DIGEST  OF  DIVINE  LAW

by Howard Rand (1942)

GOVERNMENT #2

Revenue

Governments must have revenue and in conformity with the Divine law it is required that the tithe be collected from all the people for this purpose. The law of tithes was covered in chapter VII. In addition to the tithe was the poll tax, collected annually and paid by all those numbered in Israel from twenty years old and upwards.

In paying the tithe, in returning unto Him a tenth of their increase, men acknowledged that all they had was from God! The Levites, who performed the functions of our modern civil sendee, were charged with the responsibility of collecting the tithe.

Now all the tithe does not belong to the church as is erroneously taught by some Christian leaders today, but only a tenth of the tithe was for ecclesiastical purposes. 

(INCORRECT - THE TITHE IS CLEARLY SAID TO GO TO THE PRIESTS OF THE TEMPLE. IT WAS FOR THE WORK THEY DID PLUS THE UPKEEP OF THE TEMPLE - Keith Hunt)

The instruction to the tax collectors was as follows: 

"When ye take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe . . . ye shall give thereof the Lord's heave offering to Aaron the priest." (Numbers 18:26-28.)

(THIS WAS THE PRIESTS TITHING ON THEIR  TITHE - Keith Hunt)

With the revision of our present complicated system of government to conform with the Israel standard of administration the cost of operation would be materially reduced, while there would be no need of expenditures for relief—as the poor and needy would be provided for under the Israel economy. This answers those who question the sufficiency of the revenue for governmental purposes under the system of tithes. When to the above is also added the fact that there will be no interest to pay, or bonded indebtedness that absorbs so much of the government revenue today, an intolerable burden will have been removed.

(NOT A FULL ANSWER.  THE AUTHOR MISSES  A  TITHE  THAT WAS  COLLECTED  FOR  THE  POOR  AND  NEEDY  AND  WIDOW  AND  ORPHAN,  THE  3RD  AND  6TH  YEAR  OF  A  7  YEAR  CYCLE.  THAT  WAS  ISRAEL'S  WELFARE  SYSTEM.  AS  TO  MANY  OTHER  THINGS  NEEDED  IN  A  MORE  MODERN  WORLD  AS  OURS,  WELL  YOU  GET  A  BILL  FOR  ELECTRIC  AND  POWER  USE,  PHONE  USE,  WATER  USE.  THE  LESS  YOU  USE  THE  LESS  THE  BILL.  IN  A  CORRECT  WORLD,  THE  SUN  WOULD  POWER  MOST  THINGS,  SO  VERY  LITTLE  EXPENSE.  NO  TAXES  ON  HOMES  OR  LAND.  YOU'D  HAVE  A  BILL  TO  PAY  FOR  SCHOOL  TEACHERS [A  PORTION  SHARED  BY  ALL].  JUST  ABOUT  ALL  THINGS  WOULD  BE  PRIVATE  ENTERPRISE.  YOU'D  PAY  A  FARE  TO  USE  A  BUS  OR  RAIL  TRAIN,  TAXI  AND  ETC.  TOLL  ROADS  WOULD  BE  THE  WAY. SO  AS  IN  MANY  WAYS  TODAY  TO  USE  A  SERVICE  YOU  PAY  A  BILL.  YOU  DO  NOT  USE,  YOU  DO  NOT  PAY. IN  THE  AGE  TO  COME  EVERYONE  WOULD  BE  IN  FULL  HEALTH,  NO  HOSPITALS  TO  SUPPORT  AS  LIKE  TODAY,  NO  JAILS  TO  SUPPORT [NO  CRIME] NO  POLICE,  NO  ARMY,  SOLAR  POWER,  BETTER  CLIMATE.....WELL  MUCH  EXPLAINED  IN  MY  STUDIES  ON  THE  1,000  YEAR  AGE  TO  COME. THE  TITHE  WILL  GO  TO  THE  WORK AND  WORKERS OF SPREADING THE  GOSPEL....YES  SPREADING  WILL  BE  NEEDED,  AGAIN  EXPLAINED  IN  MY  OTHER  STUDIES  ON  THAT  AGE  TO  COME.

TO  ANSWER  A  SILLY  ARGUMENT  ON  TITHING.  PEOPLE  SAY  ONLY  THE  PRODUCE  OF  THE  LAND  WAS  TITHED.  JUST  NOT  SO  IF  LOGIC  IS  USED.  IF  ONLY  FARMERS  HAD  TO  TITHE,  IN  A  CARNAL  NATION  AS  ISRAEL  WAS,  YOU  CAN  BET  FEW  WOULD  WANT  TO  FARM. TO  THINK  THE  SHOEMAKER,  THE  TAYLOR,  THE  CARPENTER  ETC.  DID  NOT  HAVE  TO  TITHE  IS  NOT  ONLY  LUDICROUS  THINKING,  BUT  IT  ALSO  MAKES   GOD  A  RESPECTER  OF  PERSONS  AND  HAD  LAWS  FOR  ONE  SET  OF  PEOPLE  AND  NOT  THE  OTHER,  WHEN  ALL  WORKING  PEOPLE  MAKE  A  PROFIT.  WELL  ALL  ABOUT  TITHING  AND  ANSWERING  THE  ARGUMENTS  USED  IS  IN  STUDIES  ON  THIS  WEBSITE - Keith Hunt)

Monetary System

In chapter VII the need of a monetary system in which the medium of exchange represented by a unit of value was shown to be the God-given Israel system of exchange. The Divine economy provides for the recognition of this unit of value as the standard of wealth against which the medium of exchange should be issued. Because money has been regarded as wealth, rather than our goods, our present system has imposed a burden upon government and people from which there can be no escape until our nation returns to the standard of Divine economy under the direction of a government which conforms with all the requirements of the Law of the Lord.

Representative Form of Government

When Israel was organized into a Kingdom at Mount Sinai no one questioned the continuation of the position and leadership of Moses whom the people had elected to follow out of Egypt. But Moses needed assistance in the administration of the government, the enduring foundation of which was laid when he received the commandments, statutes and judgments of the Lord to be administered as the law of the Kingdom. A representative form of government was instituted and the rule by which these men were selected is set forth in Exodus 18 and is as follows: Able men and, men who feared God, men of truth, hating covetousness, were to be selected and placed as rulers over thousands, rulers over hundreds, rulers over fifties and rulers over tens. They were to judge and govern the people and only the cases too hard for them were to be appealed for final disposition before the national leaders. Government was to act definitely in an administrative and judicial capacity only.

Three Types of Government

So let us look for a moment at the three types of government represented in 1) autocracy, 2) democracy and 3) a republic and the combinations of these. Now autocracy is the absolute rulership of one man who holds full authority and power over his subjects. Democracy in its fullest sense is the the rule of the mob in which the political system is directly exercised or controlled by the people collectively; it is government by the people. A republic is a government in which the people elect representatives who are charged with the responsibility of administration and through whom they act; these representatives functioning independently of the people in matters of state, carrying out the affairs of government in accordance with the requirements of the law.

A democracy, therefore, is a form of government in rebellion against God, being a government by the people in which the final court of appeal is public opinion. The law of the Lord definitely points out that public opinion, or the voice of the majority, should in no way have a bearing or influence against the law or its righteous administration. His commandments, "Thou shalt not," took precedence over every opinion, either private or public. His statutes, governing administration in the nation as well as the economic life and well-being of His people, were never intended to be subject to popular referendum or amendment. His judgments were to be kept more scrupulously than any judgment rendered in a court of law.

All this is confirmed by Moses, who said, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you."   (Deut. 4:2.)

Moses codified the law of the Lord, it became Israel's constitution, the people were admonished to adhere strictly to all of its requirements! The first demonstration of the democratic tendency in Israel and the manifestation of a desire to depart from these laws was made by the people when Moses was absent from the camp. The people assembled before Aaron and demanded that their voice be heard. Aaron acquiesced in their appeal. The Golden Calf was built and democracy, the rule of the people, was in full operation when Moses returned. The conversation which took place between Moses and Aaron is of real interest. Moses stood for the keeping of the law while Aaron gave the politician's answer for acceding to the demands of the people in their desire for democratic rule, for he gave the people what they wanted.

(GOD'S  GOVERNMENT  IS  HIS  GOVERNMENT  AND  HIS  LAWS.  IT  IS  A  TOP  DOWN  GOVERNMENT.  YOU  MIGHT  EVEN  SAY  IT  IS  A  DICTATOR  GOVERNMENT.  BUT  IT  IS  PERFECT  HOLY  AND  RIGHTEOUS  DICTATORSHIP. THAT  MAY  SHOCK  SOME,  BUT  IN  THE  AGE  TO  COME,  GOD  WILL  RULE  WITH  DICTATORSHIP.  NOW  WHEN  THE  NATIONS  HAVE  JUST  ABOUT  OBLITERATED  EVERY  PERSON  ON  EARTH [IF  NOT  STOPPED  JESUS  SAID  THEY  WOULD]  THEN THEY  WILL  BE  IN  AN  ATTITUDE  OF  MIND  TO  LET  GOD  DICTATE  TO  THEM  HOW  LIVING  IS  GOING  TO  BE  LIVED  DURING  THAT  1,000  YEAR  AGE  -  Keith Hunt)

Israel's  Form  of  Government

In following the history of Israel it is noted that every time the people departed from the strict observance of the laws of the Lord they adopted in part, or in whole, the principles of a government by the people and for the people, in opposition to the observance of God's laws.

The type of government which God gave to Israel at Mount Sinai was neither an autocracy nor a democracy. It was a constitutional representative form of government with men placed in office to administer the law and assume responsibility for the affairs of state. Under their administration, Judges were appointed to office to hear cases and decide issues. Later on, in place of Moses and the Judges who followed him as leaders, a King came to office —but the type of government was still constitutional and representative.

(IT  WAS  GOVERNMENT  WITH  GOD  AS  HEAD,  AND  GOD'S  LAWS  AS  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  LAND - Keith Hunt)

United States Constitution

When the time came for the United States of America to adopt a constitution our forefathers modeled it after the perfect Israel system of administration. Whether this was done intentionally or not, God, in His providence, guided the framers of our constitution into drawing a document which led Gladstone to say after reading it, "It is the greatest piece of work ever struck off in a given time by the brain and purpose of man."

However, in the adoption of our constitution, we failed to make mandatory the administration of the law given to Israel when at Mount Sinai there was organized the world's first great Republic. Thus there was left in the hands of the people the power to enact legislation which made it possible for future generations to destroy the Republic. Because this was so, we have the reason for the failure in operation of what otherwise could have been the greatest of all governments since the time of Moses.

(HUMMMM.....HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THAT LAST STATEMENT.  I  DO  NOT  THINK  IN  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  USA  THERE  IS  ANYTHING  THAT  SAYS  WE  WILL  BE  GOVERNED  BY  THE  HOLY  BIBLE  AND  THE  LAWS  OF  THE  HOLY  BIBLE.  IF  YOU  CAN  FIND  THOSE  WORDS  LET  ME  KNOW  -  Keith Hunt)

Quoting from Back to the Republic by Harry F. Atwood:

"Following the adoption of the Constitution and the founding of the Republic of the United States of America there began the first great era of progress govemmentally that the world has ever known. We began to solve problems and to secure privileges that had baffled philosophers and statesmen for ages. . . . We radiated over all the world the rays of light, of hope, of progress, of justice."

(GIVE  ME  A  BREAK......SLAVERY  WAS  NOT  ABOLISHED,  EQUALITY  DID  NOT  HAPPEN,  WOMEN  WERE  NOT  GIVEN  EQUALITY,   AND  EVEN  TODAY  MANY  WOMEN  DO  NOT  GET  THE  SAME  PAY  AS  MEN  FOR  DOING  THE  SAME  JOB.  AND  EVEN  AFTER  SLAVERY  WAS  ABOLISHED  IT  TOOK  AT  LEAST  100  YEARS  FOR  BLACKS  TO  HAVE  EQUALITY.  SO  GIVE  ME  A  BREAK.....THE  USA  REPUBLIC  WAS  FAR  FROM  THE  LAWS  OF  GOD  AND  BEING  A  NATION  AS  LIKE  ANCIENT  ISRAEL  WAS  UNDER  MOSES  -  Keith Hunt)

The author failed to see that all this became possible in our emulation of the principles of government given to Israel at Mount Sinai.

Continuing, the author of the above book says, "Gradually, however, we began to modify our national government through the appointment of boards and commissions, and the creation of various governmental agencies that made it impossible for the government to function in accordance with the plan of the Constitution."

(AND  THE  CONSTITUTION  WAS  NEVER  BASED  ON  THE  HOLY  BIBLE  OF  GOD.  I  DO  NOT  THINK  YOU  CAN  FIND  IN  THE  USA  CONSTITUTION  ANYTHING  THAT  SAYS,  "WE  AS  A  NATION  SHALL  LIVE  BY  EVERY  WORD  OF  GOD  AS  IN  THE  HOLY  BIBLE."  Keith Hunt)

Governmental Shortcomings

In summing up the shortcomings of the various forms of government apart from a Republic, the same author has this to say, "Socialism is that phase of democracy which negates property rights. Anarchy is that phase of democracy which negates law. The initiative is that phase of democracy which makes it possible for the infuriated mob, under the leadership of the demagogue, to enact legislation. The referendum is that phase of democracy which assumes that the minority should rescind impulsively at a special election the deliberate action of the majority at a regular election. The judicial recall is that phase of democracy which makes it possible to take a case from the court room, where it may be decided in accordance with the law and evidence, to the street corners, where the agitators may appeal to passion and prejudice."

(WELL  HE'S  BASICALLY  SAYING,  THERE  IS  NO  FORM  OF  HUMAN  DEVISED  GOVERNMENT  THAT  IS  GOD'S  GOVERNMENT.  THERE  WILL  BE  A  WORLD  OF  GOD'S  GOVERNMENT  ONE  DAY,  WHEN  JESUS  RETURNS  TO  ESTABLISH  THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  GOD  UPON  ALL  NATIONS  ON  EARTH.  A  GOVERNMENT  BY  THE  WORD  AND  LAWS  OF  GOD  -  Keith Hunt)

Israel's constitution guarded against all these evils by making it mandatory for the people to keep all the law and forbade them to make or enact laws. That Israel failed to keep the requirements of their constitution is evidenced in the perusal of her history. Because of this departure in turning away from the administration of the law of the Lord the following indictment of the nation for this national sin is recorded against them, "And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them: and they followed vanity, and became vain. . . . And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God."    (II Kings 17:15-16.)

Vanity of Israel

Just what did Israel do when they became vain? They considered themselves just as capable of making laws for their guidance as God Himself. They, therefore, legislated laws to take the place of those which God gave them to administer. Omri was the greatest offender in this departure from keeping the law. We are told in I Kings 16:25 that "Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were before him." Micah refers to this sin of Omri, and tells us that the people were following after what he had done, "For the statutes of Omri are kept."    (Micah 6:16.)

From the days of Omri and onward the House of Israel began to multiply their legislative enactments as they adopted the principles of and adhered to the democratic form of government. The day is coming when those who are charged with the affairs of state will be appointed to office because of ability and merit and who will continue in office, as the elders continued in office in Israel, so long as they enforce and administer the law of the Lord. This statement is made on the strength of the prophecy of Ezekiel: "I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God . . . they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes to do them."   (Ezekiel 37:23-24.)

Representative Constitutional Government

When it is understood that the basis of the Israel organization is constitutional, with the law of the Lord as the law of the land, and regardless of whatever official title is borne by the leader of the nation, that his task will be to administer the commandments, statutes and judgments of the Lord in equity and justice, and, assisting him in that administration, representatives chosen from among the people for their virtue and integrity, then —and then only —will our nation be on the way to restoring righteousness in administration. Then will have been laid the foundation on which can be built an enduring and lasting government based upon the bed-rock of the commandments, statutes and judgments of the Lord operating as the law of the land.

Following the writing of what Gladstone called the greatest document produced by man must come the awakening of men to the realization of the need of restoring the administration of the law of the Lord. It must also be accepted and recognized that there is no right granted man that enables him to make laws, for governments were organized by God to function strictly in an administrative and judicial capacity and refrain from entering into business activities which, under the law, are assigned to the citizens of the Kingdom.

..........

IN  OTHER  WORDS  AS  I'VE  POINTED  OUT,  THERE  IS  NO  MAN  MADE  GOVERNMENT  THAT  IS  GOOD  AND  RIGHT,  UNTIL  MAN  IS  WILLING  TO  ABIDE  BY  AND  BE  GOVERNED  BY  THE  WORD  OF  THE  LORD  AND  ALL  HIS  HOLY  COMMANDMENTS,  UNTIL  MAN  IS  WILLING  TO  DO  AS  JESUS  TAUGHT,  "MAN  SHALL  NOT  LIVE  BY  BREAD  ALONE  BUT  BY  EVERY  WORD  THAT  PROCEEDS  OUT  OF  THE  MOLUTH  OF  GOD."

Keith Hunt