, Research Paper
The Lust For Power: How Politicss and Personal Relations Become One
WILLIAM YAO
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The narratives of the Bible uncover a form of? ups and downs? for the
state of Israel. A period of prosperity, fidelity and fearing God would
about ever be followed by a period of destitution, anarchy and devotion.
This repeating rhythm can be linked to political authorization, and the degree of
separation of political authorization from other influences. The successful
battle for release under the leading of Moses and the glorious conquering
of Canaan under Joshua instilled a fresh zephyr of hope and a renewed religion in
God in the state of Israel. Guided by God, the state of Israel met with
unprecedented success as they journeyed to the promised land. During this clip,
political authorization among the Israelites rested in the custodies of patriarchs, or
outstanding members within the folks. These work forces were righteous figures of
authorization, chosen by God, to take His people and to learn His ways. The success
that swept over the Israelites was ephemeral, nevertheless, and for the following two
hundred old ages the people of Israel struggled against neighbouring folk. The
new coevals of Israelites? knew neither the Lord nor what he did for Israel?
( Judges 2:10 ) . They began to? make evil in the eyes of the Lord? by idolizing
other Gods and prosecuting in assorted sexual activities. To salvage His people from
their enemies and from their? evil ways, ? God? raised up? Judgess to deliver them
( Judges 2:16 ) . These alleged Judgess had the political authorization vested in
them to take the people of Israel and to salvage them from their wickednesss. They
mobilized the people of Israel against invasions of the folks all around them.
At this clip, the state of Israel was nil more than a loose alliance
of 12 folks. Israel had no cardinal authorization, which meant no integrity, no
organisation and no power. During the period of the Judgess, there was no demand
for a cardinal authorities, because the people of Israel were able to support their
tribal districts efficaciously against bordering peoples. Whenever there was a
menace from a adjacent folk, God sent a justice to take the Hebrewss against
their enemies. As this epoch came to an terminal, nevertheless, the Hebrewss were faced
with a much larger job & # 8211 ; the Philistines & # 8217 ; military menace. As the
Hebrewss were extinguishing all the little powers around them, the Philistines,
with their Fe implements and organisation, were going an emergent menace.
In order to protect themselves from the looming danger of the Philistine ground forces,
the Israelites asked for a male monarch to supply fusion, organisation and power
for the state of Israel. God granted their petition, and Samuel reluctantly
appointed Saul in God & # 8217 ; s name. The male monarch & # 8217 ; s map was to supply leading and
to unite the people against their enemies. However, the duties,
powers and privileges that came with kingship overpoweringly went beyond the
range of political relations. The personal relationships between the male monarch and his people
became progressively involved with authorities. With the rise of the monarchy
came a definite alteration in political authorization. As Israel changed from the
period of Judgess to the period of the monarchy, political relations and political authorization
became progressively associated with personal relationships. In the period of
the sovereign, the separation between political relations and personal affairs was no longer
delineated as it was before, and political relations and personal dealingss became
interrelated.
& # 8220 ; Whenever the Lord raised up a justice for them, he was with the justice and
saved them out of the custodies of their enemies every bit long as the justice lived & # 8221 ; ( Judges
2:18 ) . God sent Judgess to take the Israelites in the procedure of consolidating
tribal countries and defence against organized enemies. The Judgess led the
Hebrewss into conflict and besides served as reminders to the people to obey the
word of God. It is gratuitous to state so, that the Judgess were leaders of the
Hebrewss during despairing times. The chief ground why a clear differentiation
between personal dealingss and political authorization during the period of the
Judgess was possible, was that there was no sequence of Judgess. God chose
Judgess to take Israel against its enemies merely when they were in demand of
leading and counsel, and in making so, there was no power battle or? battle
for the crown. ? There was no specific individual? following in line? to take the
Hebrewss, because the lone thing of import to them at that clip was supporting
themselves against neighbouring powers. It was of no concern to the Hebrewss
who the leader was, every bit long as the leader was competent and effectual. Another
feature of the Judgess & # 8217 ; regulation that compensated for the separation of
political relations and personal affairs was the brevity of their leading. Whereas a
sovereign would stay swayer of the land after conquering, the Judgess served merely as
a kind of? impermanent alleviation? for the state of Israel. After carry throughing their
assignment as leaders of the Israelites against their antagonists during times
of exigency, they would humble themselves before God and before the Israelites.
It is clear that the Judgess possessed political authorization over the Hebrewss,
but seldom did they let personal affairs and relationships to interfere with
authorities. Merely in the instance of Samson did his personal relationships and
desires come in the manner of political authorization. There were 12s Judgess in
all, but the Bible pays most of its attending to three of the 12: Deborah,
Gideon, and Samson.
Deborah, the lone adult female leader of the Judgess, won undisputed regard.
She commanded Barak, boy of Abinoam, to conflict Sisera, the commanding officer of the
ground forces of King Jabin. Throughout the narrative of her victory, non one time was Deborah & # 8217 ; s
personal dealingss mentioned. It can be assumed so, that Deborah kept her
personal dealingss separate from her political leading, and was focused on
one thing and one thing merely & # 8211 ; the licking of Jabin and the Canaanites.
Forty old ages of peace ensued after Deborah & # 8217 ; s military triumph, and so
the people of Israel once more began to fall into wickedness and were overcome one time once more,
this clip by the Midianites. God raised up Gideon to direct the people of
Israel against the Midianites. Gideon defeated the Midianites, and in making so,
was offered an chance to be king. However, Gideon declined the chance
to govern declaring? I will non govern over you, nor will my boy regulation over you. The
Lord will govern over you? ( Judges 8:23 ) . The deficiency of sequence of Judgess is
analogue to the separation of political relations and personal dealingss. There was
obviously no power battle among the Hebrewss, because even when offered the
power to govern, Gideon declined. There was no battle for sequence of leading
because there was no sequence of leading.
The narrative of Samson can be seen as the passage from the period of
Judgess to the period of the monarchy. Samson, although the most talented of the
Judgess, had a tragic defect ; he was pitifully unable to command his lecherousness for adult females.
Samson & # 8217 ; s personal desire for adult females affected his ability to ground, and therefore
hindered his ability to take the people of Israel. With his great physical
strength and hot pique, Samson single-handedly pushed back the Philistines –
more by accident than by purpose. . He was finally betrayed and ruined by
a adult female due to his rambunctious abandon and careless brush with Delilah. God
intended Samson for great things. Of all the Judgess, he was the lone one to be
announced by an angel before he was born ( Judges 13:3 ) . He was given
supernatural abilities, and his life was specially devoted to God. However,
despite all these advantages given to him at birth, his unmanageable desire
for adult female destroyed him. His personal dealingss destroyed his chances of
going a great leader among the Israelites. Samson & # 8217 ; s desire for adult females
overpowered his desire to present the Israelites out of the custodies of the
Philistines, and this led to his tragic ruin. The narrative of Samson mistily
foreshadows the connexion between political relations and personal dealingss in the period
of the sovereign. It acts as a nexus fall ining a period when political relations and personal
dealingss are clearly defined and separate, and a period when they are
indistinct and inseparable.
Approaching the terminal of the period of the Judgess, the Israelites began to
notice that virtually every other state had a male monarch, while Isarael was nil
more than an confederation of scattered folks. The lifting power of the Philistines
and other at hand menaces to Israelite security impelled the Israelites to inquire
for a male monarch. A male monarch offered two advantages: foremost, a male monarch would supply cardinal
authorities, hence supplying integrity and organisation ; and back, since a male monarch
would usually be succeeded by his boies, the state did non hold a crisis of
leading every its leader became old. God despairingly granted the want of
His people and gave them a male monarch. Samuel anointed Saul as male monarch of Israel, and
the people were satisfied. Military success went manus in manus with conveying the
folks together in one united state, but when the desire for sequence of the
Crown came into drama, personal dealingss and authorities become one.
Saul was successful as male monarch of Israel until David proved to be a menace
to the Crown. After David defeated Goliath of the Philistines, the people sang
aloud? Saul has slain his 1000s, and David his 10s of 1000s? ( 1 Samuel
18:7 ) . Saul therefore became covetous of David, for he could non stand to be 2nd
best in a state he calls his ain. From that point thenceforth, Saul & # 8217 ; s political
authorization and leading was no longer concentrated on the good of the state
and the public assistance of his people, but instead he focused his attempts on? maintaining a
covetous oculus on David? ( 1 Samuel 18:11 ) , and David? remained his enemy the remainder
of his yearss? ( 1 Samuel 18:29 ) . Saul spent the remainder of his yearss seeking for
David in efforts to kill him so that he may recover the regard of his people,
and in making so killed many guiltless bystanders that got in his manner. This roseola
indignation of green-eyed monster and personal hate for David was critically associated with
political relations. While Saul could hold directed his attempts toward the improvement of
Israel, he was after personal benefit, and this led to his eventual prostration.
David, holding unconditioned regard for Saul, spared his life twice, and therefore
allowed Saul to foster pursue him. Saul finally dies, nevertheless, and David is
made male monarch over the house of Judah.
Although David & # 8217 ; s reign was better than that of Saul & # 8217 ; s, he excessively had
jobs. Ish-Bosheth is the menace to the throne this clip, while Ish-
Bosheth & # 8217 ; s general Abner is a menace to him. Abner slept with Saul & # 8217 ; s courtesan,
hence openly doing a claim on the Crown. In David & # 8217 ; s clip, adult females acted as
political symbols. Abner & # 8217 ; s kiping with Saul & # 8217 ; s concubine suggested that he had
his eyes on going king himself. In chase of David, Abner killed the
brother of Joab, David & # 8217 ; s general. As a consequence Joab had a personal blood feud
against Abner and was after his life. When Ish-Bosheth was murdered, and it was
evident that David was traveling to go the following male monarch, Joab murdered Abner. It
is non hard to see that this? soap opera? of events is due to the fact that
personal dealingss and political relations were interrelated. Either personal dealingss
effected a political alteration, or political relations effected a alteration in personal dealingss.
After David is crowned male monarch of Israel, he had jobs of the same nature.
David, seeing the tempting Bathsheba, wanted her for his ain instantly. He
blatantly disregarded the fact that she had a hubby, Uriah, and took her for
his married woman, holding Uriah killed in the procedure. This corrupt usage of political
authorization demonstrates how political authorization and personal dealingss are linked.
David & # 8217 ; s boy, Absalom, besides had his eyes on the throne. He led a confederacy
against his male parent by going all over Israel winning the favour of the people,
and he besides slept with his male parent & # 8217 ; s courtesans in public. Absalom publically
slept with his male parent & # 8217 ; s courtesans for political grounds ; it made clear his
claim to the throne. Hebrewss who held back their commitment thought male parent
and boy would accommodate their differences, knew now that the breach was
permanent ; they had to take a side. Again sexual authority and sexual dealingss
are acutely tied in with political relations. David was finally confronted with the
fact that he must capture or destruct his boy Absalom. When he found out that
his soldiers killed Absalom, he mourned profoundly. His love for his boy collided
with his effectivity as a leader. David wept so overly that it
demoralized the military personnels who had risked their lives for him and the state of
Israel.
When David & # 8217 ; s clip was over, one time once more there was a power battle for
sequence of the throne. This clip it was between the boies of David, Adonijah
and Solomon. Adonijah took inaugural and set himself up as male monarch, but Bathsheba,
David & # 8217 ; s favourite married woman, and Nathan the prophesier, ? pulled a few strings? to procure
Solomon & # 8217 ; s claim of the Crown. Due to the attempts of Bathsheba and Nathan,
Solomon was crowned male monarch. This? pulling of strings? demonstrates how personal
dealingss may breed enduring impacts on political relations. If Bathseba had non been
David & # 8217 ; s favourite married woman, and Nathan had non been David & # 8217 ; s trusted adviser, Adonijah
may hold been crowned male monarch of Israel alternatively of Solomon. Solomon besides used
adult females to his advantage ; he had seven 100 married womans and three hundred courtesans.
Most of his married womans were princesses of nearby folks, so it can be inferred that
his matrimonies were politically motivated. He was married to Pharaoh & # 8217 ; s girl,
and had an confederation with Pharaoh. The narrative of Solomon & # 8217 ; s sequence is as
complicated and as involved with personal dealingss as his predecessors.
As Israel developed from a alliance of folks into a great
monarchial power, a noteworthy alteration took topographic point. As the state of Israel moved
from the period of Judgess to the period of the monarchy, political relations and political
authorization became progressively associated with personal affairs and personal
dealingss. Personal dealingss began to impact political relations and political authorization,
and in bend, political relations affected personal dealingss. This alteration occurred because
the features of leading changed. During the period of the Judgess,
there was no sequence of power, and because there was no sequence of power,
no 1 was contending for it. The Judgess were sent to take the Hebrewss in
times of demand and exigency. Their leading was merely passing, and therefore non
one of them were able to derive an extortionate sum of political power. When
the period of the monarchy was steadfastly in topographic point, nevertheless, there was a system of
sequence of power. Even before the male monarch muttered his last words, there were
peopleeagerly waiting in line to take his topographic point. And if that wasn & # 8217 ; t plenty,
people were plotting against the male monarch in hopes of wining the throne, even
his ain boies. This characteristic of the period of the monarchy allowed for the commixture
and intertwining of political relations and personal dealingss. The usage of adult females as
symbols of power and laterality became abundant as male monarchs challenged the
prospective replacements, and as prospective replacements challenged the male monarchs.
Events took topographic point that can be compared to episodes of Television soap operas or Melrose
Topographic point. Politicss and personal dealingss became interconnected, and above all else,
the underlying ground was power. As people began to crave for power, for wealth,
and for acknowledgment, the association of the two became at hand, and the
separation of the two became impossible.
