Covenantal Government—The Biblical Basis

One seemingly forgotten aspect of our original governmental structure, of Biblical government, is the idea of the covenant, and its relationship to the establishment of every righteous civil government. All of that language sounds complicated, but it really is rather simple when we lay it out. In fact, the good news is that God laid it out for us many centuries ago so all we really have to do is use His word to inform the way we think.

In my last article I spoke of Queen Athaliah, her usurpation of power, and her removal from office in the kingdom of Judah (I love that story). After her demise a new government had to be instituted. It was at that point that the hero of the story, Jehoiada, is recorded as establishing covenants for fresh government. Here is what the text says.

2 Kings 11:17 – ‘Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord’s people, also between the king and the people’.

So, here we find the foundation for righteous governance. There are two covenants. One is between all three parties: the Lord , the king, and the people. The other is simply between the king and the people. There are two covenants each with its own doctrines, assumptions, and necessary conditions. Each is indispensable to righteous rule. Each is necessary to establish a completed line of authority and set of promises and/or duties for all involved.

The first covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people is marked primarily by its most honorable party, the Lord. For when He makes any covenant the terms are not between two equals. The relationship is between the Sovereign and his liege subjects. The Sovereign, i.e. the Lord, rules all things by the power of His might. He need not meet anyone half way. He has no duty to negotiate with any man. Therefore when He makes a covenant He sets all the terms and lets man know what they are. God makes a promise that He will do certain things depending on man’s obedience or disobedience. It is a covenant for blessing or cursing. If we want the blessings we must obey the terms God sets. In this case we are discussing, God had long ago set the terms of national covenant with Israel. We have all read them in Deuteronomy chapter twenty-eight. These many blessings and cursings are a part of God’s law for nations. This was the covenant being agreed to or re-agreed to in 2 Kings 11. The nation would be ruled first by God and then by the king. The king and the people must obey the law of God to satisfy their end of the covenant.

The second covenant was between the king and the people. Anytime men covenant with each other they are entering the covenant as equals before the law. They may not be of the same social status but they are equally bound before the law to keep their covenant word. Thus the king is bound to obey God and keep His law as he rules. The people are covenanted to obey the king as he obeys God. Thus, if the king disobeys God’s law, becomes immoral or a tyrant then the covenant is dissolved and the people are no longer bound to obey. They may then seek a new ruler who will keep covenant and obey God. Hence, when Athaliah broke God’s law by stealing an office to which she had no right the people had no duty to obey her. There was no covenant for governance with her. She was committing treason and needed to be put to death.

It is for these reasons that our forefathers announced in the Declaration of Independence that the ties that had bound them to the King of England had been severed. King George had in many and large ways broken covenant with his subjects, the American people. Therefore, the Americans did not break the covenant. They merely announced that it had been violated by the English king, and the Americans said the relationship had been ‘dissolved’. Given the covenantal structure of proper government I believe they were correct to do so and in fact had a duty to do as they did.

Now we live in a time when the entire concept of covenants and covenanted government has been erased from the American mind. The further we depart from our obedience to God and His law the more corrupt we all become. If we wish to receive the blessings and remove the curses we must again renew covenant with our God. Once again we can have a blessed nation and a blessed future. The hour is late but perhaps not too late to begin. God can renew this nation.

For Christian Culture,

Don Schanzenbach