Life Learning Series

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In an ecclesiastical nutshell: the LORD’S ways are the standard; all other ways are derivatives of these ways. Some of the derivatives are pure extracts, and others are crude adulterations, but all of man’s ways are derivative from the ways of the LORD. Moreover, the extracts are produced with little understanding, by man, of that from which they are making the extract; for, the LORD’S way is as Scripture (quoting the LORD) tells us.

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

(Isaiah 55:6-9)

Wherefore before you criticize the LORD for using (gasp) socialist techniques, remember that these techniques were not just, good enough, they were also essential for the development of the worlds of earth; especially, for the survival of the example people of God in the congregation of Israel. Among these techniques is this one:

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

   Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

(Exodus 12:1-4)

The socialist activity at the Passover was not temporary; for, the Passover is perpetual, and the LORD has not changed the requirement.

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– Continue Navigating Higher Socialism: Part Nine –

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So, what was the other half of the fifth that came from the people? This is that portion:

And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said,

   This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

   And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

(1 Samuel 8:10-14)

Highlight this portion in your mind;

And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

   He will take the tenth of your sheep:    and ye shall be his servants.

(1 Samuel 8:16-17)

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– Continue Navigating Higher Socialism: Part Eight –

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The progressive governments of the world are anxiously trying to emulate the Israelites, in gradation in taxation. This has raised the temperature of some of the critics of various administrations. Various negative words are enlisted in an effort to cast the section of the people that cannot get so much, as being dead weight that should be eliminated. This is not a positive approach to congregational living, in the LORD.

Now, we must admit that there is no shortage of devious people, to lend a measure of truth to some of the criticism. For instance, in the case of the “welfare queens”; these are people that have decided to steal from others, through certain loopholes that are not supervised properly. Unfortunately, some of these loopholes cannot be supervised to a level that would stop the cheats, without harming the people who actually need the benefits. The LORD’S servant, Nehemiah, was beset by this type of behavior. However, since he had the support of the LORD, he was able to see, and close, the loophole.

And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.    Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us?   Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.

Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury. Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.

   Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest.

Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise. Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied.

   And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD.

   And the people did according to this promise.

(Nehemiah 5:1-13)

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– Continue Navigating Higher Socialism: Part Seven – 

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And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

(Exodus 33:19)

To support any political system, we must have funds. The children of Israel were blessed by the LORD with a significant infusion of assets to carry them forward into the Promised Land. This is that funding source:

And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

(Exodus 12:35-36)

– Continue Navigating Higher Socialism: Part Six –…

Scripture tells us this about the beginning of the redemption of the Israelites, by the devotion of the local power of the overseer of the LORD, Moses with Aaron: 

And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

(Exodus 4:31)

Fortunately for the children of Israel, those early signs and wonders that they had seen in Egypt were embedded in their portfolio of psychological principles. However, the mind is a very active place, and later events tend to move prior ones into a dormant place. So, to keep God’s presence in active memory and to give them a later reminder; the LORD gave them an incentive to rely on the new type of environment that He was bringing them to.

In the process of moving the Israelites to a new place in reality, the LORD activated a very controlled environment. Though, it was not the type of control that dictators wield; instead, it is the type of control that a social leader delivers. In that respect, Moses was the means by which the LORD was delivering the children of Israel to the height of socialism. The signs and wonders of the LORD, in Egypt, and the wilderness, also served to move the Israelites to the point in mind at which they were willing to begin the process.

The process of substituting the activity of the mind, in lieu of dependence on signs and wonders, started with the spiritual stirring of fear. The end result was the request of the people for intercession of a local power source, the LORD’S elected one. In that request, the LORD had delivered the people to a point of establishing Moses as the recognized power in the congregation.

The LORD did not command the people (directly) to accept a local authority; they did so willingly and openly–when we recognize our need for it, socialism merges more peacefully into societies. However, whether we recognize our need, or not; when the LORD ordains this, or any other environment, God’s will is done. Understand this: God is, here, the Author of both the interactions and the associated reactions.

And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking:

and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

(Exodus 20:18-21)

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– Continue Navigating Higher Socialism: Part Five –