A Tale of Two Nations by P. T. MAGAN

International Religious Liberty Association · Chicago · Jun 21, 1900

FromThe American Sentinel, The Sentinel of Liberty, Vol. 15, No. 24.

A Tale of Two Nations.

By P. T. MAGAN

EMPIRE BRINGS RUIN.

The magnificent imperialism and expansion of the days of Solomon were of short duration. He sowed to the wind and reaped the whirlwind. After his death the kingdom was divided, two tribes going under one leader and ten under another, and this was the end forever of that “strong central government” which the elders had called for in order that they might hold the tribes together. The strong central government utterly failed of its purpose; the twelve tribes were not held together by it. The simple plan which God had ordained and which had preceded this one had been much more potent for this purpose.

And now began a checkered period in the history of Israel. They had departed from the principle of the consent of the governed. They had wandered from republicanism into imperialism; and this led to the violation of the mandate, “Israel shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations.” No sooner had Israel become an empire than it became evident to her leading men that if they maintained their place among the great powers of the earth they must do so by means of alliances with different ones of these powers. But once they commenced making alliances, they were no longer dwelling alone, they were no longer not reckoned among the nations.

This command that they should dwell alone and should not be reckoned among the nations, was not an arbitrary one on the part of God. It was given for their own good. It came in the very nature of things. God knew the form of government which he had given Israel could not be maintained amid alliances with other nations. The principles governing republicanism and monarchy are so vastly different that it is impossible for the two systems of government to unite, and for the purer system at the same time to maintain its own pure and peculiar form. Monarchs are not accustomed to consulting their people, therefore when the king of Assyria made a treaty with the king of Israel, that treaty was made without even the knowledge of the people of Israel, for the treaties and understandings of monarchs are almost always secret, in the very nature of things. Modern diplomacy will amply bear out this idea. Of course, there are commercial treaties which everybody knows about; but there are also secret understandings between princes and potentates concerning which their subjects know little or nothing.

No sooner was Israel a monarchy, than alliances and confederacies began to be made with the different heathen nations. These, one and all, proved disastrous to Israel. God continued to warn His people against them, hence it was written in the book of Isaiah: “The Lord spake also unto me again, saying, Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloh that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son; now therefore the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory; and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks; and he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel. Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear all ye of far countries; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word and it shall not stand; for God is with us. For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not a confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread.” (Isa. 8:5-13.)

This was not the only time that God warned Israel about these confederacies. Jeremiah also spake: “And

now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Shiloh? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?” The words also of Rabshakah bore witness to the same truth: “Now, behold, thou trusteth upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it; so is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, unto all who trust on him.”

God warned Israel again and again against these confederacies, but the people continued to think that alliances with the powers of the earth were the only sources of strength and safety. Instead of being a source of strength and safety, however, these alliances dragged them down to unutterable ruin. Their kings became weaker and weaker; their power became less and less respected in the earth, until they finally went down captives into Babylon. Even there, God in his mercy visited them, and in his great kindness brought them forth to lead them back to Jerusalem once more. But they never regained their former power or place in the earth. Monarchy was still the form of government and it was unable to give them the respect among the nations of the earth that they had enjoyed in the old days under Moses, Joshua, the judges and Samuel. By and by Rome came and put the land of the Jews under tribute, and the chosen people were obliged to bow the neck to the proud rule of the iron monarchy of Italy. This was the condition of affairs when Christ came with healing in His wings. And there is no more interesting chapter in Jewish history than that of the Christ and the kingship. P. T. MAGAN.