Something unreasonable, something irritating, something that just makes you want to find out who made the rule and give them a piece of your mind. When I saw this sign, I thought of the news I heard this week; that within the next year, more than 80 power plants will close all over America by the fiat of the EPA. You know, "The environmental Persecution Authority" that makes any rule it can dream up to "change" our country. What, do I sound bitter? The answer is a resounding "yes"! As if we don't have enough problems in this country, lets reduce our electricity by 10% next year. This situation will hurt people; its almost like our rulers have it in for us. Humm, I remember a portion of the Bible where a ruler actually did...
WEB: Exodus Chapter 1
[8] Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn’t know Joseph. [9] He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we. [10] Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and escape out of the land.” [11] Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses. [12] But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They were grieved because of the children of Israel. [13] The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve, [14] and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.
[15] The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah, [16] and he said, “When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool; if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” [17] But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive. [18] The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and have saved the boys alive?”
[19] The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous, and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”
[20] God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty. [21] It happened, because the midwives feared God, that he gave them families. [22] Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”
Some edicts are just wrong. You can't just exterminate people! Remember Adolph Hitler??? Whether it is an edict like Pharaoh's or a regulation that hurts people, some things are just wrong, period! Throughout history, there have been people whose conscience took precedence over their obedience and did what they considered to be the "right thing"!!! Early Christians would not acknowledge Caesar as LORD and paid for it with their lives. How could they, JESUS was their LORD!!! Whenever possible, I believe we should obey our leaders, but there are limits. In matters of life and death and conscience towards God (like the midwives in the passage from Exodus) we should obey God rather than men. Besides, some rules are obviously wrong! Question: How DO YOU MEASURE A HALF A MILE AN HOUR, ANYWAY?????