[Last
week I was traveling and took sabbatical from my blog. Today I resume my series seeking
to cultivate a personal theology of government drawn from Deuteronomy.]
It has been said many
times that, to be great, it is not enough for a nation to have gifted leaders
or even godly leaders; to be great, a nation must also have godly citizens who
obey the laws—laws hopefully inspired by God.
Even
those who did not recognize Jehovah instinctively connected to this ideal. For
example, Confucius said, “The strength of a nation is derived from the
integrity of its homes.” But homes are made up of individuals, so it is
important that individuals who make up a home behave in a righteous way.
In
this vein, Daniel Webster once declared, “Whatever makes men Christians makes
them good citizens.”
I
believe in God’s word we see the heart of God. God’s heart impacts individuals.
Individuals impact families. Families impact culture. Culture impacts the
nation. Nations impact the world.
In
Deuteronomy, God, through Moses, is addressing people. These people had been
slaves in Egypt. Now they are citizens of God’s Kingdom, and they are a holy
people.
God
called these people, once enslaved, now empowered, to recognize the special
blessing and calling he has given them. Here is the way Moses uniquely phrases
it, 18 And the LORD has declared this day
that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you
are to keep all his commands. 19
He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all
the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your
God, as he promised (Deut. 26:18–19.)
Implicit
in God’s commands is the understanding that all people are made in God’s image.
God’s people are to treat each individual as someone who is made in the image
of God. That means the Creator has endowed each human being with a special
dignity. God challenges his people to love others as they love themselves.
For
example, Deut. 21 contains a detailed description demonstrating how much God
values life. How would living out this ideal look today?
Consider
this. In all the wars in which the United States has participated, about 1.1
million of our citizens have been killed. Since the Supreme Court handed down
the decision of Roe versus Wade in 1973, more than 20 times that number have
been exterminated through abortion. 95% of these abortions take place for
reasons of convenience–not because of incest, rape, or the health of the mother.
Those
attitudes clearly reflect a lack of respect for life, but let’s move to the
other end of the spectrum. Are you familiar with “Granny dumping”? This is the
practice of abandoning elderly people in places where they're most likely to
receive the notice of authorities who specialize in elderly care such as
hospices or nursing homes. Typically, they leave no identification so the relatives
cannot be traced. Consequently, the elderly person becomes a ward of the state.
Studies
from groups such as the American College of Emergency Physicians estimate that
about 200,000 elderly people are abandoned at hospitals each year. Granted,
these numbers are not as high as those aborted, but both sets of numbers
clearly indicate a disregard for life at the end… and at the beginning.
In
Deut. 21:1-9, one can see an elaborate ceremony, which reveals the heart of God.
It describes what a community is to do should it not know the identity of a
victim of murder. Although he may be unknown to the community, he is neither
unknown or forgotten by God! The victim is a human being… not just an unsolved
crime.
Understand,
however, the focus of God’s concern is not solely on the victims of crime.
Because people matter, God establishes in Deuteronomy (19:1-10) protection for
those who are falsely accused of the crime of murder. God establishes regional
cities as sanctuaries of refuge to protect people who are falsely accused of
crimes from suffering unjust retribution.
Here
are some other ways in Deuteronomy you may not have thought of that exhibit
God’s care for people:
*
After victory in war, Israel must show respect for the lives and feelings of
those who have been vanquished. The weaker are not to be crushed under the
whims of the strong (Deut. 21:10-14)
*
If a person is put to death for a capital offense, neither the authorities nor the
citizens can treat the deceased criminal’s body in a demeaning way. (Deut.
21:22-23—this is the original context of the passage later quoted by Paul in
Gal. 3:13.)
*
God calls people to love one another by showing respect for life and property.
God desires that people act in a way that preserves the lives and properties of
their neighbors. This passage sums it up well: 1 If you see your brother’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it
but be sure to take it back to him. 2
If the brother does not live near you or if you do not know who he is, take it
home with you and keep it until he comes looking for it. Then give it back to
him. 3 Do the same if you find
your brother’s donkey or his cloak or anything he loses. Do not ignore it.
4 If you see your brother’s donkey or
his ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help him get it to its feet (Deut. 22:1-4.)
In a community (or
country) that cares, people regard the dignity of others as more important than
the acquisition of wealth. That means you make allowances for the feelings of
others as well as their physical or spiritual needs. You love people; you don't
use them.
This
was hard enough for God's children in ancient Israel to achieve, much less for
a secular nation today. Yet these ideals are worth pursuing.
Granted,
we will make mistakes. An old story (my source is
Doug McIntosh in his commentary on Deuteronomy) tells about a young girl
named Sally, who faced a challenging day. Her
mother was sick, and Sally wanted to help. She insisted that her mom stay in
bed—like Sally did when she was sick.
Sally picked up the kitchen; she saw the tea kettle and decided to brew her mom
a cup of tea, just like her mom had done for her dad when he had been sick.
(This was back in the day, before microwaves!)
Sally made the tea and, beaming with pride, took it to her mom’s bedroom.
Sally’s mom bragged on her and smiled broadly. She praised Sally for her
service and kind heart, saying with delight, “I didn't know you knew how to
make tea.”
Sally replied, “Yes I do mommy. I do. I boil the water and tea leaves together
just like you always do.” As her mom sipped the tea, Sally further explained, “I
couldn't find the little strainer thing, though, so I used the flyswatter.”
Hearing this, her mother spewed the tea out of her mouth. “You used the
flyswatter to strain this tea?”
Little Sally could tell her mother was feeling anxious. Seeking to calm her,
Sally told her, “Don't worry, mommy, I used the old flyswatter so I would not
mess up the new one.”
Sally’s mom summoned the self-control she needed to offer Sally her gratitude
and praise, instead of a detailed lesson in kitchen sanitation. She saw Sally’s
heart, and she was very pleased.
I suspect God often wants to choke when he sees the ways humans mess things up
trying to help people. Societies are imperfect! However, God knows people make
mistakes, and I glean from the Bible that he is grateful when people try to do
right.
Granted,
there is an element of the soul that Christians must address. But we live in a
fallen world of time and space where people can be helped or hurt.
People are precious to God; people are God’s prized possessions.
Serve them
as best you can.
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