Theocracy, the, or Immediate Government by God.

From: The New Topical Textbook By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 1 min. read • grade level: 15

Lasted from the deliverance out of Egypt until the appointment of kings. Ex. 19:4-6⁴Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. ⁵Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: ⁶And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:4‑6), with 1 Sam. 8:7⁷And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. (1 Samuel 8:7).

WAS ESTABLISHED ON

The right of redemption. Exo. 6:6, 7⁶Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: ⁷And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. (Exodus 6:6‑7). 2 Sam. 7:23²³And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? (2 Samuel 7:23). Isa. 43:3³For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. (Isaiah 43:3).

The right of covenant. Deut. 26:17¹⁷Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: (Deuteronomy 26:17)

CONSISTED IN HIS

Promulgating laws. Ex. 20 ch. to Ex. 23 ch. Deut. 5:22, 23²²These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me. ²³And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; (Deuteronomy 5:22‑23).

Directing the movements of the nation. Ex. 40:36, 37³⁶And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: ³⁷But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. (Exodus 40:36‑37). Num. 9:17-23¹⁷And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. ¹⁸At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents. ¹⁹And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not. ²⁰And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the Lord they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the Lord they journeyed. ²¹And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. ²²Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed. ²³At the commandment of the Lord they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed: they kept the charge of the Lord, at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses. (Numbers 9:17‑23).

Proclaiming war. Ex. 17:14-16¹⁴And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. ¹⁵And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: ¹⁶For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. (Exodus 17:14‑16). Num. 31:1, 2¹And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ²Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. (Numbers 31:1‑2). Josh. 6:2, 3²And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor. ³And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. (Joshua 6:2‑3). Jos. 8:1¹And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land: (Joshua 8:1).

Appointing civil officers. Ex. 3:10¹⁰Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. (Exodus 3:10). Num. 27:18, 20¹⁸And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; (Numbers 27:18)
²⁰And thou shalt put some of thine honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. (Numbers 27:20).

Appointing ecclesiastical officers. Ex. 28:1¹And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. (Exodus 28:1). Ex. 40:12-15¹²And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. ¹³And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. ¹⁴And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats: ¹⁵And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations. (Exodus 40:12‑15).

Being the supreme judge. Num. 9:8-11⁸And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you. ⁹And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ¹⁰Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the Lord. ¹¹The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. (Numbers 9:8‑11). Num. 15:34, 35³⁴And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. ³⁵And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. (Numbers 15:34‑35). Num. 27:5-11⁵And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. ⁶And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ⁷The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them. ⁸And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. ⁹And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. ¹⁰And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren. ¹¹And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses. (Numbers 27:5‑11).

Exercise of the prerogative of mercy. Num. 14:20²⁰And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word: (Numbers 14:20). Deut. 9:18 -20¹⁸And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. ¹⁹For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the Lord was wroth against you to destroy you. But the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also. ²⁰And the Lord was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron also the same time. (Deuteronomy 9:18‑20).

Distribution of conquered lands. Josh. 13:1-7¹Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed. ²This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri, ³From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites: ⁴From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites: ⁵And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baal-gad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath. ⁶All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-maim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee. ⁷Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh, (Joshua 13:1‑7).

Exacting tribute. Ex. 35:4-29⁴And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying, ⁵Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord; gold, and silver, and brass, ⁶And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, ⁷And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, ⁸And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense, ⁹And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate. ¹⁰And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the Lord hath commanded; ¹¹The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets, ¹²The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering, ¹³The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the showbread, ¹⁴The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light, ¹⁵And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle, ¹⁶The altar of burnt offering, with his brazen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot, ¹⁷The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court, ¹⁸The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords, ¹⁹The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office. ²⁰And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. ²¹And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. ²²And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the Lord. ²³And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them. ²⁴Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the Lord's offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it. ²⁵And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. ²⁶And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair. ²⁷And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; ²⁸And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. ²⁹The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses. (Exodus 35:4‑29). Lev. 27:30³⁰And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord. (Leviticus 27:30). Deut. 16:16¹⁶Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty: (Deuteronomy 16:16). Deut. 26:1-4¹And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; ²That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there. ³And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us. ⁴And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God. (Deuteronomy 26:1‑4).

The tabernacle designed as a royal residence for God during. Ex. 25:8⁸And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. (Exodus 25:8). Lev. 26:11, 12¹¹And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. ¹²And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. (Leviticus 26:11‑12).

The emblem of the divine presence appeared over the tabernacle during. Num. 9:15, 16¹⁵And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. ¹⁶So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. (Numbers 9:15‑16).

Guilt of Israel in rejecting. 1 Sam. 2:17¹⁷Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. (1 Samuel 2:17).

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The New Topical Textbook

• Strangers in Israel.

• Temple, the Second.

• Theocracy, the, or Immediate Government by God.

• Threshing.

• Time.

• Tithe.