When God gave the Law to Moses, He included a specific prohibition against speaking reproachfully or disrespectfully of those who hold positions of authority. The reason for this is clear. These rulers and leaders are representatives of God. "There is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God" (Romans 13:1). The ruler is a "minister of God to thee for good" (Romans 13:4). Even though the leader may not know the Lord personally, still he is the Lord's man officially.The link between God and human rulers is so close that He sometimes refers to them as gods. Thus in today's verse we read, "Thou shalt not revile the gods," which may mean governmental authorities. And in Psalms 82:1<a href="javascript:%7B%7D" style="text-decoration:underline ;">; </a>Psalms 82:6 the Lord refers to judges as gods - not meaning that they are deities but simply that they are agents of God.In spite of King Saul's murderous attacks on David, the latter would not allow his men to harm the king in any way because he was the Lord's anointed (1 Samuel 24:6).When the Apostle Paul unknowingly reproached the high priest, he quickly repented and apologized, saying, "I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people" (Acts 23:5).Respect for authorities applies even in the spirit realm. This explains why Michael, the archangel, did not dare to bring a railing accusation against Satan, but simply said, "The Lord rebuke thee" (Judges 1:9).One of the marks of latter-day apostates is that they despise governments and are not afraid to speak evil of dignities (2 Peter 2:10).The lesson for us is clear. We are to respect our rulers as official servants of God even though we might not agree with their policies or approve of their personal character. Under no circumstances should we ever say what one Christian said in the heat of a political campaign, "The president is a lowdown scoundrel."Further we are to pray "for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty" (1 Timothy 2:2).

With reverence, humor and skill, William MacDonald wove a daily devotional tapestry that challenges the reader to think deeply and Biblically, and apply God's Word to their lives.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

"Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people." (Exodus 22:28)

1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Romans 13:1

 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

In 1604, King James I of England authorized that a new translation of the Bible into English be started. It was finished in 1611, just 85 years after the first translation of the New Testament into English appeared (Tyndale, 1526). The Authorized Version, or King James Version, quickly became the standard for English-speaking Protestants. Its flowing language and prose rhythm has had a profound influence on the literature of the past 400 years. The King James Version present on the Bible Gateway matches the 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States.

OT: Masoretic Text, some LXX and Vulgate influence.
NT: Textus Receptus, similar to the Byzantine text-type; some readings derived from the Vulgate.
Apocrypha: Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate.

Romans 13:1 KJV

Romans 13:1 KJV

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