Thursday, December 26, 2013

Adoram

Sometimes government officials assume they have more power than they actually do and forget that their power derives from the consent of the governed. They should consider the case of Adoram. Adoram's case covers but half a verse of scripture but it is still informative:
Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. (1 Kings 12:18)
The children of Israel had already specified that they would not accept Rehoboam's policy decision, and even though Adoram had the full weight of the government behind him, it proved insufficient in the end when the people said that they would not accept a government decree that went further than they agreed to go.