The Heart of Biblical Governance

The Church's understanding of personal spiritual transformation, and our understanding of the timing and purpose of resurrection to spirit born life revolve around governance. The present calling of God is about preparation for governance in the coming Kingdom.

In previous messages we have gone through some foundational concepts:

Today's we’ll explore God’s guidance on how attitude, character, and ethics drive governance. We’ll review governing systems at work among the people of God... from the earliest times right up to [but not including] the inauguration of the Church at that first Pentecost.

The history of God's people is one of the externals constantly changing, while the internal/spiritual things remaining the same. It even has application on a congregational level. Such as when you get a new pastor.

The change is neither good nor bad, what determines good or bad are the attitudes, the moral guidelines, the goals. Some things change... and some things must not. The OT record of governance is one of change... planting, overturning, but also of things that never change.

With that clue of how this might apply to you, let's dive in.

Our first example  of human governing structures among the people God is the family of Abraham. The family, which bands together for protection and  reproduction, is a “biological survival unit”. But, God’s people are not driven by mere survival. Unlike those around them, God’s people are driven by God's word… His guidance… and seeking His will. 

Genesis 18:18-19 so the difference with Abraham's little band was not structural, [patriarchal]. The difference was spiritual. In this way they were separate and distinct from the world around them even though they organized themselves along the same pattern as the world around them.

Time passes and the family of Israel grew into a large population. God delivered this population from their slavery in Egypt and formed them into a nation. After 430 years of abject slavery they were basically untrained and unprepared to govern themselves. Onto this blank slate God would write some very important lessons.

God established His sovereignty over them and outlined for them His standards of conduct as well as ethical motivations, and attitudes. He even established over them the beginnings of practical governing administration in the person of Moses. Some might say "why don't we use that same God-given paradigm for self organization". But, while God's standards were written in stone the practical application of leadership and governance were subject to change… even while Moses was alive!  

When Moses couldn't personally manage the huge mass of people there were some changes made.

Exodus 18:15-27 Jethro proposes a revised judicial system that delegates responsibilities. There is no indication that God inspired Jethro to say this stuff. What Jethro says in verse 23 is "if you do these things, and if God agrees, then you will etc. Etc”. 

This is a realistic, practical, organizational change suggested by a pagan priest of Midian. So, there are practical things God's people can adopt from without... BUT... they must be guided by the standards of morality, ethic, and motives as directed by God.

So, they wanted men who were; able, reverent, honest, not greedy.

Deuteronomy 1:9-18 Here is a parallel account which tells us that the people themself had a role to play in selecting the administrative helpers (interesting). There is not much detail on what the judges would do or not do, the extent of their authority, how they would address incompetence, conflict of interest etc. God through His word focuses on the ethics rather than the structure. The structure might change in the future as circumstances demand... but the high standards would never change.

Notice, that this version adds to Jethro's advised qualifications: adding fairness, equity, non-discrimination, no partiality based on wealth, or fear of public opinion. Important standards of Godly governance not mentioned by the pagan priest Jethro. These are timeless and are repeated in principle in the NT qualifications listed for leadership in the Church of God [1 Timothy 3].

These qualities take a lifetime to fully learn. The best we can hope for is that Church leaders have made a good start down that path and are dedicated to sticking to it.

Deuteronomy 16:18-20 notice the words judges and officials. Here we are getting the classic branches of human government;

God acknowledges the practicality of these various functions but does not dictate their structure. His emphasis is on the importance of righteous character; impartiality and avoidance of covetousness.

Numbers 11:14-17 God engages with the appointment of elders to assist in leading the people. HE gives them a measure of His spirit. We don't know a lot about how they were selected or how they functioned. Elders are a presence in Israel even before Moses comes on the scene [ Exodus 3:16, 18]… probably heads of extended households, tribal leadership.

We see God working with and using this already established order. And He did so for a very long time. Elders remained the leadership model throughout the days of Moses… they continued to help govern in the days of Joshua… and continued on as the leadership core of Israel after Joshua’s death [Joshua 24:31, Judges 27; 8:13-16; 11:4-11].

Next we encounter the period known as Judges which lasts for several centuries. Elders providing weak, dispersed leadership. In times of crisis God would raise up a strong leader called Judges ( or deliverers)... these deliverers were a combination of judicial, executive, and spiritual leadership. I think they best line up with what we would consider a benevolent dictatorship.

The last and greatest of the deliverers, was Samuel... but the people were alarmed at the corruption at the lower levels of administration. The people also wanted the security of a more permanent military presence. They demand a change to the governing structure. They wanted a military king, which was the dominant governing structure of the nations around them.

God agreed to their request but gave them some warnings 1 Samuel 8:9 the person made king will begin to claim certain rights;  unchecked access to your money and land, access to your women, military conscription [the biggies... sex, money, power].

Its sort of a repeat of the warning provided in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 which emphasizes the character needed if there was to be a king, faith in God not guns, avoid sexual shenanigans, avoid covetousness, knowledge of the law [God's law]. He is not to consider himself better than the rest, therefore justice and equity etc.

The only way a monarchical governing structure would work (or any structure) was if the ethical imperatives God provided were observed.

The monarchies that followed in both Judah and Israel were administrative and procedural disasters. If they stuck with the ethical guidance on God they did well... otherwise, they floundered. After several centuries they were overwhelmed and subjugated by the Assyrians, then the Babylonians, then Persia then the Greeks.

The age of monarchical government ended. The People of God would now have to conduct themselves under a completely different structure. They would not be any less the people of God because of the change in the governing structure they were subject to. The ethical and moral demands would still remain. But how would they play out?

While they were captive they were subject to foreign power, the main social leaders of Israel seemed to be priests like Ezra, but there were also governors who represented the people before their imperial overlords... men like like Nehemiah, Zurrubabel and Daniel.

There were prophets in the land; Ezekiel, Habakkuk, Haggai, Zephaniah etc. But these prophets did not exert administrative or judicial power. The prophets role was to speak truth to power, to offer spiritual correction, to exhort.  We often don't know who these community leaders were by name... probably a mix of governors and tribal elders.

Structurally, kind of a mess... but still God's people.

Judah did regain political control in the time of the Maccabees (after the Greeks, but before the Romans) ... it was a type of monarchical rule but it only lasted until the Romans came along and took over once again.

Under the Romans we see a governing body called the Sanhedrin develop. They  which governed until the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. The Sanhedrin had limited judicial and executive power under the watchful eyes of the Romans. They were responsible for Jewish stuff which the Romans didn't really care about.  Note:  The Sanhedrin was not a collection of priests, although there were priests on the Sanhedrin.

When Jesus came on the scene He had to interact with two very different forms of governance, the Jewish authorities (governing traditional society), and Rome (governing taxation, military, police). Through all this, Jesus consistently taught submission to both governments unless it conflicted with God's law.

To learn governance you must first learn to be governed…

On the other hand, neither did He advocate, or endorse any specific form of government. But He did give some powerful and pointed instruction about leadership…adding humility, service, and the fruits of the spirit to what has already been said. These instructions are matters of ethics, and character rather than structure.

The way we organize and govern ourselves changes, even as the people of God. There is no single organizational pattern you can point to and say "this is God's form of government". Here locally you are about to experience a change in how your congregations are managed. Things will change. But what does not change are the matters of character, ethics, fairness, respect, and justice.

In God’s Church we emphasize that your present purpose as first fruits is to learn, and develop in yourself the principles of Godly governance. So that you are prepared to be seated alongside Christ as kings and priests... the executive, the judiciary, and the teachers in the world to come.

Your training for governing and leadership does not involve an apprenticeship in today’s worldly governments... most of your present training concerns learning to be governed. Yes, some will experience having a position of authority in the governing structure of the Church of God. Most will not. Some will learn through governing their own family… but some will not. 

What you are learning and practicing is the way of thinking that leads to Godly governance regardless of how things are organized. This is the essence of Jesus' teachings about authority, governance, and leadership. To focus on the person you are rather than putting confidence in the structure you are part of.

Humility, service, justice, integrity, honesty, mercy, gentleness, and more.