Shalom everyone,
For a religious person, one’s faith should always be the conscience behind one’s political choices, but religion should never take political power, because it will become utterly corrupted by it.
(For your reference, ‘Yahwism‘ and ‘Yahwist‘ refer to the belief-system, ethics, values, principles and ideals which marked out the original faith of Abraham and the Israelites up until the Babylonian Exile, when a lot of alien, incompatible beliefs entered Judaism. The very earliest Hebrews had no Bible, so their religion was defined, not by Scripture, but by a system of divinely-given beliefs and values. Yahwism marks the ultimate gold standard by which the Massorite Talmidi faith operates, which is why I mention it so often – we believe that part of Yeshua‘s prophetic mission was to restore the original values of the Yahwist Israelite faith).
The modern approach to politics is increasingly characterised by extreme polarisation, built around the logic of identifying and making enemies, rather than seeking the common good. Much contemporary political culture, across multiple ideological camps, functions less as a means of governing societies, and more as a theatre for moral hostility and warfare between ideologies. The Yahwist biblical approach is fundamentally different. Ideals which in human systems are polar opposites, end up being natural co-principles under God.
In Yahwist theology, politics is meant to serve the well-being of the people as a whole (Jer 29:7; Prov 11:11). The poor are not to be driven into abject destitution, and affluent business folk are not to be crushed by unjust economic restrictions (Deut 24:14–15; Prov 22:16). Yet by the biblical, covenant-principle of ‘mutual responsibility’, the reverse also holds: the poor are not entitled to exploit generosity or take advantage of kindness (Prov 20:1; 21:17), and the rich are not permitted to ruin a nation by ruthless and selfish manipulation of its economy (Amos 8:4–6; Mic 2:1–2). Justice in Yahwism is incumbent on both sides of a social transaction; social justice and civic responsibility are not unilateral rights given only to one side and not the other (Lev 19:15; Deut 1:17).
Many modern ideologies divide the world into rigid moral categories. Some frame their worldview entirely in terms of “oppressed” and “oppressor”, leaving such people morally powerless when those labelled ’oppressed’ commit grave wrongs (Ezek 18:20; Prov 21:2). Others divide humanity into “us” and “them”, and consequently, they excuse or conceal evil when it is committed by those within the favoured group (Deut 10:17; Prov 24:23). Both approaches ultimately dissolve moral responsibility by making it irrelevant.
In Yahwist theology, every action is judged individually (Ezek 18:1–4; Jer 17:10). There are no permanently sanctified classes of people, and no groups exempt from moral scrutiny (Job 34:19; Prov 22:2). Evil is evil regardless of who commits it, and sin is sin regardless of the identity of the sinner (Isa 5:20; Prov 28:21). If you defend an evil, or make excuses for the sins of a person or group you support, then you share in the sin-guilt for that sin as if you had committed the sin yourself (in Yahwist belief, this is known as, ‘Guilt by Justification of the Wicked’, Prov 17:15).
Dividing the world into convenient ideological packages (oppressed and oppressor, or us and them), only succeeds in remaking the world in the image of human beings. Seeking cooperation between peoples and nations for the benefit of all, creates a world in the image of God (Gen 1:26–27; Isa 2:2–4; Ps 67:1–4).
Yahwism does not dictate specific political programmes or electoral choices (except where a movement is explicitly founded on cruelty, systemic oppression, or the dehumanisation of whole groups – that is, authoritarian or totalitarian parties, such as Fascism or Communism) (Isa 10:1–2; Hab 2:12). Instead, Yahwism provides moral boundaries and ethical goalposts, within which political judgement is to be exercised responsibly and independently (Mic 6:8; Prov 16:12).
Yahwism does not fit tidily into the neat human categories of left and right. For example, the Miqra repeatedly forbids the mistreatment of foreigners living in the midst of Israel, grounding this in the wider ethics of hospitality and social justice (Exod 22:21; Lev 19:33–34; Deut 10:18–19). Yet by the aforementioned principle of mutual responsibility, those who live among a people not their own, are also obligated not to abuse the host society or exploit its generosity (Lev 24:22; Deut 17:15; Num 15:15–16). Both obligations belong side by side in Yahwism, even though in our modern age, each one would challenge polar opposite ideological camps.
Politics as a Moral Practice, not a Tribal Identity
YHVH’s values come before human politics. Therefore in the Miqra, politics is never morally neutral. Kings are judged, not by military success or economic growth alone, but by righteousness, justice, mercy, and fidelity to God’s ways (2 Sam 23:3; Ps 72; Prov 16:12). Political authority is always accountable to a higher moral law (Deut 17:18–20), and the prophets were not afraid to speak against power when it committed wrongs (2 Sam 12:1–14, 1 Kings 18:17–18, 21:17–24, 22:8–28, 2 Kings 3:13–14, Isa 1:10–17, 3:12–15, 10:1–2, 32:1–7, and many many other instances far too numerous to mention).
Even Yochanan the Immerser and Yeshua spoke truth to power (Luke 13:31–32, Mark 10:23-25, Mark 12:1–12, and others). Yeshua therefore stands firmly within this prophetic tradition. He does not offer a political manifesto, but he relentlessly exposes the moral failures of systems that claim divine legitimacy while neglecting justice, compassion, and truth (Matt 23:23; Luke 11:42). In this sense, Yeshua’s teaching offers not a political ideology, but a moral lens through which all ideologies must be evaluated (Luke 4:18–19).
Politics, within a Talmidi understanding, is therefore a moral practice before it is a technical or partisan one (Mark 12:30–31).
Justice: The Central Political Value of the Miqra
Justice (צדקה ts’dāqāh / צדק tsédeq) in the Miqra is not merely legal correctness, but relational and social rightness (Isa 1:16–17; Amos 5:24).
Biblical justice requires that:
- The vulnerable are protected (Ps 82:3–4)
- The powerful are restrained from excess (Isa 10:1–3)
- Law serves truth, not political convenience (Deut 16:18–20)
- Courts are politically impartial and incorruptible (Lev 19:15)
- No one is above the law (Num 15:15–16)
From a Talmidi perspective, political systems must be evaluated by how they treat:
- the poor (Prov 14:31),
- the elderly (Lev 19:32),
- the disabled (Lev 19:14),
- the orphan (Deut 24:17),
- the widow (Isa 1:17),
- and the foreigner (Deut 10:18–19).
A society that prospers economically while systematically excluding or crushing its weakest members cannot be considered just by biblical standards, regardless of its ideological or political self-description (Ezek 34:2–4). Remember that Amalek was condemned because they went for the weakest members at the back first (Dt 25:18). For this reason, Amalekites were considered, by the standards of the Yahwist Israelite faith, to have committed the worst evil against God. In God’s sight, any leader or political party which goes after the weakest and most vulnerable in society, is no better than Amalek.
Power: Always Limited, Always Accountable
In Yahwist theology, power is never self-justifying (Ps 75:6–7).
The kings of Israel are repeatedly warned that they rule only by divine permission, and are always answerable to God’s justice (2 Sam 12:7–12; 1 Kings 21). When power becomes self-referential — serving its own preservation rather than the common good — it becomes idolatrous (Isa 14:12–15; Ezek 28:2). When power is abused and becomes oppressive, divine permission is automatically withdrawn.
Yeshua directly confronts this distortion by teaching that:
leadership exists to serve, not to dominate (the leader as servant motif, Mark 10:42–45; Luke 22:25–27).
From this follows a core political criterion:
Any political system or movement that treats power as an end in itself, rather than as a high moral responsibility toward others, has already departed from Yahwist ethics (Prov 29:2).
Economy: Neither Exploitation nor Enforced Equality
The Miqra does not promote economic levelling, but it equally rejects economic cruelty and ruthlessness (Lev 25; Deut 15:7–11).
Its vision is neither unrestrained capitalism nor enforced collectivism, but an economy bounded by moral limits:
- Wealth is permitted; it is a gift from God when obtained righteously (Prov 10:22)
- Exploitation is forbidden (Lev 19:13; James 5:4)
- Private property is respected (Exod 20:15)
- But so is the right of the poor to survive with dignity (Deut 15:7–8)
- Debt is not allowed to become generational slavery (Deut 15:1–2)
- Profit is subordinated to justice (Prov 11:1)
Yeshua intensifies this vision by attacking:
- hoarded wealth (Luke 12:15),
- exploitative lending (Luke 19:8),
- religiously justified economic abuse (Mark 12:40),
- and indifference to the suffering of the poor (Luke 16:19–31).
A Talmidi voter therefore should not merely ask, “Does this policy grow the economy?”
but also:
Does this economy remain humane, just, and accountable to moral limits? (Matt 6:24).
Civil Law: A Servant of Justice, Not a Substitute for It
In the Miqra, civil law exists for the sake of justice, not as a replacement for it (Isa 58:1–7).
A legal system can be:
- procedurally perfect,
- yet still be morally corrupt (Amos 5:12).
Yeshua repeatedly exposes this when religious authorities appeal to legal technicalities while violating the spirit of Torah — mercy, truth, and compassion (Matt 23:23; Mark 7:8–13).
Politically, this means:
- Not everything legal is morally acceptable (Isa 10:1)
- Not everything illegal is morally corrupt (Dan 6:10)
- Law must remain answerable to ethical truth (Mic 6:8)
A society that hides injustice behind legal technicality has abandoned biblical ethics (Jer 7:8–11).
Truth: The Moral Backbone of Political Life
Yahwist theology places extraordinary emphasis on truthfulness (Exod 20:16; Prov 12:22).
False testimony is not merely a personal sin, but a political one, because it destroys:
- trust (Prov 25:18),
- justice (Deut 19:15–21),
- and social coherence (Isa 59:14–15).
Yeshua explicitly identifies truthfulness as central to God’s Kingdom (Luke 8:15). Political cultures built on propaganda, scapegoating, gaslighting, and habitual deception are therefore incompatible with Talmidi ethics, even if they claim noble aims (Matt 7:15–20).
A Talmidi approach to politics requires:
- intellectual honesty (Prov 4:24),
- factual responsibility (Prov 18:13),
- and moral courage in speech (Isa 50:7).
Violence, War, and the Sanctity of Life
The Miqra recognises the tragic necessity of force in a fallen world, but it never romanticises it (Deut 20; Ps 144:1).
War is portrayed as:
- grievous (Lam 3:31–33),
- morally dangerous (Hos 8:14),
- and spiritually corrupting, even when unavoidable (Isa 31:1).
Yeshua goes further, by:
- rejecting violent messianism (Luke 19:41–44),
- blessing peacemakers (Matt 5:9),
- and warning that those who live by the sword will perish by the sword (Matt 26:52).
This is not meant to produce a naïve pacifism, but it imposes a severe moral restraint on:
- militarism (Isa 2:4),
- political brutality (Mic 3:1–3),
- and casual justification of mass suffering (Amos 1–2).
A Talmidi political ethic treats human life as sacred, even when defending society militarily becomes tragically necessary (Gen 9:6).
Religion and the State: Neither Fusion nor Hostility
Yahwism rejects both:
- theocracy (where religion becomes coercive power) (1 Sam 8:10–18),
- and militant secularism (where faith is excluded from moral discourse) (Ps 14:1).
Yeshua models a third path:
- religious conscience without political domination (Luke 20:25),
- moral authority without coercive control.
From this follows a core political principle:
Religion must inform conscience and ethics, but must never become an instrument of oppression or enforced conformity (Zech 4:6). Religious and secular / civil power must remain separate (which is why a priest cannot become a king, and vice versa). When religion becomes the state power, it becomes corrupt, always, and thereby ceases to act as a holy instrument of God.
Whenever religion becomes a tool for:
- silencing dissent (Jer 7:4–10),
- justifying cruelty (Isa 58:3–4),
- or protecting power (Ezek 34:2–4),
it has already betrayed YHVH.
How All This Helps a Voter Decide
Talmidaism does not produce voting instructions; it doesn’t tell you who to vote for. It produces moral discernment (Prov 2:6–9). If someone’s human political values and party ideals matter more to them than YHVH’s values, then their political choices will be flawed.
A Talmidi voter therefore does not ask only:
- Which party benefits me? (Prov 28:21)
- Which side do I belong to? (Prov 18:17)
But instead:
- Does this policy increase justice, or merely power? (Isa 10:1–2)
- Does it protect the vulnerable, or sacrifice them? (Prov 31:8–9)
- Does it tell the truth, or manipulate fear and play on emotions? (Lev 19:16)
- Does it restrain cruelty, or legitimise it? (Mic 6:8)
- Does it serve peace, or glorify conflict? (Ps 34:14)
- Does it honour moral limits on wealth, force, and authority? (Prov 16:8)
These questions do not point mechanically to any single political ideology or party — and that is precisely the point.
Conclusion: Politics under God, not instead of God
In the Talmidi vision of human society, politics itself is not salvific. It cannot redeem humanity, create heaven on earth, or abolish sin (Ps 146:3). But it can either restrain evil or amplify it (Prov 29:2).
Yahwism therefore places politics firmly under God’s judgement, not above it (Dan 2:21).
To practise politics in a Talmidi way is not to exalt or sanctify one’s preferred party, but to refuse to sanctify any party at all – and instead, to sanctify justice, mercy, truth, humility, and human dignity as the non-negotiable standards by which all politics must be judged (Mic 6:8; Zech 7:9–10). If one reveres a particular political party or ideology, then you will be tempted to ignore God’s values, and thereby to ignore God. One can either serve human political ideals, or one can serve YHVH’s eternal values – one cannot serve both.