In the English language, the word “remnant” is defined by Oxford as “a small remaining quantity of something.” Biblically speaking, the Remnant is a concept that refers to a remaining portion of people that possess rare characteristics of righteousness. In his essay “Isaiah’s Job,” early libertarian theorist Albert Jay Noch provided a modern-day interpretation of the biblical principle of the Remnant, offering us insight as to how it can be applied to present-day education of the masses.

The essay revolves around retelling the story found in Isaiah’s Old Testament book in which God calls on him to go out and deliver a message of warning to the masses, with one slight caveat: there would be no visible support or adherence to the words of his message. Of course, this sounds preposterous. However, he mentions that there is a Remnant who needs to hear the message; his efforts will not be in vain after all.

Noch expands on the Remnant concept, particularly as it relates in a more general sense to trying to reach the masses of today. The masses, he says, make up the majority of mankind, and overall are intellectually and ethically weaker than the few who make up the Remnant. He makes it clear that the Remnant is an elusive, mysterious few, of which only two things can be known for certain: that they exist, and that they will find you. The exact quantity of the Remnant is impossible to determine; he cites the story from 1 Kings in which Elijah sorely underestimates it.

What Noch indicates in the essay is that the Remnant will almost always remain a minority. He allows only for a slight exception to this rule when he states the following:

A prophet of the Remnant will not grow purse-proud on the financial returns from his work, nor is it likely that he will get any great renown out of it. Isaiah’s case was exceptional to this second rule, and there are others–but not many.

The implication here is that, apart from the “not many” who manage to penetrate beyond the Remnant and through to the thinking of the masses–that is, the majority–he who attempts to mobilize the masses is unlikely to receive visible success. The Remnant, of course, will hear the message as intended, but will remain in the minority. This, however, is not necessarily true.

The concept of the Remnant found in the Bible is based on ethical principles that are not implicitly bound to a minority. While there is certainly truth to Noch’s statement that exceptions to this minority are not altogether common, this is continually shifting as the internet expands with more outlets of influence toward the masses. By simply speaking to the masses, it is very possible indeed for Noch’s “prophet of the Remnant” to impart ethical growth to a great enough degree to multiply the Remnant overtime, thus effectively merging the majority and the Remnant. Regardless of intellectual boundaries, basic ethical principles are accessible to all; these, in fact, are the same principles that serve as the basis and foundation for free market economics. A basic understanding of biblical morality is the only knowledge necessary to observe the benefits the free market has to offer. The Remnant of one era, therefore, can in fact become the majority if understanding of ethical principles is shared; there are no inherent human restrictions that prevent this from being the case.🔹