God and Government

Fair warning: This post is aimed squarely at judeo-christian theocrats. Those of other faiths, please continue reading as this should be enlightening, this statement is simply fair warning that this post quotes extensively from the Bible, particularly 1 Samuel 8.

I recently saw on Facebook a statement that is quite common in the Southern Baptist circles I grew up in and even the Independent Baptist church I became my own man in.

That statement was “It’s not government that’s bad – government is ordained by God.”

Quite honestly, no He didn’t. Even the first Israeli court system was designed by Moses’ father-in-law Jethro as a way to relieve some of the strain on Moses, who at that point was WAY overworked – and this was PRIOR to Mt Sinai in Exodus 18:14-26. (For those that don’t know, Mt. Sinai is where the Ten Commandments were given.) Basically what had gone on here was that his father-in-law had come to visit Moses and his wife and saw that Moses was ALWAYS working. So HE told Moses to create a system to allow Moses some down time – not God. Indeed, my father-in-law would probably tell me much the same thing if he saw me working anywhere NEAR what Moses was doing.

For those who don’t wan to click the link, here is the relevant portion (from the New Living Translation, for those interested, but the link allows you to look at several translations):

14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?”

15 Moses replied, “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. 16 When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God’s decrees and give them his instructions.”

17 “This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. 18 “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. 19 Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. 20 Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. 21 But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 22 They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. 23 If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”

24 Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions. 25 He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 26 These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves.

So now we see that God didn’t even create the courts and thus the Judges – which is something I had honestly thought He had done until I opened my Bible looking for the passage where he had done so. Imagine my surprise when I found out otherwise! Instead, it was Moses’ father-in-law, concerned about the strain Moses’ job was having on his personal life and physical well-being. I know many guys who have had similar conversations with their own father-in-laws.

But getting into the promised passage, 1 Samuel 8, let me paint the picture: It is now over a hundred years since the time of Moses – even longer than that since the courts were created just prior to Mt. Sinai. The 12 tribes of Israel are a very loose confederation joined by a Judge. They called on each other in emergencies, but otherwise had really nothing to do with each other. No true central administration, and no standing army.

And the enemies were at the gates. The enemies have Kings who provide a central governing authority and a standing army. Israel gets scared.

Enter 1 Samuel 8:

4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”

6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”
Samuel Warns against a Kingdom

10 So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. 12 Some will be generals and captains in his army,[a] some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. 13 The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. 14 He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. 16 He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle[b] and donkeys for his own use. 17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.”

19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. 20 “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”

21 So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said, 22 and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.

(emphasis mine)

So you see, God didn’t ‘ordain’ government – that philosophy is an error created by human despots trying to maintain their power. Indeed, God warned AGAINST government.

You see, God’s greatest gift to His most precious creation, His very Image Bearers, we humans, was Free Will. God gave us the ability to choose what to do with our own lives, knowing full well what we would choose and that He would be forced to send His Only Begotten Son to die for our choices so that we could once again have the relationship with Him that He had always wanted from the beginning.

The most all-knowing and powerful being in existence refuses to control us. He didn’t want us to have government. He wanted us to freely choose Him. That free choice was and is our very reason for existence.

Why then, do we humans think we know better than God?