Thematic Bible: Statecraft


Thematic Bible



Then Jeroboam {said to himself}, "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David if this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem. The heart of this people will return to their master Rehoboam the king of Judah, and they shall kill me and {return to him}." And the king had decided, so he made two golden calves and he said to them, "{You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough}; here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." read more.
He put one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. This thing became a sin, and the people walked before the one as far as Dan. Then he built the houses on the high places, and he appointed priests {from all walks of life} who were not from the sons of Levi. Jeroboam also inaugurated a religious feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the religious feast which was in Judah, and he offered [sacrifices] on the altar. Thus he did in Bethel, by sacrificing to the calves that he had made; and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. He offered [sacrifices] on the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month which his heart had devised. He inaugurated a religious feast for the {Israelites}, and he went up to the altar to offer incense.

Then the people said to Samuel, "Who [is] the one who asked, 'Will Saul reign over us?' Give the men to us that we may kill them." But Saul said, "No one will be put to death on this day, because {today} Yahweh has provided deliverance in Israel." Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal, and let us renew the kingship there." read more.
So all the people went to Gilgal and they made Saul king there before Yahweh in Gilgal. They sacrificed fellowship offerings there before Yahweh. Then Saul rejoiced there greatly [along with] all the men of Israel.

Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, "Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, but our lord David does not know? So then, come, let me advise you please, {that you may save} your life and the life of your son, Solomon. Come, go to King David and say to him, 'Have you not, my lord the king, sworn to your servant, "Surely Solomon your son shall become king after me. And he will sit on my throne"? But why is Adonijah king?' read more.
While you are still there speaking with the king, I will enter after you, and {I will confirm your words}."

And when the money was spent in the land of Egypt and from the land of Canaan, all of Egypt came to Joseph, saying, "Give us food! Why should we die before you? For the money is used up." And Joseph said, "Give your livestock and I will give you [food] in exchange for your livestock if [your] money is used up." So they brought their herds to Joseph, and Joseph gave food to them in exchange for horses, their flocks, and their cattle and donkeys. And he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. read more.
When that year ended, they came to him in the following year and said to him, "We cannot hide from my lord that [our] money and livestock belong to my lord. Nothing remains before my lord except our bodies and our land. Why should we die in front of you, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, then we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Then give us seed and we shall live and not die, and the land will not become desolate." So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for each Egyptian sold his field, for the famine [was] severe upon them. And the land became Pharaoh's. As for the people, he transferred them to the cities, from one end of the territory of Egypt to the other. Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for [there was] an allotment for the priests from Pharaoh, and they {lived on} the allotment that Pharaoh gave to them. Therefore they did not sell their land. And Joseph said to the people, "Look, I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Here [is] seed for you so you can sow the land. And it shall happen [that] at the harvest, you must give a fifth to Pharaoh and four-fifths shall be yours, as seed for the field and for your food and for those who [are] in your households, and as food for your little ones." And they said, "You have saved our lives. [If] we have found favor in the eyes of my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh." So Joseph made it a statute unto this day concerning the land of Egypt: one fifth to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests alone did not belong to Pharaoh.

And the king {ordered} Ashpenaz, the commander of his court officials, to bring {some of the Israelites} from {the royal family} and from the lords, youths who {have no physical defect}, and [who are] {handsome}, and [who are] prudent in all wisdom and {endowed with knowledge}, and [who] understand insight, and who [have] the {ability} in them to serve in the palace of the king. [And the king ordered him] to teach them the literature and the language of [the] Chaldeans. And the king assigned to them {his daily portion} from the fine food of the king, and from {the wine that he drank}, and [instructed that] {they were to be educated for three years}. And at the end [of] their [training], {they were to be stationed} {before} the king.

By the rebellion of a land, her rulers increase, but by a person of intelligence who knows justice, it will last. Verse Conceptsethics, socialGovernmentCivic RighteousnessRulersWisdom, Human ImportanceUnsuitable Rulerebellionapostasy