Israel's Lesson in 'Big Government!'
Back in the 1980s, I was an associate minister in charge of the children's ministry at a church in upstate New York – not far from Buffalo. The church had a children's worship that met on Sunday mornings separate from the adult's traditional morning worship. The children's church service featured special characters that would share the Gospel in ways that resonated well with kids. There was, "Tick-Tock the Grandfather Clock," "Jack, the Pirate," "Moe, the Hobo," and "The Old Circuit Rider," who actually rode a real horse to church on the Sundays he visited. The youngsters loved it and attendance was always high.
One year, I got the surprise of my life when during the week of July 4th; Uncle Sam was introduced as a new character. A very tall lean man donned the patriotic costume of Uncle Sam and looked and played the part magnificently. Nevertheless, much to my astonishment the children didn't like him. When I corralled a few of them to ask why, their answer was obviously the parroting of the complaint they had repeatedly heard from their parents. "He makes us pay taxes," they said.
The Bible speaks to the struggle between the people and a large government bureaucracy that saddles them with heavy taxation.
During Old Testament times the nation of Israel was being tyrannized by the Philistines. When they cried out to the Lord for help, God provided Samuel who became a great prophet and judge over the nation. Under Samuel, the Philistines were routed and the people delivered. Samuel led wisely under the authority of God. But as the prophet grew old, the people could see that Samuel's sons wouldn't afford them the same quality of leadership. Rather than look to God for the answer, the Bible says they chose to reject the Lord and be like the nations around them. They wanted a king. (I Samuel 8:19-20).
Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/tax-time-and-the-bibles-story-about-govt-137411/#7Fg0zehaK6jRAtHQ.99
