Radical Moses

The Amazing Civil Freedom Built into Ancient Israel

By: Gordan Runyan

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Has God really left it up to us to discover the best way to govern ourselves? Is "trial and error" on a national scale the best we can do as we form our civil governments?

Imagine if God suddenly formed a bunch of people into a nation from scratch one day. Imagine God giving them a structure for their government and a relatively small set of rules and concepts for the purpose of protecting the most vulnerable members of society. It might be worthwhile to study those things.

Of course, that is precisely what happened in the early stages of the biblical narrative. God brought Israel out of Egypt and constituted it as a new nation, regulated by the Law delivered through Moses.

The Law of Moses created a radically free nation. So free, in fact, that modern "liberty lovers" in the West would shy away from it as dangerous and unworkable. If one of these people were suddenly transported back to that situation in Israel, it would seem like the government had disappeared entirely.

Imagine a philosophy that framed a system in which you might go your entire life without ever having to deal with a government official. This is what God gave Israel through Moses. It was a system built on the concept of individual self-government under the commandments of God, with a judiciary that could handle flagrant violations.

And, by "handle" we mean it comes to the aid of victims, procuring their restoration and real justice.

If you're ready to be challenged in the direction of genuine liberty, this short study of the Law of God, the national "constitution" that God made, will do the trick.

Topics include the structure of government in Israel; crimes vs. sins; positive and negative law; the evil of executive government; criminal punishment; victim's rights; slavery; caring for the poor; love of sojourners; and honest money.