There is a current debate about the reach of democracy, as pertains to its extension into the military. One of the things that are pushing its way into the foreground of political consideration is whether democracy must be restrained in that environment. Those who present the historical view have stated that, for a goodly part of its history, democracy was not a part of the military. This is true. It is especially true of the development of the nation of Israel, as it is recorded in the Bible. Let us take a look at that, for a moment.
In the Bible, the children of Israel were not consulted as to their participation, or not, in the military. At the first points of progress toward becoming a nation, the LORD instituted a practice that involved almost automatic drafting into the military, as we see here.
And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls; From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
(Numbers 1:1-3)
The militaristic mind set of the nation of Israel was not limited to the general population; it was also a part of the religious conduct of the priests. In a certain episode of the priests’ history, they showed that they, too, were called to adopt a military attitude about the purity of their service to the LORD. There was a time in the reign of king Uzziah, when the LORD moved powerfully in the king . . .
But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
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