Kings, judges, war, slavery, conquest, and a whole bunch of really, really bizarre laws. What is up with the Old Testament? Or more specifically - How can a Christian anarchist deal with it?
Welcome to my series on Christian Anarchy! If you're new, you should know that you're joining me near the end. If you want to start at the beginning, here are the links:
- Can a Christian be an Anarchist?
- All Christians Should be Socialists
- What Does the Bible Actually Say About Government?
- Render to Caesar That Which is Caesar's
- Can a Christian be an Anarchist Without Rejecting Paul?
As you can see from the title this is part i. of my exploration of the Old Testament. In this article I will look God's Kingdom on Earth - the Kingdom of Israel. Tomorrow I will write about God himself and his actions as King in the Old Testament.
How Can God Have a Kingdom on Earth if the State is Inherently Immoral?
You're asking some hard-hitting questions. Let me break it down for you.
- Why is the state inherently immoral?
Because all men are created as equals under God. If we are equal, then none of us have the right to force our will upon (rule) another, nor can any person gain that moral right through ceremonies, elections or any human rituals. This is just basic logic.
- Is there no way a person can be given authority over another?
If there is a supreme being who created everything, he would have legitimate authority over the things that he created. As Christians, we believe that describes our Triune God. If God is the ruler of all things, he would have the right and the power to appoint representatives on earth as rulers.
The Unique Case that was the Nation of Israel
At it's inception, Israel had no king except The Lord. They did have leaders like Moses and Joshua as well as the religious authorities who were meant to carry out God's will for the people. These people were not rulers in and of themselves. They could not act autonomously. Their only job was to be a "mouthpiece" for God. When Moses carried out his own will instead of following God's instructions, God showed him who was really in command.
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe me, and because you did not honor me as holy before the people, you will not lead them into the land I will give them.”
13 These are the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites argued with the Lord and where he showed them he was holy.
Numbers 20:12-13 (ESV)
It was not until later that Israel demanded a king. They weren't satisfied with God's leadership and wanted a man to lead them. And if you've been reading this whole series, you'll remember God's harsh words about human government in response to this request.
But Israel didn't heed that warning, so God gave them what they wanted. He passed on authority to an earthly king despite the fact that it would lead to pain and destruction. Sometimes that's how God works - he gives people exactly what they want. That can be the ultimate punishment.
That's a very brief and very incomplete history of the Nation of Israel, but it's just enough information to build on for the rest of the article.
Israel was unique.
There is no other point in Scripture before or after Israel where we see God creating a nation on earth, binding that kingdom with laws and passing the right to rule onto earthly leaders.
Why Did God Create a Nation?
Scripture must be read in the context of Scripture. The history of Israel is just one piece of a greater narrative.
On it's own, Israel did serve some purposes. It was created to be a light to the people living within its borders and to the surrounding nations. The world was (and is) a mess and Israel's laws and culture were an incremental improvement on that mess.
In his book Is God a Moral Monster? Paul Copan writes about the nation's purpose more articulately than I ever could.
The Old Testament reveals a God who has a global (cosmic) plan and who involves humans as history-shaping participants in that plan. Yes, humans matter. The Old Testament's genealogies reflect the important role that humans play in the unfolding of God's purposes.
On top of this, the Jews introduced a robust monotheism. Rather than being just on god in a pantheon of others or just a regional deity, Yahweh was/is the only deity who matters. Indeed, he is the only one who exists. Along with this, the Jews introduced a new way to experience reality. There is a divine being who regularly, personally engages humans, whose choices really make a difference. Human decision making has great significance, and God interweaves these choices into his overarching plans. We're not the pawns of fate or at the mercy of the whims of the gods. On the other hand, humans aren't so powerful that they can manipulate God to do their bidding. These themes are some of the gifts of the Jews to the rest of the world.
But if we stop there we won't understand its whole purpose. The Nation of Israel was set up to create a context where the Messiah's arrival would make sense. Israel was bound by the laws of God to show them that in and of themselves they could never reach that perfect holiness that The Lord demanded. Jesus came and freed them/us from the yoke of the law and from our sins.
Jesus' work completes the Nation's purpose.
I'm going to close this section with another quote from Paul Copan:
The Old Testament was in many ways anticipatory of something far greater. So if Jesus truly brought a new covenant for the true Israel [the church] and has begun to renew the creation as the second Adam, then we ought to concern ourselves with how his incarnation, ministry, atoning death, and resurrection shed light backward on the Old Testament, with all its messiness.
... One day we'll fully enjoy the realization of pristine goodness and shalom [peace]. In the new heaven and earth, no social or racial discrimination will exist. Swords will be beaten into plowshares. Peace will reign. In his own day, Jesus reaffirmed Old Testament texts about loving God and neighbor and called Israel back to live by God's creational design.
... While we may stumble or be troubled when reading certain Old Testament texts, we can put them in proper perspective by looking in the right places. The ultimate resolution is found in God's clarifying Word to us and the One who became flesh and lived among us, who died and rose again on our behalf.
Let that serve as a lead in to tomorrow's article where I'll be diving into many of the specific difficulties Christians (and especially Christian anarchists) face when reading the Old Testament.
Thanks for reading. If you liked this article please follow me @sethlinson. I hope you'll keep up with the series for the final few installments.
~Seth
