In I Samuel 8, the prophet Samuel is warning Israel of what governments do just by their own nature. So far in our study, we have now come to warning number four. A government will, like a juggernaut, advance to existing for its own sake. The government will set its beaurocarcy to "doing its work" (I Samuel 8:16). "for its itself" (vs. 11); for "its harvest" (12; and for its chariots" (vs. 11)
In other words, the functions of the government are to ensure the maintaning of the government. The government will talk about "serving the people," but the focus is not on serving the people; the focus of the government is on its own support and maintanance. The officials of the state will "talk a good game" of being for that nebulous group called "the people," but their focus is not on them. The focus of the government is bent in on itself..
This should be evident. The first loyalty of the employee of the government is not to "the people." Instead, it's to the party. Thus the employee's focus is on the party that controls the government. The party is the be-all-and-end-all for the employee.
In short, the government will operate for its own sake, not for "we the people." So, that's the progression of the government; it will come to where the idea of "You were elected to serve the people" becomes a fiction. It will progress to serve itself.
Samuel isn't through with his blunt warnings. Has he has more to say.
TBC
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