Thread

Taxation, kings and the birth of Jesus. Mind blown 🤯 1 Samuel 8 - Israel rejects God as King, chooses to have a human king instead. - God warns the people if they chose a human king they will become tax slaves to him. - The People chose a human king anyways. - God warns the people that if they and their king don't obey him they will both be swept away (1 Samuel 12:25) 1 2 Samuel, 1 2 Kings - Israel gets human kings. - God makes an everlasting covenant with David and his sons. - Despite this, Israelite monarchy eventually splits into 2 because sinful men can't rule over sinful men. - Israel and Judah both get exiled because of their rebellion and covenant breaking. - During this period prophets come promising the coming of a savior King who would be born in Bethlehem to save Israel and the world from their rebellion. (Isaiah 53, Micah 5:2) Luke 2 - The mother of Jesus, while pregnant with Jesus, is summoned to be counted for the census with Joseph her husband in Joseph's hometown, Bethlehem, AKA the City of DAVID. - Census' were for registering people for TAXATION purposes. - Israel was in their land but being occupied by a powerful foreign empire because of their sin and rebellion. - Everything that God said would come upon Israel if they rejected Him as King for a human king, did and more. - It was in this context that the King they rejected for a human, Jesus, the God-man, was born AS A HUMAN, to the house of David in fulfillment to His word, to save and redeem the entire world. 🤯 Isn’t it so appropriate that the God who warned Israel that if they chose a human king he would tax them, fulfilled His own prophecy to be born in Bethlehem because of a Roman census for tax purposes?