The society of LORD Vs. Society based on Roman's political system
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(All Western societies are basically a Roman society. Let us see what LORD's society was in times past.)


Imagine the situation when the Israelites just settled in Canaan, the time recorded in the Book of Judges.

There was no one like Moses to oversee them, after Joshua died. There was no government, nor was there king.

But there were 48 Levite cities among them [Num 35]. The Levites taught the surrounding people laws/commandments, and the priests gave judgement for them for difficult cases. Easy cases the people could judge themselves, because they knew the laws of GOD, and the laws were very simple and easy to understand. People paid no legal fees to the priests who gave judgement, nor to the elders who gave judgement.

However, the people did pay tithe (1/10) to the Levites, but the tithe was voluntary. Tithe was the ONLY form of "taxation" -- voluntary taxation.

(The Levites had pasture land, measuring 2000 cubits outwards from the wall of Levite cities [Num 35:4-5] where they kept sheep/cattle. So they had some means of livelihood, and were not totally dependent on tithe.)

The people had no government, and they had no social welfare either. If they became poor, they depended on the goodwill of their family members, on their fellow tribesmen.

There were also no "homes for the elderly", because everyone honored elders, and family members cared for them. Elders were "educators" for the young, "counselors" for the people, and judges in the gates. They were not regarded as "unproductive member of society that burden society" of today.

The bond between all Israelites was strong, because three times a year, they would all go to Shiloh where the tabernacle was to celebrate the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Harvest, and the Feast of Booth (see [1 Sam 1]), and they would offer peace offerings there too.

(That was the time before David took the city Jerusalem from the Jebusites, and before Solomon built the first temple. The tabernacle was at Shiloh then.)

The people had to manage everything themselves, and they would discuss everything at the gates of their cities. Judicial disputes would also be settled at the gates of the cities. Levites, priests would sit with elders and citizens at the gates. People must pass through the gates to the fields. Gates of cities served as meeting places.

People had total freedom -- as long as they did not break the laws/commandments, no one had the authority to order them to do this or that.

They had no policemen either. Everyone in the city had responsibility to see law breakers caught and punished; and for murder cases, the family members of the one murdered had special responsibility to catch the murderer -- they were "avengers of blood".

Therefore, the society was one "leaderless", a state of no government, yet a "rule of law" society with free and prompt judicial service.

A truly "rule of law" society is in fact a society where LORD, not a human being, is king.

The cost of justice today (court fees + lawyers fees) makes a "rule of law" society a "rule of lawyers, the rich and powerful" society.


Wu Siu Yan

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Law of GOD and His Commandments
http://balder.prohosting.com/sywu/true.htm

Main Teachings of Jesus
http://balder.prohosting.com/sywu/jesus.htm