Opus 2018-024: Forms of Government, part 2 of 5, Anarchy

What forms of government are demonstrated in the Bible?

After the time of slavery in Egypt we see the rise of anarchy and the strong man.  Families and tribes existed but they had nothing formal holding them together.  Moses was never a king and had no claim as a patriarch.  After him you had Joshua in charge on the conquest of the promised land but that did not last long enough to even finish the job.  The patriarchal tribal system transits to anarchy with the occasional rise of a strong leader during a time of crisis.

(Judges 2:16 KJV)  Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

This was the period of Judges.  Here is where we hear about Gideon, Debra and Sampson.  The Children of Israel went through a cycle.  They would face a crisis.  God would raise up a leader, a judge, and they would be delivered.  Life would be good again.  Then they would start down the road of rebellion.

(Judges 2:19 KJV)  And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

This lead to a new disaster and the cycle would continue.  It was kind of like losing weight.  Many people will get rid of the unwanted pounds through discipline but as soon as they reach their goal they start eating again and get fatter than they were before.

God did not have trouble with the general concept of anarchy.  He was quite willing to work with each person.  It is called a theocracy.  The problem then with anarchy is the same one we see when Sonny goes off to college and gets out from under his parents authority.  He may know what is right and what is wrong but when you live in a co-ed dorm with easy access to alcohol you start to think that the rules don’t apply to you.

So anarchy did not work.

To be continued...

homo unius libri