Idolatry & Human Leadership Part 6 of 6
An excerpt from Chapter 9 in David Orton's book,
"Snakes in the Temple: Unmasking Idolatry in Today's Church"
Part 6 of 6
by David Orton
God views a human king as idolatry
Third, Samuel was shown that in rejecting him, as prophet, Israel was not only rejecting God but, in fact, pursuing other gods: “…but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods” (1 Sam 8:8 NIV). The kingship was the product of the nation’s idolatry and proven to be so by its unfolding history as the kings by-and-large led the people further in their pursuit of false gods.osea, as a prophet recognised the connection between idolatry and human government: “They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval. With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction” (Hos 8:4 NIV).
Israel lusted after a king so they could be “like the other nations”. He became their worldly guarantee of success, their “arm of flesh” 204. The Western church’s rapid decline in a post-modern world demands answers. In a panicked state of cultural-cringe, instead of seeking the Lord, we have turned to worldly means and, more tragically, values to win the world’s respect. Certainly, it is crucial that we communicate and administrate with excellence and creativity. But this is not the same as adopting the world’s values – its gods of success and power.
It is one thing to have inherited the power structures of the church, dating from the second and third centuries, it is another to renew, in our generation our allegiance to them - to the king – to a system of human control. Consequently, contemporary ministry success is achieved more through proficient program management, slick communication, and entertainment than through the power of a life lived close to God. Success is not so much measured by Christ-likeness as by numerical increase. We figure that to have relevance in our culture we must create an image of power and success little realising our folly is open to the world’s gaze.
We have tragically succumbed to another spirit and lost our savour. This has surfaced dramatically through recent survey results from George Barna, showing that only 32% of born again adults and 9% of born again teens in the USA believe in moral absolutes!205 Christ has been deposed by human control and worldly values – by a false god.
God warned them about the abuse of authority
Fourth, Samuel was to warn the people of the abuse they would suffer through the kingship: “warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do’” (1 Sam 8:7-9). First, he warned them that their sons and daughters would be enslaved by the king (8:3-10). How many generations of young people have been spiritually bankrupted by a religious system that is geared to preserve the status quo? And, how many young pastors started out with the fire of God in their bones only to be shipwrecked on a system that exists to make people happy but never holy, who have been rudely awakened to discover that they have been hired to merely ‘hatch, match, and dispatch’ - to preside over the rights of passage, providing some religious solace along the way. Rather than ruling as princes with God themselves, the next generation have been enslaved to human power and institutional agendas. Secondly, Samuel warned them that a human king would consume their productivity in maintaining his system (v 14-17). How many dollars have been lost to the kingdom of God – to gospel expansion and the discipling of the nations because of it, consumed instead on an infrastructure unrelated to kingdom growth and world transformation.
It is significant that the human king of the Old Testament church required ten percent of everything they owned (v 14-18). This and other factors suggest it is time to review how tithing is taught and practiced in much of the Evangelical and Pentecostal church. The fact that tithing was legislated by law in the 6th Century as the church went into spiritual decline, that it is not explicitly taught in the New Testament, nor mentioned in the Didache (the earliest known document of church practice and polity), and that the new covenant is a better covenant calling us to a more exacting righteousness than the old all suggest it is time to review this issue.
This is not to dismiss Jesus’ and Paul’s teaching on finance, but rather bring it to the fore, and rediscover the joy of totally abandoned giving. This was the experience of the first generation of believers when “no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own…For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet…” (Acts 4:32-35 NIV). Obviously a higher law was in operation here than the old covenant law of tithing. In fact, it was the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus206 where not ten percent, but one hundred percent belonged to God.207
So, in conclusion, the foundations of the church were flawed from the second century. From that time true spiritual authority was superseded by official power.
THE PROPHETIC RESPONSE TO HUMAN GOVERNMENT
Prophets are seers, and as such, will see into the root cause of the church’s defection. But how do they handle what they see? Samuel modelled the mature prophetic response.
He Confronted & Comforted
After installing Saul as king he showed them, through a miraculous sign, the gravity of their rejection of God as their king: “Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call upon the Lord to send thunder and rain. And you will realise what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king” (1 Sam 12:16-17 NIV). At the word of Samuel the Lord sent rain and thunder, in the dry season, to prophetically highlight the people’s rebellion. They were smitten and in awe pleaded for mercy.
Samuel not only confronted, but he also comforted. He exhorted them not to be afraid and not to turn away from the Lord after idols, because “the Lord will not reject his people” (1 Sam 12:22). He assured them of their place in the heart of God: “because the Lord was pleased to make you his own” (v 22).
He continued to Intercede & Teach
He then declared his own response: “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right” (v. 23 NIV). Here is the strategy for the man of the Spirit – intercessory prayer and teaching. Despite the pain of Israel’s defection (1 Sam 8:6) and his personal rejection, Samuel recommitted to his prophetic call.
What a lesson to seers. He did not allow his spirit to be effected – no bitterness, no anger – only mercy and grace. And out of this grace, proactively engaging the heart of God in prophetic intercession and teaching until his assignment was completed.
… an excerpt from David Orton’s book, "Snakes in the Temple: Unmasking Idolatry in Today’s Church".
End notes
204 2 Chr 32:8
205 News Release, 12 February 2002. www.barna.org
206 Rom 8:2
207 For a brief history of tithing see, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, p1097; Latourette, Vol 1 p 356; and for an excellent discussion on the theological/biblical issues surrounding tithing see the useful article by Gerald Hawthorne of Wheaton College, The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol 3 p 851-855.
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