Government: Human Government as a Response to Wickedness
The third dispensation, Government, follows the catastrophic consequences of the Conscience dispensation, which culminated in the flood. After God judged the earth for its wickedness, He initiated a new era in human history, establishing the institution of human government. This dispensation began with Noah and his family, and it was a divine response to the corruption of humanity. God sought to impose order and justice on the earth by providing a system of governance through which mankind could maintain some degree of moral and social structure, preventing further moral collapse.
In Genesis 9, after the floodwaters receded and Noah’s family emerged from the ark, God made a covenant with Noah and his descendants. This covenant included several key promises and directives that established the foundation for human government. The first of these directives was the command to "be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth" (Genesis 9:1). Humanity was to repopulate the earth and govern it, reflecting the same dominion that was given to Adam in the Innocence dispensation.
One of the most important provisions of this covenant was the establishment of the death penalty for murder. God declared, "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed" (Genesis 9:6). This command introduced the idea that justice must be carried out through human government to maintain order and deter evil. The institution of government, therefore, was seen as a tool for justice and a way to restrain the spread of sin.
God’s directive to establish human government also included the recognition of the sanctity of life and the responsibility of rulers and authorities to uphold justice and protect the innocent. This period marks a transition from a society guided solely by conscience, which had proven inadequate to prevent wickedness, to a system in which humanity was given external, organized authority to maintain law and order.
However, the establishment of government did not guarantee moral perfection. While Noah and his descendants were given this divine responsibility, humanity’s sinful nature continued to wreak havoc. Despite the existence of government, mankind soon turned to idolatry and violence once again. For example, the building of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 shows how, in their pride, humanity sought to build a monument to their own greatness, defying God's command to spread throughout the earth. God responded by confusing their languages, scattering them across the earth. This event highlights the continual failure of humanity to govern itself righteously without God’s intervention.
The Government dispensation teaches that human government is a necessary institution to restrain evil and maintain order in a fallen world. It acknowledges the reality that, even with divine intervention, humanity continues to struggle with sin, and thus, government is essential to prevent further chaos and lawlessness. The establishment of human government shows that God cares about justice and the moral order of society, providing humanity with the means to enforce laws that promote good and punish evil.
From a theological perspective, this dispensation underscores the importance of justice and the need for external authority to keep sin in check. It serves as a reminder that, though God instituted government as a means to curb evil, human governments are imperfect and will always fall short of perfect justice. This imperfection points to the ultimate need for Christ's return, when He will establish a perfect kingdom of justice and righteousness.
In conclusion, the Government dispensation marks a key shift in God’s plan for humanity, moving from a reliance on conscience to a structured, divinely established system of human authority. While human government serves as a temporary solution to the problem of sin and evil, it also highlights humanity’s continuing need for God’s redemptive intervention, pointing forward to the ultimate fulfillment of God’s justice in the reign of Christ.