Late this week the rebellion in Syria spread as the people rebel against their ruthless president Bashar al-Assad who has oppressed his people. Twenty-four years ago Assad was elected as the 19th president of Syria and he also is over the nation’s Armed Forces and military.
Now he and his family are in exile from the very people he was elected to lead. His rise to power quickly blinded him and corrupted his government. It is a staunch warning for us here in America and in the church about the abuses of power.
- Pride
- Greed
- Abusive
The pride of life can easily blind us and callous our hearts to the things of God. The danger of the pride of life is it focuses on self and not on others can lead anyone astray (1 John 2:16- 17.) Tyranny and tyrants are the results of the pride of life.
What Are Tyrants
Tyrants, like dictators abuse their power and position for their selfish gains. Tyrants often view themselves as gods because they have all of the control and power.
Tyrants are defined as, “An absolute ruler who was unrestrained by law; a usurper of sovereignty, a ruler who exercises absolute power oppressively.” Tyrants worship themselves and bow to no one. They want to be exalted and worshiped by the people they govern.
Tyrants oppress the people and are the antithesis of God and His ways. God is a King who puts His people first. Tyrants are gods and rulers of this world and their kingdoms are temporary.
Christianity warns us about tyrants and earthly rulers and encourages us to focus on the Kingdom above (Romans 12:2, 19, Colossians 3:1-25, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Revelation 13:5-7.) The apostles remembered their Jewish history and teachings about the tyrants of the old world.
Arits
In the ancient world, tyrants ruled the land and considered themselves gods. It was common for tyrants to oppress people, and even other smaller nations; especially in Greece from 752 500 B.C.E.
The Hebrew word in the Old Testament for tyrant is arits and it can also mean, “Mighty, terrifying, or ruthless,” depending on the context it was used in.
The Old Testament warned Israel about oppressive tyrants and how they rule (Exodus 23:6-7, Deuteronomy 13:7-10, 2 Chronicles 15:12-13, Psalm 10:1-18, Isaiah 14:5, Daniel 3:1-30.) In Egypt, pharaohs were tyrants and God-wannabes.
Israel was often oppressed and enslaved by tyrants, even by some form within Israel itself. Below are just a few of the ancient tyrants in the Old Testament.
- King Eglon
- King Jabin
- King Jeroboam
- Mohammed Ibn Farouk
- King Hazael
- Herod the Great
When the prophesied Messiah was born, Herod was so jealous he sent Wiseman to find him and kill the baby. We celebrate Christmas because Jesus didn’t come as a glamorous king or power-hungry tyrant; He came as a servant leader and sacrificial offering.
Our King taught His followers to put others first before our selfish wants (Matthew 7:12; 23 11-12.) Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for weighing down the people of God and oppressing them with the law (Matthew 23:2-4.) Everything from the birth of Jesus to His teachings is the opposite of the tyrants of this world who owe press the people (Luke 2:7.)
Maduro
Venezuela has one of the largest oil reserves in the world, yet is considered one of the poorest nations in the world. All because of its controversial president Nicholas Maduro who has become a ruthless tyrant and oppresses his own people, even using the military to help keep power after losing the Venezuelan reelection this past summer.
The military chased the true winner out of the country so that Maduro could stay in power. The nation is plagued by a corrupt government, food shortages, high unemployment, and mismanagement of its oil exportation. Because of this many people have fled the country for a better life, even here in America where we still have our freedoms.
Tyrants only look out for themselves and could care less about the people they govern. It is tragic that many immigrants have fled what should be one of the richest nations in the world for a better life here in America.
- Shelter
- Food
- Work
Here we see a basic truth; tyrants are self-centered and self-made gods who rule over temporary kingdoms. Jesus taught His disciples His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36.) The great Charles Spurgeon wrote, “It is a purer, higher, truer, more durable kingdom than any Caesar has ever been able to set up.” The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the servant leaders who sacrifice for their heavenly King, not those who prefer and support oppressive arits!
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In