Chapter XIII
Nimrod Becomes First King
Nimrod was the first man in the world who had the boldness to take
to himself the title and prerogative of king, in the face of the yet
lingering idea of God as king. And the name which he bears itself
testifies to the fact that his action in this was considered by men,
and also by the Lord, as precisely the bold thing which is here indicated.
The word 'Nimrod' "signifies rebellion, supercilious contempt, and
is equivalent to 'the extremely impious rebel.'"
The Bible record of Nimrod is that, "He began to be a mighty one in
the earth." Another translation reads:
Cush begat Nimrod, who was the first to be a despot
on the earth. He was an overbearing tyrant in Jehovah's sight; wherefore
the saying, Even as Nimrod, the overbearing tyrant in Jehovah's sight.54 Genesis
10:8,9 |
That is, Nimrod was the first one to establish the might, the power,
the authority, of human government, in the form of an organized State.
He was the first man to assert the power and prerogatives, and assume
the title of king over men. "And the beginning of his kingdom was
Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar."55 Genesis
10:10
Consequently: With the setting up of Nimrod's kingdom, the entire ancient
world entered a new historical phase. The oriental tradition which
makes that warrior the first man who wore a kingly crown, points
to a fact more significant than the assumption of a new ornament of
dress, or even the conquest of a province. His reign introduced to
the world a new system of relations between the governor and the governed.
The authority of former rulers rested upon the feeling of kindred;
and the ascendancy of the chief was an image of parental control.
Nimrod, on the contrary, was a sovereign of territory, and
of men just so far as they were its inhabitants, and irrespective
of personal ties. Hitherto there had been tribes - enlarged families
- society: now there was a nation, a political community
- THE STATE. The political and social history of the world henceforth
are distinct, if not divergent. - Empires of the Bible, chap.
6, par. 7. |
Such was the true origin of the State. The State was, and is,
the result of the apostasy of men from God. It is the state's
only possible origin; for if all men had always observed the two great
commandments, it would have been impossible for there ever to have
been any State. There could have been no human authority exercised.
All would have been equally subject to God; He would have been the
only sovereign.
Before Nimrod, there was society. Respect of the rights of persons
and of their property was maintained. It was only when the apostasy
grew, and men got farther and farther from God, that the monarchical
idea was established and personified in Nimrod.
Let no one misunderstand. This is not to say, nor even to imply, that
there should now be no human government, that there should
be no State, nor even that there should be no monarchy. It is simply
to say the truth - that if there never had been any apostasy from
God, there never could have been on earth a State, nor any human government.
It is true that these things are the consequences of the apostasy
from God. When men have apostatized from God, monarchies such
as that of Nimrod or of Nero, became necessary, just in proportion
to the degree of apostasy.
It is better that there should be a government, bad as it may be,
than that there should be no government at all. Even such a government
as Nimrod's or Nero's is better than none at all. But without apostasy
there could never have been any human government; and without the
apostasy having gone to a fearful length, there never could have been
any such government as Nimrod's or Nero's.
Nimrod's example was eagerly followed by all the tribes around, until
they were all absorbed in it. Society had passed away, and only States
remained; and all of these States were idolatrous. In all that region,
only Abraham believed God, even his own parents being idolaters. "They
served other gods."56 Joshua 24:2
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