Verse 29: “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.”
The special technical programmer was in a quandary: the project manager wanted him to code the program in a certain way. However, the business customer wanted him to code it in a different way. And then the architect had his own way he wanted it done. None of the three stakeholders could agree on how to do it. Meanwhile, the programmer calmly coded the logic, tested it, and presented it ready to elevate to production. All three of the stakeholders said, “Why did you code it this way?” “I followed the advice of my organizational manager who I answer to, and followed his model” he said. “But why did you take his orders over ours?” they asked. “Because,” said the programmer, “he signs my paycheck!”
The apostles had been thrown into prison by the high priest and the Sadducees. However, an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and told them to go to the temple and to teach. When the high priest had the guards bring them (note it was non-violently, lest they arouse a mob) and asked, “Why are you still doing this when we told you to stop?”, Peter and the others tell them why: “We ought to obey God rather than men.”
Throughout the years, there have been times when the laws of man and the law of God were in conflict. There have been documented cases of civil disobedience. I remember telling my son once that he needs to defend himself if he gets bullied in school, although the rules are structured in such a way that both participants in a fight are disciplined. He asked, “but I’ll get in trouble too.” I told him, “you may get into trouble with the school, but you won’t be in trouble with me, if you are in the right.” The apostles were more concerned with what God commanded than what man commanded.
In this day and time, when it seems man wants to flaunt sin in God’s face under the guise of laws…remember what Peter and the apostles said.
Something to think about today.
Combing The Word 
Leave a Reply