Drift Into The Modern Economy Compared To That Of Kings

1 Chronicles 20 – 24

Verse 20:1 shows David’s changing leadership:

In the spring (the time when kings wage wars because the spring harvest was over, farm work eased, and soldiers could live off the land), Joab led the army to ravage the land of the Ammonites and overthrow their capital city, Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem during Joab’s campaign.

David stayed home while his army fought. One thing I have noticed missing from Chronicles so far has been the story of Bathsheba, although I

believed mentioned as Bath-shua in this book the affair was not mentioned. This was the time David broke from God more than just taking a census, but alienated himself by adultery and murder during this campaign. I wonder why the story made the book of Samuel and not Chronicles.

Verse 20:6 caught my interest because of the “giants” described:

War also broke out at Gath, where there lived a tall man who had 24 fingers and toes—6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot—who was descended from the giants.

One of the biggest debates between science and the Bible is the validity of “creation”. Science has dismissed it since their story could not occur in 10,000 years but rather billions. Here we have a story of a battle with giants that seem more like a “cave man” than a human. Why would the Bible have a story like this if the story of the earth is billions of years and not recent? If it was recent then “cave men” could be fighting man and not man evolving from “cave men.” See verses like this open the possibility to the timeline being way different than what science purposed.

Verse 21:17 is one I like:

David (calling out to God): 17 Wasn’t I the one who commanded the census? I, the shepherd, certainly have sinned and done evil; but what have the rest of the nation,Your sheep, done? Eternal One, my True God, please punish only me and my father’s household, not all of Your people.

David is talking responsibility for his actions and puts himself before his people. This form of leadership that seems to be lost in today’s corporate world. The “king” or CEO will lay his workers down for his bad decisions and live comfortably under a “golden parachute”. David may not be a great example of ensuring his kingdom is treated fairly since his palace seemed ornate. But I have a problem with a CEO that makes over 300x his AVERAGE worker, which seems embedded in greed and not helping their employees.

Don’t get me wrong I am a “capitalist” and believe in the free market. I do thing the “kings” should live much better than their employees, but because they are taking the risk of losing it all if they blow it. Not because they have earned a kingdom by knowing the right people or making tons of money for investors while they strip a company of worth to the employees. Throw the dog a bone and hope he doesn’t bite while keeping all the valuable meat in your freezer to gorge on later.

Adam Smith talked about the “Invisible Hand” of the market and how that drives things more than anything. What has been lost in his writing are those of morals and compassion. He never talked about shifting your manufacturing overseas to labor practices long outlawed in our country to create a product that no one needs but wants because of good marketing. But rather learn your market and ensure you can maintain your workers livelihood.

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