In 1st Samuel chapter 8 the people of Israel begin to moan about wanting a king for themselves just like the nations they’ve encountered. Before this Israel was led by the Judges, which usually fell into the role through key involvement in rescuing Israel from a season of bondage. Many were prophets themselves and the Spirit of God was upon them. Samuel was getting old and decided his sons should take up the job, but his sons were not like Samuel and everyone knew it. This error on Samuel’s part was the final issue that pushed the elders of Israel to request a king of their own.
The story continues in 1st Samuel 8:6:
But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”
10 Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle [b] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.”
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
There are two main flavors of politics in America today. The Democrats, and the Republicans. The fact is both of these parties are spectrums of opinions and philosophies but in general there are some basic factors. In actual fact the United States of America was founded as a Republic and not a pure Democracy. As you can easily see these two words are the same words we find in our two party system today.
So to avoid this turning into a skewed lesson on politics, after all there are always different views, let me just point out that democracy at it’s core means “majority rules” and republic at it’s core means “representative rule”. Those representatives in a republic are to be guided by a constitution and protect the rights of both the majority and the minority. Both parties in American politics, at some level, operate in each (democracy and republic) of these ways. It’s not so simple as one is wrong and the other is right.
Any organized, church-separate (prophet-seperate is probably better, but not well understood today) government can be compared to ancient Israel’s rejection of God. However, I would like to suggest in this post that Socialism, and especially it’s big brother Communism, are about the most thorough rejections of God in 1st-Samuel-terms man has discovered to date. In short, Socialism attempts to put government in place of God and in place of the “Liberty” that was such an important motto of the founding of our Country.
There are a couple ways it makes this leap:
Provider – First, socialism promises to provide for the people so long as the people give their resources to the government. Very similar to the warning above.
Protector – The socialist will expect protection to also come from their government. Not just militarily but medically, and even justice. All come from their government.
God – The final step, after all human needs are met, comes the little jump to Communism. By now everyone is counting on the government for everything anyway, agnosticism flourishes and the majority of people are happy to have their government be their God. All it takes is one more law, no other God before Government.
Now folks will undoubtedly say this is an exaggeration. That it will never come to this. They will probably say it even after liberty is abolished and faith in anything other than government is illegalized.
While they do, I just want to say this. Every vote, decision, or even endorsement of any candidate, bill, or system that takes our money and pigeon holes its people into programs is upstream from socialism. It’s a slippery slope and we’re sliding down. We have been for years. Even Social Security is an example and it was established in 1935. The politicians who make the rules are among an elite few who are not required to pay into that bankrupt system. A system that provided initial monetary benefits at the expense of future generations while increasing everyone’s reliance and responsibility to their government.
So Christians in America please stop asking what your Country can do for you. Instead ask, who should I really be trusting to GUIDE me, PROTECT me, and PROVIDE for me. Voting yourself a pay raise, benefit increase, or other entitlement is just as corrupt as the politicians that campaign on such promises. America today is not much different than Israel was in the times of Samuel. We need truth telling and God fearing leaders. Leaders like Othniel, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord falls. Judges 3:7.