Notices by halberd (halberd@poa.st)

@monkyyy @Goalkeeper First: What was commanded for ancient Israel is not necessarily relevant today. The law of Moses has changed roles from a strict overlord to a tutor. If the ancient Israelites were commanded to have a particular form of government, we should study and understand that, but not blindly imitate it. The details for that get into things like Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism.

Second: Scripture doesn't condemn monarchy per se, but rather adopting the pagan practices of the surrounding nations. Part of that was an idolatrous worship of the king (and rule by foreigners, and sinful pride, and...). Here's another bit from the context of the screenshot:

But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles. (1 Sam. 19-20)

This took place in the days of Samuel, after the time of the judges, after the time of Moses. But even the law Moses wrote acknowledged that there would one day be a kingdom (and forewarned that the people would want to be like their pagan neighbors):

When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me, you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. (Deu. 17:14-15)

Even farther back, before Moses, Jacob/Israel himself spoke of a future king in Gen. 49:10. And, after the kingdom was established, there are many kings who tried to rule well, and God never sent prophets to them saying "step down, dissolve the monarchy."