Posted on 02/01/2016 8:27:31 AM PST by Gamecock
He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he rose and followed him." - Mark 2:13-14
Mention the Internal Revenue Service of the United States to a U.S. citizen, and it is likely that some joke at the expense of the IRS or a complaint about tax rates will soon follow. It seems that nobody really likes the taxman, who often appears as the enemy even in works of fiction. One can think of the greedy Sheri of Nottingham who exploits the people through unjust, heavy taxation in the Robin Hood stories.
In first-century Palestine, tax collectors were not looked upon with any more affection than these other examples. Actually, they were seen with even more disdain. First-century tax collectors represented the Roman Empire, which occupied and governed the Promised Land-illegitimately so, in the view of much of the Jewish populace. Tax collectors attained their posts by bidding against other applicants and competing for who could promise Rome the most revenue. The winning bidder would then take more from the people than he needed to fulfill his bid, keeping the difference. The add-on sum for his own pockets could be quite excessive. Because of their association with Gentile governance, Jews who served as tax collectors did not tend to be very observant of the Mosaic law. Ancient Jewish records outside the Bible report that tax collectors were kicked out of the synagogue, could not serve in the legal system as a judge or witness, and were seen as disgraces by their families.
So, when Levi the son of Alphaeus, better known to us as Matthew, the author of the first canonical gospel, saw Jesus approaching him that day long ago on the shore of Galilee, he likely did not expect the Lord to call him to discipleship. But our Savior did. As in His call of Andrew, Peter, James, and John (Mark 1:16-20), Christ did not ask Levi if he was interested in serving Him. Jesus commanded Levi to become His disciple, and Levi obeyed immediately (2:13-14).
The lesson for us is that our Lord may call those to ministry who at the time of their call seem to be the unlikeliest of candidates. And He does so in order to show us divine grace. John Calvin, in his comments on the parallel account of Levi's call in Matthew 9, writes, "This publican, who followed an occupation little esteemed and involved in many abuses, was selected for additional reasons, that he might be an example of Christ's undeserved goodness, and might show in his person that the calling of all of us depends not on the merits of our own righteousness, but on his pure kindness."
Coram Deo
One of the themes of Jesus' ministry is that He is not bound to choose the most obvious candidates for ministry according to social convention. He may call people for service from what may be considered the most disgraceful backgrounds. This He does by grace, showing that our place in His kingdom and in ministry is not a matter of the Lord’s choosing those who are fully trained when called. God must equip us for ministry, and we see this is the case any time He calls an "unlikely" candidate.
Passages for Further Study
Exodus 4:1-17 Luke 5:27-28 Acts 9:1-31 1 Timothy 1:15-16
Ping
I think Jesus WORE Levi’s...
:)
I always find it telling that Jesus called Matthew, but made JUDAS the keeper of the moneybag, even though it was Matthew who had all the experience handling money.
I’m pretty sure that’s because Jesus knew that Matthew had no temptation from money, but that it was Judas’s main temptation. At the breaking of the jar of ointment over Jesus’s feet it is Judas who complains that they might have sold and “given to the poor.”
Which brings me to my 2nd point, the IRS. There is absolutely nothing to fear of the IRS if one is educated I the statutes (Acts of Congress) that are the authority behind the IRS. It is the misapplication (false application) because of the ignorance of the citizenry that makes the citizenry at large fearful of the IRS. Paul also wrote in Romans 13 that if we do the good, if we obey the written authority of the IRS, there is nothing to fear. Also, by obeying the authority (the statutes at large), we do not sell ourselves into economic slavery to the IRS because when we apply the law of the IRS as they have written it, we remain the masters and not the slaves and therefore, we remain the masters of His money that He has entrusted to us and then we use that money to take care of those in need.
And this leads to my final point, those who object to the IRS and seek to do away with it are, according to the Word of God, disobeying God who gave these rulers the right to collect taxes so to support their governments. All the presidential candidates want to bring us some form of what they believe to be a 'fair tax'. They do it because of the legal ignorance that is in them because they have not read & studied the 'statues at large' that are the authority of the IRS. And in their ignorance, whomever gets elected, if their plans to alter the tax system come to fruition, it will mean the enslavement of the entire US citizenry, just as the Egyptian citizens had sold themselves into slavery, as the children of Israel sold themselves into slavery in the building of the 1st Temple up until the nation was divided because of the misapplication (false application) of the collecting of that money & materials needed to build the Temple that God had spelled out in Exo 25:2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they take up a contribution for Me. From everyone whose heart moves him you shall take up My contribution."
One who has no desire to partake of so to profit off of the government's property, is not subject to taxation, therefore, the IRS tax, which is an excise tax, can only be placed on those who personally choose to participate and profit off of the governments property through elections, appointments to public offices, wage & salaried employment, investment, businesses who profit by their use of public property, Social Security, etc. etc. Yes, Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid, ALL those FICA taxes are 'excise' taxes that we can either choose to participate in or we can choose to opt out. As for me & my house, we have chosen to opt out and follow the biblical retirement plan and the IRS has been fine with that choice we made for over 10 years now. Shalom
Matthew, after being called, ceased from collecting taxes. Pray that all IRS employees become Christians. ;O)
I would recommend you review 1 Samuel 8-11. The establishment of a governmental authority is due to rejecting God as the sole govermental authority. We are to be obedient to them because we have placed ourselves under their rule. Where these authorities run contrary to God's authority, we have a choice-just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3.
As far as taxes goes, God instructed that everyone would pay 10 percent-regardless whether the person was rich or poor. This was the first (and to my knowledge) and ONLY flat tax. I can't think of a more perfect or fairer system then what God instituted.
Absolutely! When the governing authorities run contrary to the Word of God, we ABSOLUTELY do not obey them, however, the IRS in and of itself is NOT contrary to the Word of God. It is the false application due to ones ignorance of the governing statutes at large that govern the IRS that runs contrary to the Word of God. Take notice, Paul is writing to those living in Rome, not Judea.
Rom 13:1 Let every being be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. ... 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God attending continually to these duties. 7 Render therefore to all what is due to them: tax to whom tax is due, toll to whom toll, fear to whom fear, respect to whom respect.
I know most Christians like to say that God ordained this nation as some sort of refuge, even to go as far as calling it a 2nd ‘Israel’. Nothing could be further from the truth as NO WHERE will one find this in His written Word. The US is but another nation and in that nation there resides those who are of the household of God. The Word of God through Jeremiah defines these members of the household of God living in the nations as those who “Build houses and dwell in them, plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and bring forth sons and daughters. And take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, and let them bear sons and daughters, and be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have exiled you, and pray to YHWH for it, for in its peace you have peace.’[Jer 29:5-7] After verse 7, the Word of God through Jeremiah goes on to specifically define who the false prophets (priests/preachers/teachers) are and how we are NOT to listen to them.
As far as you saying that the Word of God instituted a ‘flat tax’, I think you better go back and read your bible because the Word of God did not call it a tax, He called it a ‘tithe’ and its purpose was specifically associated with a legitimate & operation Priesthood of Aaron serving in the Tabernacle/Temple of God. It had NOTHING to do with taking care of roads, retirements, medical care (pharmakeia that is drug sorcery Dt 18:10, Rev 18:23), etc.
Amo 9:9 “For look, I am commanding, and I shall sift the house of Israel among all the gentiles, as one sifts with a sieve, yet not a grain falls to the ground.” ... Isa 49:1 Listen to Me, O coastlands, and hear, you peoples from afar! YHWH has called Me from the womb, from My mother’s belly He has caused My Name to be remembered. 2 And He made My mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of His hand He hid Me, and made Me a polished shaft. In His quiver He hid Me. 3 And He said to Me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I am adorned. ... 6 and He says, “Shall it be a small matter for You to be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved ones of Israel? And I shall give You as a light to the gentiles, to be My deliverance to the ends of the earth!†... Luk 2:30 for my eyes have seen Your deliverance, 31 which You have prepared before the face of all the peoples, 32 a light for the unveiling of the gentiles, and the esteem of Your people Israel.â€
Do you see that? The man, Simeon, who was at the Temple in Jerusalem was quoting from Isaiah 49 and proclaiming that the Christ child IS Israel and therefore, ONLY those in Christ have been and will be part of Israel. And so if one does not understand or apply to their lives, the Word of God as it is written, they are subsequently going to fall for the adding to or the taking away of the Word of God, which is nothing more than the removal of Christ’s authority over their lives, thereby, ignorantly removing Christ from their lives.
And so it is clear that you do not actually know or understand God’s system of ‘tithing’ as God is not a dictator that requires taxes, He is a God of mercy who allows us to make the choice of serving Him or not serving Him. Also, if you want to literally equate ‘tithes’ to taxes, then how about Lev 14, the poor bring less than those who are richer? Or how about Lev 27? Or Num 3?
You are relying on what is written in Genesis 14:20 “And Abram gave him a tenth of everything” to support your stance on your taxation to a government of a nation that is not under the direct authority of the Word of God. And although Abraham lived in the land of Canaan, he was never a citizen of the land of Canaan, he was but a sojourner and the 10th that Abraham gave was not to the government of Canaan but to the service of the priesthood of Melchizedek. [Heb 7:1-4; Ps 110:1-4 (v. 4); John 1: v.v.1, 10-13, 18; John 3:13 and Gen 15:1 where after receiving the ‘tithe’ the Word of God made a covenant with Abraham, the same Word of God that is written of in John 1 & 3]
Shalom
Also, I think you misunderstand the Constitution in that it does allow for a “flat tax” under the rules of apportionment in A1, S9, C4. The 16th Amendment tax is an ‘excise’ tax while A1, S9, C4 is a ‘direct tax’ that was applied quite effectively until 1942. Up until 1942, the IRS functioned just as the bible instructs, sometimes under ‘direct’ and other times under ‘excise’ such as Lev 27 where one chooses to participate in an activity that under the law, requires one to pay to participate.
What you also fail to recognize is that under the ‘direct’ or ‘flat tax’ as you call it, per the Constitution, the tax bill is sent to the states of the union after the census has been taken and then the state legislatures are required to pay the ‘tax bill’. After that, it is up to the state legislatures to determine how to collect the tax from the citizens of that state.
The IRS is not a taxing authority, it is simply the collection agency by which the federal government collects the taxes owed it. Congress is the tax authority and thus far, Congress has not acted to pass any legislation in form of statute that allows the IRS to collect as a ‘direct tax’ that which is an ‘excise tax’. This point has been litigated at the Supreme Court numerous times since the passing of the 1st Internal Revenue Act in 1862, the Act that established the agency we know today as the IRS and especially after the ratification of the 16th Amendment in which the court held that the 16th Amendment did not add any new power of taxation, it simply put the application of it back into its constitutional box, that unless apportioned, the US Government is ONLY able to tax that which it was given authority to tax, that which it owns and that which it maintains such as infrastructure.
And so we do not need any “tax” reform, we simply need return to the proper application of the taxes as they exist and we do that by educating the public at large who then can go to the voting booth and elect representatives who will uphold the tax laws as they are written, not as they have been falsely applied for the last 70+ years because the people were too absorbed with themselves to be bothered to actually read the laws that they are supposed to apply to their lives and their fortunes, no matter how small those fortunes are.
Sorry, but the IRS as it was established is 100% Constitutional & biblical. Therefore, the problem is not the IRS, but with those of ignorance who falsely teach & apply the laws of taxation, just as they falsely apply the laws of God. Shalom
In regards to 1Sam 8-11, might I suggest you go back and read Deuteronomy 17, 28 & 29, the forerunner to 1Sam 8-11 that prophesied before hand what would happen in 1Sam 8-11.
I totally agree. The history of Israel is much like any other great nation that rises and falls. This is in accordance with God's will. Why He does this is part of the deep mystery of His will. We only know it to be so. America is not so far behind the decline of other nations including the decline of nation of Israel. The only reason the nation of Israel has resurfaced is because of God's will.
You're right that God did not call it a tax but a tithe. In effect it is the same thing. It was mandated by God. I would disagree that it didn't have to do with roads, medicare, etc. In addition to looking after the care and feeding of the Levites and the support of His temple, the Levites also checked buildings for contaminates, inspected people of illnesses, etc. So there were some group benefit for the whole in the paying of the Levites that were beyond priestly ceremonial duties.
I don't basis my flat tax views on Abraham "giving ten percent" as I think this is a bit legalistic and misses the point. God requested a certain percentage be given by everyone-rich and poor. And that's the point-everyone was to give an equal share based upon the percentage of their income to the support of the institution. There could not be a fairer system in play. If everyone had to pay the same amount for government while receiving the same benefit, taxes would take on a new way it is viewed.
The man, Simeon, who was at the Temple in Jerusalem was quoting from Isaiah 49 and proclaiming that the Christ child IS Israel and therefore, ONLY those in Christ have been and will be part of Israel.
Again you are absolutely correct. You certainly won't get in an argument over that from me who has consistently stated the same thing. Paul even calls us "Israel". Israel consist of those believers in God through His Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ.
And Deuteronomy 30 which prophesied that the people would forsake the Lord- which they did. God's commandments are not difficult to keep (Deut 30:11-14). It's simply that we, by nature, don't want to be obedient. God has to put a new heart in us to walk in His statues. The only reason we are moderately obedient is because of Him.
Other than Abraham, where is a 10th required by every person/individual? Where is the 10th of anything mentioned except for offerings/sacrifices? Now there is a bi-annual ‘first fruits’ , however, it does not say anything about it being a 10th. Can you please direct me to the passage that speaks specifically about every person/individual is required to give a 10th of all they earn to the Levites? As far as I know from the daily study I do, there was never a time when all were required to give, every person 21 and older, Ex 30:12-15, however, the amount required was not a 10th, it was a half shekel ... v. 15 “The rich does not give more and the poor does not give less than half a shekel, when you give a contribution to YHWH, to make atonement for yourselves. And notice, it was a one time contribution for atonement, it was not an annual event.
As for the Levites who “also checked buildings for contaminates, inspected people of illnesses, etc.,” this was all part of their duties as priests so to keep the land & the Temple from being defiled and thus God had already accounted for this in the bi-annual first fruits & tithes or the weekly sacrificial offering some chose to bring. There is no mention that I can find in all of the Pentateuch that says the tithe must be a tenth of all. There is the 10th animal, there is the 10th of an ephah of grain, or a 10th of a hin of oil, however, where is the 10th of all that comes in that you are speaking of because it certainly is not associated with the passage that speaks of the rich & poor give the same amount.
If as you say, “God has to put a new heart in us to walk in His statues” then which statues exactly are you speaking of? The ones as they are written that Jesus taught by the example He left that we should follow or the ones that Judaism & Christendom have changed to suit their man made doctrines & traditions? I know as for me & my house, we practice to the best of our ability that which is written regardless that the ‘church’ teaches that the majority of was done away with & that which remains is only for the ‘Jews’. As the apostles proclaimed, we ought to obey God rather than men.
And so our house is not what I think you would call ‘moderate’ as while it is not in the nature of the flesh to be obedient, we are not to live/serve the flesh, we are to live/serve His Spirit which takes a great deal of humility, so much so that a Christian who does not take His Word literally as Jesus & the apostles did, have no idea what persecution is because they have never walked the same path as Jesus and the apostles who were shunned by their own brethren and many times, shut out of the congregations because they would not cow tow to the religious dictates of men of the flesh.
The gate is narrow, VERY narrow and few there be that find it. Few,, not he majority and simply confessing that Jesus is the Christ is not enough and Sunday worship, well, there is no commandment for that as there is also no commandment for Easter or Christmas or any of the Christian holy days as it practiced today. It is all simply going to perish upon Christ return and those who are not willing to give up the man made religious doctrines so to walk the Psalm 119 path that Christ walks, these are not going to be serving I Christ’s kingdom. [Col 2:20-23] I truly pray more Christians will wake up and come out of the greasy grace delusion wherein there is no profit or hope of an eternal life with Christ. Shalom
As for the Levites checking buildings for contaminates, etc., yes this was part of their priestly duties. But it was also meant to keep the people clean hygienically as well as spiritually. Those commandments were given for their benefit just as much as they were for God's holiness.
The commandments all boil down to two; 1) love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and 2) love your neighbor as yourself. God tells us how to love Him, 1) do justice, 2) love kindness, and 3) walk humbly with him.
If you accomplish the first commandment you will accomplish the second through justice and kindness. Many today simply believe loving your neighbor is what Christianity is all about. But this fails in fulfilling the first command.
OK, that is all good, however, HOW do I love God, How does He want me to show my love for Him? How do I love my neighbor, what does God say it means to love my neighbor, and for that matter, who does God say is my neighbor?
Unless one knows the answer to the question, how does God define love, so to be able to put that love into action, there is absolutely no evidence that one even loves God r his neighbor is there not?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.