Thanks Jethro - Rev. Benjamin Glaser
Man. That election was wild, or I guess should say, is wild.
Whoever thought representative government was a good idea! I'd like to thump them one...
Seems like we got that idea from Moses, who got it from his father-in-law (aren't they the best?) who wanted to provide a little advice, from the LORD, to his son-in-law. Probably be good for him to listen.
In that portion of God’s word Jethro has taken Moses aside and helped his elderly son-in-law organize his people into manageable groups and to find proper leaders for them. To start off Moses speaks to Jethro that:
. . . the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.’ So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, ’The thing that you do is not good. Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.’ -- Ex. 18:15-17
Here we see Jethro commenting to Moses that he’s going to keel over if he doesn’t take a step back and not try and take the problems of a million people on his own shoulders. We’ve already seen the consequences of this in the grumbling and complaining of the Israelites. They are driving Moses crazy.
Jethro has an idea.
And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.” -- Ex. 18:20-23
Sounds good. So if I'm counting right Jethro gives Moses four five things to do:
1) Teach the people the statutes and laws of the LORD.
2) Show them the way they must walk and the work they must do.
3) Select able men who fear God, love truth, and hate covetousness.
4) Place them over men in sequentially smaller groups.
5) Only sweat the big stuff. Trust those guys to deal with the little stuff.
Do that and:
1) You will be able to endure.
2) They will go and have peace.
Sounds pretty clear.
So why do we have such trouble in our own representative republic at the moment?
Maybe its because we have men (and women, Isaiah 3:12) who don't fit a lick of that list in #3.
Why is that?
Because no one has taught them #1.
And we have a Church that does not do #2, and therefore is impotent to help them with #1 (and is fairly ignorant of #1 itself, we live under grace and not under law after all, amirite?).
So we cannot endure, and do not have peace.
Seems pretty obvious.
Guess we'll just keep trying to live in this whole republic thing with rotten supports and mildewed drywall.
Should make us healthy, and safe. Ought to keep the rain off our heads.
Or to quote R.J. Rushdoony:
“There can be no good character in civil government if there is none in the people. You cannot make a good omelet with bad eggs.”