I was assigned a text for the Hebrew class from the book of 1 Samuel 8 and as I was reading it, a thought strike me. Thepassage is a place where the Israelitesask God for a king. Right from the journey of Exodus,God was the main figure who led the Israelites.But now the Israelites came to a point where they don’t want the rule of God anymore. They were inadvertently influenced by the pagan nations who followed the system of monarchy. God, therefore, told Samuel to grant the wish of the people because they were not rejecting him but the Lord Himself. In this, God warned them of the harsh realities and consequences they had to pay in the installation of a human king. The people consented and God granted them their desire. What subsequentlyfollowed in the history of Israel openly unpacked the ramifications mentioned by God Himself. But then, it was too late.Way back in the Exodus journey, the Israelites whined and complained about the food provided by God and cried for more indulgence of their appetites. God gave them their desires but while the meat was still in their mouths, God’s anger burned against them and countless numbers perished in the desert. In all this experience, the Israelites did not learn their lesson. God’s reluctant “Yes” was as dangerous as “No.”
When I see all the debates on the prohibition of liquor in our state, the public are not in favour of banning it anymore. It’s still a recurringissue discussed in the social networking. For many, the ban is not applicable to our context as all colonies and corners of our town are filled with pockets of wine shops. Some run to earn a living while some to meet their greed. Our state depicts a whitewash tombstone. It’s only dead bones with foul smells everywhere. “Why publicise on the outside what’s not real on the inside?” some retort. The churches and the social organizations are the ones who are restricting this prohibition act. So many have voiced out, “Church! Why impose a rule when people are not willing to obey it? Why warn about the ramifications when people know better than you? Why ban something when people are out-rightly mocking your religiosity with no fruits? Why care for a people who do not realize your love for them?” and all other arguments as well.Frankly, the Churches have to admit that they have failed miserably. The impact of the churches upon our own society is only partial change but not total transformation. The silence of God’s people speaks volumes that something is really wrong within the churches. Therefore, an evaluation of our own faith is the need of the hour. At the moment, the Churches have no power and it’s a sorry state of affair.
But people, don’t rejoice! Don’t be so elated when your demand is achieved, you might cry tomorrow. The real fall will soon come. The crumbling down of our morals and ethics will soon be evident once the curtain is pulled. The increase in substance abuse, taverns, immoral lifestyle, illicit relationships, looting, sexual perversion, killing and complete breakdown of system will soon be the picture of our state. The lifting of the ban will add and embolden the practice of more serious concerns such as same sex marriage, homosexuality, lesbianism, etc. The Church has to be prepared to respond to the onslaught of all these sobering issues. By then, we will realize our folly. But it will be too late, you see! I am not here to argue and I know you will have you own set of good reasons and so the only way to end this noise is to listen to the voice of the people.
The citation of the history of Israel in the introduction was to bring an application here. My hermeneutics(art and science of interpretation) may not be so convincing here for some theologians. But please bear with me for a moment.The Israelites history depicts the story of every people’s group, ethnicity, tribes and nations. The spiralling down of a civilization is seen when there is no law and restrictions set upon the people. The degradation of a society strikes when the voice of people becomes louder than God’s command. The churches today are acting as a go-in-between God and the state. The authority vested upon the Church is from above and people do not want it. And the only possible solution now is to do what God said to Samuel, “Listen to them and give them their desire.”
Vebu Khamo
Kohima Bible College.
