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A

    ROYAL 
   

    THEOCRACY 
   

221

    free 
   

    nation 
   

:

    that 
   

was

the

    presence 
   

in

    parts 
   

of

the

    land 
   

of

    Canaanites 
   

who

had

    escaped 
   

    being 
   

    destroyed 
   

    together 
   

    with 
   

    their 
   

    religion 
   

.

    Such 
   

re-

    ligion 
   

    proved 
   

to

be

the

    besetting 
   

sin

    against 
   

    which 
   

the

    warning 
   

is

    given 
   

to

    those 
   

who

    need 
   

to

be

    free 
   

and

    unhampered 
   

in

the

    race 
   

for

    life 
   

    everlasting 
   

:

    "Wherefore 
   

    seeing 
   

we

    also 
   

are

    compassed 
   

    about 
   

    with 
   

so

    great 
   

a

    cloud 
   

of

    wit- 
   

    nesses, 
   

let

us

lay

    aside 
   

    every 
   

    weight, 
   

and

the

sin

    which 
   

    doth 
   

so

    easily 
   

    beset 
   

us,

and

let

us

run

    with 
   

    patience 
   

the

    race 
   

    that 
   

is

set

    before 
   

us

."

    (Hebrews 
   

12

:

1)

The

Old

    Serpent 
   

    lurked 
   

    about, 
   

to

    entice 
   

    continually 
   

    with 
   

    religion 
   

the

    chosen 
   

na-

    tion 
   

    through 
   

    whom 
   

the

    royal 
   

    Seed 
   

    must 
   

    come 
   

.

    Again 
   

and

    again 
   

the

    Israelites 
   

    grew 
   

    careless 
   

and

    neglected 
   

and

    forgot 
   

    their 
   

    worship 
   

and

    service 
   

of

    Jehovah 
   

.

    They 
   

    fell 
   

    victim 
   

to

    religion 
   

.

As

    many 
   

    times 
   

as

the

    nation 
   

    broke 
   

its

    covenant 
   

    toward 
   

Him

    Jehovah 
   

    sold 
   

    them 
   

    into 
   

the

    hands 
   

of

    their 
   

    Gentile 
   

    enemies, 
   

the

    worship 
   

of

    whose 
   

    demon 
   

    gods 
   

the

    Israelites 
   

    took 
   

up

.

    When 
   

His

    people 
   

    cried 
   

to

him

in

    their 
   

    affliction 
   

and

    turned 
   

    away 
   

    from 
   

    demonism 
   

and

    sought 
   

    him, 
   

    then 
   

Je-

    hovah 
   

    raised 
   

    them 
   

up

    judges 
   

to

    deliver 
   

    them 
   

    from 
   

    their 
   

    enemies 
   

and

the

    snare 
   

of

    religion 
   

.

    This 
   

    period 
   

of

    judges 
   

saw

the

    raising 
   

up

and

the

    exploits 
   

of

    faith 
   

of

    such 
   

    witnesses 
   

of

    Jeho- 
   

vah

as

    Ehud, 
   

    Barak 
   

and

    Deborah, 
   

    Gideon, 
   

    Jeph- 
   

    thah, 
   

    Samson, 
   

and

the

    prophet 
   

    Samuel 
   

.

    (He- 
   

    brews 
   

11

:

    32-34) 
   

The

    record 
   

in

the

    book 
   

of

    Judges 
   

    closes 
   

    with 
   

    this 
   

    statement 
   

:

"In

    those 
   

    days 
   

    there 
   

was

no

    king 
   

in

    Israel 
   

:

    every 
   

man

did

A ROYAL THEOCRACY 221 free nation: that was the presence in parts of the land of Canaanites who had escaped being destroyed together with their religion. Such religion proved to be the besetting sin against which the warning is given to those who need to be free and unhampered in the race for life everlasting: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1) The Old Serpent lurked about, to entice continually with religion the chosen nation through whom the royal Seed must come. Again and again the Israelites grew careless and neglected and forgot their worship and service of Jehovah. They fell victim to religion. As many times as the nation broke its covenant toward Him Jehovah sold them into the hands of their Gentile enemies, the worship of whose demon gods the Israelites took up. When His people cried to him in their affliction and turned away from demonism and sought him, then Jehovah raised them up judges to deliver them from their enemies and the snare of religion. This period of judges saw the raising up and the exploits of faith of such witnesses of Jehovah as Ehud, Barak and Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, and the prophet Samuel. (Hebrews 11:32-34) The record in the book of Judges closes with this statement: “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did