The irony of the great Octavius ruling Rome at the time of Christ's birth! Otherwise known as Caesar Augustus, he thought himself a god to be worshiped.
He sent everyone to their homes to be registered so he could levy taxes.
Christians should never fret even the most despotic rulers on earth. J.C. Ryle comments wonderfully-
Little did the haughty Roman emperor, and his officer Quirinius, think that they were only instruments in the hand of the God, and were only carrying out the eternal purposes of the King of kings! Little did they think that they were helping to lay the foundation of a kingdom, before which the empires of this world would all go down one day, and Roman idolatry pass away.
The heart of a believer should take comfort in the recollection of God's providential government of the world. A true Christian should never be greatly moved or disturbed by the conduct of the rulers of the earth. He should see with the eye of faith — a divine hand overruling all that they do, to the praise and glory of God. He should regard every king and potentate — an Augustus, a Quirinius, a Darius, a Cyrus, a Sennacherib — as a creature who, with all his power — can do nothing but what God allows, nor anything which is not carrying out God's will. And when the rulers of this world "set themselves against the Lord" — the believer should take comfort in the words of Solomon, "There is one higher than they!" (Ecclesiastes 5:8.)
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