Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. And he said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God." Acts 5:34-39
There is a difference between the “short term” and the “long-run.” Gamaliel was a highly esteemed Jewish rabbi at the time of the establishment of the Church. Before being saved, the Apostle Paul was one of Gamaliel’s students.
He was more level-headed than the religious leaders who persecuted the Church. He cautioned them not to be unduly aggressive toward this new sect of Jews who followed Jesus. After all, he reasoned, others had also arisen and gathered their followings, and they each came to nothing. Gamaliel counseled the persecutors to remain calm and see what God would do. His reasoning was simply, “If God isn’t in it, it will blow over. If God is in it, no one can stop it.”
That is good advice, mostly. It is true that no one can thwart God’s plans—in the long run. But we must be cautious not to adopt an absolute “let go and let God” approach to life. We must act responsibly for the sake of the “short-term,” trusting God for the “long run.”
Let me give just two simple examples. (1) Will God supply our needs? Then are we free not to work, since God will supply? (2) Does God ordain all civil authorities, whether good and bad? Then does our voting not matter? Should we not vote at all, and simply trust God?
I trust that you can see that while God is most assuredly sovereign, He not only ordains the ends, He ordains the means to those ends. Work and responsible citizenship are often the difference between God’s sovereign blessing and God’s sovereign judgment.