The Jewish people universally acknowledged Yahweh God as the religion of the land. God established both the priesthood and the governing authorities. So it is impossible to separate Yahweh God from anything.
The priests and the prophets spoke into the lives of the kings (2 Samuel 7:3; 12:7), so the Church should perform a prophetic role in offering advice and exhortation to the State. It should remind State officials what the Bible says about civil affairs. The Church, made up of Christians, should be a voice that encourages the State when it does right and warn and direct the State when it does evil.
On the other hand King Saul could not offer sacrifices which was ordained for the priests only to offer before the Lord (1 Samuel 13:9-14; Exodus 29:10). Jeroboam, in order to save his kingdom, established a pagan centre of worship contrary to the word of God (1 Kings 12:25-33; 1 Kings 13:1-10) More than offering sacrifices or usurping the power of the priest is at stake. God, not the king, was to be sovereign over Israel.
The church cannot obey the state when it is direct opposition to biblical commands. If the state commands murder then we must disobey the state. State or president worship is to be repudiated. We worship God alone. The command by the civil institution to stop preaching is over-ruled by the Great Commission. The Scriptures always take precedence.
The God given function of the Church is to carry out the Great Commission of disciplining, baptizing and educating the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). The Church’s task is a ministry of “grace” (2 Corinthians 5:20). The God given function of the State (civil government) is the administration of justice i.e. the punishing of the lawless and the protection of the law abiding. The State “is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger, who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.” (Romans 13:4; 1 Timothy 2:1,2; 1 Peter 2:13,14). This is quite clear!
In Israel the “religious” duties were assigned to the priests (Exodus 28-29), while the judicial and civil authority resided in the elders and heads of families (1 Samuel 8:4f; 10:20f; 2 Samuel 3:17f). Later we had Nehemiah (the governor) and Ezra (the scribe).(Nehemiah 7:1-7; 8:1-8)
Both institutions have a common authority – they are both under God and accountable to His revealed word. (Ephesians 5:24) The head of the Church is not the State. The head of the State is not the Church.
There are two swords mentioned in the Bible. One sword belongs to the State (the iron sword), while the other sword belongs to the Church (the sword of the Spirit, the word of God). There is a proper place for both swords. The sword of iron will be laid to rest in the new kingdom (Isaiah 2:4; Hosea 2:18; Micah 4:3)
The Church, the body of Christ, is in possession of the keys of the kingdom, firstly to bind and loose (Matthew 16:19) and secondly the key of knowledge to impart God’s truth (Luke 11:52).
In summary, it is only as the church is carrying out her God-given task and as the state is carrying out its God-given task, confining themselves to what God has revealed and commanded, that our nation will know peace and prosperity under God’s blessing. If the Church is not sounding forth faithfully and powerfully the word of the Lord, our nation will have no direction and guidance. If the state is not faithfully administering justice in terms of biblical law, the church will suffer when freedom begins to disappear. The only gospel that the church can administer is that revealed in the written revelation of Almighty God. The only standard of justice the state may administer is that revealed in the word of God.