Government as accommodation
Craig Williams, reflecting on Israel's demands for a king (1 Samuel 8), sees implications for politics and government in general:
The political realm is God's accommodation to us, not his plan for us. All the talk of Christian nations, or manifest destiny, or the divine rights of kings, or theocracies, is completely human originated. God gives Israel a king not because it was his design, but because it wasn't. If the people of God were to be the people of God, there would be no need for a human king. "We would do from our hearts what is right." This was God's point. He gives Israel a king, so they will understand this is not God's ways.Amen. Craig, by the way, briefly expresses thoughts developed nearly a hundred years ago by David Lipscomb in Civil Government. Lipscomb compared human government to hell--something ordained by God, but not really the way things ought to have to be.
Undoubtedly someone will quote Romans 13 at me here. But Romans 13 is about how to behave toward secular governments so that you can be a witness. It is not a justification for their divine origins. They are a divine accommodation, but never God's plan.
posted by Milton Stanley at 7:07 AM
2 Comments:
This discussion reminds me of some passages in Deuteronomy 15: 7 and ll:
"However, there SHOULD BE NO poor among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, IF ONLY you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.
But just a few passages later, this is said:
"There will ALWAYS be poor people in the land."
There is that great perfection that God offers us, IF ONLY WE WILL ... but sadly, we don't. So, there are consequences.
Too true.
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