Here's part of a reply I made at another blog:
One of the richest things I've done is to make up my own bible study. I might call it the prospector's bible study. I make a list of things I'm interested in, and things I'd like to see what the bible says regarding that topic. For instance, law/mercy, cause/effect, politics, and so on. I keep the list at about ten things. I look the list over first, then with pen and notepad, I read the bible, taking notes on what I find. I get so much more this way. I did that through the bible once, now I'm on my second pass.
This time, the categories are different, includes read between the lines. Maybe I'm too influenced by Libertarians (easy these days) but I had this idea... It's interesting how the bible doesn't make a huge deal about the most significant events (sometimes). Garden of Eden for instance. MAJOR disaster for mankind, but just a chronological narrative, not a lot of adjectives: awful, terrible, dismal.
And so it is, in the above mentioned passage about man choosing monarchy over theocracy, not a lot of adjectives, but was this one of man's huge turning points?? Just my speculation. I think being farther down the road in one's Christian pilgrimage is a position of wisdom and discernment. It's left up to us to work between law and mercy. Could this also be true for how much government is enough?
I don't necessarily advocate overthrow, this civil situation is effect, a price to be paid. "My people perish for lack of Knowledge". Here's another awesome bible verse: "Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us:<b> for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves."</b> Isaiah 28:15
I mean just from an economic perspective:"we have made lies our refuge" Wow.
