5/31/14

From Jim McGuiggan... ELECT OR ELITE

ELECT OR ELITE

One of the dangers in choosing a special group to act on behalf of a larger group is that misunderstanding and envy may arise. In choosing a special priesthood out of a nation that was, at least, priestly in calling, God was willing to risk the misunderstanding and envy of some of the people. There are numerous texts that show that envy and bitterness were indeed a problem connected with this.

The book of Numbers has this as one of its recurring themes. Chapters 12, 16 and 17 mention the problem. In twelve Aaron and Miriam are chafed by Moses' authority and in sixteen Korah and his companions are maddened by the peculiar claims of Aaron and his family.

In electing a special priesthood God was not creating an elite group but an elect group; not a 'lording it over' group but a servant group; not a 'self-chosen' class but 'an obedient to a call' class of men.

It's clear from a reading of the biblical text that God didn't make these priests paragons of virtue, he didn't work a moral miracle and make them into sinless beings. The behavior of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eli's sons, Hopni and Phineas this and the frequent denunciation of the priesthood by the prophets leave us in no doubt that priests had their character flaws. Nevertheless, though flawed like all others, these God was pleased to choose as leaders of his people.

That being the case, there was no ground for priests to act as though butter wouldn't melt in their mouths. They were chosen not because they were uniformly of wonderful character. In this they were like the nation which God reminded again and again. "I didn't choose you because of your righteousness." Israel had no more reason to look down on their neighbors than the priests had to scorn their fellow-worshipers, the Israelite nation.

But while the priests had to understand and act on that truth, Israel needed to understand that the choice of Aaron and his family was God's choice and as such, when they opposed Aaron, they were opposing God. And when God called Aaron and his family, Israel needed to understand that for Aaron to say no would have been to rebel against Yahweh.

Let me say it again, both priests and the nation needed to understand that the special priesthood was on Israel's behalf. They were called to serve Israel. Envy against the priestly representatives is out of order for many reasons but it misses the mark because it is leveled against those whose very existence was to serve them.

And the priests needed to understand that they were called to serve not to enslave. Authority in the form of representation is for others rather than over others. And this remains true even though the priests are given the authority to settle certain things, they are given decision-making power. The people in many things must submit to the instructions of the priests and are required to regard them as God's representatives to the nation as well as the nation's representatives to God.

This truth of honorable representation is embedded in the very nature of humanity as God created it. He created humans for community and so he created them as interdependent. Deuteronomy 1:9-18; Exodus 18:13-26 and Deuteronomy 16:18-20 speak of the need of honorable representation. Moses isn't able to care for all the needs and troubles of the nation so men who knew and loved God and the nation are chosen to broker peace and justice and contentment between disputing or mutually ignorant parties who differ.Once more, the choice of these judges was for the benefit of the nation and to defy them was to defy God's arrangement by which the entire Community was to be blessed—it was to defy God in the form of anarchy [Deuteronomy 18:7-13]. God-given authority is not an enemy of justice or peace or community! 

Imagine thousands who wished to offer sacrifice to God at the Tabernacle. Paint the picture as realistically as you are able. Bearing in mind that the manner of sacrificing was appointed by God, how could they have managed it without priestly representation? Imagine a sinful nation with all its inner conflicts and picture it left to the physically strong or the wickedly influential or those who can gain overwhelming power because they had the money to bribe support among the people [see the case of Absalom]. Honorable and wise representation beats anarchy and national disorder.

Social justice is viewed as profoundly serious in the OT—it's one of the fundamental requirements of Israel's existence as God's nation. When leaders [priests, prophets, judges or kings] become corrupt and in this way corrupt the entire nation God moves to deal with the situation. The authority structures he put in place are not the problem—corruption in all its forms is the problem!

Up to this point I've been dealing mainly with the individuals rights of the nation and how God's choice of authoritative representation is designed to cater to those God-given "rights". But that is only one perspective of the larger picture. Israel's business was to image God and his ways before the nations of the world! The self-disclosure of God in the story of the covenant with Abraham and his children through Jacob, the Exodus and all that is part of that self-disclosure was to shape Israel's Story and national behavior. As a People they were to be a living embodiment of that continuing self-revelation of God. That imaging of God was for the benefit of the entire human family—a Community was called to bring light to the nations and salvation to the ends of the earth. This of necessity involved the pursuit of social justice within the community [note God's "hearing" Israel's groaning under Egyptian bondage—Exodus 2:23-25].

It's clear that some structures came and went with God's appointment and/or approval because they were no longer needed or no longer served their purpose. SEE. It's also true that some laws were introduced that God did not approve or promote—he tolerated and regulated them [polygamy, concubinage, divorce "for any cause" are examples (see Matthew 19:3-9]. But the truths that underlay all these structures, truths that these structures served, truths about God as creatior and Redeemer—these truths abide despite change.

Democracy and egalitarianism can foster dangerous tendencies. In a world like ours, if we pursue equality "in every conceivable area and way" too vigorously we can destroy something more fundamental that gaining our "rights" in every conceivable way. We can destroy "community" without which "rights" can't exist or if they can they could not be enjoyed.


©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.