In the twenty-first century...
Illustration
In the twenty-first century, we don't have much use for dictators. We want to vote. And throughout the Bible, people felt the same way. When Moses had gotten the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt and on their way to the Promised Land, the people took a vote. And their vote was that they had had enough of the sand and the heat, and they wanted to go back. But God ignored their election results and led them on.
A short time later, when Moses was upon the mountain getting the Ten Commandments, the people down below went to the ballot box. They voted to impeach God and elected a golden calf to take God's place. But again God overturned their decision and declared that he alone would be their God.
The truth is that the Christian church is a dictatorship. After all, a dictatorship is a group that is led by a dictator. Although we have negative connotations when we hear that word, most basically a dictator is one who dictates, one who speaks. And in the Christian church, our dictator is God, because it is God who wants to speak to us.
As Jesus departed from the disciples, he instructed them to wait in Jerusalem, to listen for God's instructions, rather than to follow any plans that they themselves might devise.
-- Bowen
A short time later, when Moses was upon the mountain getting the Ten Commandments, the people down below went to the ballot box. They voted to impeach God and elected a golden calf to take God's place. But again God overturned their decision and declared that he alone would be their God.
The truth is that the Christian church is a dictatorship. After all, a dictatorship is a group that is led by a dictator. Although we have negative connotations when we hear that word, most basically a dictator is one who dictates, one who speaks. And in the Christian church, our dictator is God, because it is God who wants to speak to us.
As Jesus departed from the disciples, he instructed them to wait in Jerusalem, to listen for God's instructions, rather than to follow any plans that they themselves might devise.
-- Bowen
