Corruption? So, what’s new?!?!

GOD DEALS WITH CORRUPTION

 WITHIN HIS OWN SYSTEM OF GOVERNANCE!

Corruption within a judicial system creates a national crisis in Israel:

I Samuel 8: “When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.  ² Now the name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.  ³ His sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.”

These successor judges were ‘for sale’ creating distrust

 and dissatisfaction in God’s system of governance.

^4 “All the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah ⁵ And said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint us a king to rule over us like all the other nations.  ⁶ But it displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to govern us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord.”

Israel’s elders ‘lusted’ after systems set up by other nations:

Trusting human wisdom to cure corruption –

a cure that was sorely needed for this corruption

 but NOT to cure God’s ‘system’ but to replace it:

^7 “And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people in all they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not be King over them.  ⁸ According to all the works which they have done since I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they also do to you.  ⁹ So listen now to their voice; only solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.

¹⁰ So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked of him a king.”

The closest thing the Israelites had to a ‘tax’ in Samuel’s day was the tithe given to God

And  God would (did) in return protect their prosperity, their nation’s security

 and provide judges to settle disputes between

 its citizens and deal with criminal activity. 

Samuel was to warn these elders what it would cost them to establish a government by a king.  Count Samuel’s declarations that begin with ‘he will take’:

^11 “And he said, These will be the ways of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.

¹² He will appoint them for himself to be commanders over thousands and over fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his implements of war and equipment for his chariots.  ¹³ He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.  ¹⁴ He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive orchards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.  ¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.  ¹⁶ He will take your men and women servants and the best of your cattle and your donkeys and put them to his work.  ¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves shall be his slaves.  ¹⁸ In that day you will cry out because of your king you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not hear you then.”  (NOTE:  I count seven times Samuel tells them “he will take” and one instance where he explicitly tells them “he will appoint” indicating their sons will be used for the purposes of the king and not for the purposes of God and family.

It is as though the people checked all the boxes

 in a king’s ‘terms of agreement’ and God

 answered their request (prayer) for a king!

  Upon the people having made their choice Samuel’s  last word to them was “GO HOME”. 

^19 “Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, No! We will have a king over us, ²⁰ That we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.

²¹ Samuel heard all the people’s words and repeated them in the Lord’s ears.  ²² And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice and appoint them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go every man to his city.”

            Be ye democrat or republican, corruption will NOT be ‘cured’ by any election – although elections do have consequences.  A great deal of graft in the judicial system was rooted out by the numerous appointments made under the last republican president.  And just because the people (of both Israel AND the USA) got what they wanted they did NOT rid themselves of God speaking to them by His prophets.  IN FACT, it was Samuel who anointed BOTH Saul AND David to be king over Israel.  God kept His stamp of sovereignty over the nation.  But the nation of Israel entered into the judgment via the system of seed, plant harvest and when they sowed unrighteousness, they reaped an unrighteous ruler (king).

             Saul was God’s pick to be the first king.  Saul was the first king to forfeit his anointing causing God to instruct Samuel to anoint David as king – as Saul’s replacement.  So, the final issue is God’s anointing resting on HIS choice for king – MORE than sitting on the royal throne.

 Saul was replaced because he thought his ideas were better than God’s instruction.  David fell into sin with Bathsheba.  David committed adultery with her and had her husband, Uriah, killed.  What was Uriah’s crime?  He did not sleep in his own house when given leave so that the baby carried by Bathsheba could be perceived as Uriah’s.  David’s crime and attempted cover-up was inexcusable (not unforgivable). 

Here is the difference maker between Saul and David: Saul disobeyed a direct order given him by the prophet, Samuel, who spoke on behalf of God.  Saul’s disobedience was the direct cause of God removing from him his position as king.  From that moment the ‘anointing’ left him and from the moment of Samuel’s anointing of David the mantle of being king was on David.  It would take years for the transition to manifest but the reality of where the anointing existed is, with hindsight, unmistakable.  David sinned the sin of adultery.  David would be the first of Israel’s kings to commit adultery, but many would follow.  A prophet confronted both kings.  A prophet spoke judgment on the sins of both kings.  The judgment on David is seen in the harvest that came to him through the seed he had sown.  But here is the difference: Saul was deposed while David was restored.  Why?  Repentance.  Saul admitted his failure but sought Samuel’s blessing anyway.  David admitted his failure and put himself, his kingdom and his life in God’s hands repenting of what he had done.

In the system of government in the USA we decry the lack of virtue in the candidates brought before us.  The CHURCH has shown her tendency for ‘manners’ and has given little regard to being sensitive to God’s ‘anointing’.  There are several contributing factors in that reality.  Probably the first factor is our misunderstanding of the term ‘anointing’.  I’m not sure I have a real firm grasp on the matter, but I AM sure the term has suffered so much misuse as to mean just about whatever the person using the word has in mind when he/she speaks it.  Here are some solid, bottom-line facts regarding the biblical term ‘anointing’ by which we may measure our own use of the word:

1)         Anyone ‘anointed’ by God involves the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in                           whatever direction He purposed for them;

1. A) As in prophets anointing men to function in governing (kings);
2. B) As in God ‘anointing’ men to function in service to Him and the people                                        (Priests, craftsmen, advisors);
3. C) As in – ready for this one? – killing people!

2)         ALL – as in EVERY – as in WITHOUT EXCEPTION – ‘anointing’ is born of a                   WORD uttered by God!

1. A) We have the written Word which is the ‘logos’ expression of God                                    revealing both His person and His intentions/will/direction/desires.
2. B) The Holy Spirit often takes His inspired written Word and makes it                             personal (through revelation) as a rhema Word which is God’s DIRECT                                communication from Him personally to me – or you.

                        (Note: At the point of receiving God’s rhema Word the recipient is                                       THEN under the anointing of God Who, by His Holy Spirit, comes on us                                or in us to perform His Word.  We do not WALK in the anointing until                                        we trust His Word to us and step out in obedience to the                                anointing on us.

3)                                Possibly the most fallacious assumption regarding being ‘anointed’ is the                          matter of QUALIFICATION(S):

1. A) God’s choice is His exclusive ‘qualifier’;
2. God ‘chose’ (anointed) Gideon who thought he was not qualified;
3. God ‘chose’ (anointed) Moses who thought he was not qualified;
4. God ‘chose’ (anointed) Saul of Tarsus who thought he was the chief of sinners;
5. B) God USES His anointed and ‘develops’ character in them as part of the anointing ‘process’:                                     
6. God ‘developed’ the character of Moses and all the others mentioned previously;
7. Some of His ‘anointed’ failed during the ‘process’ of their development and His anointing was THEN removed;
8. None of His anointed were immune from following the influence  of their ‘flesh’;
9. C) Being ‘anointed’ by God is HIS action for HIS purposes and for HIS benefit;
10. Our benefit is directly related to walking in HIS anointing;
11. No anointing comes without responsibility and no responsibility comes without the authority to meet our responsibilities;
12. HIS anointing requires us to steward (manage) it.
13. God’s purpose for any ‘anointing’ serves the purposes of His  judgment.

            While it can be construed a person filled with the Holy Spirit of God will be a ‘polite’ person, politeness is not listed in Galatians 5 as one of the facets of the ‘fruit of the Spirit’.  Gentleness, meekness, self-control may imply a pleasant demeanor as is our traditional perspective of the mannerisms of Jesus.  But we tend to forget instances of His bluntness – even of violence.  Just because I am commanded to love the unlovable, I still am compelled to call out injustices against other ‘men’ or society as a whole.  Just because one may be offended by the truth does not excuse us from warning them of a coming harvest (commonly referred to as ‘consequences’). 

            Jesus bluntly told His disciples and those following Him He did not come to bring peace but division.  Here is where He is quoted by Luke (12:49-51): ” ⁴⁹ I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?  ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!  ⁵¹ Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:”  Jesus did not fear the consequences of having offended someone by speaking the truth (in love) to them and/or over them. 

            People receive ‘truth’ in a variety of ways.  Truth may result in facing up to deficiencies and result in a rebuke.  I’m quite sure you find it as distasteful as I to receive a rebuke.  But all of us are responsible TO someone even as all of us are responsible FOR someone.  In those cases where we are responsible FOR someone it is imperative we rebuke them when necessary.  Show me a parent that cannot bring themselves to rebuke a child’s bad behavior and I will show you a parent derelict in their duty to that child.  But if we rebuke someone FOR whom we are responsible without love, redemption and reconciliation as our goal, we fail as miserably as if we did nothing at all.  Love without truth is not love.  Truth without love is not truth. Love DEMANDS redemption be deeply embedded connected with ‘accountability’

            The children of Israel suffered in Egypt at the hands of governing forces that put them to slavery because the Israelites posed a threat to the Egyptian government.  God heard their prayers of complaint.  God granted them freedom bringing them out of Egypt with a strong and decisive hand of force.

            Because of the Israelites’ fear of the giants in the land of Canaan they shrank from trusting God to act with the same force He used to ‘bring them out’ to ‘bring them in’ to the land of promise.  The result was God’s ‘rebuke’ of their unbelief leading them around in ‘the wilderness’ for forty years.  During that period of time the millions of Israelites spoke out against Moses and God in a manner God describes as ‘murmuring’.  This brings us to question where the line is between ‘complaining’ and ‘murmuring’.  Glad you asked:

            COMPLAINING – This is permitted, maybe even encouraged, when there is a faith and a prayer associated with the ‘complaint’ that God will step in and intervene with relief of some sort.

            MURMURING – This is a serious matter where God’s leadership is held suspect.  The Israelites aimed their ‘suspicions’ toward Moses: “Did you bring us out into this desert to kill us?”  “Take us back to Egypt.  At least there we had full shelves at the grocery store.”  “Hey Moses!  Who do you think YOU are?  We can hear God just as well as you!!!”  (It should be noted when God chose to speak – I mean to manifestly show up and actually speak – the reaction of the people was to tell Moses “You go, hear what He has to say and come back and tell us.  We’re too afraid to hear Him directly.”

            Of course, we can complain and murmur all at the same time but when our complaints are directed AT God and not submitted to Him so we can be cared for by Him we cross a fine line.  In our day when the Holy Spirit indwells every believer it is more important than ever to pay close attention to Holy Spirit direction(s).  When we are met with disapproval check in with the Holy Spirit to determine if that is 1) a rebuke from Him, 2) push back from His enemy trying to discourage us or 3) a strong call to pray redemption/revelation/understanding for the source of the expression of disapproval.

            There is one sure thing we need to guard against.  That is do not confuse satan’s activity coming against us with the person who seems to be offended by us.  It is inevitable that people convicted of sin, righteousness and judgment by the Holy Spirit will go through a period of resistance – even pushing back against it.  If we are a part of the process by which that conviction was transmitted there is a good likelihood the push back will be directed toward us or toward our ‘community’.

            That brings me back to the current political climate. Our current president and his spokesperson have labeled a little over one-half the populace of the United States as ‘Semi-Fascists’.  When a reporter asked the president what that term means the response was “You know what it means.”  And his official spokesperson clarified it by saying it included all those who they had described earlier as ‘maga-republicans’.  That terminology is directed to any and all people who oppose their policies.   This includes Christians who strongly express their godly values.  Now, fellow Christian, what are our options for a response: 1) Ignore the statement and the fact it is setting the stage for governmental policy and actions; 2) Get mad; 3) Get even or 4) in the event our initial choice was 2 or 3, to FORGIVE the offense or, finally: 5) REFUSE TO BE OFFENDED and trust God to resolve the matter by whatever means He finds necessary.

            We need to be aware of one simple fact: WE are NOT secure within our own resources.  When we come to the need to fight a battle to secure our life of faith we are NOT without resources.  We are NOT without adequate tools (weapons).  We are thoroughly furnished with whatever we need to secure victory at every turn.  We even win if ‘they’ kill us.  Yet, when we meet any crisis in our own natural strength(s) every victory thus achieved will be a resounding defeat.  The truths of victory and victorious living are walked out in the life of David, son of Jesse.  Lessons of defeat are walked out in the life of Saul.  Both men were ‘anointed’ of God through Samuel.  Only David walked in his ‘anointing’.

            Every king had the ‘logos’ of God available to them.  The ‘scrolls’ were accessed through Temple Worship.  They could know the broad, overall revelation of God to them and mankind.  A ‘rhema’ word, however, was necessary to a king’s administration.  In order to get a personal ‘rhema’ word from God the kings regularly consulted a prophet – or prophets.  Some prophets prostituted their office by shading ‘the Word of the Lord’ to something the king would want to hear.  Saul feared Samuel and knew there would be dire consequences should he raise his hand against Samuel.  Later in the life of David the prophet Nathan would expose the sinfulness of David’s behavior.  To David’s credit, he received Nathan’s word as ‘the Word of the Lord’ and David repented. 

            Let’s bring this message in for a landing – get it ‘down to earth – where we live’.  You will remember the beginning of this saga was where God answered ‘the people’s’ prayer – a prayer (petition) that went against His will.  Remember?  God had to tell Samuel HE (God) was the object of the rejection of the people.  God instructed Samuel, the prophet, to HEAR the people and HEED the people.  Their complaint was the people anointed of God had become ‘corrupt’ and self-serving.  The solution they prayed for was to scrap God’s plan for their governance in favor of systems observed in other nations.  God granted them their ‘systems’ but without relinquishing His hand in the affairs of their government.  God still insisted those at the head of their government be ‘anointed’. 

            Forasmuch as this grand experiment of our ‘Constitutional Republic’ seems to be a vast improvement over the systems of governance in other countries it is not beyond being corrupted.  For the same reasons as Israel’s system of being governed by Judges became corrupt our system of government has been severely corrupted.  I have said in other forums that the saying “Hate the sin, love the sinner” is not a workable approach within any relationship. We need to hate the sin (being intolerant of sin) and be merciful (as opposed to tolerant) of the sinner.  All sin we or anyone commits is the result of being taken captive by a seductive alternative to truth (a lie).  Within our societal influence we need to be intolerant of sinful behavior while extending love and mercy to those who embrace it.  Never in my lifetime has the following passage of scripture been more appropriate nor more important:

“¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  ¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  ¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  ¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;” (Ephesians 6:10-14 Classic Amplified) and

“⁴ (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) ⁵ Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; ⁶ And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”

(II Corinthians 10:4-6 KJV) 

Physical violence may well be warranted when defending self or others from physical harm.  But OUR WARFARE is SPIRITUAL and NOT PHYSICAL.  It may well be we are under threat by and from ‘people’ who oppose us or object to us for some reason.  But when people object to righteous people OR when their objections lack any element of redemption or reconciliation, it is a clear indication of demonic influence.  I’m not saying such people are demonized NOR am I denying that as a possibility.  I simply assert dealing with the person is not dealing with the source of the attack on us. 

            Warfare, on any level, is dangerous when engaged by the undisciplined.  Soldiers are trained to develop skill in the use of deadly force.  They are (or should be) trained just as vigorously in discerning when such force is appropriate and necessary.  It is the same in spiritual combat as well as physical combat.  Such skill is developed in us by the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit does not interact with us on the level of our soul.  He utilizes His unique connection with our human spirit. 

            This matter of our being a spirit is brought up by Jesus on many occasions.  We stay in close touch with our physical bodies.  Our spirit man is easy to overlook or dismiss.  Our spirit does not go into the same panic as our body when we encounter situations where the oxygen level around us is limited.  While it is common for us to get hungry about mealtime that hunger is different than what we experience when we are deprived of food for days.  Our spirit may register some level of concern – or panic – when similarly distressed but we do not benefit, spiritually, from the same nervous system sending distress signals to our head.  In order to read the needs of our spirit and tend to those needs the Word of God is an absolute necessity.  His Word, as written, is expressed to our spirit by His Holy Spirit.  A general word is one where the Holy Spirit brings revelation to our human spirit and our soul (mind, will and emotion) receive the revelation from our spirit.  There are no exceptions to this process.  It can happen even when we don’t understand what is going on.  The more we experience these spiritual activities in us the more aware we become of our spirit.  We begin to be aware we are as much ‘spirit’ as we are ‘physical’.  When that happens the reality of God and His presence are more accessible.

             Anyone who fishes regularly becomes acquainted with where the fish are likely to be, when and why they are likely to feed (bite) and how to find their new locality should they move.  Familiarity through experience trains us to detect God’s voice, tune to Him and then that established written revelation of Himself to us becomes His spoken directive to us.  And, I might add, apart from a Word from God to direct and guide us in a specific direction or manner anointing does not exist.  Walking in that anointing will put boundaries of restraint around us, keeping us from going down destructive paths.  It will, then, be obvious when the source of our problem is demonic or is it something in us drawing us to accommodate our own appetite.  Usually it is a bit of both.

            Finally (you thought I’d never get here) we need to live by the rule of refusing to be offended by anything or anyone.  We need to understand we are not now nor are we ever to become victims.  The challenges coming to the Church of our day – at least in America – are greater, more dangerous and harmful than at any time in our history.  When we see the treatment of Christians in countries having already arrived at the trajectory our own country is following (like Canada) we see intolerance at an atrocious level.  How do we meet such dreadful circumstances and NOT fall victim to them?  We simply do not ‘permit’ the circumstances to alter our faith in God – no matter what – to right all wrong through HIS process of dealing with the sin(s) of the world.

            I can assure everyone God gives grace for endurance.  The greater test to our faith is being at ease.  We are not called to masochism (finding a perverse sort of pleasure from pain) but neither are we called to live life pain-free.  We deal with pain by rejecting pain’s objective.  Pain is meant, by satan, to ROB us or KILL us or DESTROY us.  Actually the enemy’s purpose is to progressively achieve all three, thereby eliminating us from any influence contrary to his evil influence.