Ruler of the Nations

Ruler of the Nations is a good introduction to Calvinist's general take on what the bible teaches about government. The main thesis is that God, the ruler of the nations, holds all power and authority and yet delegates some power to earthly representatives in different jurisdictions. In these four jurisdictions - the self, the family, the church, and the state - the representatives of power are to cooperate with each other as they implement God's law in their respective spheres of sovereignty.

The author, Gary DeMar, makes a compelling biblical case for small, bottom-up, governments (plural) as opposed to what is seen in most nations today that have rejected God's law, namely, a top-down, command government (singular) that encroaches upon all other legitimate spheres of sovereignty (the self, the family, the church).

The point is emphasized throughout the book that only when individuals govern themselves according to God's law will all other governments within a nation function as God designed them since these other spheres reflect the self-government (or lack thereof) of individuals.

I readily recommend this book to those seeking a biblical view on government.