The Voice of the People - When Civilization is Subject to the Misrule of the Majority

The Voice of People
When Civilization is Subject to the (Mis)rule of the Majority

The governance system of this world vary from nation to nation and time throughout history. Many nations started out with hereditary autocratic/absolute monarchy in their early history. Where these rulers had privy councils, they were mostly a group that advices the ruler on policy and in so many cases nothing beyond. Today, absolute monarchies have faded in most part of the world, mostly giving way to representative democracy. Some jurisdiction still have the vestige of their monarchial system but greatly curtailed, only having ceremonial role in government. 

Representative democracy in its various shades is a system of government in which the power of state is vested in a person or group of persons by majority of the voting public to represent their interest. In other words, the people elect their preferred leaders to represent their interest. While it is usual to have divergent views on matters, all views cannot be executed simultaneously necessitating the supremacy of the majority. So, all democracies in its ordinary sense are a rule of the majority. 

The question now is, can the majority be right always? Certainly no! The implication of this is grave, the entire nation is surrendered to the (mis)rule of the majority every time they are wrong. There are biblical evidences for this in scripture throughout all ages, that people, the majority don't always make the best decision and in the most vital issues of life, the wisdom of the majority cannot be trusted. 

1. The Majority of Noah's Era
Genesis 6:1-12 offers an example of the large scale depravity on the scale of an entire civilization. The Bible says the thought of men's heart was evil continually, and that involved everyone. 

Genesis 6:5
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 

Genesis 6:11-12
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

So, God instructed Noah to build an ark because a flood would come upon the earth in judgement and every life, man and animal not found in the ark will perish. The entire civilization that was about 1600 years old with mammoth population was at risk. Noah preached for 100 years warning people to escape the coming judgement by coming into his ark, but no one heeded his call except 8 people who were all members of his family including himself. 

Genesis 7:13-16
In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife , and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.

An entire civilization bet against God to their destruction. Flood came, it rained forty days and nights to flood the entire planet and the water remained for 150 days ensuring every living thing drowned. 

Genesis 7:21-24
And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days. 

2. The Majority of the Days of Babel
In Genesis 11:1-4, we see a large scale mass of people coming together to decide on an important matter, to build a city and a tower whose top reaches the heavens, that is, a temple that grants them a seat in the heavens, abode of the gods. 

Genesis 11:1-4
And the whole earth was of one language , and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.   And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone , and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

This was a conspiratory operation of the majority, the gravity of which necessitated God's judgement, confounding the language leading to a scatter and an abandonment. 

Genesis 11:5-9
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.   And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.    

3. The Majority of Sodom and Gomorrah
Another example we find in Genesis 18, in the story of Sodom and Gomorhha. It would be fair to say here the majority was an absolute one. Everyone in Sodom and adjoining cities had corrupted their ways.

Genesis 18:20-21
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. 

God gave them the benefit of the doubt, visiting Sodom on a fact finding mission as though he could not have found out from heaven. But the men of the city were going to rape the angels of God, even ignoring Lot's offer of his two virgin daughters. Can you find depravity of a greater sort elsewhere? A whole culture in the firm grip of Satan! 

Genesis 19:4-10
But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. 

Homosexual lifestyle is symptomatic of the depravity of this land and it attracted judgement of God. This is another indiscretion of the majority. 

Genesis 19:24-25
Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

4. The People's Perception of John the Baptist and Jesus
If John did no miracle, had no validation from the religious elite, and his work did not set him apart, it would be okay for any one to have a twisted opinion of him. But John was born to a ministering priest who prophesied his son's ministry. They accepted him in his early days, attended his meetings and baptism, only to turn on him later accusing him of having a devil, the same man Jesus called the greatest of all born of women outside the kingdom era. 

Jesus, on the other hand was not a recluse like John, he went out from city to city, house to house, preaching. Every event he was invited to, he went using the opportunity to reach the lost with miracles, signs and wonders. But he got the label glutton, drunk and friend of sinners. The Saviour of the world now labelled by the world a glutton, drunk and friend of sinners. 

Matthew 11:18-19
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. 

5. The Majority Rule at the Arrest of Jesus
The religious elite with a large crowd came to arrest Jesus just because they did not like his opinion on issues relating to God and how he is worshipped. Conniving with one of the Lord's apostle, they arranged his arrest. The large crowd notwithstanding, confers no greater validity. In fact, Jesus called their operation to arrest him the work of darkness.

Luke 22:52-53
Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

6. The Majority Opinion at the Trial of Jesus
The verdict at the trial of Jesus  was predicated not on law and justice but on the sentiments of religious elite and a mob. Jesus was delivered to the will of the people who will have him crucified on trump up charges and have Barabbas who was arrested on sedition and murder charges released in his place. But thanks be to God the will of God was achieved by the lawlessness of the people. 

Luke 23:18-24
And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas :    (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

In fact, in Matthew's account, Pilate withdrew from the case, delivering Jesus to the will of the people who took full responsibility for Jesus' crucifixion on themselves, their children and generations unborn.

Matthew 27:24-25
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. 

What should you take away from this?
1. People do not know what truth is unless they are taught, correctly so by those who are the custodian of knowledge. And many civilization have a fair knowledge of some portion of history. However, the version of history authorized by God as accurate and consistent with what God has been doing in history is the Hebraic account. 

Romans 3:2
Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

2. The people are a tool of certain selfish leaders who uses them as pun for their own gain. Moses pointed finger at the giants of Noah's era as the arrowhead of the depravity of that time. Babel was championed by Nimrod, the conspiracy against David was led by his son Absalom, the religious elite in the days of the Lord, the Pharisees and Saducees were responsible for the conspiracy and rebellion that led to the Lord's death.

3. While popular actions can be traced to a few persons who champions the cause, they are usually inspired, sponsored and facilitated by dark spiritual forces. In other words, popular human activities are the work of behind the scenes acts of dark forces. 

Luke 22:52-53
Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

John 14:30
Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 

For the most part, the masses may not realize the popular action they are participating in is part of an operation of darkness. 

2 Corinthians 4:3-4
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (12)
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  

Daniel 10:12-13,20
Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. 20 Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. 

2 Chronicles 18:19-22
And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee.

4. The work of Satan is to ultimately destroy lives, ensuring they have no opportunity to entertain the gospel of Jesus Christ. Satan has had great success of devastating proportion under a cover cloak of populism but to people's destruction. 
The depravity of Noah's era became common place and normal. It was the same with Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah and others that people could not recognize the truth to their own destruction. 

John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

5. In God's judgement of the nations, people will severally and individually be responsible for their actions notwithstanding Satan's deceptive work among men.