Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Romans 13:1
God gives leaders to His people. Here are four offices that God established for His people—judges, kings, priests, and prophets—and what He expects from each one.
- Judges: “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you… You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous” (Dt. 16:18-19). This is about the corrupting power of money. Even wise people can lose the ability to see clearly.
- Kings: The king “must not acquire many horses” (17:16). If you were planning for war in those days, you acquired horses. Do we have nations in the world today that are building military power, threatening the stability of the world? When God speaks about kings, this is for us.
- Priests: “For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the LORD” (18:5). Do we have any religious leaders in the world today who abuse trust and bring pain to vulnerable people? When God speaks about priests, this is for us.
- Prophets: “I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command… But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak… shall die” (18:18, 20). Do we have any pastors today who communicate their own message rather than speaking God’s Word? When God speaks about prophets, this is for us.
We live in a sinful, fallen world of biased judges, abusive priests, false prophets, and tyrannical kings. We need to hear these words from God in every culture and in every generation.
Pray for a leader that God brings to your mind.
