During the time between the conquest of Canaan and the United Kingdom, which began with King Saul, the Children of Israel were a group of 12 tribes led by tribal leaders and by Judges. The Judges had a special connection with God, and sought His leadership when making decisions. They heard civil disputes and decided the disputed matters. When the occasion called for it, they provided military and political leadership for the combined tribes.
Their people had comingled and intermarried with the Canaanites, and they had fallen into idol worship. Consequently, God allowed the neighboring countries to oppress them. At times when they repented, the Lord raised up Judges who led them to victory over their opponents. In Chapter 7 of the Book of 1Samuel, there is an example of how God gave Israel a victory over the Philistines after they repented and stopped worshiping idols.
However, Chapter 8 begins by recounting how as Samuel got older, he appointed his sons Joel and Abija to serve in his place. The true Judges of Israel were appointed by God, and Samuel’s appointment of his sons did not work out well. They were corrupt, taking bribes and perverting justice. So, Israel’s exasperated leaders came to Samuel and asked for a king to rule over them. The people no longer trusted that God would lead them. They said they wanted to be ruled by an earthly king like their neighbors.
Samuel sought the leading of the Lord, and God told him to allow the people to have their king. The sense is that God was tired of their rebelliousness, and He had decided to let them suffer the natural and logical consequences of their worldliness. In His mercy, God told Samuel to warn the people about what being ruled by a king would be like. In Chapter 8 of 1Samuel we find the warning that was given to Israel:
So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who had asked him for a king. And he said, “This will be the practice of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and put them in his chariots for himself and among his horsemen, and they will run before his chariots. He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to gather in his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will also take your daughters and use them as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. And he will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards and give it to his high officials and his servants. He will also take your male servants and your female servants, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and use them for his work. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. Then you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.”
Yet the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, so that we also may be like all the nations, and our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the LORD’S hearing. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and appoint a king for them.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go, every man to his city.” (1Samuel 8:10-22 NASB) [1]
The warning proved to be true. In the judgement of many, David and Solomon were the greatest of Israel’s kings. They brought security and prosperity to the people. However, King David was almost continually at war, and King Solomon conscripted Israelites to work on his public works projects.
In the United States today, 3,000 years later, it seems that people still want to look to the government to take care of them. Many want “cradle to grave” social programs to ensure their needs are met. The problem is that “there is no such thing as a free lunch.”
The result is the same as it was in ancient Israel. When we make ourselves dependent on government to get our needs met, we give the government control of our lives. Furthermore, excessive government spending on wasteful, inefficient social programs is driving inflation, and if government spending is not brought under control it will continue to impoverish the very people the programs are intended to help.
A number of famous people have commented on the ills of “big government:”
The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help. (Ronald Reagan)
Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one. (Thomas Paine)
The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples' money. (Margaret Thatcher)
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. (Winston Churchill)
The goal of socialism is communism. (Vladimir Lenin)[2]
In November, the midterm election provides the American people an opportunity to begin to turn things around. Every American, regardless of party affiliation, who wants to stop the Liberals, Progressives, Democratic Socialists, and International Corporations from ruining the country must get out and vote. An overwhelming vote is the only way that we can offset the impact of power-mad billionaires who use their wealth to fund social unrest and influence the outcomes of elections.
Then, we need to do it again in the presidential election in 2024. Take your like-minded friends to the polls with you. The future we will leave our children depends on what we do for them today.
