According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary “democracy” is:
a : government by the people; especially : rule of the majority.
b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.
Please understand that it is not my intention to slam democracy here. It is my intention to simply determine what role, if any that the premise of democracy may have played in the Scriptures.
We know that Noah, Abraham and Moses were not elected by a people to their position as leaders. All three were chosen by YHWH.
Moses was challenged at one point by a group that attempted to use numbers of people to overthrow his position as found in Numbers 16:2-3 “and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. 3They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” Did this movement work out?
Verses 28-33 tell us the outcome. “And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. 29If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. 30But if the LORD creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the LORD.”
31Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, 32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. 33So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.” Here, the people did not get what they desired, but got what they did not desire! Yikes!
In 1Samuel 8:4-5 we find the beginnings of the earthly kings of Israel. “Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
YHWH was their King…but the people weren’t satisfied with that, so their representation (elders) petitioned for an earthly king. It appears that their rebellion to YHWH is rewarded by HIM giving them a rebellious king; Saul. That didn’t work out as they had wanted and the people were given another king; David. David was better than Saul because at least David was a man after GOD’S own heart. But keep in mind that these two men and in fact, the kings that followed were all the result of the people rejecting GOD as their ruler…verse 7; “And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” Here, the people got what they desired.
I’ve always wondered; would the world’s number one proponent of democracy elect JESUS (if they had the chance) to the most powerful position on the planet as the President of The United States? I don’t think so. Here’s why:
- HE probably wouldn’t have any interest in running. (The people tried to get HIM to be more politically correct during HIS 3 year ministry. HE wasn’t interested then, so I’m sure, since HE is GOD the Son, who does not change, HIS attitude toward it today wouldn’t change either.:>)
- HE certainly wouldn’t get a party nomination. (When HE entered Jerusalem for the last time, and subsequently had a serious collision with those thought to be the political elite, it became painfully clear that HE wasn’t there to win friends and influence enemies through political prowess. After disrupting their marketing practices, HIS pronouncements of “woe” upon “woe” on the ruling party demolished any possibility of their support. Then by HIM telling the local Roman governor that HE was already KING, well, HE ruined any chance of carrying the Roman vote…:>)
- But then again, HE wouldn’t need to be elected to become the most powerful person ON the planet would HE? Seeing that HE OWNS the planet! :>)
But how about the popularity vote from the crowd? Surely, the people would band together and overthrow the system that was about to reject the greatest King and Ruler of all time! Wouldn’t they? Didn’t they?
Matthew 27:21-26 tells the story. “…the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!” 22Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!” 23Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified! …25And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.” So, what does this brief, (and by no means exhaustive) snapshot of democracy at work in the Scriptures tell us?
It tells me that Democracy reveals the heart and pulse of any individual and group that applies it… And that GOD is keeping track…
Jeremiah 17:10 “I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”
So… Something I’ve been wondering since recently reading 1 Sam.8 (give us a king) (already quoted).
and Ex. 18: (Jethro’s judge system)
Ex. 18:
13. And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
14. And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
15. And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:
16. When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
17. And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
18. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
19. Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
20. And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
21. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
22. And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
23. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
24. So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
25. And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
26. And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27. And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
In verse 23 Jethro tells Moses “if you shall do this thing, and God command you so”…unless I missed something God never commands Moses to go through with this.
I also find it interesting that in the very next chapter (Ex.19) they are at Sinai where YHWH wants them all to hear His voice (YHWH’s plan not Jethro’s) to give them His ways! If this would have happen, there would be no need for rulers over 1,000s or 100s or 10s everyone would have been equipped to handle all situations. Is this not the same today, here and now?
What I’ve been wondering, and this may be a little off track of what is being said, but had the founding fathers of this country been truly seeking our creator on how this country should be set up… they would have found Torah, that would have been our constitution and those men (the founders) would have ultimately worked themselves out of a job! But it is quite the opposite, they set up a man centered system (similar to Jethro’s), that system works very hard at trying to convince us that we cannot possibly function without them and we have all bought into it.
Would it not be? Where YHWH is truly one, democracy or any man made system would be a nonissue, there would be a one mindedness at all times. It is hard for me to imagine living in a world where that would be the case.
Same here! We actually discussed this situation in our Sabbath gathering! The same questions came up about Moses’ father-in-law and his suggestion and YHWH’S quietness regarding it. A puzzle for sure. However, Deuteronomy 17 seems to confirm this direction. The question in my mind? Could this be the beginnings of the Oral Torah, with it’s variety of interpretations of The Torah? Could this be the beginnings of what ended up being the rabbinical system of Judaism, with it’s many “schools of thought?” I think your idea with USA’s founders is right on! Would to YHWH that HIS system will be just that!
I believe this could well have been the beginning of the Oral Torah. Oral torah as with our gov. probably started with seemingly good intentions gradually adding a little here and a little there to help control things a little better…….eventually snowballing into craziness to the point where you need a rabbi or lawyer to interpret it all. Man’s religion or man’s gov. it seems to be about men convincing men (by creating bondage) to rely on man instead of YHWH.
Control…yep. In their efforts to control, it’s all out of control!!! :>)