To gain understanding of the nature of constitutions, remember the history of such documents. I will show you two:

1) Nehemiah, Chapter 10.
2) Fundamental Orders of 1639.

The first is very interesting as Nehemiah was a Babylonian marshal imposing the return of Babylon's recent creation, the Jew. If you remember your Bible Story and the Book of Ezra, after seventy years in captivity, the Jews were not considered fit to serve and repair the Temple Mount by the native Israelites. As Darius won the civil war he cause by sending the Jews to invade their former homeland, he appointed Nehemiah as the Marshal of enforcement.

It would seem from the Bible lesson that this kind of imposition brought with it, the bonding of government officials through Oath of Office. Swearing. This may be developed later in the thread for sure - with Jesus' admonition against swearing and all.

I want to move on with a succinct opening post to the Fundamental Orders. The FO has a remarkable Preamble, even calling on Jesus Christ by Name:


Interestingly the capital offenses refer to the Ten Commandments. It calls for honoring of bills and liens, even upon transfer by attorn.

Through these two early constitutions though, we can begin to understand the fidelity bond ($$$) formed through the Oath of Office today. - That the oath is a curse, to pay for infidelity to the constitution:


Neh 10:1 Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,
Neh 10:2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah...

Neh 10:28 And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;

Neh 10:29 They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;

Neh 10:30 And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons:

Neh 10:31 And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath...


Food for thought!

David Merrill.