The book of Judges might be re-named “the Book of Committees.” Protestant churches love committees, right? Ours even has a Committee on Committees, a committee whose members nominate people to serve on other committees. But without an executive–without a chief at the top–committees can devolve into a league of partisan teams battling over authority (“vision”) and money (“budgets”). Israel during the time of the judges seems to have suffered from a lack of clear, decisive leadership.
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes” Judges 21:25.
These words are repeated over and over in the book of Judges, a refrain lamenting the nation’s lack of leadership. Is the Bible monarchist? Having seen the coronation of King Charles over the weekend, I must ask: should America have a king?
The famous words above are used as bookends around a terrible story: A woman is brutally gang-raped by the men of Gibeah and she dies—then her husband cuts up her body and mails it all over Israel. His publicity stunt works, the matter goes “viral,” and the nation rallies to prosecute the crime. Unfortunately, the locals are in no mood to surrender and civil war breaks out killing 65,000 men. The conclusion?
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes” Judges 21:25.
The point appears to be that a king might have prevented this horrible evil. Or the evil could have been prosecuted without the death of 65,000 men, most of whom had no part in the crime.
So does America need a king? Was the Revolutionary War a big mistake?
I don’t think so. The American system DOES employ kings, in a manner of speaking: we call them “executives”—mayors, governors, and the president. Though these executives are elected, their term in office is long enough that they can provide some real leadership against crime. Presidents appoint an Attorney General to lead the Department of Justice. Governors and mayors have similar opportunities to fight crime. In that sense, our system does have a king. In other words, in America’s highly complex system of government, the voters elect executives who ensure that every man does not simply do “that which is right in his own eyes.”
God, thank you for a system that allows us enough freedom to have a say in the way we are governed, while also protecting us from many types of crime. Thank you for the Bible’s wisdom about the practical problems of governance.
ΑΩ
Household Words: 