someone tells the truth, “I am working for my family and myself” (price has been increased) it’s time for you as the customer to look for another alternative but guess what? We shall go through the same “god-complex” on the next option why?

 

Because God, didn’t intend for us to be governed by mere mortals. Isaiah 9:6… and the government will be upon His shoulder” whose shoulder Christ’s shoulder that verse goes on to explain the kind of ruler; “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” I guess you are wondering how we ended up in this predicament of Kings/ rulers?  Well, we can thank the Samuel’s two sons who didn’t walk in the ways of their father; they took bribes and perverted justice, sound familiar? Surely there’s nothing new on this earth.   1 Samuel 8:4-5, “⁴Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. ⁵ and said to him, “Look, you have grown old, and your dons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us [and rule over us] like all other nations.  But it goes on further to describe what this ruler will do;

Isaiah 9-

⁹So now listen to their voice; only solemnly warn them  and tell them the ways of the king who will reign over them.

¹⁰ So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.

¹¹He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them for himself to his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots.

¹² He will appoint them for himself to be commanders over thousands and over fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his implements  of war and equipment for his chariots

¹³He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.

¹⁴ He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your groves, and give them to his servants.

¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.

¹⁶He will take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work.

¹⁷He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves shall be his servants.

¹⁸ Then you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you on that day [because you have rejected Him as King]

It goes to say that the Israelites refused to listen to Samuel because they wanted a king who would judge them and go out before them and fight their battles. I have read this chapter over a dozen times in the past week, and I can’t fathom how this seemed like a deal for the Israelites? There’s even a verse that mentions that they will be the king’s servant! How did they reason this out to the next generation?  I decided to read further and find what kind of government this was that God had set up for us.

GOVERNMENT UPON HIS SHOULDERS

It should be obvious by now that nobody knows how to solve the crisis that has come upon us, the problems of global power, global finance, and global humanity. Politics and government reveal our failure as human beings, we know something must be done to fix what’s broken in the world but all “the Law” does is reveal sin. Handel’s Messiah Oratorio has this famous versus Isaiah 9:6, “…and the government will be upon His shoulder” A prophecy that was written over 100years ago, where God would rule upon the Earth through His son. What this scripture confirms is that there will come a time when;

1. He is a wonderful Counselor; No confusion. Politicians are the definition of all that glitters isn’t gold! Many gifted with charm, ability to speak and some with wisdom but none can compare with Jesus. In the Bible He always knew what to say. When I recently read the story of the lady who caught committing adultery, I concluded that the writers of these stories were anti- women. What of the guy who was caught with her? What happened to him? What was his story? When the Pharisees ask Jesus what they should do, they always threw the Law of Moses at Him even when they were asking Him about divorce. Didn’t they know that the Law only reveals sin? Anyway this lady is about to be stoned by a crowd, then Jesus after being asked what He would do, bends over and starts drawing in the ground….hahaha!! Talk about a joker. Who does that? He gets up, His response! They weren’t ready!! Jesus vindicated and maintained the Law but imposed a condition which they over looked. Then He asks the lady where your accusers are? Then He says, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.” No judgment, no repercussions. Jesus said that He is the way the truth and the life… He is his own Counselor because He is the source of truth, unlike these politicians who are always seeking counsel if they ever do.
2. He is the mighty God; He made the world and all that are in it. In the beginning the world was formless and void , darkness was upon the face of the deep. Yet here we are with day and night, nature, animals, sea and land. He made everything in order. He spoke creation into being, same way He spoke to his subjects/prophets what to and he gave them the resources and strength to do His will. As human beings(sinful man) we are conditioned to strain against law and order, we have failed to  make people obey from the heart, and that shows the limitation of political and legislative systems.
3. He is the Father of Eternity; “They will perish, but You remain [forever and ever]; and they will all wear out like a garment,” Hebrews 1:11 Nothing is complex for the creator and sustainer of everything. Governments of the world exist primarily to make things more complicated . We build bureaucracies to deal with the complexities of life and consequently life only grows more perplexing. God being all knowing, His government will be uncomplicated since He knows the beginning and the end.

Isaiah 35:8, “A highway will be there, and a roadway; And it will be called the Holy Way. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for those who walk on the way[the redeemed]; And fools will not wander on it.

 

4. He is the Prince of Peace; No conflicts because He is peace, He offers peace from God.

Isaiah 9:7, “There shall be no end to the increase of His government and of peace,[He shall rule] on the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness. From that time forward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

This is the final political solution that will truly bring world peace. My only hope is that the government of our lives is on His shoulders, that He rules and reigns even now in your hearts. Only then will we experience the growing peace that comes only from the prince of Peace.

tran