he
conscientious Christian desires to glorify God and
obey His Word in all that he thinks and does. This
desire extends to his actions as a Christian
citizen. Perhaps one of his more important actions
as a citizen is that of voting for the men who will
serve as magistrates over him. So as each election
draws near he seeks to determine which candidate he
should endorse with his vote. Throughout the process
of deciding he receives much advice, such as: vote
Republican; vote for the conservative; vote for the
one who is pro-life; vote for the one who stands
closest to you on the issues; vote for “x” even
though he is less than desirable because if he
doesn't win, then we will have “y” who is even
worse; and so on.
However helpful this kind of advice may be, the
Christian who believes that the Word of God is able
to instruct him in righteousness and equip for every
good work (2
Tim. 3:16-17), including the work of voting,
will necessarily turn to the Scripture for guidance.
The Bible contains explicit instructions concerning
the qualifications for civil officers, and to these
the Christian ought to look as he determines who he
will support with his time, money, and vote. There
are two primary texts that set forth the standards
for choosing civil magistrates:
Exodus 18:21 and
Deuteronomy 1:13.
In
Exodus 18, Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, advises
Moses to appoint men to help him in governing and
judging the nation, lest he wear out both himself
and the people (18:17-19).
An important aspect of Jethro's counsel to Moses is
in regard to the kind of men that he should
appoint as rulers. The character of the men chosen
must be according to the following standards:
“Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the
people able men, such as fear God, men of truth,
hating coveteousness...” (Ex.
18:21).
Civil leaders must be men of strength. The
strength that is required here is not primarily
physical, but moral and spiritual. It refers to men
of valor and of virtue; men of courage and of
character. A man who is a coward will not fulfill
his duty to uphold God's law if doing so would be
unpopular with the people. A man who is of an evil
character cannot govern justly. Only those who have
proven that they have the ability, courage, and
integrity necessary to lead should be chosen as
civil rulers.
Magistrates should be men who honor and reverence
God and His Word. This qualification indicates that
only those who are believers, i.e., stand in
covenant with God through faith, should be
considered for the office of magistrate (cf.
Deut. 17:15). If a people are to have wise and
understanding leaders, they must choose those who
fear God, for the “fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom” (Prov.
1:7). Men who do not fear God are, according to
Scripture, “fools” who hate true wisdom.
Civil rulers need to be men who stand firmly and
faithfully for the truth. Men of truth are men who
do not lie, but speak the truth even to their own
hurt. They love the truth and hate all that is
false. It is absolutely essential that civil leaders
be men who can be trusted to speak the truth. Liars
and lovers of falsehood are a scourge to those they
lead.
A man who is raised to the position of civil
magistrate must be one who seeks no unjust gain from
his position. He must “hate” (not simply dislike,
but hate) the thought of using his office to
enrich himself through violence, fraud, bribes, etc.
A coveteous magistrate will try to use the power of
his office to unjustly seize for himself the wealth
of those he governs. A magistrate must also hate
covetousness in others, and not allow any citizen to
use the power of civil government to seize the
wealth of his neighbor through unjust legislation or
confiscatory taxation.
In Deuteronomy chapter one, Moses recounts the
events that took place forty years earlier at Mount
Sinai. One of these events was the appointment of
rulers to serve with him in governing the nation in
accord with the advice of Jethro (Ex.
18:13-26). In speaking of the appointment of
rulers he does not mention Jethro, for Moses knew
that God was using Jethro to direct him in that
circumstance. The account of the appointing of
rulers to assist Moses in judging the people given
here provides further insight on the biblical
standards for the choosing of rulers.
First, Moses indicates that although he did the
appointing, it was the people who actually chose
their own rulers. Moses charges the people to “take
you wise men....” The word “take” means to
provide or choose, while the word “you” means for
yourselves. Therefore, Moses gives the people the
responsibility of selecting their own leaders. Moses
then appointed (installed into office) those chosen
by the people.
Second, Moses provided the people with specific
standards for determining which men were qualified
for the office of civil judge and ruler. The
citizens have the responsibility of choosing their
own rulers, but they are not free to choose
whomsoever they will. Rather, they are charged by
Moses to choose only those who meet certain
qualifications. Moses states:
“Take you wise men, and understanding, and known
among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over
you.” (Deut.
1:13).
These qualifications summarize those stated
previously in
Exodus 18:21 and provide additional commentary
on the standards God has established for choosing
rulers.
The Hebrew word translated “men” in this text
refers to males as opposed to females. The generic
term for mankind, which would include women, is
not used here, but rather, the gender specific
word for men. If the choice of words means anything,
then it is necessary to conclude that God intended
that only men be chosen for the office of civil
ruler. In
Exodus 18:21 the same Hebrew word is used; in
fact, in every other passage dealing with the civil
magistrate, his duties, and his qualifications, men
are in view (cf.
Deut. 17:14-20;
2 Sam. 23:3;
Neh. 7:2;
Prov. 16:10;
20:8, 28;
29:14;
31:4-5;
Rom. 13:1-6). The order of male headship
established at creation applies to each of the three
“governments” established by God: the family, the
church, and the state.
1
The Hebrew word for “wise” means to be skilful,
prudent, intelligent, or able. It denotes both
natural ability and wisdom attained through
experience. But wisdom in the biblical sense is
never just prudence and skill gained through
experience. According to Scripture, wisdom begins
with the fear of the Lord and proceeds to a
knowledge of God and His precepts. True wisdom comes
from God as a man searches for it in the Word of God
as he would search for hidden treasure (Prov.
2:1-8). Such a man will come to “understand
righteousness, and judgment, and equity, and every
good path” (Prov.
2:9). Thus, a magistrate should be a man of
ability and intelligence who is skilled in judgment
because of his fear of the Lord and his knowledge of
God's Word.
To be “understanding” is to be discerning, to
have the ability to make a proper judgment. It
refers primarily to moral insight and ethical
discernment. A man of “understanding” is able to
discern the right course of action based on the
moral law of God. In terms of civil law, a man of
understanding knows what is just and is able to
judge righteously in disputes or criminal cases
because he understands God's law.
These are men who have proven themselves to be
wise and understanding. Their character, ability,
and wisdom have been demonstrated by their service
in other spheres. A man who would be a ruler must
first prove himself in family life, business,
community service, church service, etc.
The biblical standards for magistrates given in
Exodus 18:21 and
Deuteronomy 1:13 give citizens a sure guide for
determining which men among them are truly fit to
serve as their civil rulers. The qualifications
given in these texts indicate three areas of
concern:
The demands of being a magistrate require men who
are intelligent and have the skills necessary to
lead others.
Magistrates must be men of the highest personal
character. They must be men of truth and virtue.
Their lives should be an example of righteous
living. As those charged with enforcing God's law in
the civil sphere, they should keep all aspects of
God's moral law. They must be men who are there to
serve God and man, and are not there to enrich or
promote themselves.
Magistrates, as ministers of God, should be men
of spiritual attainment (a knowledge and fear of
God) and biblical wisdom. It is vital that a ruler
knows that he is accountable to God and has a
healthy fear of the day that he will give account to
God. A ruler must also be knowledgeable of God's law
as it is revealed in Scripture so that he can carry
out his duty of establishing justice in the gates (i.e.,
in the courts and legislatures of the land).
The standards for choosing magistrates as
established in the law of God are carried out,
amplified, and upheld throughout the rest of
Scripture.
After Israel has taken possession of the land it
will be their duty under God's law to select judges
and officers to carry out judgment in the gates.
These rulers are charged to “judge the people with
just judgment.” Hence, it follows that the people
should choose “wise” and “understanding” men who
will be able to do just that. It is right to assume
that the standards Moses taught them in
Deuteronomy 1:13 should be applied to the
choosing of local magistrates since no new or
different standards are given here.
This text addresses the circumstance of Israel
seeking a king to rule over them. It further
establishes the responsibility of the people to
choose their rulers, in this case, their king.
However, they are not at liberty to choose
whomsoever they will, but only the man approved and
chosen by God. Furthermore, the man they choose must
be a “brother,” i.e., a man who stands in
covenant with God through faith; he must not be an
unbeliever, but one who fears God as stated in
Exodus 18:17.
In this text it is plainly stated that “He that
ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of
God.” Righteous men who govern according to God's
law as God's ministers is always the biblical
standard.
These verses contain the instructions of King
Jehoshaphat for the judges that he appointed in the
land, city by city:
Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man,
but for the Lord, who is with you in judgment.
Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you:
take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with
the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking
of gifts.
The charge given by the king reflects the
standards for choosing magistrates given in the law
of Moses. Only men who “fear God,” who are “able,”
“wise,” “understanding,” and “hate covetousness”
could possibly fulfill the duties spoken of by
Jehoshaphat.
After the walls had been rebuilt and the Levites
appointed to serve in the Temple, Nehemiah continued
to restore the integrity of Jerusalem by
establishing Hanani and Hananiah as civil rulers in
the city. Nehemiah specifically stated that he chose
Hananiah because “he was a faithful man who feared
God above many.” Nehemiah followed the standards of
the law of God in appointing the leaders of
Jerusalem. As a “faithful” man, Hananiah is firm in
his stand for truth; he is a man who is known for
his faithfulness to truth; thus, he meets the
qualification “men of truth.” Hananiah is also a man
who fears God “among many.” He has proven himself as
a man of spiritual maturity who is qualified to lead
others.
The biblical standards for choosing magistrates
instruct citizens to select righteous men. This
verse emphasizes the great importance of selecting
righteous men by stating: “When the righteous are in
authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked
beareth rule, the people mourn.” This proverb
teaches that it is great folly to elevate wicked men
to civil leadership, but great wisdom to follow
God's law and elect only men who fear God and obey
His Word.
The nature and purpose of the magistrate's role
is defined by Paul in this classic text on civil
government. Paul explains that the authority of the
civil ruler comes from God, and that the ruler
serves as God's minister to exercise God's vengeance
against evildoers. This description of the nature
and purpose of the office of civil ruler applies to
all rulers in all nations at all times; no
exceptions are given by Paul. Thus, the same role
that was assigned to magistrates in the Old
Testament is assigned to magistrates in the New
Testament (cf.
Deut. 1:16-17;
16:18-20;
2 Chron. 19:6-7;
Prov. 16:10, 12;
31:8-9). If the role is the same, then it
must be that the qualifications are the same.
The biblical standards for choosing civil
magistrates needs to be applied today in the
following manner:
