In a discussion in a Sunday School class yesterday the question was posed, “How do we explain the fact that God, in the Old Testament, commanded His people to destroy whole cultures down to every man, woman and child?” Or as many moderns might ask, “Doesn’t this show that the ancient religions of the Jews and Christians are inferior to modern humanistic values?”

My answer to this legitimate and interesting query is that there are only three times (as far as I can remember) in the Bible where it was the will of God for whole peoples to be destroyed.

'The Deluge the Ark of Noah Drifting on the Water'

The first of these is with the flood in Genesis 6-7: at the hand of God Himself. God created mankind perfectly suited to rule the earth in righteousness (Gen 1:26-28). However, humanity rebelled against Him was judged in the persons of Adam and Eve. And yet, God saved them by His grace, and promised that one would come to make all things right (Gen. 3:15). Over time the rebellion and sinfulness culminated in God’s terrifying assessment of humanity:

“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Gen. 6:5, 11-14).

The response of our righteous God was to destroy all life with breath, except for righteous Noah and his family. Our God is so committed to righteousness on the earth that He is not content to allow corruption and violence to continue unabated. God’s judgment was simultaneously a destruction of evil and a salvation of the world. God so loves the world that he saved the righteous by grace through faith (Heb. 11:7; 2 Pet. 2:5).

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, John Martin, 1852.

The second complete destruction of a people, several hundred years later, was also at the hand of God with the comprehensive annihilation of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18:18-19:29). The Lord God saw and evaluated these appalling cities and their citizens:

“And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know” (Gen. 18:20-21).

What evil could possibly justify raining down brimstone and fire to exterminate all of the inhabitants of these cities? When two angels (in the form of men) came into Sodom, the old and young men from all parts of the city came to gang rape the visitors. Sodom and her sister city Gomorrah were so wicked that God was not only justified in His scorched earth judgment against them, but also used it as an example throughout the rest of scripture of the intolerable nature of such wickedness (2 Pet. 2:6; Jude 7).

But once again, it was a judgment unto salvation. God delivered righteous Lot (from the city of Sodom), “who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds) – then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment” (2 Pet. 2:7-9). God so loves the world that He saves the righteous by His grace through faith.

The Fall of Jericho

The third and final time that God called for the utter destruction of a people and their cultures was several hundred years later when He commanded His chosen people Israel to destroy all of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. God had promised Abraham that through his descendants all of the nations would be blessed (Gen. 12:3). How? By extending the righteousness of God in the world. That means that wickedness must be replaced with righteousness. If mankind is to fulfill the creation mandate to rule the world for God, it means removing immorality and replacing it with righteousness, justice and faithfulness to God. For Israel to begin to bless the world, she would have to first be faithful to God by worshipping Him alone and not living according to the wicked ways of the inhabitants of the land (Deut. 12:2-4, 30). And so, God commanded them utterly destroy all the people of the land of Canaan:

“But of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you, lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God” (Deut. 20:16-18).

What God had done twice before, He now commanded His people to do. Israel was to be a means of God’s judgments in the world – for the salvation of the world. And yet, Israel failed in her mission. She did not utterly destroy them, and within a short time forgot the Lord God and her mission to the world. She compromised and became a new Sodom and Gomorrah, and new Canaanite nation, and was herself deposed from the land.

It was not until several hundred years later, with the coming of Jesus Christ (the new Adam, the new Noah, the new Israel), that the world would see the coming of the true savior of the world. Never again would God send His judgments universally upon any people or culture to destroy them utterly. Jesus Christ slays the nations by the sword that comes out of His mouth, that is by the Word of God (Rev. 19:15-16).  Since the coming of Jesus, righteousness goes forth by the power of the Holy Spirit as men and nations are brought into submission to Jesus through the service of Christians in the world.

"Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword"

We have often heard that mankind has arrived at a true humanitarianism in the world. Modernity has, we are told, thrown off the oppressive and inhumane religions of the past in favor of a fully enlightened humanity. But what has modern humanism given us? It has made the way straight for a purification of humanity at the hands of Hitler, who massacre 6 million Jews in Europe. It has manifested the scientific control of society that enabled Stalin to justify murdering 20 million of his own Soviet Russian citizens. It produced the likes of Pol Pot and the Khmere Rouge with the famous “Killing fields” in Cambodia where more than 2 million people were butchered. What about how the world looked with helpless amazement at Bosnian genocidal atrocities in the former Yugoslavia, or the horrific slaughter of over 800,000 people in Rwanda just a few short years ago?

Neither Israel nor Israel’s God ever committed any wicked genocide. It is not Christianity that inspires genocide. Rather, it is Christians and the Christian church that condemns such godless killing and violence. As mankind turns away from Jesus Christ, humanity itself comes to have little value in the world. Why? Because man is made in the image of God – and the best way to strike a blow against Him is to lash out against His image.

The only hope for this world is for all men and nations to submit in faith to Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and seek the salvation of the world through Him. May God use us, His people, to make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them and teaching them all that Christ has commanded so that the genocidal wickedness of humanism would forever cease; so that the righteousness of God may cover the earth as the waters cover the seas.

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,

And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,

The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The Spirit of counsel and might,

The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

His delight is in the fear of the Lord,

And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,

Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;

But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,

And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,

And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,

And faithfulness the belt of His waist.

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,

The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;

And a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze;

Their young ones shall lie down together;

And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,

And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,

For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord

As the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:1-9)

Tags: Genocide

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  How many of us have paused today to consider the accomplishments of this important man, and the influence and meaning of the movement he led?

I confess that most of my life I only had negative thoughts Dr. King and the civil rights movement – for reasons I still don’t fully understand. There was a day, in the not so distant past, that I asked myself, “Why do we dislike (at least generally uncomfortable with) Martin Luther King, his day, the streets named after him, and even the civil rights movement?”  I couldn’t answer myself with anything that resembled something worthy of a sound reason. I had wandering around in my brain things like: I heard that he was an unfaithful husband which makes him an untrustworthy man; liberals like him; Jesse Jackson, whom I still dislike (for reasons I can articulate), was a close associate of MLK; he was a troubler of society; and so on.

I’ve now come to think differently.

I still don’t know all that much about his life. I don’t know that much about his place in the “civil rights movement,” nor about how to fully evaluate the goods and bads of everything that happened or resulted from it.

What I do feel sure about is that it was a movement whose time had come. King was a man that was used by God to shine the light His of truth, judgment and vision for a better future. Sure, there was social unrest.  Sure, there were unexpected, even undesirable, consequences. But there almost always are such things when God brings His judgments to bear on pervasive cultural sins and injustice.  Racial discrimination and oppression are wicked and should be opposed by Christians of every stripe and variety.  In the 100 years following the civil war discrimination and inequality continued to exist in profound and incomprehensibly horrible ways. King was the man God used to articulate the truth that all men, created in God’s image, are subject to will of God and entitled by His Word to be treated with love, dignity and justice.

In the context of this impassioned speech – the world was given the ability to dramatically see the righteousness of his words and the cause for which he had labored so sacrificially.  King advocated peaceful non-violent protest. The enemies of truth, justice and love responded with lies, violence and hatred. No longer was the call for new civil rights in the United States a matter of casual debate – the wickedness of discrimination was obvious to all.

I challenge every committed Christian to take the time to listen to the “I Have A Dream” speech – consider it well – and see if there be anything of substance that we should not wholly assent to.  Racism is a sin in all of its forms – and has no place in the Kingdom of God. May God grant that we would unite with King in passionate zeal to see racial hatred and discrimination fully removed from not only our own hearts, but from our land, and indeed all the earth.

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” ” (Revelation 7:9–12)

Tags: "I have a dream", Civil Rights, civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr., Racism

Icon of James, the Son of Zebedee, 18th century (Kizhi monastery, Karelia, Russia).

I began my Lord’s Bible Class on the Epistle of James today at Church.

Lesson 1 – Introduction: James’ Call to Patience, Faith & Doing the Word

James 1

Outline of the book of James

A. 1:2-27 – Patience and faith in trials, sin & save your souls

B. 2:1-7 – Rich and “the poor man”

C. 2:8-13 – Royal law & partiality, Judged by the law of liberty

D. 2:14-26 – Justification [dikaio] & works

E. 3:1-12 – The tongue

D’ 3:13-18 – Righteousness [dikaiosune], Wisdom, & works

C’ 4:1-12 – Members at war; Judged by the Lawgiver

B’ 4:13-5:6 – Rich & “the righteous one”

A’ 5:7-21 – Patience in suffering, sin & save his soul

I. Biblical and Historical Background for the Book of James

During the ministry of Jesus we learn the following from Matthew 9-10:

“³⁵ Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. ³⁶ But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” (Matthew 9:35–37).

Then He appointed twelve of His disciples to be His Apostles (lit. “sent ones”) and when He had given them power to do the same works that he had been doing, He sent them out to preach the gospel (“good news”) of the kingdom (Matt. 10:1-4). Then He warned them that they would be persecuted in much the same way that He would be (Matt.10: 5-42), and told them how they should respond to the persecution they would endure from the Jews: they should not worry about what to say (v. 19), flee to other cities (v. 23), do not fear them (vv. 26-31), continue to confess Jesus before men (vv. 32-33) and be willing to die worthily for Jesus, even if persecuted by family (vv. 34-39). Thus, the harvest of souls won for Jesus would come through the ministry of the Apostles (and the Church that followed their leadership) – but it will come at the cost of great persecution. The message of the kingdom would bring division in Israel and horrific suffering and trials to the Church – just as it did for Jesus.

This was a very difficult message for the Apostles to understand and accept. When Jesus began to show the disciples that He would be suffer many things from the Jewish leaders and be killed and raised again on the third day, Peter rebuked Jesus. But Jesus responded strongly by saying that such thinking was Satanic, and of men not being mindful of the things of God (Matt. 16:21-23). When Jesus was finally betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter used violence (Satanic action) to defend Jesus, which Jesus reproached because this is not the way the kingdom would come (Matt. 26:51-53; Mk. 14:47; Lk. 22:49-51; Jn. 18:10-11, 36). The kingdom would come by dying (both Jesus and the disciples).

The disciples, correctly believing that Jesus was the Messiah predicted in the Old Testament that will rule the nations, incorrectly thought that the kingdom would be primarily a political reality and that Jesus would be a political King – rather than a suffering savior. They were caught up in the common assumptions of the Jewish culture that the primary thing they needed was to be delivered from the oppression of the Romans. They had to learn from their own experience that it was through the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom that they would see the righteousness of God transform the world. Indeed, Jesus would put all things right in the world that is contrary to the word of God – but it would happen as a result of His death and resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the empowering of the Church to be His witnesses in the world, beginning in Jerusalem and moving out into all the world (Acts 1:6-8).

Soon after this, the Church in Jerusalem began to suffer persecution. In Acts 4 we learn that Peter and John were arrested because of their preaching and healing ministry. As the Church continued to grow by the ministry of the Apostles, the persecution began to increase by repeated imprisonment and beating (Acts 5). In Acts 7 we have account of Stephan’s ministry, arrest and martyrdom at the hands of the Jews – after which came a great persecution against the Church, resulting in the scattering of the Christians everywhere, preaching the word (Acts 8:1-4). It seems most reasonable that this is the scattering referred to by James in James 1:1.

II. The Message of James

“James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.”

There is much debate about who wrote the book of James. The name used in Greek by the author is “Jacob,” as with all the names in the New Testament that are translated as “James.” It is a popular legend that “James” is used because James I (of England, who had the King James Bible created) wanted to increase the fame of his name. However this is not the case. “James” is descended from the old English for Jacob, which is ultimately from an old French form for the popular Latin “iacomus” for the Latin “iacobus.” The Welsh for Jacob is “Jams,” Gaelic is “Sheamus.”

Who was James? There are three main possibilities: 1) James the son of Alphaeus (Matt. 10:3), 2) James the brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55), and 3) James the son of Zebedee (brother of John) (Matt. 4:21; 10:2). Given the historical circumstance it seems highly possible that is was James the Apostle, the son of Zebedee, the brother of John. The primary reasons for this conclusion are: a) He was one of the three “cornerstones” among the Apostles: Peter, James and John; and was with Jesus at key events (Mark 5:37; 9:2; Mark 14:33; Acts 1:13). b) Textual link between James 1:1 and Acts 8:1, 4 & 11:19 (“the dispersion”) indicates the specific context. After Stephen’s death, there was a great dispersion of many believers, but the Apostles remained. James wrote to Christians dispersed abroad. He was not writing to the Jewish exiles throughout the Roman Empire, but the Christian Church dispersed. Thus, James wrote at the about same time as Matthew, in the 30’s. c) James appears to have been an early leader in the Jerusalem church, and was killed in 44 AD by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1-2), making the writing of this letter early in the life of the church. d) Since there is no mention of Jew/Gentile issues, the writing of James is likely before Paul, and the discussion of the Jerusalem Counsel (Acts 15).

The assumption of these lessons is that James, the Apostle, the brother John, the sons of Zebedee, wrote this letter to build an Apostolic foundation of Christian teaching and living for the very early church, not long after the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), probably in the 30’s AD. Given the horrific nature of persecution by the Jews (e.g. betrayal by family members, being cast out of the synagogues and the general life of society, ruined financially, violently treated, and loss of reputation for the name of Jesus), the Christians likely struggled to know how to behave themselves in this new situation. How should they respond in light of their new position in the social world of Israel and among the Jews?

James calls for wisdom and maturity, and especially the right kind of action. James addressed the kinds of frustrations, errors, temptations, and questions that would have engaged disciples of Jesus in the first few years of the life of the church. They may have been asking: Stephan was ordained to feed poor and help Apostles – now that he is dead what do we do? Maybe we should fight & be zealots, or be nice to the rulers and give them honor in our Church meetings, etc. James’ emphasis is on what they were supposed to do in such extreme times. Just as Jacob of the Old Testament (Gen. 25:19-32:32) unjustly suffered many things at the hand of unrighteous men (his brother Esau and uncle Laban), and later learned that it was with God he wrestled all his life, so too, the church (under James’/Jacob’s instruction) will also struggle with trials from God.

Because of their time with Jesus, Apostles had at least an intellectual understanding what they were to do now that He had ascended to heaven. They were to follow him, and what happened with Jesus would be repeated in them and the church. But they needed to grapple with it when it happened. What were they hoping for? A new age, where they would go forth in conquest, baptizing the nations. They expected the righteousness of God to be manifested in the world through their ministry (James 1:20). They would see their hopes fulfilled by the tremendous growth of the Church, but it would happen through persecution by the very people they always looked up to and trusted (Chief Priests, Scribes, Pharisees, etc). Jesus was gone, and the Church would have to trust the Apostles. The early believers were being told by those whom they always respected and trusted that Jesus was a hoax, a discredited false-messiah, and the disciples were lying and stole the body of Jesus; Rome is still supreme and the Jewish rulers are still in charge. They lost everything. The Jews had killed Stephan – but to their surprise, God did not avenge the church. The Jews were likely empowered in their persecution. This would be very confusing and disorienting to the new church – what should they do? Now that they are attacked, how should they respond? With Anger? Speaking in kind? The leaders of the church were tempted to write nasty speeches – and even take up the cause of zealotry and violence (Ch. 4 is not metaphorical violence). James teaches them about how to behave – how the righteousness of the kingdom of God comes. That is what James is about.

III. James 1

A. Patience and Faith in Trials 1:2-11

In 1:2 James addressed his “brothers.” This word “Brothers” is used15 times, and could be referring to Christian believers generally or congregations. It could also be a sort of theological reference to Christian brothers in conflict (e.g. Cain & Abel and Jacob & Esau; brother/brother hatred, anger and murder), which James deals with in the letter. But the repetition of the word brothers could, and most likely does, refer to the ministers/leaders/pastors; those being trained by Apostles to lead the churches. In the book of Acts we see that it is the leaders of the brothers that are initially persecuted – and then later others. The word “brother(s)” is used elsewhere in the New Testament to refer to leaders (3 Jn. 3, 5, 10), and specifically those who speak for the Lord (as prophets Rev 19:10; 22:9). James clearly focused on those who speak for the Lord in the church (i.e. leaders, ministers, teachers), with the central section of the book dealing with teachers, sins of the tongue, and the need to be wise and mature so that they can control the body (of the church) (3:1-18). James is a circular letter to the brothers/ministers (1:19) to train them to lead the church. The pastoral ministry should be a model for the church, and is therefore applicable to all. But the focus in James is on the pastors/leaders who do not know what to do to lead the people in these troubled times.

The first thing he wants the brothers to understand and do is to lead the people in counting it all joy when they fall into various trials (vv2-8).

Various Trials/Patience/Maturity (vv. 2-4) vs. Lacking wisdom à Doubting à Double-mindedness (vv. 5-8)

James begins with a shocking command that gets right to his purpose in writing: Be joyful when you encounter all kinds of trials. This joyfulness, which is the posture of faith, will give you patience as God works into your life maturity. Maturity is the goal (being “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”). At the time the new church was immature and frustrated. James’ call to joy, patience is the way to maturity in their new situation.

Anyone (pastors and members of their churches) who lacks wisdom and understanding of how to live in the midst of the trials they were going through needs merely to ask God – who will give them all the wisdom they need in abundance. But it must be the kind of asking that comes from faith in God, not from doubt. Those who doubt that God will give them wisdom to deal with their trials will receive nothing from God – and will be unstable as the waves on the sea.

In vv. 9-11 James seems to change the subject, but in reality gives us a clearer picture of the kinds of trials the church was facing. James says: “Let the lowly brother glory/boast; but rich person in his humiliation.” Rich/poor here is deeper than just money. The Jews at that time have all the riches and resources – but they are judged because they use the riches wrongly. They will pass away. Church is poor, but is blessed. This is not an abstract condemnation of the rich. Later, in Ch. 2 and Ch. 5, we will see more about this issue of wealth and poverty. There are those that want to be catered to because they are rich; or in some cases, the poor may want to cater to the rich so that they will stop the persecution. James is saying to the suffering poor: You are exalted and blessed – don’t be confused about what you see around you. Things will not always be this way.

B. Trails/Temptations and Sin 1:12-20

1:12 “Blessed is the Man who endures temptation/trial.” The word translated “temptation” is the same word used in 1:2 for “trial.” The temptation referred to is something that come from within a man (depravity of man) The desire/deception is thinking that God is not giving me good gifts – that he is not our Father. James is saying that we should not read into the situation an indication of God’s disposition toward us. God is the father of lights that give good gifts (1:5). He will not change – our situation/trials are not an indication of God’s disfavor. To doubt this makes one double-minded and unstable – and unable to lead the people of God into righteousness of God.

Something is coming and anticipated: that through the church will come the righteousness of God (which He has promised in Jesus) into the world, that God would make everything right in a sinful and wicked world. Vv. 19-20 says that righting wrongs will not come through anger (words and actions). Brothers are tempted to think that it is right to respond to the trials with angry words and actions. It is natural for to us to feel that way. Like Peter in Gethsemane; or when he reacted to Jesus’ announcement of betrayal (Matt 16). Peter thinks he is righteous and has wisdom, but Jesus said it is Satanic – not wisdom from above (James 3:15).

C. Be Doers of the Implanted Word of Truth 1:21-27

In conclusion of this section, James says: “Therefore, lay aside (various sins)…vv. 21, and receive with meekness the implanted word, for it will deliver them, save their lives (souls). Instead of quickly spoken angry works, filthiness and overflowing wickedness vv 22-25 – Leaders/ministers should be like God commanded the kings of old (Deut 25) and remain in the word – and DO IT! Ministers should be changed by it, and do what it says. Those who look into the law of Christ/gospel will be blessed (with saving his life).

Being religious is not just talk – don’t be ministers that are unrestrained in speech and with self-deceive pride become useless. Ministers: Speak carefully and act biblically/consistently with gospel – have active undefiled religion: orphans & widows (of those killed or imprisoned in the persecution) – and keep yourself unspotted from the ways of the world around you. By so doing, the leaders of the people will lead the people in the way that produces the righteousness of God.

Homework assignment: Read the handout entitled “How James [Jacob] Came to Be Written.” This will provide, in story form, a background to the message of James.

Tags: Jeff Meyers, NT - James

Sheep Calmly Awaiting the Slaughter

I’ve had enough conversations now about the recent news about the policy changes in the TSA that I think it’s time for me to weigh in just a little.  When it first was reported that the TSA would be increasing its security checks at airports I didn’t think much of it. But as the reports became more voluminous and clear about what these changes entailed I became a bit more alarmed. Finally, as it became clear that women and children were being searched bodily in some very inappropriate ways (which are illegal in most other contexts) – I asked myself how I would feel if my wife and daughter were forced into the situations described. My answer to my own question caused me to be moved from alarm to indignation. How is it that it makes sense to people that they should have freedom over other people’s lives like this – and even worse, we have become so fearful of boogie-men that we willingly give over our rights and freedoms without so much as a whimper. We have become so dependent on our Large Male Sibling that we will do whatever he thinks is in our own best interests. We have, as a people, become so accustom to the bureaucratic intrusions of the State that we could find someday that we have been led as sheep to the slaughter.

I now offer the following for your consideration – Since these guys have said it so much better than I ever could.

Doug Wilson

Doug Wilson recently blogged about the issue: Touching Sensitive Areas, or TSA For Short

He says: “Here are some points to keep in mind as the controversy about the TSA wends it way through our various news cycles and perhaps, let us hope, into a bill in the new Congress.

1. It does the old heart good to see people get riled up with government incompetence and . . . what’s the word I am looking for? Nincompoopery, I believe that’s it…”and so forth!

Steve Schlissel

Steve Schlissel also commented on the …. in his online article: America’s Terminal Case
He wrote, in part:

“Brothers, there has not been a more important issue smooshed in our faces in our adult lifetimes. Our government is claiming the RIGHT to feel up our women and daughters (not to mention our selves and sons). It alleges that this is necessary for national security. The first thing to understand-as in deeply, so it is completely absorbed: If this is our means of preserving the republic, it means THE REPUBLIC IS DEAD. It means the enemy has won, has triumphed. For here we behold an America which has fully turned us against ourselves, has turned us into something we never were, which we fought and bled vowing we’d never become, into something we stood with all our being against.”

Gary North

Even Gary North has something to say about the situation (surprised?). He begins his article this way:

As a 40-year student of bureaucracy, beginning with Ludwig von Mises’s great little book, Bureaucracy (1944), I have come to recognize a series of near laws governing bureaucracy. This one is, as far as I can see, unbreakable, comparable to the law of gravity.

Some bureaucrat will enforce a written rule in such a way as to make the rule and the bureaucracy seem either ridiculous, tyrannical, or both.

There is no way to write the rules so that some bonehead in the system will not find a way to become a thorn in someone’s side – a thorn that cries out for removal.

There are corollaries to this iron law of bureaucracy.

1. The bureaucrat in question will not back down unless forced to from above.
2. His superiors will regard any public resistance to the interpretation as an attack on the bureaucracy’s legitimate turf.
3. The bureaucracy’s senior spokesman will defend the policy as both legitimate and necessary.
4. Politicians will be pressured by voters to have the policy changed.
5. The bureaucracy will tell the politicians that disaster will follow any such modification of the policy.
6. The public will finally get used to it.
7. The politicians will switch to some other national crisis.
8. The internal manual will then be rewritten by the senior bureaucrats to make the goof-ball application mandatory.
9. Senior management will increase the budget so as to enforce the new policy.
10. Politicians will acquiesce to this increased budget.

This leads me to North’s law of bureaucratic expansion:

Any outrageous interpretation of a bureaucratic rule, if widely resisted by the public, will lead to an increased appropriation for the bureaucracy within two fiscal years.

There is an exception.

If the enforcement of the interpretation requires major expenditures for new equipment, the process will take only one fiscal year.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.”

Isaiah 53: 6-7 tells us that the Lord Jesus was led as a lamb to the slaughter when He willingly laid down His life for us (1 Peter 2:21-25; Acts 8:32-33). We too are called upon to suffer wrong at times for His sake, and for sake of the Kingdom of God. And yet, we are given the privilege of living in a country that assures us the freedom to object to wrongs done against us by our leaders. We do not have to act like sheep to the slaughter because we have a Shepherd that has gone before us, and now sits at the Father’s right hand ruling all things for our sakes. We are not sheep without a Shepherd – we are the sheep of His pasture. And we are given the responsibility to do all in our power to make disciples of the nations. We don’t make disciples by willingly being herded by false shepherds and wicked rulers. We live and speak the words of Christ, who conquers His and our enemies with the sword that comes out of His mouth (Rev. 19). Let us not be silent suffers who have no voice – Let us boldly declare the good news that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, has come to make free to serve Him!

Tags: bureaucracy, Doug Wilson, freedom, Gary North, oppression, Politics, Steve Schlissel, TSA