Who will rise up? The Biblical case for civil disobedience

Romans 13:1, Let every soul. Paul is not giving believers a carte blanche mandate to follow evil laws and decrees that civil authorities impose upon their subjects. He is instructing believers to follow civil authorities that are not in conflict with YHVH’s higher laws. Peter was faced with the dilemma of whether to follow man’s laws or to follow YHVH’s laws which conflicted with those of men. He made the well-known statement, “We ought to obey Elohim rather than men,” before the Jewish legal authorities who demanded that the disciples cease preaching in Yeshua’s name.

In General, Obey the Civil Authorities 

Elohim in his Word instructs his servants to obey the civil laws and authorities in the lands in which they are living (Deut 17:12; Matt 22:21; Rom 13:1–7; Tit 3:1; 1 Pet 2:13–17).

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. (Rom 13:1)

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work… (Tit 3:1)

Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme… (1 Pet 2:13)

However, when obeying the laws of men goes against the higher laws of Elohim, Scripture requires the saints to follow Elohim’s laws over the laws of men (Acts 4:19;  5:29).

But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of Elohim to listen to you more than to Elohim, you judge. (Acts 4:19)

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey Elohim rather than men. (Acts 5:29)

Examples of Civil Disobedience in the Bible

Here are some examples from the Bible of righteous saints who disobeyed the civil laws when those laws violated the higher laws of Elohim.

  • The Israelite midwives defied Pharaoh and refused to practice abortion or infanticide (Exod 1:15–20).
  • Rahab defied the ruling authorities of Jericho and hid the Israelite spies (Josh 2).
  • Gideon defied Israel’s Midianites rulers (Judg 6:11–8:21).
  • Samson rebelled against the Philistines (Judg 14–16).
  • Mordechai defied Hamon, the king’s agent (Est 3).
  • David became a fugitive on the run from King Saul (1 Sam 21–27).
  • Elijah defied the king’s religious establishment and defeated the prophets of Baal (1 Kgs 18).
  • Elijah became a fugitive fleeing for his life from Queen Jezebel (1 Kgs 19).
  • Obadiah hid the 100 prophets of Elohim from King Ahab and Queen Jezebel (1 Kgs 18:3–4, 13).
  • The three Hebrews defied King Nebuchanezzar and refused to worship the golden idol (Dan 3).
  • Daniel prayed to Elohim against the commands of King Darius (Dan 6).
  • Yeshua turned over the money changers tables in the temple (John 2:14–15).
  • Peter and John were arrested and imprisoned for preaching the gospel (Acts 4).
  • The apostles were arrested for preaching the gospel, put on trial, but refused to stop preaching the gospel (Acts 5).
  • Peter was arrested again for preaching the gospel (Acts 12).
  • Paul and Silas were imprisoned for preaching the gospel (Acts 16).
  • Paul was arrested, tried and imprisoned for preaching the gospel (Acts 21–25).
  • The end times Babylon the Great, Antichrist, New World Order system will require all the inhabitants of the earth to worship the beast and to take the mark of the beast on their bodies in order buy and sell (or, by implication) or starve to death (Rev 13:11–18). At the same time, there will be those saints who refuse to take the mark of the beast (Rev 15:2; 20:4). To not take the mark of the beast will be an act of civil disobedience.

The Case for Civil Disobedience

Civil governments all around the world—especially in formerly Christian nations—are increasingly removing freedoms from their citizens and demanding that they stop preaching biblical truth and the gospel message, and, in essence, obey and worship the State. 

For example, in the U.S. the constitutional right to freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to keep and to bear arms, to practice one’s religion, to raise one’s children in a biblical way, to educate one’s children outside the government approved educational system, to not be forced to immunize oneself or one’s children with harmful pharmaceutical chemicals, the right to privacy, or to circumcise one’s boys (and the list goes on) is being attacked or being infringed upon every day, and increasingly so at an alarming rate. The righteous saint at some point must establish boundaries and mark lines in the sand beyond which they refuse to go in acquiescing to illegal unbiblical governmental demands. Each person, prayerfully, while searching the Scriptures for wisdom and direction, will have to make the decision before Elohim where the line too far is and beyond which they will not pass. 

Who Will Rise Up—A Mighty Cloud of Witnesses

The Bible is full of examples of those saints who chose to serve Elohim over man. Some paid with their lives for doing so, while many others were persecuted and suffered great hardship. But one thing is certain. They all received a higher, eternal reward from Elohim as the Epistles to the Hebrews chapter eleven records.

And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,

Elohim having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…. (Heb 11:39–12:1)

Therefore the question remains, when done righteously and in accordance with biblical principles,

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? (Ps 94:16)

 

12 thoughts on “Who will rise up? The Biblical case for civil disobedience

  1. Very good article! We will all be forced into civil disobedience if we follow Yeshua. There will be no way to avoid it. It is only a matter of time. It is best to realize this before the time comes and to decide on advance what your red lines are. You have mentioned many in the article.

  2. I think the concern for me in America and with many who claim to be Torah-observant, is the mentality that we have the right to armed resistance to the governmental authorities.

    We absolutely must stand for what is right. I do everything I can to “live a good and peaceable life” and to:

    Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For “HE WHO WOULD LOVE LIFE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, LET HIM REFRAIN HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL, AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT. LET HIM TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; LET HIM SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE ON THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ARE OPEN TO THEIR PRAYERS; BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL.” And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “AND DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THEIR THREATS, NOR BE TROUBLED.” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 1 Pet. 3:8-17.

    We, in choosing to follow YHVH, as you mention in the article may suffer for choosing to do what is right. HalleluYah! However, I do not see anywhere in the Apostolic Scriptures where revolt, rebellion, armed disobedience is encouraged or permitted. Instead, I see peacefully choosing obedience to God rather than man.

    Some may say, well what about instances like Mattathias and his sons. Didn’t they rebel against the Greeks? Yes they did. However, that is very different. YHVH had commanded them to do what they did. They were Israelites, living in the land. The land had Torah-law as its inherent law code and it was commanded by YHVH and agreed upon by the children of Israel. They were required to destroy those and cut them off who strove to change the Torah or turn them away from Yah’s commands. Mattathias and his sons were completely with in their rights and their responsibilities to seek armed confrontation with any who violated the covenant between YHVH and His people, land, dwelling place.

    While we, as believers in Yeshua, as grafted-in Israelites, have the responsibility to obey our Heavenly Father’s commands, we do not have the right to armed resistance to this end. We do not live in the land, We live in dispersion. We live in HaSatan’s territory at this time. We cannot go out and stone our children for defiance in dispersion. We cannot hold someone as a slave because they cannot repay their debts, etc. That is because the Torah is not the law of the land in the United States, or Brazil, or China, or Great Britain, etc., etc., etc.

    Now if someone comes and states we are required to vaccinate our family because of COVID-19 and by the way it has poisonous materials and more importantly pieces of aborted fetuses in it, I will write those in authority to try and get it overturned. I will camly refuse to do it. I will do everything peaceable within my power to refuse. If they come and arrest me, so be it. If they hold me down and forcibly inject me, I will pray for them and pray for YHVH’s mercy on them and call upon him for justice.

    In the meantime, I will pray for our country and our world while actively working within the confines of our country’s laws to make sure this doesn’t happen. Come Yeshua, come soon!

  3. Are you confusing offense with defense? We are to live at peace with all men as much as it depends on us. Anarchy or rebellion is not what is advocated here. Self defense is the key. Qustion. Are you telling me that you would stand by while you family or friends are violated? 1 Timothy 5:8 says we are to provide.

    • We have many instances throughout Scripture where YHVH stated that His people were not to fight back.

      Many in the early centuries after Yeshua, went to prison and death for their “resistance” to the authorities in power. Usually that resistance was like Peter and the other apostles in Acts 5:26-32:

      26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”

      29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

      I will calmly and resolutely refuse to go against my God. Am I going to go into armed resistance? This is not my land, this is not my Father’s Kingdom. Those are in Israel of which I am a citizen. I may fight for armed resistance there, especially if my Heavenly Father calls me to do so.

      • Please site the many scriptures that state we are not to fight back. Also explain Matthew 24:43. As well as Luke 11:21 and Luke 22:36. There are many more examples of self defense which could be stated but I’ll leave it at that. Pacifism is not a Biblical teaching in either Testament.

      • I don’t think he read my article. Fighting for one’s land is one thing, fighting to protect one’s family against a specific attacker is something completely different. However, sometimes one may have to fight to defend one’s land to protect one’s family. True, we are not of this world and are pilgrims passing through and citizens of another world, yet we still have to live in this world, which means if a a thief breaks into my house, someone tries to rape my wife, etc., I will fight back. Passivism may work in theory, but not in practicality in some cases. Moreover, does it make logical sense to say that you’ll protect your family if you live in the land of Israel, but not in America or some other country? No, not to my mind. To be sure, these are complex issues, and may it never come to the point where we have to use lethal force to protect ourselves against evil aggression. May we be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, but if someone is coming for my wife or kids, I’m not going to sanctimoniously and idly sit by light a candle and sing kumbaya and I don’t think any red-blooded man would either!

    • Vengeance belongs to Elohim only. We are to love our enemies, but if they are imperiling my loved ones, to not defend my loved ones is to love my enemies more than my loved ones. This makes no sense does it? Yet that’s the questions that pacifists have to ask themselves. I was raised in a church that believed in total pacifism. No defense under any circumstances. Just trust Jesus to suddenly appear and protect you miraculously and do nothing to protect your loved ones. Hopefully he will appear or send an angel, and it does happen, but we have to do our part too.

  4. Never forget!

    Never forget that they told us we were important to their Reich.

    Never forget that they said rounding us up into ghettos was for our own good.

    Never forget that we were forbidden from making bread to provide for our family,

    Never forget that we were denied the right to weapons to defend our family.

    Never forget that that our passiveness allowed a small number of evil to kill 6 million plus of us because we would not defend life.

    Never forget that when we did rise up in the ghettos we were slaughtered because we waited too long.

    Never forget that our denial of the evil of man’s hearts is beyond knowing.

    Never forget!

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