Ethical Operation of Intelligence Services
Clicking on the image below will open the associated stored video:
In the above video, Johnny Harris (a liberal Utube reporter) put together a documentary about the U.S. intelligence agencies. He brought up questions concerning the ethical issues involved with granting these covert agencies the ability to operate without accountability or oversight and these agencies having the freedom to do anything they want at home and abroad. Warning: Those who watch a video produced by a liberal (like Johnny Harris) must be aware how liberals twist the truth to conform with their own liberal point of view. See the link “Liberal Satanic Doctrines” for more details.
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was an intelligence service in operation during WWII. It was very effective against the enemy but on September 20, 1945, President Truman signed an executive order which terminated the OSS. President Truman thought that an agency with so much unfettered power could be dangerous to American society during peacetime. However, no nation can do without intelligence services because as soon as a new threat arises, then these same intelligence services prove invaluable in protecting the nation and keeping their citizens safe from harm. In fact, intelligence services are essential to national security and cannot be done without.
This is why shortly after disbanding the OSS, the Unites States again formed a new organization to take its place. The new agency was called the C.I.A. but later this same agency developed a bad reputation for its activities both at home and abroad. This brings up the issue about giving too much unrestrained power to any government agency and what is the solution to this dilemma?
The Real Issue with Intelligence Services
The real issue with intelligences services comes down to that of a moral issue and it is important that these same agencies be able to identify clear targets. They must not confuse bad actors together with those who are good players. Never should those who are good be confused with those who are evil. Intelligence services should only target those who are evil and who pose a real threat to society.
Yes, it is necessary to give the intelligence services the authority and the needed finances to operate on behalf of the country but with this unbridled power comes the danger of corruption and misuse of the power. Therefore, the only real way to ensure that the intelligence services use their delegated authority in proper manner is that they be established upon biblical principles and guided by righteous morals. Ungodly men who are given such power will tend to misuse this power and many innocent people can be harmed or killed as a result.
Israeli Mossad
Israel has their own intelligence agency called the Mossad. After WWII, there were a number of former high ranking Nazi officers who escaped Germany and fled to Latin American countries carrying with them large amounts of wealth that was plundered from the Jews they had executed. It would seem that preventing these evil men from enjoying their retirement abroad (with their illicit stolen loot) would be a just cause worth pursuing. But finding these criminals and beating them to death seems more like “revenge” than “justice” and there is a fine line between the two. So this brings up the question, “How does one discern what is right and what is wrong when members of intelligence services have been given full-rein and unlimited finances to carry out any type of missions they choose (including executing war criminals hiding abroad)?
When Intelligence Personnel Cross the Line into Revenge
Clicking on the image below will open the associated stored video:
The video link above is a documentary that shows how Mossad agents hunted down and killed a former Nazi war criminal who was hiding in Brazil. The kill was rather gruesome in how they finished him off (which seems to have been done in such as way as if they intended to cause fear for other Nazis in hiding). But beating someone to death with a hammer before shooting him seems to be excessive force and borders on revenge. The kill could have been done in a clean manner without all of the mess. Those who operate according to the principle of the sanctity of human life do not abuse the corpses of their enemies but just use enough force to get the job done. Anger and revenge and abuse should not have any part among those who are “professionals” and who utilize just enough force as is necessary to neutralize the target without making a “ghastly” mess of the operation.
King David, for example did not use bizarre methods of torture against his enemies. The principle to see here is that godly men only use enough force to neutralize the threat rather than dismembering their enemies in a rage of vengeance which is motivated out of irrational anger. See the link “Cutting Humans with Tree Saws” for more details.
No One Gets Away with Anything
2 Corinthians 5:10 (NASB95)
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
It also should be noted that no one gets away with anything. Even if a Nazi war criminal lived to be a 120-years old, yet he will not escape his coming judgment. Every human will appear before the judgment seat of Christ and they will be recompensed for the deeds they committed while they were still alive on earth. Even if no humans ever catch them or bring judgment upon them, it does not matter too much because they will never escape standing before the judgment seat of Christ. Then these Nazis will pay “eternally” for everything bad they have done on earth toward God’s chosen people – the Jews.
Biblical Guidelines for the Operation of Intelligence Services
So, this brings us back to biblical moral principles which provide the guidelines for how the members of these agencies should conduct themselves. It should be a given that only God-fearing and righteous people who have a strong biblical foundation should be allowed to work within these agencies. It is the God-fearing people who will do what is right in the sight of God, even when they have been given such a free-license to operate as they best see fit.
This brings up the issue for example of a topic like “gun ownership” which can illustrate that the gun is not the culprit in crime. Guns can be used for good by both police and military to protect their citizens but of course guns can be misused to commit murder if they fall into the hands of criminals (like gang-bangers who have no fear of God). So, the gun is not the problem but the quality of the person who holds that gun.
I have owned guns in America for most of my life but I have never one time shot or killed any human with a gun. This is because I fear God and the bible teaches the clear principle of the sanctity of human life. I would therefore never want to harm human life (even by accident) so I practice gun safety when shooting and am aware of the backstop so no bullets will stray away and possibly strike a bystander far away by accident. It is the fear of God and the understanding of the sanctity of human life that keeps me safe with guns. Both the fear of God and the understanding of the sanctity of human life are things that I learned from my study of the bible. It is these principles that direct my life and decisions because I fear offending God in any way.
However, at the same time I would not hesitate to use lethal force to shoot and kill a criminal who was intent on taking my life or the lives of my family or in case of war, to protect my country. It is because of the sanctity of human life that we are free to use lethal force of a gun to protect ourselves and our loved ones. It is not selfish to seek the right of self-defense because if a man is married, he has the responsibility to protect himself to stay alive because his family depends on him as a provider and protector and leader.
Again, the illustration here of a gun is that a law-abiding citizen (who has a family to protect) is fully justified in use of lethal force should he or his family come under threat by someone evil who clearly intends to harm them. A God-fearing man who acknowledges the sanctity of human life, would never shoot people indiscriminately or shoot people out of anger or revenge. But because of the sanctity of human life he would also not hesitate to use a firearm to protect his life or protect the lives of his family members or the lives of others around him whose lives are being threatened.
This simple illustration can also be applied to more complex issues like those faced by the members of an intelligence service. This is why I believe that anyone working for an intelligence service should be those who fear the God of Israel and who hold to the principle of the sanctity of human life. If they have these basic principles governing their lives then they will make the best possible decisions during their time of government service.
Another way to look at this is to consider the law of love which is the foundation of everything in the bible. The law of love is the greatest commandment because it fulfills all of the commandments of God found within the entire bible.
Law of Love Fulfills All of God’s Commandments
Mark 12:30–31 (ESV)
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
All of God’s commandments are fulfilled by loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself. If a man walks in love, then this is a guiding principle for his life. He will not murder others or steal or slander or practice deceit or scams or theft. If he fears God, he will be honest because he knows he will be held accountable by God for everything he does while alive on earth.
Separating the Chaff from the Wheat
It is therefore crucial for anyone holding great authority (like those who hold license to operate freely within intelligence services) that they hold that authority as if it was a “trust” from God. They must clearly identify who are the chaff and those who are the wheat. They must separate out those who are evil from those who are good (which are in need of their protection). They cannot go out with a careless type of “Cavalier Attitude” that says, “Just kill them all and God will sort them out!” In no way can they risk ever shedding innocent blood as in the case when noncombatants are killed (who do not pose a threat to anyone).
Proverbs 20:26 (HCSB)
26 A wise king separates out the wicked and drives the threshing wheel over them.
A king is an example of a civil leader who holds great authority (power of life and death) as a “trust” from God. He must be careful not to ever shed the blood of innocent human lives. The scripture above says that a wise king will separate out the wicked and then drive a threshing wheel over them. This is an analogy borrowed from agriculture of how a farmer will thresh his grain and separate out the useless chaff from the valuable wheat. This perfectly illustrates that a king must clearly discern who the good people are and who are the bad people. The bad people are like chaff to be destroyed and the good people are like the valuable grain to be carefully stored and protected as a treasured commodity.
Luke 3:17 (NASB95)
17 “His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
John the Baptist also used the same metaphor for describing how the Messiah would oversee the separation of the wicked from the just so that the good people would be rewarded and the wicked people be punished. Righteous people are like the grain that is of great value and is preserved in the barn or kept within a grain storage facility. The wicked are those who break all of God’s laws and commit violence and do harm to others and these wicked people will be separated by the Lord for eternal punishment within the fires of hell. On judgment day, the wicked and the just will be separated and rewarded each according to their actions for what they did while alive upon earth (whether they did good or bad).
This same principle however applies not only to the Messiah (as he separates humans on judgment day) but also for those in civil leadership positions who are given the task of punishing those who are evil and protecting and serving those who are good.
A good example of civil leadership separating the wicked from the just is that of the current President of El Salvador (Nayib Bukele) who authorized his police and military forces to crack down on gangs within his country. His country once had the highest homicide rate on earth but after his gang-crackdown, his country now has one of the lowest murder rates. Bukele separated out those who were evil and dealt with them in decisive manner. Those who are good are those people who engage in business or hold a job and who raise a family. Removing criminals from the streets created a safe environment where good business people were no longer being extorted by gang violence and good people could walk down the streets without being murdered and their children could go to school within a safe environment. See the link “President of El Salvador Exposes Dark Forces” for more details.
Separating the Wicked for Judgment
The biblical principle of “Separating out the Wicked” is also crucial for anyone working within a government intelligence agency. Just like the police and military, the intelligence service personnel are also a part of the government and they also are supposed to target only those who do evil and pose a threat to those who are good law-abiding citizens.
Romans 13:3–4 (NASB95)
3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
Civil servants (including the police and military and members of the intelligence services) are called civil servants because it is their job to protect the innocent people and execute God’s judgment upon those who do evil (the chaff-type of people). The scripture above authorizes the use of “lethal force” by civil leaders. The sword is not a tool to spank but a tool to execute or put to death. These civil servants of the government are called “ministers” of God and it is their job to bring wrath upon those who practice evil. In this manner, good law-abiding citizens can live their lives in peace and raise their families in tranquility without fear of being abused or extorted or murdered by gang violence. Evil chaff-type of people do not produce anything of value but they only steal and extort the labor of the productive citizens. See the link “Dark Money VS Wealth Creation” for more details.
1 Peter 2:13–14 (NASB95)
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,
14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.
The good citizens are to be submissive to civil authority and give respect toward every human institution, whether it is a king as the one in authority or to governors (and the police and military who are sent by him) for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do right. Again, the principle of civil leaders separating out the wicked for punishment from those who are good can be seen in these scriptures. All civil leaders (including police and military and intelligence service personnel) are all to make a clear distinction between good law-abiding citizens and bad lawless characters who steal and plunder and rob and kill and commit all kinds of crimes. It is these later (chaff-type of people) that are to be on the receiving end of the sword of justice by those who operate within civil leadership roles within society. Civil servants have been given “delegated authority” from God to execute justice upon those who do evil. Civil servants of all types are authorized by God to employ lethal force when necessary for the protection of the good productive citizens in order to save those whose lives are being threatened by evil.
Romans 13:5–7 (NASB95)
5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
Good citizens distinguish themselves by being submissive and respectful of civil authority because in submitting to civil leadership they are submitting to God who placed civil leadership over society for the protection of those who are good and law-abiding citizens. This is the reason that all good citizens pay taxes to support those in civil service so that civil servants can devote themselves to this important job of targeting those who are evil for destruction and protecting those who are good. The bible says that these civil personnel are servants of God who execute God’s wrath upon those who do evil. This is why all good citizens are instructed to render taxes for the support of civil servants and to show respect and honor for those in civil leadership positions who are God’s servants to keep peace and order within society.
The Law of Love Fulfills all that is Good
Romans 13:8–10 (ESV)
8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
If good citizens follow the law of love, they will fulfill all of God’s law. Those who love others will not steal from them or rob them or extort money from them. They will not commit violent crime or murder anyone. If they love others as they love themselves, they would not commit any crimes whatsoever. Love does no wrong toward his neighbor and therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law of God.
This is essential for civil servants to understand and therefore it should be required that all civil servants are believers who fear God and keep God’s commandments and are well-versed in the scriptures. Such people should have the law of God written within their hearts and God’s word should govern their actions. Then these people would have godly wisdom to administer justice and discern evil from good.
Civil Leaders who are Well-Versed in the Scriptures
Deuteronomy 17:18–20 (NASB95)
18 “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
19 “It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes,
20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.
It was a command from God that every king of Israel should copy out the entire law of God on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. This was done so that the king would read and write every word of the law for himself and do this writing assignment under supervision of the priests (who would inspect and make sure he altered nothing from the original to suit himself). The king was required to read this law daily for the rest of his life so that he would learn to fear the Lord his God by carefully observing all of the words of this law of God. The king as a civil leader was not supposed to become proud or lifted up above his countrymen and falsely suppose that the citizens existed to serve him. In fact, the opposite is true and it is the civil leaders who are to serve the people. The civil leaders are not to turn aside from the commandment of God from the right or the left so that they and their successors would continue long and be blessed by God.
This same principle also applies to anyone who serves within any capacity as a civil servant within society as a police or military or intelligence personnel. They are all required to study the word of God daily and never lose sight of the fact that God appointed them as servants to serve the good of the citizens of their nations. It is for this reason that God has delegated them with the authority to rule and has given them the authorization to use lethal force, when necessary, in carrying out their civil duties.
Godless Civil Leaders View Themselves as Benefactors of their Office
Luke 22:25–27 (7KB)
25Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, and view themselves as the benefactors of the labor of the people.
26 But this is not to be so with you; on the contrary, let him who is the greatest among you become like the youngest, and him who is the chief and leader like one who serves.
27 “For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
Jesus spoke of the kings of the Gentiles of the world’s system who lord over their citizens as if they were livestock to be milked for their own personal benefit. Ungodly men often seek civil leadership positions for their own personal aggrandizement so they can live off the labor of the people. This type of “self-centered” attitude of wanting to be served is seen among gang leaders who rule over others with great violence and force. They take everything for themselves and dominate those who are under them. But God’s leaders are not to lord over their subjects with force but to serve them like a shepherd who tenderly cares for his flock.
Ungodly King Uses People for his Own Enrichment
People must be careful what they ask for because God might give them what they want and it will be a great disaster for them. In the time of the Prophet Samuel the people said that they wanted to have a king over them the same as the Gentile nations. But the Gentile kings would lord over their people and dominate them and take whatever they wanted from them by force. So God warned the Israelite people about the nature of having such a “self-centered” king rule over them by dominance and force.
1 Samuel 8:10–18 (ESV)
10 So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him.
11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.
15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.
16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.
18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”
So, the people were warned beforehand that a king (who is like the worldly kings) would take whatever was theirs for himself and then dominate them with cruelty. But ever though the people were warned what would happen to them, they nevertheless were steadfast in asking for a king for themselves (that was like the “self-centered” kings of the Gentiles).
1 Samuel 8:19–20 (NIV)
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us.
20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
These Israelites wanted to be like the Gentile nations who had godless kings ruling over them so God gave them what they wanted just so they could see what it is like to have a “self-serving” man as a king instead of a loving and generous God as their leader.
If civil leaders are godless and evil then they will falsely assume that the citizens exist only to serve them. This is how godless civil leaders become true “dictators” which abuse their civil authority and treat good citizens as if they were “livestock” that exist only to feed them. See the link “Strong Leader VS Dictator” for more details.
This is why it is vital that all civil leaders qualify for their office by fearing God and meditating in God’s word as King David did. King David was a godly king who cared for his citizens like a shepherd cares tenderly for his sheep. All civil leaders should be caring of their own citizens in the same example of King David who cared for his people in direct contrast to the godless pagan kings who used and abused their own citizens for their own personal gain.
Meditation of God’s Word Makes a Civil Leader Wise
Psalm 119:97–100 (NASB95)
97 O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
98 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts.
King David meditated in God’s word extensively and he would often spend all day long studying God’s word (if his duties permitted him to do so). It was the meditation of God’s commandments that made King David wiser than all of his enemies. David gained more insight than all of his teachers because of his meditation of God’s word. Even as a young man David would display more wisdom than those who were aged because David observed God’s precepts. Therefore, it should be mandatory that anyone serving within civil leadership positions become students of God’s word and that they read and meditate on God’s word daily. Often this might require them to get up a great while before daybreak and sacrifice their sleep time so that they can mediate on God’s word before they go to work. Mediation of God’s word is even more important than sleep so using their time wisely to have a consistent time of reading God’s word is an essential daily routine for any civil leader.
Herein is the main point, that civil leaders should operate under the fear of the Lord and hold their delegated authority with honor knowing that they have been given the power over life and death. They are to keep good people alive or execute those who are evil for the betterment of all society. This type of authority has been delegated to them under “trust” from God. Therefore, they should not take this job lightly. They are to meditate in God’s word daily so that they will have godly wisdom to execute justice.
Demonstration of God’s Wisdom from a Civil Leader
1 Kings 3:16–28 (NASB95)
16 Then two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him.
17 The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house.
18 “It happened on the third day after I gave birth, that this woman also gave birth to a child, and we were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, only the two of us in the house.
19 “This woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on it.
20 “So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom.
21 “When I rose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him carefully in the morning, behold, he was not my son, whom I had borne.”
22 Then the other woman said, “No! For the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” But the first woman said, “No! For the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” Thus they spoke before the king.
23 Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’ ”
24 The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.
25 The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.”
26 Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!”
27 Then the king said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.”
28 When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.
In the scriptures above, two women both had newborn babies but one woman accidently lay on her child and suffocated him at night. This evil woman then stole the living child of the other woman while she slept and later claimed it was her own. These two women came before King Solomon for judgement and the king did an unusual thing. He called for a sword to be used to divide the child and give half to one woman and half to the other. Immediately the real mother cried out for the life of her child and was willing to give the child up in order to save its life. Solomon had tested these women and discerned that the real mother would do anything to save the life of her own child she had given birth to. The evil woman was heartless and was willing to have the child destroyed and so she exposed herself as being evil.
This is an example of a civil leader doing what is right and operating by the wisdom of God to discern who was evil and who was good in this dispute. When Solomon was young, he feared God and served God (prior to the time he fell away and was influenced by pagan wives to fall into idolatry). Probably Solomon drifted away from God later in life and was distracted and stopped meditating on God’s word daily (as was required by God for all Israelite kings). But at the time of the beginning of his reign, Solomon was still a godly king and he displayed God’s wisdom to administer justice. This wisdom made the citizens fear Solomon because they knew that no one could get away with any crimes when the King could wisely discern who were the guilty parties and then utter a just judgment.
This is why it is essential that every civil leader meditate on God’s word (the bible) daily so that they will have wisdom in executing judgment. They are in great danger if they falsely use their civil authority and power to execute or imprison an innocent person. They will be held accountable to God on judgment day if they ever commit such a grave blunder.
This is why it is so vital that civil servants (including those who operate within the intelligence services) meditate on God’s word daily and fear God and receive God’s wisdom to administer justice. They hold their God-given authority in “trust” and it is a grave responsibility for them to do what is right. Never should godless men be allowed to hold civil leadership positions (especially those serving within the intelligence agencies). Those in the intelligence agencies typically have been given “full-rein” to do whatever is necessary and therefore have great freedom to move against all enemies both domestic and foreign. Unlike police and military, the personnel of the intelligence services are often operating above the law and without oversight. The only restraint they may have is their own fear of God and the meditation of God’s word to cause them to discern good from evil.
If they effect a regime change abroad for example, they have to discern if the person they are ousting is good or bad. Never should they oust someone who is good (like the third president of South Korean Park, Chung Hee). President Park, Chung Hee was a strong leader and often falsely accused of being a dictator but in fact he increased the income of his citizens tenfold during his tenor. Not every strong leader is a dictator and those operating in intelligence services must be able to discern who is good and who is bad. Again, see the link “Strong Leader VS Dictator” for more details.
Normally a strong country should not meddle in the affairs of nations abroad, however there are a number of countries who have been taken over by real dictators (who only serve themselves and not their own citizens). The unfortunate citizens of these countries languish under oppression and misery and poverty. True dictators use their police and military and intelligence services only to oppress their own citizens and to keep themselves in power. The people stuck under such authoritarian rule of a dictator can languish in misery for decades waiting for someone to come and effect positive change for them. A regime change can be a righteous humanitarian act if it will oust evil self-serving leaders and replace them with someone who cares for the people (like a good leader such as former President Park, Chung Hee).
Regime change is typically only affected by a superpower and such an operation is overseen by their intelligence services. This is why it is important that the personnel of the intelligence services be men who fear God and keep God’s commandments and who meditate in God’s word daily. God can use them for good to set millions of people free who currently languish under authoritarian rule and oppression and poverty abroad. But again, if such a regime change is undertaken abroad, then those in charge of it must discern clearly who are good leaders (who should be supported) and who are bad leaders (that should be removed).
When men fear God, they will also be immune to bribes and it is bribery that can corrupt any government agency. If men are godless and can be bribed then they will authorize civil force to be used against those who are good in order to do favors for those evil men who bribe them. It is for this reason that the personnel of the intelligence agencies have to be on a higher standard than anyone else among civil service groups. No other group of civil servants has a higher requirement of being under the fear of God (more than those personnel working within the intelligence agencies). This is because these people typically are able to operate above the law and without accountability and often do things that no other civil servant is authorized to do. Operating above everyone else makes it even more crucial that they fear God and meditate on God’s word daily because they have been given so much power. Power corrupts so they must be kept in line only by their fear of God and daily meditation of God’s word to keep them from going astray. Such people can easily destroy innocent people if they are not under submission to the will of God and if they are not well-versed in the scriptures and are not sensitive to discern between who are good people and who are evil people.
Meditation of God’s Word Fosters Greatness
The study of the life of Jonathan Edwards shows that he was a godly and learned man and served as a pastor of the most renown church of his day. He carefully mentored his children in the word of God which was his daily delight and meditation. The study and teaching of God’s word was foremost in his daily activity and his biblical focus took priority over everything he did. It is interesting that historians did a study on the descendants of Jonathan Edwards and discovered that some of the most praiseworthy people in the history of the United States could be found among his offspring. Some of the greatest and most intelligent people who ever served within leadership roles within the newly founded nation could be traced to the godly lineage of Jonathan Edwards.
This is a great contrast to those who do not mediate on God’s word and are wicked like the example of Max Jukes. Among his descendants were some of the most worthless and violent and criminal people recorded within the history of this newly founded nation. These wicked people cost the U.S. government millions in incarceration expenses and other costs related to dealing with these criminals.
It should be noted that Jonathan Edwards is an example of a man who meditated on God’s word and was careful to teach God’s word to his own children. Thus he fulfilled the same mandate that Abraham received from God to teach God’s laws to this children and grandchildren after him.
Genesis 18:19 (NASB95)
19 “For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.”
God specifically chose Abraham that he would command his children and household after him (descendants) to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice. People can only learn God’s ways and practice righteousness and justice if they daily meditate on God’s word.
This is important for every godly person to do but even for so for civil leaders who often make decisions that affect the lives of many. Those government personnel which work within the intelligence agencies can affect the lives of millions of people both at home and abroad. Of all those working in civil service agencies, those working in the intelligence services must have the greatest fear of God and engage in the highest level of meditation of God’s word daily. They must perceive who are good and who are bad and they must administer justice to save the oppressed. No other group of civil service has a higher godly standard to live by because their decisions affect not only their own families but can affect entire nations (with a combined population of many millions of families).
If evil and godless men occupy positions within civil service agencies then they can wreak havoc upon entire nations. This is why it should be mandatory that only God-fearing men (who engage in daily study and meditation of God’s word) be allowed in such positions that are largely without oversight and have little accountability. The role of the intelligence services is vital and important but these positions should be reserved only for the most righteous men who will do what is right in God’s sight and use their delegated authority within the parameters of their fear of the Lord.