Tag: Civil Rights

Individual Responsibility, Living in the Image of God

Individual Responsibility for Positive Human Interaction: Summary of Responsibilities

Living in the Image of God M04S11

Previous studies in this program lead to understanding that God assigns individual responsibilities to people based on creating every person to represent him in human interactions with others. He assigns individual responsibilities regarding positive reputation, i.e., visibility of human value; care and diligence, i.e., in a call to compassion; appreciation; peace; humility; protection of civil rights; and individual responsibilities regarding faith and human effort. We provide a condensed discussion of the responsibilities to better understand the human implications of Christ teaching regarding final judgment: that God will accept into his kingdom those, and only those, that perform their individual responsibilities in human interactions and relationships.

Individual Responsibility for Positive Human Interaction: Summary of Responsibilities 21:19

We learned in the preceding bible study (Individual Responsibility for Positive Human Interaction: Continuous Living) that God will accept into his kingdom those he judges as people that perform their individual responsibilities in human interactions and relationships. In contrast, he will not accept those he judges as people that decline their individual responsibilities. Also, we know that God assigns individual responsibilities based on creating every person to represent him in human interactions with others. This bible study provides a condensed discussion of the individual responsibilities based on previous studies in this program.

We discuss the individual responsibilities regarding positive reputation, i.e., visibility of human value; care and diligence, i.e., in a call to compassion; appreciation; peace; humility; protection of civil rights; and individual responsibilities regarding faith and human effort.

We discuss each of these aspects of the individual responsibilities in enough details to understand the human implications of Christ teaching regarding final judgment: that God will accept into his kingdom those that perform their individual responsibilities in human interactions and relationships; but will not accept those that decline the responsibilities; based on how he sees a person at the time. A more-detailed discussion of each aspect of the individual responsibilities is available at the Banking Blessings Ministry website under Individual Responsibility Series.

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Individual Responsibility, Living in the Image of God

Individual Responsibility Regarding Civil Rights: Equality of Access to Facilities of Society

Living in the Image of God M04S06

David proclaimed a Civil Rights principle to forestall a dispute among his followers regarding the distribution of battle proceeds. His proclamation leads to the principle of Equality of Access to the facilities of society—that every person has a basic right of lawful participation in every aspect of living: right of lawful participation in commercial exchange of goods and services; non-commercial services provided by society; and the use of facilities such as roads, streets, parks, and others. Further, every person owes individual contributions toward the advancement and protection of these rights. Understand the principle and biblical basis to guide individual participation in society.

M04S06 Individual Responsibility Regarding Civil Rights: Equality of Access to Facilities of Society 19:19

In this second of two bible study sessions on the individual responsibility regarding civil rights, we discuss the principle of Equality of Access to facilities of society, based on a proclamation by David regarding the distribution of battle proceeds among his followers. In the first study (Individual Responsibility Regarding Civil Rights: Equality Under the Law), we discussed the principle of Equality Under the Law based on the punishment of King Saul following his discriminatory execution of judgment against the Amalekites.

David proclaimed the principle to settle a developing dispute among his followers regarding the distribution of proceeds from a battle against Amalekite raiders. He and his men had captured great wealth from Amalekite raiders that came against his base at Ziklag in Philistine territory. He described the battle proceeds as “what the Lord has given us” [1 Samuel 30:23] and proclaimed that “all will share alike” [1 Samuel 30:24], irrespective of whether they stayed back to guard the base or joined in the pursuit and battle against the raiders.

His proclamation defines a guiding principle for interactions and relationships between individuals and society, regarding divided roles and the basic right of lawful participation in every aspect of living. We discuss the interactions among David and his men regarding their unscheduled battle against Amalekite raiders, potential dispute regarding the battle proceeds, and David’s ruling to forestall the dispute.

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Individual Responsibility, Living in the Image of God

Individual Responsibility Regarding Civil Rights: Equality Under the Law

Living in the Image of God M04S05

Through the punishment of King Saul for discriminatory execution of judgment against the Amalekites, we learn that Equality Under the Law is important to God for human interactions and relationships. God terminated Saul as king of Israel because he did not execute judgment equally against the Amalekites as God directed him. Instead, Saul captured alive those he considered good but destroyed at sight those he considered despised and weak, in violation of his instructions and the principle of Equality Under the Law. God punished him swiftly for the violation, thereby providing a message of individual responsibility for Equality Under the Law as guiding principle for participation in society.

M04S05 Individual Responsibility Regarding Civil Rights: Equality Under the Law 19:08

This bible study is the first of a two-part miniseries to understand the biblical basis for individual responsibility regarding civil rights. We discuss two events from the bible to understand their significance regarding relationships between individuals and society. The first event provides a message regarding the principle of Equality Under the Law, based on the punishment of first king of Israel Saul for discriminatory execution of judgment against the Amalekites. God had instructed Saul to destroy the Amalekites to implement his judgment against them but Saul applied a discriminatory criterion in executing the instruction.

Instead of destroying Amalek totally as God commanded, Saul captured alive whatever he considered good and destroyed at sight whatever he considered despised and worthless. Thus, he violated the principle of Equality Under the Law and disobeyed God’s instruction as a result. God terminated him swiftly as king of Israel, thereby conveying a message of individual responsibility regarding Equality Under the Law.

The second study will be based on a ruling by David, long before he became the second king of Israel, regarding the distribution of battle proceeds among his followers. The current study focuses on Equality Under the Law, based on 1 Samuel 15.

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The King and the People, Waiting for God's Time

All Will Share Alike—David Proclaims Civil Rights Principle

Equality of Access to Facilities of Society

David proclaims basic civil rights principle by recognizing battle proceeds as an example of “what the Lord has given us” and guided us to actualize through combined effort of all. He declared that “all will share alike” irrespective of their roles or contributions. His ruling establishes the principle of equality of access to facilities of society as a fundamental human right. The principle follows from equality under the law, which Saul violated through discriminatory execution of judgment against Amalekites. God terminated Saul as king of Israel for the violation. These events establish civil rights as God’s mandate and any civil rights violation as a departure from Godliness.

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Declaration of rights of man and citizen 1789
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David proclaimed a basic principle of civil rights to diffuse a developing dispute among his followers regarding the sharing of battle proceeds. He had led his followers in a successful battle against Amalekites that raided his base in Ziklag: burned and plundered the base and took his and followers’ families captive. David pursued and caught up with the raiders, defeated them in a fierce battle, recovered all they had taken including the human captives, and took additional plunder.

When they returned to their base, some of the followers that joined in the battle claimed those that did not join were not entitled to share in the plunder. David rebuked them and explained the battle proceeds were an example of “what the Lord has given us” and must be shared by all irrespective of their roles or contributions [1 Samuel 30:24]: “The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.”

David’s ruling of all will share alike defines a basic principle of civil rights that has far-reaching applications in understanding relationships between individuals and society. To understand the applications, we discuss the expanded meaning of battles and battle proceeds in modern-day societies and the roles and contributions of individuals in such battles. Further, recognizing that the principle of all will share alike derives from the more general principle of equality under the law, we recall a previous study to understand that both principles describe God’s civil rights mandate for governing relationships between individuals and society.

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The King and the People

Equality Under the Law—Saul Terminated as King

Saul Violates Basic Civil Rights Principle

Saul was terminated as king of Israel for discriminatory execution of God’s judgment against the Amalekites. He was commanded to destroy all. Instead, he spared the “good” for special treatment while selecting the “despised and worthless” for total destruction. Thus, he applied personal criteria to modify the judgment. Based on the termination of his kingship for the violation, we understand that equality under the law is important to God as a fundamental principle of people versus government relationships.

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We discuss interactions between Prophet Samuel and King Saul regarding God’s judgment of the Amalekites for total destruction. Saul was commanded to execute the judgment. However, instead of applying the judgment equally to all as commanded, he introduced personal criteria to distinguish between the “good” and the “despised and worthless.” He spared the first but utterly destroyed the other [1 Samuel 15:9]: “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.”

Samuel rebukes Saul [1 Sam 15:23]
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Equal execution of the judgment, i.e., equality under the law, required destruction of all Amalekites and their livestock irrespective of any differences or similarities among them. Saul violated the principle by discriminating between the “good” and “despised and worthless.” God terminated his kingship over Israel for the violation: “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments” [1 Samuel 15:11].

Recall that Saul’s kingdom was terminated earlier for violating the principle of separation of state and worship. But he was allowed to remain king. Termination of his kingdom meant his offspring will not succeed him as king. But he would have continued to be king and served out his tenure if not for his violation of the principle of equality under the law. God intended his kingdom to last forever, as we discuss in Punishment of Saul Conveys God’s Promise. However, both the kingdom and his tenure as king ended much sooner because he violated fundamental principles of people versus government relationships.

For the execution of the judgment against Amalekites, equality under the law implied equal application of punishment. However, the principle has broader implications: such as equal protection under the law, which Apostle Paul used in his defense during trials in Jerusalem and Caesarea (Civil Rights and Responsibilities); and equal access to facilities of society, which David enunciated to settle a developing dispute among his followers regarding sharing of battle proceeds (David Proclaims Civil Rights Principle). In this study, we discuss interactions between Samuel and Saul regarding Saul’s execution of judgment against the Amalekites and his termination as king of Israel.

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