Function of Government I
Where to start? In the Bible, 1 Samuel 8:7 it is written; “Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.” This is the instruction of God to Samuel allowing for the transition from a theocracy to a monarchy. It also indicates that no earthly government can stand without the support of the people. God would have all individuals and all nations willingly worship Him. If they do not He will not force them. They will suffer the consequences of their actions, some would say this is a punishment from God, but I think of it more as the natural flow of things. God is actually trying to protect us by telling us His law. He is not trying to inhibit our actions. He would not bind us with the commandments, but rather they are instructions that if we live by we will benefit from. Nations are like that also. If the leaders are following God’s laws, commandments, dictums and proverbs it will be reflected in the blessings that flow to the nation. It is only the fool that thinks the burden of God is heavy; these laws that were instituted for our benefit. The freedom that the word of God gives to us is such that it should be our endeavor to learn it so well that we never deviate from it.
I guess I am that one that would broadcast to all who will listen so that I, like Samuel, will be absolved of guilt when the yoke that the people’s government, the government that they desired, gets so heavy that they can no longer endure. I pray I am not here when the government of the United States of America becomes that oppressive man-serving mechanism that will entangle the righteous ones in its enveloping regulatory net. Man makes harsher rules than God and has less mercy. I do not know if some people will ever figure that out. Government in all its various and sundry forms builds itself. It is a self-perpetuating life-form that gathers unto itself bureaucracies. First Samuel says this, “He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work,” 1 Samuel 8:11-16.
This is my foundation. If the function of government is something other than to perpetuate itself, then what is it? The children of Israel seemed to think that it was insufficient to have God as their protector and wanted a king to judge them, go out before them and fight their battles. I would have to say that by the definition of man the protection of the nation is one of the primary functions of the government. Let us revisit the scripture that I quoted above for other possible functions; it seems that with all that appointing to himself that ceremony is important. It is true that we humans find significance in ceremony. We expect funeral processions. We look forward to inaugurations. The military has ceremonies and symbols for everything. This is why captains would be appointed over thousands and fifties, why men would run before the king’s chariot. But, it seems that he would also have those that would keep their ears to the ground. An Intelligence Service has been a part of national security for a long time. This was not a new thing even then. Of course, the war implements and munitions dealers of the time had to be paid by the government. What kind of a king would let his country be without weapons? And, he would probably want the best, the newest, better technology than any of his neighboring states. After all, he could not depend upon God for protection; he and his people had rejected the Almighty so he had to depend on the strength of his own arm. And, if you are going to rightly represent your nation to the other nations of the world, then you have to have cooks, bakers and confectionaries. The right of eminent domain is here instituted also; “he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards,.” for no other purpose than to give them to his own servants. He will also have projects that he thinks are important and compel your men and their asses (donkeys, wagons, trucks) to work on these government projects, for the benefit of the nation, of course.
To judge a people is one of the functions of the king. At least to set up that bureaucracy that will enable the citizens to feel safe in their own homes a king should have an army, militia, police force or guard maintained for that purpose. A court system then comes along with the policing force. More people are employed by the government and less dependence is placed upon God. I know we live in a corrupt, evil, defiled world. It is filled with men and that is the way we are. But, as I stated earlier, if we did follow the laws of God, we would be blessed. Those who do not follow the laws of God should pay the price for their disobedience. God is a merciful God. I would rather fall into the hands of a merciful God rather than the hands of corrupt bureaucrat.
I know today’s rant has been long but sometimes it is necessary. May the Good Lord bless and keep you until we meet (if only on the internet) again.
I guess I am that one that would broadcast to all who will listen so that I, like Samuel, will be absolved of guilt when the yoke that the people’s government, the government that they desired, gets so heavy that they can no longer endure. I pray I am not here when the government of the United States of America becomes that oppressive man-serving mechanism that will entangle the righteous ones in its enveloping regulatory net. Man makes harsher rules than God and has less mercy. I do not know if some people will ever figure that out. Government in all its various and sundry forms builds itself. It is a self-perpetuating life-form that gathers unto itself bureaucracies. First Samuel says this, “He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work,” 1 Samuel 8:11-16.
This is my foundation. If the function of government is something other than to perpetuate itself, then what is it? The children of Israel seemed to think that it was insufficient to have God as their protector and wanted a king to judge them, go out before them and fight their battles. I would have to say that by the definition of man the protection of the nation is one of the primary functions of the government. Let us revisit the scripture that I quoted above for other possible functions; it seems that with all that appointing to himself that ceremony is important. It is true that we humans find significance in ceremony. We expect funeral processions. We look forward to inaugurations. The military has ceremonies and symbols for everything. This is why captains would be appointed over thousands and fifties, why men would run before the king’s chariot. But, it seems that he would also have those that would keep their ears to the ground. An Intelligence Service has been a part of national security for a long time. This was not a new thing even then. Of course, the war implements and munitions dealers of the time had to be paid by the government. What kind of a king would let his country be without weapons? And, he would probably want the best, the newest, better technology than any of his neighboring states. After all, he could not depend upon God for protection; he and his people had rejected the Almighty so he had to depend on the strength of his own arm. And, if you are going to rightly represent your nation to the other nations of the world, then you have to have cooks, bakers and confectionaries. The right of eminent domain is here instituted also; “he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards,.” for no other purpose than to give them to his own servants. He will also have projects that he thinks are important and compel your men and their asses (donkeys, wagons, trucks) to work on these government projects, for the benefit of the nation, of course.
To judge a people is one of the functions of the king. At least to set up that bureaucracy that will enable the citizens to feel safe in their own homes a king should have an army, militia, police force or guard maintained for that purpose. A court system then comes along with the policing force. More people are employed by the government and less dependence is placed upon God. I know we live in a corrupt, evil, defiled world. It is filled with men and that is the way we are. But, as I stated earlier, if we did follow the laws of God, we would be blessed. Those who do not follow the laws of God should pay the price for their disobedience. God is a merciful God. I would rather fall into the hands of a merciful God rather than the hands of corrupt bureaucrat.
I know today’s rant has been long but sometimes it is necessary. May the Good Lord bless and keep you until we meet (if only on the internet) again.
