King over us

Before John Wycliffe was imprisoned by the government and his body burned at the stake by the orthodox Church, he had translated the Bible into English. He identified the books of “Samuel” and “Kings” as Kings 1 through 4. “Kings”, as opposed to “Judges”, is the period in history where Israel went under kings, rather than the once free nation of God where every man was prince in his own house and there was no king in Israel.

Moses had known the weakness of the people. They would eventually desire a central king. He prophetically warned the people what such rulers would be inclined to do and wisely established constitutional limitation1 for those chosen governing authority.

That king was to be from among thy brethren. They were not to set a stranger over them as an authority. “Brethren” had to do with the same Father which, of course, is God the Father. We know that those who are of the Father know the Father and do His will.

The king was not to multiply horses. God was not concerned with the king owning horses. He qualifies this statement by correlating the multiplying of horses to the returning to Egypt, which was absolutely forbidden.

“But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.” Deuteronomy 17:16

The bar against returning to Egypt had nothing to do with its geographical location, but was about returning to that form of government, where a portion of the labor of a man could be extracted by the government. God had taken the people from Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

“I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me .”Exodus 20:2-3

This idea of not returning to that house of bondage was also seen insofar as barring of the king from the accumulation of the gold and silver of the nation, as was the case in Egypt.

“Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.” Deuteronomy 17:17

Babylon, Egypt, eventually, Rome, and other countries throughout history have often regulated the ownership of gold and silver and its use as money. Often, these countries went to the use of some form of monetary exchange that was supported only by an artificial value imposed by the state, rather than an actual commodity money with present value. The removal of these honest weights and measures was a common and often last ditch effort to maintain some stability as their usurious economies began to collapse.

“Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I [am] the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.” Leviticus 19:36 [Deuteronomy 25:13 ]

The bar against the multiplying of wives was another of many limitations placed on any king or ruler that the people might choose. In those days, when a ruler signed a treaty, it was common to consummate the contract by giving a daughter in marriage to the other ruler. David did this as well as many other kings.

Although multiple wives leads to trouble of its own, the real bar in relation to the king is the making of treaties. Because the people are bound under the king, then the king, by his agreements, can bind the whole nation. In a pure republic, where the leaders remain titular, they cannot bind the people. The whole body must sign because each one remains free.

“And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?” Judges 2:2

God forbade the king from making leagues or treaties with other nations and their leaders. This was also stated for all the people in Exodus 23:32, “Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.” The word “covenant” in this commandment and the word “league” are both brriyth and is translated “covenant, league, confederacy”. It means a covenant, alliance, pledge; between men; treaty, alliance, league (man to man). All these things meant that they were making men authorities over themselves instead of God the Father.

Moses directed the king to, not only remember all these basic rules, but write them down and read them over and over. He was also still bound by the Ten Commandments, which did not allow him to covet his neighbors goods, nor kill, commit adultery, nor bear false witness…

“And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.” Deuteronomy 17:18-20

Moses knew what he was talking about and, though it took centuries, eventually, the people wanted a king. God made it clear through Samuel that the voice of the people showed that their hearts had, in fact, rejected God and his kingdom on earth, according to all the works which they have done since the day that he brought them out of Egypt, wherewith they have forsaken Him, and served other gods. God warned them of what kind of ruler this government leader would eventually be.

“And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;” 1 Samuel 8:11-19

Law and justice, as well as national security, had been in the hands of the people who assembled themselves in voluntary militias or armies based on a pattern of tens and fifties, hundreds, and thousands.2 These leaders were titular in their authority and held office by mutual respect and the consensus of those they served. Every captain was chosen by the ten men he served. This was a pure republic designed by God where the people were free from things public under the perfect law of liberty.

Saul was chosen because he was a great man who defended justice and fought for the rights of the people. But once he was given the power of a king he was tempted by that power. At one of the first signs of trouble, he compelled a tax on the people.

There was a measured loss of liberty when the people sinned against God and asked Samuel3 to establish a centralized government, which now, as Benefactor to the nation, imposed taxes or “sacrifice” and appointed officers over the people. Men rejected God’s kingdom; the voice of the people elected men to make laws, rule with exercising authority, collect the contributions like a tax rather than a freewill offering and generally rule over man and his neighbor.

Once, when there was a threat of invasion and Samuel had not arrived, Saul took matters into his own hands.

“And Samuel said, What hast thou done?… I forced myself therefore [In Wycliffe’s translation we see this as, “I was compelled by need], and offered a burnt offering.” 1 Samuel 13:11

The word “offered” here is from the Hebrew alah and can mean “withdraw… to be taken up, be brought up, be taken away… to be carried away”. It is also translated “increase, put” and “raised”. The word “and” is not in the original text. What is being said is that Saul compelled the taking of a burnt offering. A burnt offering is just something you are not getting back, as we have already seen.

Because Saul was afraid the people would not come, he compelled a sacrifice, a tax. He coveted the goods of the people and demanded they contribute. This was a clear violation of the Ten Commandments. It was a noble cause, but still a sin.

Samuel’s response to Saul was to the point and direct. He called him a fool:

“And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.” 1 Samuel 13:12-14

God had not just taken people out of Egypt and the house of bondage, but had taken them out of all kingdoms like that, so that no ruler could take from them any more or rule over or oppress them again. The people did not trust in God’s way, but desired to compel their neighbor to be bound under a single leader to assure their security. Samuel had them present themselves according to the assembled units of the congregation and the tribes.

“And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you: And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.” 1 Samuel 10:18-19

Former freewill contributions became compulsory and the nation was no longer sustained by love of neighbor, but by the demands of governing agents. This power corrupted the leaders even though it was to be limited according to the constitution laid out by Moses.4 This evil system, contrary to the nature of God, also spread to the temple where the priests soon began to demand a temple tax with the aid of the King’s right hand.

No one could fire the Porters except the King. Before the kings, the Porters, officers of the public treasury, were chosen by the people in the pattern of their congregations.

The first tithing was only to support the Levites and their families. Each of the ten families shared a portion of their prosperity with the family of their minister according to his service.5 That service was the work of the national government of God’s kingdom.

The Family was not just a Father and Mother and children, but consisted of the eldest living Father and all his children including his Married Sons. In Israel, no one was Sui Juris6 as long as his Father and Mother lived. The ultimate property right always returned to the Elder of the family until his passing. With the advent of Kings or central government, some of that patriarchal authority passed to the government.

Excise or income tax was a patrimonial right and the offerings that were to be dedicated to God were now hallowed to the patron of the nation. This was a process.

Saul lost his kingdom to David and David as well, as Solomon broke many of the laws laid down from the beginning. Solomon’s son took this corruption even farther.

When the people asked Samuel for a king, they sinned against God. When they asked Rehoboam to set them free and return them to the ways of God and His kingdom, he forsook the counsel of the old men and refused.

“And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father [also] chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.” 1 Kings 12:14

The people were not to rebel against the king, but they did. The temple was to remain mobile, but it did not. The people were not to be taxed, but they were. The kings were not to return the people to Egypt, but they did.

These abuses divided the kingdom of God and most of the people. When they would not take any more, they left. They tried to simply rescind their contract with the king. It did not work in Egypt nor under Rehoboam. When the king would not agree:

“... the people answered the king, saying, ‘What portion have we in David? neither [have we] inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.’” 1 Kings 12:16, 2Ch 10:16

The people did not like being the tail of the king and left the house of David, which, without consent, forfeited the inheritance of the kingdom promised to Abraham and delivered by Moses. They did not return to the civil powers of Rehoboam but to their tents. They became the lost sheep. The Kingdom went farther into apostasy and abandoned the ways of God and his precept upon precept, but it was the kingdom.

Adultery of a Nation

The kingdom of God is not like the kingdoms and governments of the world. To the world, the kingdom of God appears upside down. That is because the kingdom of God is based on freewill and choice from the bottom up. That type of government, by its nature, takes on a particular form. We see this described in the time of Moses and implemented in the first century Church. We also see the people straying from God when they chose to make men their rulers or chose to rule over their neighbors by the agencies of the governments they instituted for themselves.

It is very important, even essential, that the people, who are washed or baptized into God’s Kingdom, act, in every aspect of their lives, according to the Commandments and precepts of God. When they do not, they betray God.

“And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.” Jeremiah 3:8

The whole nation of Israel eventually committed adultery. How does a nation commit adultery?

“And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.” Jeremiah 3:9

It is clear that adultery does not only mean extra marital relations, but included national relationships outside those prescribed by God for His people. No one in the nation had relationships with stones and stocks. These objects represented the civic altars of other nations and the agreements that brought the people under other jurisdiction, institutions, and, therefore, the ruling judges of those other nations.

These men who make and enforce regulations and laws with exercising authority are the gods men have chosen for themselves, and of who are spoken in Judges.

“Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.” Judges 10:14

People enter jurisdictions with oaths and applications for benefits and, if they go under a ruler or ruling body, that body may further enter jurisdictions for them. They are no longer God’s children but, become the children of those men they have chosen instead of God the Father. This is the adultery of which Jeremiah spoke.

“How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by [them that are] no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.” Jeremiah 5:7

In the time of the kings of Israel, the rulers would appoint officers and clerks of the kingdom from the top down. They would take from the houses of the people what was once their possessions and would rule over them instead of God. They became the tail and other men would become the fountainhead of justice. These are the gods you have chosen for yourself. They are your ministers who exercise authority over you.

Jesus said that we not only were to obey the commandments concerning stealing, adultery, and coveting, but we had to actively love one another. Your brothers house was as important as your own. Men and women have often strayed from the basic precepts of God and Jesus and become the tail of the institutions they make for themselves. They may have a collective choice, but their use of it still robs and exercises authority over their neighbor. And their rulers now have the power to make treaties for them.

They have become the tail and have chosen ministers like the gentiles because their hearts have been like those princes who exercise authority. They have done like they did from the beginning and have neglected the precepts of God and His ways and, like Cain, have chosen to rule over their brothers in a common purse of rights.

“And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.” Luke 22:25

Footnotes:

 

Table of Contents

of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

Peace be to this house,

The Prologue of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCa1-0Prologue.php

1. The Kingdom of God of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     Is Righteousness of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCa1-1IsRighteousness.php

     A Man as King of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCa1-2AManasKing.php

 

2. Abraham Uncivilized of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     The City State of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-1TheCityState.php

     Two kingdoms/ The Merchants of Men of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-2MerchantsofMen.php

      The Hindu Connection of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-3HinduConnection.php

     Abraham and the Legend, The Prodigal Son
     Our king and our god? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-4Legend.php

     The Code of Abraham of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-5code.php

     Abraham and the Family of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-6Family.php

 

3. The Altar of Abraham of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     Moses and the Altars of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCc3-1AltarsofClay.php

     The Altar of Sin of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCc3-2Sin.php

     Sacrifice of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCc3-3Sophistry.php

 

4. Moses, Moses of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     The Civil State of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-1CivilState.php

     Gods Many of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-2godsmany.php

     No Kings of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-3NoKings.php

     Servant Priests of a Nation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-4Servants.php

 

5. Joshua’s Altar of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

    White Altars of Joshua
     King over us of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCe5-1WhiteAltars.php

     Adultery of a Nation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCe5-2Adultery.php

     Fear, Faith and Foolishness of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCe5-3RearFaith.php

 

6. The World of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

    Of Rome and Judea of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-1Rome.php

     The Remarkable History of Israel of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-2Israel.php

     Rome the Believer of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
     The Commander in chiefs
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-3RomeBeliever.php

     A Father’s offer of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-4TheOffer.php

     The Hasmonean Appeal of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
     Socialization of Rome
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-5SocialAppeal.php

     The Love of kings of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-6LovingKings.php

 

7. Factions at the Altar of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     The Pharisees and The Sadducees of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCg7-1Factions.php

     The Essenes of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
     The Healers of a Nation
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCg7-2Essene.php

 

8. A King is Born of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     A King is Born of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-1KingBorn.php

     What is redemption? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-2Redemption.php

     Kingdom in Turmoil of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-3Turmoil.php

     The New Deal of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-4NewDeal.php

 

9. Temples and Churches of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     The Church
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-1TemplesandChurches.php

     Investing in Diana of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-2InvestinDiana.php

     One Father of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-3OurFather.php

     Arts of the Temples of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-4TempleArts.php

     The Temple of Satan of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-5SatansTemple.php

     The Royal Treasury of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-6RoyalTreasury.php

10. Two Paths of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     God’s dominion from the Beginning of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
     The revenue of the wicked
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-1Paths.php

     Beams in our eyes of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
     Removing the Beam
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-2Beams.php

     These two Kingdoms of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-3TwoKingdoms.php

    Faith is actions of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-4Action.php

     The kingdom appointed to Liberty of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-5AppointedLiberty.php

 

11. Where is the kingdom of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

    The kingdom comes of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-1Kingdom.php

    Eating in the kingdom of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-2Eating.php

    Washing in the kingdom of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-3Washing.php

     Where is the Church? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-4Where.php

     We are all kings of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-5AllKings.php

 

12. Apostasy of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     The Ship of State of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-1Ship.php

     The Allurement of Wolves of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-2Wolves.php

     The Church of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-3Church.php

     The Separate Church
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-4Separate.php

13. The Kingdom of Heaven of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

    The State of the Nation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-1Heaven.php

    Seeking the kingdom, The Law of God of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-2SeekLaw.php

    What does the Kingdom look like? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-3looks.php

    Assembling a congregation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
    Where to start seeking the kingdom of God
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-4Start.php

Appendix of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

    Appendix 1. Kingdom of Heaven and God of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-1Appendix.php

    Appendix 2. The things He says of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-2AppenSaid.php

     Appendix 3. What is Worship? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-3AppenWorship.php

     Appendix 4. Who are the Nicolaitans? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-4AppenNicolaitan.php

     Appendix 5. Who is a god? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-5Appengods.php

     Appendix 6. Oaths and Swearing of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-6AppenOaths.php

    The Cover of the book, Thy Kingdom Comes
The Elixir of Love.
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/tkczzwa.php

     About the Author of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/tkczzwb.php

 

Other publications:
The Covenants of the gods
The Free Church Report