Center for Creative Ministry A research organization and research center for Seventh-day Adventist pastors and their congregations
The Nations: Part 1
“Democracy has to be constantly fought for,” declares civil rights advocate Shami Chakrabarti in the BBC docudrama “Julius Caesar: The Making of a Dictator.”
“If we take it for granted a new Caesar will come.”
According to the biopic, Caesar was a low-level bureaucrat who became an entertainer to gain popularity among the masses. With their support he rose to a leadership position in the Roman government. Once in a place of relative power, he teamed with the billionaire Crassus to rise even further. He used bribery, corruption, intimidation and brutality to replace his rivals with sycophants, and they eventually declared him a dictator. This was only a 10-year term, however, and when he sought to become a dictator for life, the senate finally had enough and assassinated him. This didn’t fix the problem, though, as the nation descended into civil war and eventually gave up on democracy altogether. This led to a series of kingly emperors who ruled Rome for the next 500 years.
Some reviewers believe the series glosses over Caesar’s worst character traits. “I think Caesar is a horrifying figure,” observes former British MP Rory Stewart. The series “does not make enough of the fact that the guy is corrupt, in massive debt, sleeping around with everyone. He’s presented in the documentary as a big man, the macho silent guy who just wants to be on the side of the people against the conservatives. When you see people talking about Caesar like that, you understand why democracy is in trouble. People become intoxicated by his success.” Rather, Steward claims, Caesar is “a disgrace in every single way. He’s immoral, he’s irreligious and he’s a political tyrant.”
The upshot of the series is that one corrupt man destroyed 500 years of republican democracy in a short decade. It’s not only an interesting historical recap; it’s also a warning that seemingly indestructible nations can fall due to the whims of crooked tyrants.
In the Bible we have not only poetry, prophecy, and the plan of salvation, but also a recounting of several millennia of history, including the rise and fall of a succession of powerful nations. Scripture gives both the details and analyses of their decline.
Eden was the perfect home for humanity, but sin put an end to that. The sons of Noah spread out across the land after the Flood, each establishing regional nations. When these nations came together to build the Tower of Babel, their success was such that God intervened to confound their plans.
The resulting assortment of mighty nations, including Ammon, Moab, Edom, Egypt, Midian, Philistia, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome all had their moments of glory. Today, many of them (if they exist at all) are considered third-world nations. God, not armies or national wealth, determined the fates of these realms.
In the midst of one of these mighty empires—Chaldea—God planted the seed for the nation that would endure to the end: the family of Abram. The line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob sojourned like a wandering tribe of Bedouins until they invaded Canaan after the Exodus. Through the ups and downs of Solomon’s glory to the humiliating exile in Babylon and their eventual return to Jerusalem, God kept the beleaguered tribe intact until the birth of Jesus.
Today, God’s nation includes anyone who belongs to Christ, and “is Abraham’s seed, and heir according to the promise” (Galatians 3:20). Though empires rise and fall, God will preserve a faithful remnant through to the end.
For Reflection
Connecting: Where did history rank among your favorite subjects at school? Has your appreciation of history changed through the years? If you can, name an historical or biblical character who fascinates you. Why is this person so compelling to you?
Sharing: Read Genesis 12:1-9. God chose the most unlikely person to found a righteous nation: a childless 75-year-old. Why did God choose Abram and not some younger, well-established patriarch of a powerful family?
- God saw something impressive in Abram’s character
- Self-made men tend to rely solely on self
- God always chooses the lowest of the low to accomplish big tasks
- A well-established patriarch is just that—so well established in the land that he wouldn’t pack up and leave on a moment’s notice
- It’s easier for a childless couple to make a big move (it’s hard enough for an average American family just to load up the minivan and go on vacation)
- Other:
Applying: George Santayana coined the famous quote “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This addendum was recently added to that: “…and those of us who do remember the past are condemned to relive it.” How can we help others understand the lessons of history in a way that can prevent such tragic repeats?
Valuing: When you see the rapid changes taking place in society today, are you fearful for the future? Do you still have hope? Take time to reflect on the question: “where does my hope lie?” How can you minimize fear in your life and increase a sense of hope in your heart?
~ Chuck Burkeen
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| Prayerfully read 1 Samuel 8.
Can you imagine wanting something worldly, hearing the entire list of certain calamities that would result from it, and yet still demanding it? These thousands of years removed from King Solomon’s reign in Israel, we can easily look back and judge the Israelites. Just how dumb could they be, right?! But aren’t we guilty of the same thing? Don’t we sometimes wear blinders or engage from time to time in selective listening? What things in your life have fallen prone to human nature over Spirit-guided logic? How do you uproot from human nature and root yourself in God? Stefani Leeper | Content Coordinator Image source: thebrickbible |
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