19.20 - The Government, the Gospel, and the Christian: Pick a Side?
Get the full intelligence
Search transcripts, export clips, track mentions, and explore all topics from “19.20 - The Government, the Gospel, and the Christian: Pick a Side?” inside PodZeus.
The After Class Podcast tackles a profound theological question: how should Christians relate to governing authorities in a world of chaos and competing powers? Drawing from a sweeping survey of Old Testament prophecy—from Ezekiel’s vision of Babylon as God’s instrument to Isaiah’s portrayal of Assyria as 'the rod of my anger'—the hosts argue that God sovereignly uses even the most brutal nations to carry out judgment and discipline. What’s radical is their claim: God doesn’t just permit these empires to rise; He actively employs them, like Babylon, Assyria, and Cyrus, as tools in His larger plan. Yet this sovereignty doesn’t mean Christians should align with any nation. The episode’s climax comes in Habakkuk, where the prophet protests God’s use of a wicked nation to punish His own people. God’s response? 'Wait. I’ve got it under control. You don’t get to decide which nation is righteous enough to be used.' The hosts dismantle the 'lesser of two evils' mentality—common among Christians today—as fundamentally un-Christian, because God’s holiness doesn’t operate on moral calculus. Instead, the Christian posture is not political allegiance, but joyful faithfulness in the midst of chaos. As Habakkuk declares in the final verse: 'Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will exult in the God of my salvation.' The episode reframes political engagement: it’s not about choosing sides, but about living in the reality of God’s sovereignty.
God uses even the most wicked nations as instruments of judgment, not because they are righteous, but because He sovereignly ordains their rise.
The 'lesser of two evils' argument is sub-Christian because it assumes we can morally rank nations and align with God’s will through political preference.
Habakkuk’s protest to God—'You can’t use Babylon!'—reveals that even righteous people are ignorant of which nation God is using at any given time.
Christians are not called to support any nation, but to live by faithfulness, not political alignment, in the midst of God’s sovereign purposes.
True Christian posture is not 'right on the right side' but 'right with God'—rejoicing in the Lord even when all is lost.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Graduation Season & Podcast Launch
The hosts open with personal reflections on graduation—Sam’s son Elijah and daughter Alyssa’s nursing graduation—highlighting the bittersweet joy of letting go. They set the emotional tone for the episode, linking the theme of transition to the broader spiritual question of how Christians relate to shifting political powers.
The Primeval Background: Babel and the Scattering
The episode begins its theological deep dive with Genesis 1–11, emphasizing that the story of Babel is not just about pride, but a political rejection of a one-world government. God scatters humanity into nations to prevent a Babel-like tyranny, establishing a divine pluralism of governing authorities.
Ezekiel 29: Babylon as God’s Payroll
“I will give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon and he shall carry off his wealth and despoil it and plunder it and it shall be the wages for his army. I've given him the land of Egypt as payment for which he labored because they work for me, says the Lord God.”
Isaiah 10: Assyria as God’s Rod of Anger
“But this is not what he intends, nor does he have this in mind. But it is in his heart to destroy and to cut off nations, not a few.”
Isaiah 45: Cyrus, the Pagan Messiah
“For the sake of my servant Jacob and Israel, my chosen, I call you by name. I give you a title though you do not know me.”
“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will exult in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord is my strength. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and makes me tread upon the heights.”
“Are you not from a hold, O Lord, my God, my Holy One? You shall not die. O Lord, you have marked them for judgment and you, O Rock, have established them for punishment?”
“I will give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon and he shall carry off his wealth and despoil it and plunder it and it shall be the wages for his army. I've given him the land of Egypt as payment for which he labored because they work for me, says the Lord God.”
Hosts
sam long
person
babylon
other
habakkuk
person
ron peters
person
assyria
other
egypt
other
cyrus
person
john nugent
person
nebuchadnezzar
person
jeremiah
person
Get the full intelligence
Search transcripts, export clips, track mentions, and explore all topics from “19.20 - The Government, the Gospel, and the Christian: Pick a Side?” inside PodZeus.
Start discovering podcast insights today
Start with a 7-day trial and explore a growing catalog of popular podcasts. No credit card required.
No credit card required • 7-day trial • Cancel anytime