<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 12;13-15<div><br></div><div><b>13. &nbsp;And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodi-ans, to entrap him in his talk.</b></div><div><b>14. &nbsp;And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Cesar, or not?</b></div><div><b>15. &nbsp;Should we pay them, or should we not?” &nbsp;But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a coin, and let me look at it.”</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>At one point in the history of the people of Israel, God through Moses delivered them from being slaves forced to serve the will of the&nbsp;Pharaoh of Egypt, and&nbsp;gave them the land first promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (renamed Israel by God Himself). &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Their government was to be a Theocracy, (meaning a direct rule of God over both the hearts and bodies of the people of the nation of Israel.) &nbsp;This ‘Theocratic’&nbsp;form of government was first instituted by God among them under Moses, before they even got to the promised land. &nbsp;The LORD God instructed Moses to appoint Judges to judge the people. &nbsp;They were to teach the people the Law of God and settle their disputes according to that same Law. &nbsp;(see, Exodus 18, and Numbers 11;16&amp;17, 24-30)</div><div><br></div><div>In the days after Joshua, this system began to devolve, the people wandered away from the Law&nbsp;of God and&nbsp;into idolatry.&nbsp; The Lord punished them with warfare and oppressed them through&nbsp;the idolatrous nations living around and within their boarders.&nbsp; Then the Lord would raise up spiritual leaders also called ‘Judges’ who would call the people to repentance, renounce their idolatry, assemble for war&nbsp;under the leadership of the Judge&nbsp;and break free from their oppressors.</div><div><br></div><div>This pattern was repeated over and over again for generations. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The people grew tired of this ‘Theocracy’ which required them, every man, to govern himself according to the will of God and the Law of God. &nbsp;The descendants of Israel thought it better to creat a form of government following the pattern of the idolatrous&nbsp;nations around them. &nbsp;They asked for a king, they asked to pay taxes, they agreed to be led, not by God directly and individually. &nbsp;Instead, they wanted to just be commanded to obey, without personal individual relationship with God.</div><div><br></div><div>Nothing in Old Testament history better reveals mankind’s sinful rejection of a personal relationship with God through the Word/Law of God,&nbsp;<span>than the people’s desire</span><span>&nbsp;to be ruled by a king. &nbsp;The prophet/Judge Samuel grieved this desire of theirs. &nbsp;</span><span>(see, 1 Samuel 8;1-22)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Sadly, this form of government did not endure, &nbsp;most of the nation of Israel rebelled against God’s appointed kings, the sons of David. &nbsp;They created their own kings who led them further into even worse idolatry, until finally God allowed the Babylonians, the Persians and Medes, to conquer them and make them slaves again.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Under Ezra and Nehemiah, &nbsp;a remnant of Israel was allowed to return to the promised land, rebuild the Altar, a smaller, less glorious&nbsp;temple,&nbsp;and the walls of Jerusalem, but they were not independent. &nbsp;They had become a vassal state which was to be controlled by other foreign nations with false gods. &nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>At the time of Jesus, it was the Romans who controlled Israel, the land and the people. &nbsp;The Romans used the false king Herod as their puppet to keep order and receive payment of taxes to Rome.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>All this was by God’s own permission. &nbsp;Therefore, the question as to whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, was a dumb question from a practical point of view. &nbsp;The LORD Himself had already answered that question throughout their sad history.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>What the Pharisees desired, was not to know the truth of God concerning obligations of obedience to foreign authority, but rather they were looking for a way to condemn and destroy Jesus through&nbsp;</span><span>the power of Rome.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Their false&nbsp;flattery flowed &nbsp;from the&nbsp;Serpents own&nbsp;evil, rebellious, will and tongue.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Yet, their words were true, as Peter states: <i>“Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.” &nbsp;</i>(Acts 10;34&amp;35)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Therefore, Paul in Romans 13 teaches us to be subject to the governing authorities. &nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>The rule of the kingdom of God has perfectly come to us all, into our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits, through Jesus Christ, by the Word and Holy Spirit. &nbsp;Our bodies, we present to God as a living sacrifice.</span></div><div><span>Yet, these bodies we now live in are also subject to worldly government control, which we are to obey, so long as obedience to men does not force us to disobey God. &nbsp;(see, Acts 5;28)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, bless us to live in all humility obedient to the authorities you have placed over us. &nbsp;But, grant us courage and love to joyfully&nbsp;disobey them, and suffer their wrath if they command us to sin. &nbsp;For You have given us a Life, The Life, which can never be taken from us!&nbsp; In Jesus we pray, Amen</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Love, Dad/Baba/Eric</span></div><div><span>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</span></div><div><span>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, soak in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</span></div><div><br></div><div><br><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Mark 12;13-15
13.  And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodi-ans, to entrap him in his talk.14.  And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Cesar, or not?15.  Should we pay them, or should we not?”  But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a coin, and let me look at it.”
At one point in the history of the people of Israel, God through Moses delivered them from being slaves forced to serve the will of the Pharaoh of Egypt, and gave them the land first promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (renamed Israel by God Himself).  
Their government was to be a Theocracy, (meaning a direct rule of God over both the hearts and bodies of the people of the nation of Israel.)  This ‘Theocratic’ form of government was first instituted by God among them under Moses, before they even got to the promised land.  The LORD God instructed Moses to appoint Judges to judge the people.  They were to teach the people the Law of God and settle their disputes according to that same Law.  (see, Exodus 18, and Numbers 11;16&17, 24-30)
In the days after Joshua, this system began to devolve, the people wandered away from the Law of God and into idolatry.  The Lord punished them with warfare and oppressed them through the idolatrous nations living around and within their boarders.  Then the Lord would raise up spiritual leaders also called ‘Judges’ who would call the people to repentance, renounce their idolatry, assemble for war under the leadership of the Judge and break free from their oppressors.
This pattern was repeated over and over again for generations.  
The people grew tired of this ‘Theocracy’ which required them, every man, to govern himself according to the will of God and the Law of God.  The descendants of Israel thought it better to creat a form of government following the pattern of the idolatrous nations around them.  They asked for a king, they asked to pay taxes, they agreed to be led, not by God directly and individually.  Instead, they wanted to just be commanded to obey, without personal individual relationship with God.
Nothing in Old Testament history better reveals mankind’s sinful rejection of a personal relationship with God through the Word/Law of God, than the people’s desire to be ruled by a king.  The prophet/Judge Samuel grieved this desire of theirs.  (see, 1 Samuel 8;1-22)
Sadly, this form of government did not endure,  most of the nation of Israel rebelled against God’s appointed kings, the sons of David.  They created their own kings who led them further into even worse idolatry, until finally God allowed the Babylonians, the Persians and Medes, to conquer them and make them slaves again.
Under Ezra and Nehemiah,  a remnant of Israel was allowed to return to the promised land, rebuild the Altar, a smaller, less glorious temple, and the walls of Jerusalem, but they were not independent.  They had become a vassal state which was to be controlled by other foreign nations with false gods.  
At the time of Jesus, it was the Romans who controlled Israel, the land and the people.  The Romans used the false king Herod as their puppet to keep order and receive payment of taxes to Rome.
All this was by God’s own permission.  Therefore, the question as to whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, was a dumb question from a practical point of view.  The LORD Himself had already answered that question throughout their sad history.
What the Pharisees desired, was not to know the truth of God concerning obligations of obedience to foreign authority, but rather they were looking for a way to condemn and destroy Jesus through the power of Rome.
Their false flattery flowed  from the Serpents own evil, rebellious, will and tongue.
Yet, their words were true, as Peter states: “Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.”  (Acts 10;34&35)
Therefore, Paul in Romans 13 teaches us to be subject to the governing authorities.  
The rule of the kingdom of God has perfectly come to us all, into our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits, through Jesus Christ, by the Word and Holy Spirit.  Our bodies, we present to God as a living sacrifice.Yet, these bodies we now live in are also subject to worldly government control, which we are to obey, so long as obedience to men does not force us to disobey God.  (see, Acts 5;28)
Prayer:  Merciful Father, bless us to live in all humility obedient to the authorities you have placed over us.  But, grant us courage and love to joyfully disobey them, and suffer their wrath if they command us to sin.  For You have given us a Life, The Life, which can never be taken from us!  In Jesus we pray, Amen
Love, Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, soak in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”



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