The Universe as sting operation explains the order of disorder

Where is the logic that solves the apparent contradiction of Hosea 8:4a with Romans 13:1b-c?

Hosea 8:4a
"To themselves they made kings, and not through Me; They ruled, and did not make known to Me." (CFB)

Romans 13:1b-c
"For there is not an authority, if not under God; then, the existing ones are ordained by God." (CFB)

The logic can be found in Holy Scripture:

1 Corinthians 5:3-5

"Indeed I myself, though being absent by the body yet being present by the spirit, already judged (as being present) the perpetrator of such a thing in the name of the Lord Jesus (when you had gathered together with my spirit, together with the power of our Lord Jesus) to hand this one over to Satan unto the ruin of the flesh, so that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord." (CFB)

James 1:12-15

"Blessed is a man who endures a temptation, because having become approved, he will receive the crown of life that He promised to those loving Him. No one, being tempted, is to say, 'I am tempted by God.' For God is untemptable by evil, and He tempts no one. But each is tempted by his own lusts, having been drawn away and enticed. Then the lust, having seized him, gives birth to sin, and the sin, having been completed, brings forth death." (CFB)

The logic is that a society has at least some freedom to behave foolishly and unjustly, and thereby bring upon itself foolish and unjust leaders. These leaders can be said to have been "ordained" by God as the consequence of the society's foolishness and injustice. The Bible's many injunctions against rebellion (Proverbs 24:21; Romans 13:2; 1 Peter 2:13) then can be understood even better: an unjust society, bringing on itself an unjust leader, is to endure the consequences of its actions. 

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Notes
CFB: Scripture quoted from the Christ Family Bible. Copyright © 2017 by J.J. Thomas. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Can life on earth be likened to a sting operation?

Is it consistent with the Holy Bible to believe that God uses this period to see who is a rebel and who is not; that is, to believe that the reason that God has created the Universe, which is temporary, is to get to know people properly before welcoming anyone into His eternal kingdom?

What about predestination? A closer examination of the key text about predestination in the New Testament, Romans 8:28-30, indicates that when God foreordains a person to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, that does not mean that this person will cooperate [1]. Indeed, the same author and letter warns: 

You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. (Romans 11:19-22, NKJV)

The same warning of conditional salvation (rather than predetermined, unconditional salvation) is given for example by Paul in another letter:

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12, NKJV)

An interesting modern-historical parallel to such "sting-operation testing" is the practice of putting military candidates into jungles, under observation, upon the premise that any key character flaws will emerge under such constant, dire pressure.[2]
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Notes
[1] See the translation of Romans 8:28-30 at Christ Family Bible.

[2] This is drawn from a Channel 5 series about one of the UK's elite military forces ("Secrets of the S.A.S.: In Their Own Words", 2016).

NKJV: Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The wisdom of fearing God is like the wisdom of fearing a country's justice system

The Holy Bible encourages fear of God, but this phrase is easily and widely misunderstood. 

For a brief explanation, please see "A Guide to Misleading Bible Quotes".