Ancient Israel and the Natural Order

[MovieProducer]

How do the old law and the libertarian view of a natural order relate?

If God is the author of liberty -- as our founders thought -- then I'd expect the government he established for Israel to reflect the highest order of liberty that could be had.

What characteristics of ancient Israel -- before the Kings -- should we expect to have in a free society?

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Twelve judges. God didn't want to give Israel a king. They demanded one.

 

[MovieProducer]

Twelve judges. God didn't want to give Israel a king. They demanded one.

Right, he told them a king would be a bad thing for them. Were there only twelve judges?

 

[Bro. Curtis]

I'm looking that up right now.

 

[MovieProducer]

I'm looking that up right now.

And is democracy better than a king?

 

[Bro. Curtis]

I do remember a study where we found Israe's judges were more military leaders, who acted as judges when an emergency arose, and give up the position as the danger passed.

Israel's law was Moses' law. These folks destroyed land where other gods were worshipped, and slaughtered untold numbers, in genocidal rampages. They executed their own children. Adultery was a capitol offense. I know they were commanded to, and am not questioning it to be God's will. Then came the words of Christ, to brushthe dust off our shoes, and move on, and the temple curtain was torn.

I don't think a modern day libertarian view can be reconciled with Biblical Israel. They were a theocracy. When the bible says "every man did what was right in their own eyes", I believe Israel was a nation of people who feared God.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

And is democracy better than a king?

No. I wouldn't think so. I think the best that has been done since Biblical Israel is the American style democratically elected representative republic. God has certainly seemed to bless the whole world thru it, with our innovations in fighting disease, leading by example in charity....things like that. I know we've had some real Bozos in there in the last 165 years, or so. Seems like the further away we get from our nations founding principles, the worse our great nation gets.

 

[MovieProducer]

I've made some observations about the form of Israel's government before the kings:

-- it had no legislature or executive of any kind, only judges
-- it had no police
-- the penal system did not provide for "fines" paid to a "state," nor incarceration of any kind
-- the penalty for murder was death, and the executioner was not the state but an individual (the "avenger of blood") appointed by the family of the victim

This isn't the sum of all defining characteristics, of course, but would you say they are instructive as to God's view of good government?

 

[Bro. Curtis]

If you mean a people who fear God can rule themselves, I would say yes.

I can't argue with how you summed it up.