03/10/2024
THEOCRACY VERSUS DEMOCRACY
And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto you: for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 1 Samuel 8:7.
Theocracy is simply defined as government led by religious leaders. It is also described as the government ruled by God through religious leaders. While Democracy is the government of people by the people for the people. I believe these two kinds of government are differentiated by their definitions. The government of God versus the government of people.
The nation of Israel had long enjoyed theocracy. Those were the times that God was fully allowed to be in charge of the government through the judges. From Othniel (judg. 39) to Samson, who judged Israel for twenty years (16:31). After the death of Samson was the period of no judge or king in Israel (Judg. 19:1), but God guided the hearts of the elders to coordinate His people. After that period, God, through Eli, the priest, and Samuel, the prophet ruled Israel (1 Sam. 3:19,20). "Theocracy" in action.
Samuel ruled Israel, or rather God, ruled Israel through Samuel for several years until he grew very old and couldn't function so well due to unavoidable natural deficiency (1 Sam. 8:1. He therefore placed his sons, Joel and Abijah judges over Israel (vrs 3). When their wayward lifestyles became glaring to all Israel, the elders came to Samuel to demand a king. You will understand that the elders of Israel only made the misbehaviour of Samuel's sons as a lame excuse to uncover what they conceived long ago. "... make a king to judge us..." (vrs 4) they demanded. Why a king and not judge? The remaining part of verse 4 unveils the true picture of their hearts, "... like all the nations." They had long waited for such an opportunity to have a king like other nations. It was a big mistake to say they wanted to be like other nations; unbelieving wicked nations.
This ungodly demand got Samuel worried, and he went to present the matter before God. Vrs 6. The good God consoled Samuel by reminding him of how rebellious they (Israel) used to be since the time he brought them out of Egypt (vrs 7-8). God told Samuel to give them a king as demanded but not without telling what the behaviour of their king would be. Vrs 9. Samuel related the message to them as given by God, how he is going to make life difficult for them and their children, but they insisted that they needed a king. Vrs 19. They knew fully well that whatever prophecy came through the prophet, Samuel is always very true (3:19), yet they refused to change their mind. They preferred the government of men that would maltreat them to the government of God that has given them an easy life because they desired to be like other nations that have no living God.
There was obviously perfect peace when God was the one ruling them. The only war that happened when Samuel was the judge was between Israel and the philistines. God fought the war Himself and gave them clear victory. 1 Sam. 7:10.
The Israelites actually regretted their action, the way many people regret their choice of deserting God for material things. Chp. 13:1ff. They wished they had gone back to the theocracy kind of government they had disowned, but too late. 8:18. Up to today, it has never been well with any country/nation that says no to the government of God. Ps. 16:4.
When God is in charge of a person's life, peace is assured. Although the presence of God doesn't exempt you from having challenges, conquest is inevitable. Ps. 127:1,2. The mistake we must never make as children of God is to desire the wealth and prosperity of unbelievers. It will not only land us in troubles here on earth, but it will equally shut the door of heaven against us. Because it will definitely ruin our relationship with God. Ps. 73:ff.
The best experience of life is to have God fully in one's life. Gen. 15:1. The worst thing that can happen to a person is the absence of God in his/her life. 1 king 11:3, 9-11.
May we not for any reason desert in Jesus' name.
