The National Motto of the United States of America, by a Joint
Resolution of Congress, is "In
God We Trust." In reporting the Joint Resolution, the
Senate Judiciary Committee stated:
"Further official
recognition of this motto was given by the adoption of the
Star-Spangled Banner [1814] as our national anthem. One stanza of
our national anthem is as follows:
"`O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a
nation!
Then conquer we must when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto - "In God is our trust."
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.'
"In view of these words in our national anthem, it
is clear that `In God we trust' has a strong claim as our
national motto." S. Rep. No. 2703, 84th Cong., 2d
Sess., p. 2. |
What does it mean to "trust God?" What are we asking
for when we sing "God Bless America?" How does
our national motto relate to our national defense policy?
We have already seen that our current defense policies
The policies of the 20th century have proven ineffective --even
dangerous -- for the 21st century, and the policies of America's
Founding Fathers will prove to be the only security against the
destruction of the American system.
Politicians in generations past sometimes took their oath of
office on a Bible opened up to the Book
of Deuteronomy, chapter 28. This chapter spells out the
"blessings" promised to a nation that trusts in God, and
"curses" God promises to the nation that rejects Him.
Among the promises are economic prosperity and peace -- safety
from our enemies. "God Bless America" is the claim that
we trust God, and a prayer that God should honor His promises and
bless us. It means if we obey God's Law in our own lives, God
will make our enemies at peace with us, and bless us with safety.
God does not bless selfish disobedience and arms deals with
terrorists. "In God We Trust" is the belief that God is
both gracious and righteous.
Two Dreaded Words
For most Americans, no two words are more dreaded and offensive
than "anarchism"
and "pacifism."
"Anarchists" are perceived as "lawless,"
and "pacifists" are utopian wimps.
But these two schools are the indispensable vision of sound
defense policy:
- "Pacifists" say we shouldn't kill
each other, but we should live in peace. The word comes from
the Latin word for "peace," as in "Prince of
Peace."
- Pacifists would not have approved military aid to
Islamic militias in the early 1980's, and could have
prevented the tragedy of September 11.
- "Anarchists," such as Murray
Rothbard, are serious scholars who believe in the
principles of a "Free Market," and have reached the
very logical conclusion that there is no area of human action
which is best served by socialism rather than by capitalism.
- To whatever degree you believe there should be a State,
to that degree you champion socialist principles.
What does the Bible say about "pacifism" and
"anarchism"? Not, "What do Richard Nixon and George
Bush say about 'pacifism' and 'anarchism,'" but "what
saith the LORD?"
The Bible says we are not to kill each other -
it's one of the Ten Commandments - and that we should live in
peace with each other (Psalm 133:1; Psalm 87; Romans 12:18). The
Bible says we should even live in peace with the State, which is
where the Bible parts company with many revolutionaries who call
themselves "anarchists." Romans 12:18 through 13:10 tell
us to be pacifists even with respect to the epitome of
anti-pacifism, the State. Thus, Biblical Christians are not
"anarchists" in a violent way, but in
a non-violent way. For while Conservatives believe in "peace
through strength," that is, peace through militaristic
national socialism,[1] the Bible teaches "peace
through God's strength." The Bible condones peace
and condemns security through State
socialism. America's once-popular vision of Vine
& Fig Tree is all about this Biblical
vision of peace and security, a Godly society rooted in pacifism
and anarchism.
The Bible says that people can live safely
and securely without a State. Abraham lived prosperously and
securely without a State. Even unbelievers can do it. And it's
happened, too. The Bible describes it, but most people have never
read it:
Judges 18:7 Then the five men
departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were
therein, how they dwelt safely (KJV:
"careless"), after the manner of
the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate
in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and
they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any
man.
The word "careless" is interesting. Let's look at it.
My computer will insert the definition from the dictionary in Strong's
Exhaustive Concordance:
"Careless," "safely" -- #983 betach;
prop. a place of refuge; abstr. safety, both the fact (security)
and the feeling (trust); often (adv. with or without prep.)
safely: --assurance, boldly, (without) care (-less), confidence,
hope, safe (-ly, -ty), secure, surely.
The State promises "security." "National
security."
But we are not secure.
We have neither the "fact" nor the
"feeling." Vine
& Fig Tree is all about security. The
prophet Micah describes a time when the long-awaited Christ
has come and people live securely and safely without a socialist
"garrison state":
Micah 4:1-5 But in the last days it
shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the
LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it
shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
{2} And many
nations shall come, and say, Come, and let exalted above the
hills; and people shall flow unto it. {2}
And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to
the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:
for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD
from Jerusalem. {3}
And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations
afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and
their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up a
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. {4}
But they shall sit every man under his vine
and under his fig
tree;
and none shall make them afraid:
for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it. {5}
For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and
we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
This
is not a prophecy of the distant future. Nor is it a
prophecy of something that comes about magically, with no faith or
effort on the part of men. Micah's Christ has come, but we have an
obligation to trust in Him, and not the State.[2]
A
nation dedicated to God lives in safety. That's what the Bible
says.
Zidon: From Security to
Tyranny
A
secular (God-denying) Humanist
(man-worshipping) nation seeks safety without God. "National
security." They may achieve some degree of safety for a time,
but only so long as God withholds His judgment upon their sins.[3]
Until then, the KJV says they live safely, but
"carelessly."[4]
Although the Zidonians of Laish at the time of the Judges may
have been at peace, their worship of idols matured into violence
and tyranny. As a result of their "carelessness," they
eventually saw God's judgment.
Ezekiel 28:21 Son of man, set thy
face against Zidon, and prophesy against it, {22} And
say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon;
and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and they shall
know that I am the LORD, when I shall have executed judgments in
her, and shall be sanctified in her.
Ezekiel 32:30 There be the
princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which
are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed
of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be
slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down
to the pit.
Joel 3:4-7 Yea, and what have ye
to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of
Palestine? will ye render me a recompense? and if ye recompense
me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense upon your
own head;
Israel rejected God as King, saying, "Make us a king to
judge us like all the nations. That we also may be like all the
nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and
fight our battles" (1
Samuel 8:5,20).
"Like all the nations."
Like Zidon.
And so Israel had a history like the Zidonians. At one time
there was peace and security. Then tyranny. Then judgment.
Israel: From Security to Tyranny
One of the kings given to Israel was Solomon. In many ways,
Solomon was a good king. When he was good, he was a pale
reflection of the True King, Jesus the Christ. Psalm 72 is a Psalm
which teaches us more about Christ than about any earthly king:
Psalm 72 A Psalm for
Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy
righteousness unto the king's son. {2}
He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with
judgment. {3} The mountains shall
bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by
righteousness. {4} He shall judge
the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy,
and shall break in pieces the oppressor. {5}
They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure,
throughout all generations. {6} He
shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that
water the earth. {7} In his days
shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as
the moon endureth. {8} He shall
have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the
ends of the earth. {9} They that
dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies
shall lick the dust. {10} The kings
of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of
Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. {11}
Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall
serve him. {12} For he shall
deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him
that hath no helper. {13} He shall
spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.
{14} He shall redeem their soul
from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in
his sight. {15} And he shall live,
and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also
shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be
praised. {16} There shall be an
handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the
fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the
city shall flourish like grass of the earth. {17}
His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as
long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all
nations shall call him blessed. {18}
Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only
doeth wondrous things.{19} And
blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole
earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.
David and Solomon could be used of God to show us what the True
King would eventually give to those who were faithful. Because
Solomon was wise, Israel experienced for a time the kind of safety
we can expect if we trust in Christ:
1 Kings 4:25 And Judah
and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine
and under his fig
tree, from Dan even to
Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
But David and Solomon were both violent and idolatrous men.
Their lives and failures teach us an important
"anarchistic" truth: We should put our trust in Christ
the King, not in men. If
David and Solomon were failures, are there any among the bleary
politicians vying for our support in the first years of the 21st
century who can be trusted to bring "national security?"
If we are to avoid nuclear war and economic
chaos, we must learn this vital lesson from Scripture:
Christ, not man, is King.
The Holy Spirit brings "national security," not the
State and its politicians.
The 21st century must be the century that Christians at last
embrace "Anarcho-Theocracy"
with a vibrant faith; the world of Vine
& Fig Tree with its "pacifism"
and "anarchism,"
no matter what the Council
on Foreign Relations and its media may say.[5]
{5} Though all people walk every one
in the name of his god, we will walk in the name of the LORD our
God for ever and ever. (Micah 4:1-5)
Solomon was not always like Christ. He was an idolater. He
faithlessly played the harlot with the gods of the Zidonians, as
did all of Israel.
1 Kings 11:1 But king Solomon loved
many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women
of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
1 Kings 11:5 For Solomon went
after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom
the abomination of the Ammonites.
1 Kings 11:33 Because that they
have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of
the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the
god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to
do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and
my judgments, as did David his father.
1 Kings 16:31 And it came to
pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the
sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel
the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and
served Baal, and worshipped him.
2 Kings 23:13 And the high
places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand
of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had
builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for
Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the
abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.
1 Chronicles 22:4 Also cedar
trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought
much cedar wood to David.
Ezra 3:7 They gave money also
unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and
oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar
trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant
that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.
In asking for a human king,
and in hearkening to the false promises of safety and
"national security" from the gods of Zidon, Israel
rejected God, and thus rejected true safety and security, as their
history and eventual captivity proves.
Christians Must Be Servants
Just as Christ came to be a Servant, so the
true Patriarch is a servant. The true servant sees God's Law
as the "blueprints" of Godly service. The
Patriarch Abraham did not wait for the State to create a
righteous society.
Genesis 18:18-19 Abraham shall
surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of
the earth shall be blessed in him. For I know him, that he will
command his children and his household after him, and they shall
keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the
LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him.
Abraham did
not wait for the State to bring justice to the afflicted. He
brought them into his household, and put them under the covenant
(Genesis 12:5). He brought in dozens of dozens of people,
circumcised them, and taught them the ways of the LORD.[6]
Abraham was blessed . . .
Genesis 26:5 Because Abraham obeyed
my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and
my laws.
God's Holy Spirit blesses obedience.
Proverbs 16:7 When a man's ways
please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with
him.
The Jews rejected Christ because they did not want a
"Suffering Servant" for a Messiah. They knew that if the
Messiah was a Servant, they too would have to be servants. They
wanted a military dictator for a Messiah because they were despots
in their hearts, and they wanted a vindication of their despotism.
"We have no king but Caesar!" they
said, and they
experienced all the curses of Deuteronomy 28.
Mark 10:35-45 {42} But Jesus called
them to Him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are
accounted to rule [Gk: "be an archist"]
over the Gentiles exercise lordship
over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
{43} But so shall it not be among
you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your
minister: {44} And whosoever of you
will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. {45} For
even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (cf. 1
Peter 2:21ff.)
Remember: The
Prince of Peace forbids us to be "archists." What
does that mean? [7]
"Archists" would rather kill
the people of Iraq than to be their servants. We would rather
kill criminals than minister to them. But this violence does not
bring security. If we are willing to obey God's Law, become
servants, and throw away our archist idols, we shall experience
God's safety and security. True, if we repudiate the State,
politicians will call us "naive," and other Christians
will call us "Anabaptists."
Let them call us "anarchists" or "pacifists"
if they want, but the children of Abraham will not put their trust
in the State
Micah 4:1-5 {5} For though all
people walk every one in the name of his god, we will walk in
the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
Sadly, Christians continue to listen to the false prophets of
the Pentagon
and the University of Zidon, rather than to the Word of God. We
cherish the State. We worship false gods. We will not give up our
"archists."
Over and over and over again, God asks us to
trust Him, and over and over and over again, He promises us safety
and security if we will do so. God
never says, "Here is a State to keep you safe." God
never says we are to trust our police or our Joint Chiefs of
Staff.[8] God very clearly told Israel not to
develop a "Military-Industrial Complex" like all the
other nations.
Deuteronomy 17:16-17 But he shall
not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return
to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you,
"You shall not return that way again." {17} Neither
shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away;
nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.
Psalm 20:7 Some trust in
chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of
the LORD our God.
Psalm 33:16-17 No king is saved
by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by
great strength. {17} A horse is a
vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great
strength.
Psalm 147:10-11,14 He does not
delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in
the legs of a man. {11} The LORD
takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His
mercy. {14} He makes peace in your
borders, And fills you with the finest wheat.
Zechariah 4:6 So he answered and
said to me: "This is the Word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:
'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of
hosts."
We must repudiate the Zidonian State.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we
walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
{4} For the weapons of our warfare are not
carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
{5} casting down arguments and every high
thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing
every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
We must not be "careless." "Safety" comes
only from God. Let us trust in God and obey His Word. Either we
can trust God to give us safety, or we worship the wrong god.
Leviticus 25:18-19 Wherefore ye
shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye
shall dwell in the land in safety. And the land shall
yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein
in safety.[9]
Leviticus 26:5 And your
threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall
reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the
full, and dwell in your land safely.
Deuteronomy 12:10 But when ye go
over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God
giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your
enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;
Deuteronomy 33:12 And of
Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety
by him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he
shall dwell between his shoulders.
Deuteronomy 33:28 Israel then
shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall
be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop
down dew.
1 Samuel 12:11 And the LORD sent
Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered
you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye
dwelled safe.
Job 11:18 And thou shalt be
secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee,
and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.
Psalm 4:8 I will both lay me
down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell
in safety.
Psalm 16:9 Therefore my heart is
glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
Psalm 78:53 And he led them on safely,
so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
Proverbs 1:33 But whoso
hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet
from fear of evil.
Proverbs 3:23 Then shalt thou
walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
Proverbs 3:29 Devise not evil
against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by
thee.
Proverbs 10:9 He that walketh
uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways
shall be known.
Isaiah 14:30 And the firstborn
of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety:
and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy
remnant.
Isaiah 32:17-18 And the work of
righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness
quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall
dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in
quiet resting places;
Jeremiah 23:6 In His days Judah
shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this
is His Name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR
RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Jeremiah 32:37 Behold, I will
gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in
Mine anger, and in My fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring
them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:
Jeremiah 33:16 In those days
shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely:
and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our
righteousness.
Ezekiel 28:26 And they shall
dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant
vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have
executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about
them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.
Ezekiel 34:25 And I will make
with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to
cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the
wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
Ezekiel 34:27 And the tree of
the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her
increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall
know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their
yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served
themselves of them.
Ezekiel 34:28 And they shall no
more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the
land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none
shall make them afraid.
Ezekiel 38:8 After many days
thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into
the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered
out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have
been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations,
and they shall dwell safely all of them.
Ezekiel 38:14 Therefore, son of
man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that
day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou
not know it?
Ezekiel 39:26 After that they
have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they
have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in
their land, and none made them afraid.
Hosea 2:18 And in that day will
I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and
with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the
ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle
out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
Zechariah 14:11 And men shall
dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but
Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
Aren't these beautiful, beautiful promises? This is Biblical
Anarcho-Theocracy. Godliness is blessed with peace ("Pacifism").
We trust in God, not Zidonian politicians ("Anarchism").
It is a message of holistic
peace, of "shalom." It is a message of Jubilee, of freedom
and security from the bureaucrats who promise us freedom and
security. The whole message of the Bible -- with its books
of Kings and its Chronicles of God's prophets confronting evil
empires and wicked citizens -- is that we should not put our faith
in empires and armies and governments, but in God. And
"faith" means obedience to His Word. Abraham had faith (Hebrews
11, James 2). The Godly Patriarch of the new millennium must
have this obedient faith.
The essence of Faith is trusting God, obeying His Word, and
enjoying His abundant blessings.
Jeremiah 17:8 For he shall be like
a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the
river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be
green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will
cease from yielding fruit.
If we trust in politicians, whether ours or those of a
"stronger" (careless!) nation, we will not have safety.
If we seek to be safe by cheating, dominating, or killing our
enemies, we will experience the anxiety of God's Judgment.
Ezekiel 12:19 And say to the people
of the land, "Thus says the Lord GOD to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem and to the land of Israel: 'They shall eat their bread
with anxiety, and drink their water with dread, so that
her land may be emptied of all who are in it, because of the
violence of all those who dwell in it.'"
Christian Patriarchs are pacifists. They trust God, not the
Warfare State. We must not be like the erudite political
philosophers around us. They do not have true safety.
Luke 12:29 And do not seek what you
should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.
{30} For all these things the nations of the world seek after,
and your Father knows that you need these things. {31} But seek
the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Security does not come through a God-less quest for wealth or
power. Wealth and power do not bring security.
Job 24:22-24 He draweth also the
mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.
Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he
resteth; yet His eyes are upon their ways. {24} They are exalted
for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken
out of the way as all others, and cut off as the tops of the
ears of corn.
Isaiah 47:8 Therefore hear now
this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly,
that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I
shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of
children:
Jeremiah 49:31 Arise, get you up
unto the wealthy nation, that dwelleth without care,
saith the LORD, which have neither gates nor bars, which dwell
alone.
Ezekiel 30:9 In that day shall
messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless
Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as in
the day of Egypt: for, lo, it cometh.
Ezekiel 39:6 And I will send a
fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in
the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Micah 2:8 Even of late my people
is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment
from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.
Zephaniah 2:15 This is the
rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her
heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a
desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that
passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.
Judges 8:11 And Gideon went up
by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and
Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.
It might appear that living without the protection of a
powerful state would be an invitation to disaster: invasion,
attack, first strike! To be sure, the wicked plot evil against the
Godly:
Ezekiel 38:11 And thou shalt say, I
will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them
that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling
without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
And so we faithlessly think, "If we just give half our
income to the State, they will protect us! If we don't have a
State, the bad guys will take advantage of us! If we don't have a
policeman on every corner, criminals will come
to take plunder and to take booty, to
stretch out [their] hand against the waste places that are again
inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who
have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the
land." (Ezekiel 38:12)
It is undeniably true: criminals think this way. They just
might attack Christian Patriarchs and other pacifists first. What
would happen if we obeyed Jesus? What would happen if we turned
the other cheek? Who should we fear: robbers, or God?
Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those
who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him
who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
It should be enough to trust God, and be willing to be among
those who "rejoiced in the spoiling of your goods"
(Hebrews 10:34).
But the Godly Patriarch does not fear. He knows that God looks
forward to the day when robbers and armies and IRS agents come
after the Christian pacifists:
Ezekiel 38:22 And I will bring him
to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on
him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him,
flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. {23} Thus
I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known
in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the
LORD.
Our goal is not to live comfortably and be protected by the
State. Our goal is to increase the glory of God.
Security comes only when our
confidence is in God,
not the State.
Confidence:
4009. mibtach, mib-tawkh'; from H982; prop. a refuge, i.e.
(obj.) security, or (subj.) assurance:--confidence, hope, sure,
trust.
Job 8:11-14 Whose hope shall be cut
off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web.
Job 18:14,21 His confidence
shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to
the king of terrors.
Job 31:24-28 If I have made gold
my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
Psalm 40:4 Blessed is that man
that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the
proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Psalm 65:5 By terrible things in
righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who
art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of
them that are afar off upon the sea:
Psalm 71:5 For thou art my hope,
O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
Proverbs 14:26 In the fear of
the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall
have a place of refuge.
Proverbs 21:22 A wise man
scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of
the confidence thereof.
Proverbs 22:19 That thy trust
may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to
thee.
Proverbs 25:19 Confidence
in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth,
and a foot out of joint.
Isaiah 32:18 And my people shall
dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings,
and in quiet resting places;
Jeremiah 2:37 Yea, thou shalt go
forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the LORD
hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper
in them.
Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man
that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
Jeremiah 48:13 And Moab shall be
ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel
their confidence.
Ezekiel 29:16 And it shall be no
more the confidence of the house of Israel, which
bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look
after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
American Christians have worried about a burglar, or some
foreign invasion, or "Arab Terrorists." And so we have
given power to the State. The Biblical record is clear: people who
ignore God's Law feel the guilt and impending judgment, and they
turn to powerful empires for security.
The American Empire cannot bring security.
But it can bring death.
The corrupting power which Lord
Acton spoke of has created totalitarianism across the globe. Hundreds
of millions of people have been murdered by the government.
America has supported in its faithless quest for
"security."[10] We
have given billions of dollars in economic, technological, and
military aid to the most vicious and idolatrous of dictators.[11]
If you believe we need a "State," and that
"anarchy" would be so terrible, how do you account for
the fact that the murder and confiscation of property caused by
all the criminals and so-called "anarchists" in the
world combined is but a drop in the bucket compared to the
destruction caused by "organized government"? What could
be worse than the wars, executions, planned famines, dictatorial
control, and gulags of socialist States? For too many people, the
answer is,
| Having to obey God's
Law would be worse than being in a labor camp.
Crucifying my desires for vengeance, putting to death my
lusts, being willing to serve 'the least of these'
(Matthew 25:45-46), giving up my new car, trendy
wardrobe and comfortable house - no way. This is why I
love the State. |
Exodus 14:11 And they said unto
Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us
away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus
with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
Numbers 11:5 We remember the
fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the
melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic;
Nehemiah 9:15-17 And gavest them
bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water
for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them
that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst
sworn to give them. {16} But they and our fathers dealt proudly,
and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,
{17} And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders
that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in
their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage:
Do we really want God's safety in a Promised Land? Or do we
want the tinsel and glitter of Babylon?
The 20th century has been lauded as the
century of the greatest wealth and technology in human history. It
is also the most violent in human history.[12]
But we don't care, as long as we have personal peace and
affluence.
This is not "national security." This is idolatry.
This is not Patriarchy worthy of Sons of Abraham (Galatians 3:29).
This is slavery.
"Besides, the State protects us from our enemies."
- What could make enemy take-over easier
than to have the entire population regulated and controlled
from a Central State?[13]
- Simply take over the machinery of government, run your own
flag up the flagpole, and you control 300 million people.
- What could make enemy take-over more difficult than having
social order created by thousands of decentralized
communities?
- Could the Chinese Communists take over America if they had
to conquer or persuade 100 million autonomous families?
It is inescapable: American Christians trust the State more
than God. Their confidence is in the State, not in the LORD. And
this is because they lust for the promises of the Tempter, and not
for responsibility and service under God's Law.
Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil to
you to serve the LORD, chose you this day whom ye will serve;
whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the
other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose
land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the
LORD.
NOTES
(1)
"Peace through Strength" -- Notice that
conservatives do not believe in peace through private
strength, or strength provided through Free Market Capitalism;
they believe that national security must be provided for in the
way socialists believe all other goods and services must be
provided: through a socialistic State. [Return
to text]
(2) The word "Christ" means
"Anointed King." If Jesus is not King, then He is not
Christ. The
one who denies that Jesus is King is a liar (1 John 2:22).
[Return to text]
(3) What is "judgment"? Am I talking
about the "Judgment Day" in the far-off distant future?
No. God's judgment consists in allowing a Secular Humanist nation
(a nation that worships the State [considered to be the
"highest" embodiment of Man]) to feel the
"natural" effects of their worship of Man: tyranny.
Israel experienced this kind of judgment (1 Samuel 8:9-20). It
happens because God personally causes it. It doesn't look like a
miracle. But nothing does. And
everything is. Including the "miracle of tyranny."
It happens every time. [Return to text]
(4) It's the same Hebrew word, but it means
different things for different people. People who love God and
seek His Kingdom live "safely" because God is protecting
them. People who worship themselves but haven't yet felt the back
of God's Hand live "carelessly," which is to say,
safely, but faithlessly. The difference in translation is based on
the theology of the people involved. [Return
to text]
(5) Education must be Patriarchal, not just in
form, but in content. We will not have Patriarchy in our
generation. We probably cannot expect to eliminate socialism and
slavery in the next generation. We must teach our children to
teach their children about Patriarchy. We must develop
Godly habits of character, and we must warn the next generations
against the myths of Zidonism. We must not only make all nations
sons of Abraham and disciples of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20), we
must keep them from reverting back to disciples of Plato,
Machiavelli, and Locke. [Return to text]
(6) A dozen dozen is 144. Most people who
claim to be Christian have yet to take in their first dozen. They
let the State take care of others. Genesis 14:14 tells us that
Abraham adopted dozens of dozens of people. Patriarchy is
household evangelism and dominion by household. Polls suggest that
over 80 million people in America claim to be Christians, heirs of
the promise to Abraham (Galatians 3:29). But Jesus says to such
people, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the
works of Abraham" (John 8:39). What would our nation be like
if only one percent of the "Christians" were Patriarchs
like Abraham? How would their example affect others? (Proverbs
14:19; Psalm 66:3) National Security begins with Patriarchal
Dominion. The first dozen begins with the first one. [Return
to text]
(7) That means we are to be
"anarchists." Christians are to be
"anarchists?" Yes, though it sounds strange. When we
think of "anarchists" we think of lawless, bomb-thowing
sexual libertines. Christ said His followers must uphold the law
(Matthew 5:17-20), and this very passage (Mark 10:42-45) utterly
rules out throwing bombs. So how can a Christian be an
"anarchist?" Our concept of an "anarchist" is
actually one given to us by the State. The man who assassinates a
"dictator" is a man who wants to be dictator himself.
The man who throws a bomb is a man who wants the power to impose
his rule on others. A man who sexually conquers one woman after
another is not a "servant." But Christ says a true
Christian "anarchist" is a servant, not a conqueror.
What upsets politicians about such servants is that servants do
not play the politicians' game. They do not legitimize
mass-destruction in the name of "national security" nor
the vengeful killing of millions in the name of
"justice." Servants call the political lifestyle into
question. Servants show others a new way of life. This prompts
politicians to fear for the security of their lifestyle, and they
cry out, "Anarchists!" Then the fearful get back
in line and keep quiet. [Return to text]
(8) In the Old Covenant, God did give us a
priesthood, and told us that certain crimes polluted the land and
angered God, and that His wrath could only be expiated by the
shedding of blood. But the book of Hebrews makes clear that Jesus
is the Lamb of God, and no other priest, and no other blood, can
cleanse our land of bloodguiltiness. Classic texts such as Genesis
9:4-6 and Numbers 35:29-34, which are used to support the idea
that God requires a State after Calvary, have been analyzed in our
paper on Capital Punishment. [Return to
text]
(9) This is the word "careless" as
in the days in Zidon when there was no state. All of these verses
are talking about "safety," but not the State. [Return
to text]
(10) R. J. Rummel,
"Megamurders," Society, Sept.-Oct. 1992, p. 47.
[Return to text]
(11) See any of the works of Charles
Levinson, or of Antony Sutton, Research Fellow at the prestigious
Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Start with The
Best Enemy Money Can Buy (1986) or National Suicide:
Military Aid to the Soviet Union (1973). See also Joseph
Finder, Red Carpet (1983). [Return to
text]
(12) R. J. Rummel,
Death by Government, Transaction Books, 1994. G. Elliot, Twentieth
Century Book of the Dead, Scribner's, 1972. [Return
to text]
(13) See Gary North's Article, "The
Danger is Defeat, not Destruction," Remnant Review
(Aug. 17, 1979). [Return to text]