Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Judges, Kings, Priests, and Ordinary People
(Deuteronomy 16:18—18:8; 26:1–19)
As Moses continued to prepare the new generation for life in the Promised Land, he not only instructed them about their past history and their obligations in worship, but he also explained to them the kind of government God wanted them to organize. When their ancestors were in Egypt, the Jews had minimal organization involving only elders (Ex. 3:18), and during the wilderness journey, Moses had tribal officers who assisted him in solving the problems the people brought them (18:13ff.). Each tribe in Israel also had a leader (Num. 1:5–16; 7:10–83), and there were seventy elders who assisted Moses in the spiritual oversight of the nation (11:10ff.).
This basic organization was adequate to govern a nomadic people following a gifted leader, but it wouldn’t suffice once the nation moved into the Promised Land. For one thing, Moses would no longer be with them to give them messages directly from the mouth of God. Furthermore, each of the twelve tribes would be living in its own assigned territory, and Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh would be located on the other side of the Jordan River. How would they deal with tribal differences? Who would protect the people and enforce God’s laws? God in His grace gave them the kind of government that would meet their needs.
Christians too often undervalue the importance of government to the peace, safety, and progress of society. Without human government, even with all its shortcomings, society would be in shambles, and no nation could adequately improve or defend itself. “The powers that be are ordained of God” (Rom. 13:1) doesn’t mean that God is to blame for the appointment or election of each individual public official or the decisions they make once they’re in office. It means that the authority for government comes from God and that those who serve in public offices are ministers of the Lord and accountable to Him (v. 4). “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40) applies not only to the public worship services of the church but also to the public service of civic officials. God’s people are commanded to pray for those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1–6), but too often we’re guilty of criticizing them instead of interceding for them.
Moses pointed out the basic offices and obligations of the government God wanted Israel to establish in the land.
The repetition of the word gates (16:5, 11, 14, 18; 17:2, 5, 8) indicates that the basic unit of government in Israel was the local town council. It was made up of judges and officers who, with the elders, conducted business at the city gates (Ruth 4:1–12). The judges and officers were probably appointed or elected by the male landowning citizens of the town, but we aren’t given the details. The word translated “officers” (KJV) means “writers, secretaries” and refers to the men who kept the official records and genealogies, advised the judges, and carried out their decisions. God was the supreme Legislator in the land, because He gave the laws; the local judges formed the judicial branch of the government; and their officers constituted the executive branch.
Godly character (16:19–20). The most important thing about the judges and officers was that they be men of character, because only just men could honestly execute just judgment. The judges were not to twist the law and “distort justice,” nor were they to “respect persons,” which in the Hebrew is literally “regard faces.” The important thing was to determine what the accused person did and not to major on who the accused person was. The Lord warned the judges not to favor their friends by acquitting the guilty, reducing the sentences, or tampering with the legal process, nor were the judges to accept bribes. “Justice” is usually pictured as a woman carrying scales and wearing a blindfold. “It is not good to show partiality to the wicked, or to overthrow the righteous in judgment” (Prov. 18:5 NKJV).
The decisions of the judges affected not only the individuals on trial but the entire nation. If the judges freed the guilty at the expense of the innocent, the land would be defiled and God would eventually remove the nation from the land. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened during the years that preceded the fall of Israel and Judah. The courts became corrupt and allowed the rich to rob the poor and needy, and the wealthy soon owned great estates and controlled the economy. Because the leaders didn’t obey the laws about the Sabbath Year and the Year of Jubilee, the economy got out of balance and the land was stolen from its rightful owners. God couldn’t permit such flagrant disobedience to His law, so He punished His people severely by sending them into captivity.
Leadership in the local church must be given only to those who are qualified (Acts 6:1–7; 1 Tim. 3; Titus 1:5–9). “Everything rises or falls with leadership,” says Dr. Lee Roberson, and he is right. How tragic it is when churches choose unqualified and untried people to “fill” offices instead of to “use” those offices for the building of the church and the glory of God (1 Tim. 3:10). In the leadership of the local church, spiritual character is far more important than a person’s popularity, personality, talent, or occupation.
Devotion to God (16:21—17:7). Idolatry was the great enemy of the spiritual life of the Jewish nation, and the judges had to be alert enough to detect it and courageous enough to deal with it. The “groves” were areas dedicated to the worship of Baal’s consort, Ashtoreth, and among their idols were wooden poles that symbolized the male member. Note that the idolaters tried to locate their worship centers as close to God’s altar as possible (16:21; NIV, “beside the altar”). The idolaters wanted to encourage people to worship both Jehovah and Ashtoreth, and eventually Ashtoreth would win out. If the judges were devoted to God, they would carefully investigate such practices, get the facts, condemn the guilty, and remove the idols from the land. They had to put Jehovah first.
It can’t be emphasized too much that the religion of the Canaanite nations was unspeakably filthy and mingled blind superstition with gross immorality. Human nature being what it is, the Jews would be attracted to gods they could see and ceremonies that appealed to their sensual appetites. This explains why God commanded the Jews to wipe out every vestige of Canaanite religion from the land (7:1–11), for He knew that the hearts of the people were too often set on doing evil in spite of His holy laws and His warnings.
The wisdom of God (17:8–13). Many times, the local judges and courts would have to consider cases that were complicated and perplexing and too difficult for them to settle, cases involving bloodshed, accusations, lawsuits, and various kinds of assault. To assist the local officials, the Lord would establish a central “court” at His sanctuary where the priests and Levites would share their wisdom and explain the law of God. In Israel, God’s law was national law, and the best ones to interpret and apply the law were the priests and Levites.
This “sanctuary court” was not a court of appeals where a convicted person could seek a second trial, nor was it an advisory committee whose decisions could be accepted or rejected. It was a court that tried cases carefully and whose decisions were authoritative and binding. Anybody who showed contempt for the authority of the courts or the decisions that they rendered was actually showing contempt for God and His law. Such rebels were guilty of a capital crime and were subject to the death penalty. God would not have rebellious citizens in His nation or permit people to resist His law presumptuously. No sacrifices were provided in the law for people who committed “high-handed” and deliberate sins (Num. 15:30–36).
When Woodrow Wilson was president of the United States, he said, “There are a good many problems before the American people today, and before me as president, but I expect to find the solution of those problems just in the proportion that I am faithful in the study of the Word of God.” Statesman Daniel Webster said, “If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instruction and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury our glory in profound obscurity.” Living as we do in a democratic pluralistic society, we can’t expect the government to make the Bible its official guidebook, but it would help the nation if professed Christians and Christian churches would major on preaching, teaching, and obeying the Word of God.
GODLY KINGS (17:14–20)
Elected leaders, not hereditary rulers, govern democratic nations today, but in ancient times, kings and emperors ruled nations and empires with despotic authority. But Israel was different from the other nations, for the law of the Lord was the “cement” that united the twelve tribes. The Levites, who were scattered throughout the land, taught the people God’s law, and the priests and judges saw to it that the law was enforced justly. The Israelites had to bring their tithes and sacrifices to the central sanctuary, and three times each year all the adult males assembled there to celebrate the goodness of the Lord. Jehovah was King in Israel (Ex. 15:18; Judg. 8:23) and He sat “enthroned between the cherubim” (Ps. 80:1 NIV) in the Holy of Holies.
Desiring a king (v. 14). But the Lord knew that the day would come when Israel would ask for a king because they wanted to be like the other nations (1 Sam. 8). During the time of the judges, the political and spiritual unity of the twelve tribes deteriorated greatly (Judg. 17:6; 21:25), and Israel was in constant danger of invasion by their enemies (1 Sam. 9:16; 12:12). Instead of trusting God, the people wanted a king who would build an army and lead the nation to victory. Unfortunately, the spiritual leadership in Israel had decayed, and Samuel’s sons weren’t following the ways of the Lord (8:1–5). But the main cause for Israel’s cry for a king was their desire to be like the other nations. Yet Israel’s great distinction was that they were not like the other nations! They were God’s chosen people, a kingdom of priests, and God’s special treasure (Ex. 19:5–6). “Lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations” (Num. 23:9).
Imitating the world instead of trusting the Lord has always been the great temptation of God’s people, and each time they’ve succumbed, they’ve suffered. During their wilderness journey, Israel compared everything that happened with what they had experienced in Egypt, and at Kadesh-barnea they even wanted to choose a leader and go back to Egypt (14:1–5)! But the church today is equally guilty of unbelief. When church leaders adopt the methods and measurements of the world, then the church has taken a giant step toward becoming like the world and losing its divine distinctives. Instead of trusting the Word of God and prayer (Acts 6:4), we depend on following the world’s wisdom, imitating the world’s methods, and catering to the world’s appetites, giving people what they want instead of what they need. Believers today need to take to heart God’s reminder to Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples” (Lev. 20:24 NKJV).
Qualifications for a king (vv. 15–17). The king was not to be elected by the people; he was to be chosen by God. Israel’s first king was Saul (1 Sam. 9—10), but God never intended Saul to establish a royal dynasty in Israel. Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin, but Judah was the royal tribe (Gen. 49:8–10), and the Messiah would come from Judah. Actually, Saul was given to the people to chasten them because they rejected the Lord (1 Sam. 8:7), for God’s greatest judgment is to give His people what they want and let them suffer for it.
Not only must the king be chosen by God, but the king must be from Israel and not be a foreigner. Whenever God wanted to chasten His people, He would set a foreign ruler over them and let the people experience the contrast between the goodness of God and the oppressiveness of the idolatrous Gentiles. Israel’s king must also put his full trust in the Lord and not depend on horses and armies (Deut. 17:16), foreign alliances based on marriage (v. 17a), or material wealth (v. 17b). King Solomon violated all three of these regulations, and it led him and the nation into sin. He married an Egyptian princess (1 Kings 3:1), the first of many political alliances he made by taking foreign wives (11:1–6). He went back to Egypt not only for a wife but also for horses for his army, and built “chariot cities” in Israel where he stabled his horses and chariots (10:26, 28–29). As for his wealth, it was fabulous and impossible to calculate (vv. 14–25, 27).
Wisdom for the king (vv. 18–20). The most important qualification for the king was a personal knowledge of the law of God (Deut. 17:18–20). He was to write out his own copy of the law, using the official copy provided by the priests (31:9, 24–26), read it regularly, and take it to heart. (See God’s command to Joshua in Josh. 1:7–8.) His study of the law would not only help him to rule the people justly, but it would also reveal to him the character of God and encourage him to fear Him and love Him more (Prov. 4). The king’s submission to God and His law would keep him from getting proud and abusing the authority the Lord had given him. For him to think that he was better than his brethren and privileged to live above God’s law would indicate that he wasn’t fit to lead the nation.
The church of Jesus Christ is a priesthood (1 Peter 2:5, 9), but the nation of Israel had a priesthood. All the priests and Levites were descendants of Levi, Jacob’s third son by Leah. Levi had three sons—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari—and Aaron and Moses were from the family of Kohath (Ex. 6:16–25). Only the descendants of Aaron were called “priests” and were allowed to serve at the altar and in the sanctuary proper. The Levites, who were descendants of Gershon and Merari, assisted the priests in the many ministries connected with the altar and the sanctuary. Neither the priests nor the Levites were given any inheritance in the land of Israel (Deut. 10:8–9; 12:12, 18–19) but lived from the tithes, offerings, and sacrifices that were brought to the sanctuary.
The priests (vv. 3–5). The priests were to receive specified parts from the sacrifices, except for the burnt offering, which was totally consumed on the altar. They would burn a handful of the meal offering on the altar and keep the rest for themselves, and various parts of the animal sacrifices were given to them as their due (Lev. 6:8—7:38). They were also given the firstfruits of the grain, oil, wine, and wool. This Old Testament practice carries over into the New Testament ministry. “Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:13–14 NKJV). The Lord’s command is found in Luke 10:7 and is quoted in 1 Timothy 5:18.
If the people didn’t support the priests as God commanded, then the priests would have to find their support elsewhere, and this would take them away from the ministry at the sanctuary. But only the priests could offer the sacrifices, care for the lamps and the table of bread, and burn the incense on the golden altar. Without the presence of the priests, the ministry at the sanctuary would come to a halt, and the people would be without intercession and spiritual help.
The Levites (vv. 6–8). The Levites lived in forty-eight cities scattered throughout the nation of Israel (Josh. 21). We assume that there was a definite schedule that governed their participation at the sanctuary, such as there was in the days of David (1 Chron. 23—26), with each Levite assigned to a task and a time. The priests and Levites could purchase land if they wanted to (1 Kings 2:26; Jer. 32:7; Acts 4:36–37) and even get an income from the land, but their major interest had to be serving at the sanctuary and helping the people know God and obey His Word. If a Levite sold or leased his property and came to the sanctuary because of his love for the Lord and His house, he must be permitted to serve there and to share in the gifts that the people brought. The fact that he earned money by leasing or selling his land did not change this policy.
In the time of Nehemiah, the people didn’t faithfully bring their tithes and offerings to the temple, and some of the Levites had to return to their lands in order to live (Neh. 13:10–14). Nehemiah urged the people to obey the Word and support their spiritual leaders, and they brought their tithes and offerings to be distributed to the Levites. It’s tragic the way professed Christians fail to support their churches by faithfully bringing their tithes and offerings, yet expect their churches to help them when they have needs.
OBEDIENT PEOPLE (26:1–19)
It isn’t enough for a nation to have gifted and godly leaders; it must also have godly citizens who obey the law of the Lord. Confucius said, “The strength of a nation is derived from the integrity of its homes.” But homes are made up of individuals, so it’s the strength of the individual that helps to make the home what it ought to be. “Whatever makes men good Christians,” said Daniel Webster, “makes them good citizens.” The three public confessions recorded in this chapter help us to understand what kind of citizens we ought to be as the followers of Jesus Christ.
(1) Confession of God’s goodness (vv. 1–11). This ceremony was to be used the first time any Jew brought his firstfruits offering to the Lord. It should not be confused with the annual firstfruits offering (16:4; Ex. 23:19; 34:26; Lev. 23:10–17; Num. 15:18–20; 18:12–13). Not only was this special ceremony a confession of God’s goodness to Israel and to this worshipper, but it was also a declaration that the man had now claimed his inheritance in the land. He had worked the land and received a harvest, and he brought the first and the best to give to the Lord. The basket of fruit sitting by the altar was a witness to the faithfulness of the Lord to His people. The entire ceremony was an Old Testament version of Matthew 6:33.
The confession begins with Israel’s entrance into the land of Canaan (Deut. 26:3), and this would remind the worshipper of the miracle of the crossing of the Jordan (Josh. 3). The God who opened the Red Sea for the nation to get out of Egypt also opened the Jordan River so they could go in and claim their inheritance. “He brought us out … that he might bring us in” (Deut. 6:23). The only reason the Jews didn’t enter the land sooner was because the older generation rebelled against the Lord at Kadesh and refused to trust Him for victory (Num. 13—14). The worshipper was reminded that the secret of Israel’s great success was faith in the promises of God. Years later, Joshua would say, “There failed nought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass” (Josh. 21:45; see 23:14; 1 Kings 8:56).
Then the worshipper would speak about Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel (Deut. 26:5), who left home and went to Haran in northwest Mesopotamia (Hos. 12:12; Gen. 25:20) to find himself a wife. After twenty years in the household of his father-in-law, Laban, Jacob obeyed God’s commandment and returned to his own land and settled down with his twelve sons and their families. Indeed, Jacob had been a “fugitive” and a “pilgrim” all those years, but the Lord had watched over him and blessed him. Jacob’s twelve sons were to become the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel, and through Israel God would bless the whole world (Gen. 12:1–3).
How would God transform one man’s family into a great nation? By taking them down to Egypt where they were put through the “iron furnace” of suffering (Deut. 26:5–7; 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51; Gen. 46). Seventy people traveled to Egypt where Joseph had prepared homes for them, and years later, on Passover night, probably two million Jews marched triumphantly out of Egypt. The more the enemy persecuted the Jews, the more the Jews had multiplied (Ex. 1). Suffering and trial are often God’s tools for bringing blessing to His people, though at the time we may not understand it. The more the Enemy persecuted the early church, the more they scattered and multiplied (Acts 5:41—6:1; 8:1–4).
The confession mentions nothing about Israel’s complaining on their journey or their failure at Kadesh-barnea. This is a confession of faith, not unbelief. “So the LORD brought us out of Egypt … He has brought us to this place and has given us this land” (Deut. 26:8–9 NKJV). The man calls Canaan “a land that flows with milk and honey,” which is what God often called it. God gave His people a wonderful land that would meet their every need. During Israel’s years of wandering and rebellion, some of the Jews called Egypt “a land that flows with milk and honey” (Num. 16:13). It’s tragic when people are so unspiritual that the things of the world are more inviting than the things of the Lord.
In response to the goodness and grace of the Lord, the worshipper presented to God the first and the best of his labors, for there would have been no harvest apart from the blessing of the Lord. But in presenting the firstfruits, the worshipper was actually giving the entire harvest to the Lord. Stewardship doesn’t mean that we give God a part and then use the rest as we please. True stewardship means that we give God what belongs to Him as an acknowledgment that all that we have is His. We then use all that is left wisely for His glory. To bring the Lord 10 percent and then waste the 90 percent that remains is not stewardship. It’s foolishness.
The Lord “gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17 NKJV), which explains why Moses admonished the Jews to rejoice in every good thing that the Lord gave to them (Deut. 26:11). While at the sanctuary, they could bring a thank offering to the Lord and enjoy a feast of good things, all to the glory of God. But note the mention of the Levite and the stranger, those with whom we need to share the gifts of the Lord (12:12, 18; 16:11, 14). This introduces the second confession.
(2) Confession of honesty and generosity (vv. 12–15). This scene would take place two years later, when the Jews were supposed to bring the extra tithe to the local officers (14:28–29). The previous ceremony occurred only once, after the first harvest in the land, but this ceremony was repeated every third year. The seventh year would be the Sabbath Year, and then the cycle started again. This confession was tantamount to a summary renewal of the covenant that Israel made at Sinai, their promise to obey the Lord and His promise to bless their obedience.
The tithe of the third year was kept in the towns and used locally to feed the Levites, strangers, orphans, and widows. In giving this tithe, the worshipper was to confess to the Lord that he had been honest in setting aside the tithe and using it as the Lord commanded. He was not to take the tithe for his own personal use and certainly not to use it for any sinful purpose. He had been careful not to defile the tithe by touching it while unclean because of a death in the family. In other words, the setting aside of this tithe for others was a serious matter and had to be done with dignity and obedience. The ceremony would end with the prayer of 26:15, asking God to bless the whole nation and not just the individual worshipper.
Both the first and the second confession express appreciation for the land “flowing with milk and honey” (vv. 9, 15). It’s a good thing when God’s people appreciate all that the Lord gives them. During their forty years of wandering, the older generation had frequently wanted to go back to Egypt and enjoy the food they had eaten there, but this backward look only got them into trouble. When it comes to the circumstances of life, we all need to follow Paul’s example: “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Phil. 4:11 NKJV). One of the best ways to learn contentment is to share with others the blessings God gives to us.
(3) Confession of obedience (vv. 16–19). The first two confessions looked forward to the time when Israel would be settled in their land and reaping the harvests. This confession brings us back to the plains of Moab where Moses was equipping the younger generation to enter the land. “This day” (vv. 16–18) and “today” were words Moses used frequently as he addressed the people (2:25; 4:26, 39; 6:6; 7:11; 8:1, 18; 10:13; etc.). It was indeed a solemn time when Moses reiterated the law and reviewed the nation’s history. The future of the nation depended on the people receiving, understanding, and obeying the Word of God that Moses was sharing with them.
The constant danger was that the people not receive God’s Word into their hearts but only hear it with their ears and then forget it. Like the Jewish people in Jesus’ day, they had ears but could not hear (Matt. 13:13–15). A mere casual acquaintance with the Word isn’t sufficient. If God’s Word is to nurture us and change us so that God can bless us (Ps. 1:1–3), we must devote ourselves to it, heart and soul. God had claimed Israel for His own people and promised to bless them if they obeyed Him (Deut. 26:18), and Israel had declared that Jehovah was their God and that they would obey Him (v. 17). There was no doubt that God would keep His promises, but would Israel keep their promises?
God had great things planned for Israel, just as He has great things planned for each of His children (Eph. 2:10; 1 Cor. 2:6–10). If the people kept their covenant promises to the Lord, He would bless them and make them a blessing, but if they disobeyed Him, He would have to chasten them. “But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels. Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries. … He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you” (Ps. 81:11–14, 16 NKJV).
God is faithful to us, but how much we miss when we’re not faithful to Him!
QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION OR GROUP DISCUSSION
1. What is the role of government? What does it mean that “the powers that be are ordained of God” (Rom. 13:1)?
2. Why was godly character so important for judges and officers? In elections today, how important would you rank character compared with experience or training?
3. What qualifies a person for leadership in a local church? Wiersbe says spiritual character is most important for church leadership. What is spiritual character?
4. Why did the Jews keep turning back to idolatry? What was the lure? What do you think is the allure today of false gods like money or success?
5. Israel desired a political king so they could be like the other nations. In what area are you tempted to imitate the world instead of trust in the Lord? In what areas have you stopped imitating the world?
6. What would help keep a person in authority from getting proud and abusing that authority?
7. What character traits and activities would you expect of a godly citizen?
8. What could you offer to God as a firstfruits offering?
9. Why do you suppose sharing what we have with those in need is a great way to learn contentment?
10. When is it most difficult for you to be content? In what ways are you more content now than you used to be? To what do you attribute that change?