[April 11, 2023] From the Old Testament of the Bible, we learn of the Israelites who broke away from Egyptian tyranny. The story is legendary and includes such miracles as the parting of the Red Sea and the destruction of the Pharaoh’s chariots and army. I’m very compelled by this story today because there is much more to it, and more symbolic than we might know. Freedom from tyranny is a common theme in human history and has been addressed by many historians like Victor Davis Hanson. Here are some thoughts of interest.
The story begins with the tyrannical state, and it is the spirit of God that entices the Israelites to depart from their condition. Maybe, we could say that the Biblical Exodus story characterizes the Hebrew’s longing for freedom, which is an idea of great import, at least to many.
The question that must be asked is, “What is the spirit of God?”
And the answer could be that the spirit of God within us is the opposition to tyranny. I am not the first to put forward this remarkable idea. Dr. Jordan Peterson proposed it years ago and explained the idea better than I ever could. Indeed, that is how God is presented in that story and many other ways, but that one is paramount.
There is another line of thinking that says we “should not” be subjects of tyranny if we are the children of God. It is not appropriate for us to be subject to tyranny. We accept that as a value in the West and think little of it; today, slavery is wrong, and that is obvious. But, the rejection of slavery is not so obvious.
Slavery can be wrong only if we focus on the sovereignty of the individual who has some intrinsic value; that we are not to be subject to arbitrary tyranny. This is a critical point that tyranny can only be considered “wrong” if we believe in the individual as a part of God’s domain.
This is a point made in the Bible that we should not be made subject to tyranny, the tyranny of the state or the tyranny we impose on ourselves.
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Useful, great, informative, entertaining blog post.
This article is far more important than we think. It has a massive message for each of us.
Very insightful comment:
” We accept that as a value in the West and think little of it; today, slavery is wrong, and that is obvious. But, the rejection of slavery is not so obvious.” — Gen. Satterfield
Exactly!!!!!!!
The evil of slavery is not so obvious. Slavery exists today in many parts of the world, esp. in parts of China and Africa.
Today, 167 countries still have some form of modern slavery, which affects an estimated 46 million people worldwide. Modern slavery can be difficult to detect and recognize in many cases. This is because slavery has moved underground in most countries and because the definition of slavery has expanded and evolved over the past several decades.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-that-still-have-slavery
Slavery still exists today. It’s a painful reality. Global estimates indicate that there are as many as forty million people living in various forms of exploitation known as modern slavery. This includes victims of forced labor, debt bondage, domestic servitude, human trafficking, child labor, forced marriage, and descent-based slavery.
… and slavery comes in many forms but it is always based on a form of tyranny. And God made it clear that the individual must resist it. Just read Exodus.
Wow, it appears from what you wrote, Gen. Satterfield that only through the recognition of the individual spirit that we learned that slavery is evil. It is not obvious this is so, unless you deeply believe that each person is created equal and that it is God that made that the intent of mankind. The current push for group rights over individual rights is a push backwards toward tyranny.,
Excellent article. I’m now pulling out my Bible to read Exodus again. ✔
✝️📖🙏🕊️
True enough. Exodus is my personal favorite after Genesis. I was once most likely to read and appreciate the NEW TESTAMENT but now it is the OLD TESTAMENT that I most appreciate and can learn from.
Don’t you just love this website and Gen. Satterfield. He has now linked the respect for and focus on the individual person with the spirit of God and the abandonment of tyranny that naturally comes from group identity.
Hear from about the Exodus story from dr. Peterson which you can find on YouTube; just search for his name. Good luck.
Right, you will find from Dr. Jordan Peterson and from Gen. Satterfield much said about the sovereignty of the individual. That is the basis of the Bible and Christianity and the opposite from what you will find in the lovers of tyrannical regimes like communism and socialism that base their ideology on the “state.” Pay close attention to this idea folks, because Gen. Satterfield certainly nailed it with this article.
Right, you can only have “freedom” when you respect the “individual.” When a country only sees “groups” like our politicians want today, the eventual result is tyranny. I would comment that stupid is as stupid does but this is obvious.
Wow, that is all I can say. Great points.
Yes, super article today.
I’m a big big fan of Dr. Peterson.