Hebrews and Romans

“The Lord God has told us what is right and what he demands: “See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God” Micah 6:8 (CEV)

In the days leading up the election there will be much talk about candidates appealing to “values voters.” These voters have often been portrayed as members of the evangelical right who generally vote in ways they believe consistent with the teachings of the Bible. Values voters are said to have helped launch the “Reagan Revolution” in the 1980s and have become an essential part of the Republican base, to whom the recent selection of Sarah Palin to the Republican Presidential ticket is designed to appeal.

There is, however, another group, generally not identified as values voters, whose political affiliation has generally reflected their understanding of the God of the Bible. Jewish-Americans have historically tended to voted Democratic despite the Republican Party’s almost unquestioning support for Israel. This allegiance to the principles of the Democratic Party reflect an ethical understanding deeply embedded in Judaism and the teachings of the Old Testament. It is a perspective that any comprehensive approach to voting biblically must take into consideration.

Hebrew society was build upon two ethical principles that were to be kept in balance. The first is the concept of justice (mishpat) which brings about equitable and harmonious relationships between people. This justice was pursued through fair distribution of resources so that we read that God “executes justice for the orphans and the widows. He cares for foreigners and gives them food and clothing” (Deut 10:18). Second is the principle of loving kindness or compassion know as hesed. These two ethical principles are interwoven in the Hebrew Bible and reflect God’s expectation that His people are not only to care for those who are disadvantaged by society, but to do so in spirit that demonstrated their value and worth. When combined and practiced, justice and compassion work to bring about wholeness, unity, and balance to the society (known in Hebrew as peace or shalom).

These principles were so important to the ethical teachings of God that He saw fit to enslave the Hebrews in Egypt for 400 years. It was this bondage to which God consistently referred as part of Israel’s collective ethical consciousness, “you should also care for [those oppressed] because you were foreigners in Egypt” (Deut. 10:19). The bondage worked to cement onto the ethical consciousness of the Jews that they should not be oppressors since they themselves had once been oppressed. As theologian Richard Foster notes, “economically and socially, the vision of shalom means a caring and consideration for all peoples. The greed of the rich is tempered by the needs of the poor. Under the reign of God’s shalom the poor are no longer oppressed, because ravaging greed no longer rules.”

The theme of “America first” which was consistently echoed throughout the Republican convention last week is also reflective of the ethical principles of a society in antiquity—that of ancient Rome. The collective ethic of Roman society was built on the principles of law and of duty. Law was obedience to authority for authority reflected the common good and was demonstrated through the practice of self-control and discipline. Duty was exercised through self-sacrifice, where the good of the individual is secondary to order and the benefit of the group. It is the ethic theme of the great Roman epic the Aeneid, whose main character must even sacrifice his love of a woman to found the city of Rome. Duty, loyalty and sacrifice for nation were the attitudes and behaviors most valued in Rome.

These Roman values are not necessarily in opposition to the righteousness of God but there is one critical consideration. When Israel sought to return to the monarchy of Egypt, to be like the nations around them, they were warned by the prophet Samuel that a king would rule the land for his benefit and those of his elite (1 Samuel 8:11-18). Jewish justice and compassion is not opposed to duty and sacrifice, in many ways it demands it. However, it also understands that the definition of what is good, what is right, and what is just cannot rest with those in power, whose tendency is to define these terms in ways which benefit the wealthy at the expense of the poor. To allow justice to be defined by those who do not experience injustice is to violate both justice and compassion, threaten shalom and results in the judgment of God. The Jewish-American tradition of values voting in alignment with the Democratic Party reflects an overall understanding that, while opposed on some issues, the peace and prosperity of the have’s cannot be secured at the expense of the poor and disenfranchised. A just society, in Old Testament terms, is defined by how it treats the least of those among them. It is an ethic that is restated by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-40, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, "Love others as much as you love yourself." All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.”