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BLOOD MONEY-
the High Costs of War
War costs not only the lives and lands
of
loved
ones, but also
a
steep economic price:
a
tenth of
al/ world expenditure. We cal/ this war tithe
T
HE THIRTY
pieces of silver
which Judas rcceived for
betraying Jesus have been
called "blood money." Bur rhe Bible
speaks abouc anorher kind of "blood
money" which affecrs all narions in
all ages.
The srory goes back a thousand
years before Christ.
War - The P eople's Choice
The ancient nation of Israel, under
rhe propher Samuel, enjoyed 40 idyl–
lic years of peace wirh no milirary
conscripcion, no defense budger, no
"mili rary-indusrrial compJex," and no
fear of nacional invasion. T he peoplc
had madc a covenant with God for
cheir prorecrion.
B) sorne perverse quirk of human
narure, this uropian sociery was noc
"satisfyi ng" ro rhc fickle populace.
T hey accually demanded a king like
the warring nacions around them.
They yearned for rhe "good old days''
2
"blood money."
by
Gory
l.
Alexonder
of glorious vicrories, which che Bíbli–
ca] book of Judges so vividly
recorded. Thcy wanted ro forget the
bloody defears che same book of
Judges records.
Samuel warned the people exacdy
what would happen if rhey chose rhis
miJicary king: chere would be con–
scripcion of borh men and women.
confiscarion of land for militaf}' use,
an extra ren-percenr tax ro supporr a
central bureaucracy and a standing
army, and, finally, social unresr due ro
war.
The
vorers' decision?
"Give us rhe new champion," rhey
shoured, ··so char we can be Jike rhe
nations around us." The people
wanced che snappy milicary parades,
crisp and colorful uniforms, powerful
weapons, and strong aggressive lead–
ers Ji kc rhe wa rri ng nations around
chem.
O n hearing mese words, Samuel
bowed ro che people's wishes, and he
lived ro sce his dire prcdicrions
come
rrue.
Ar least one of Samucl's specilic
prophecies is srill being fulfilled in
chis war-rorn rwentieth cencury:
"And he [rhe warring ruler)
will take
the tenth
of your seed, and of your
vineyards. and give
[ic]
ro his officers,
and ro his servanrs" (1 Samuel
8:15).
This rcnrh - or
b/Qod
money
-
is
scill being spenc, due ro manki nd's
conrinual refusal ro rely on God for
nacional securiry.
Earth 's "War Tithe' '
The
world curremly spends $200
bi ll ion annLJally on armamcncs and
war. This is abour 7 percent of rhe
Gross World Produce. Anorher
$100
billion in war's
hiddm
expenses
(dcscribed later in chis arricle) brings
rhe defense cxpenditure rotal co $300
billion. or a full rithe of world
expendí cures.
Many narions spend much more
PLAIN TRUTH November 1972