Government of the people,
But not by the people
—
Moses, Aaron and the priests were the institutional support for the care of the people; including, their physical, psychological and spiritual well-being. The workload of Moses, and Aaron and the priests was definitely not trivial; for, the people of the congregation of Israel were animated in their demand for public services. To give you an introduction to the mood of the people, here is an incident in the life of the congregation of Israel that incorporates at least two of their requirements for support: such as would be provided by a modern fire department, and public welfare–as in, food stamps in the cities of the United States of America.
And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.
And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.
And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium. And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.
(Numbers 11:1-9)
Of course, the LORD knew what the people needed. Of course, too, the LORD knew what the people wanted. However, to move the people to the end of their journey, the needs and the desires were kept apart from one another. This did not please the children of Israel; they wanted the desires to be meshed with the needs, and then fulfilled as if they were requirements. This is not a socialist thing to do; wherefore since God is a Socialist, this could not be done. Let us look at some of the real needs that can be satisfied under a socialist system, as was done in the wilderness days of the congregation of Israel.
Continue Navigating Higher Socialism: Part Three
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