Justice and Spiritual Leadership - Deuteronomy 16-19

 Deuteronomy 17:8-10 (ESV)

“If any case arises requiring decision between one kind of homicide and another, one kind of legal right and another, or one kind of assault and another, any case within your towns that is too difficult for you, then you shall arise and go up to the place that the LORD your God will choose. And you shall come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall consult them, and they shall declare to you the decision. Then you shall do according to what they declare to you from that place that the LORD will choose. And you shall be careful to do according to all that they direct you.

There is a spiritual aspect of justice.   In the above passage we read God’s instruction to the nation of Israel in regard to providing a system of justice to the nation.   We have to remember that Israel’s form of government at this time was a theocracy (God decides), not a democracy (man decides).   But, God did allow mankind to be His representative in regard to acts of justice.  It was the priest that were given the power to be the judge.  Moses was of course, from the tribe of Levi (the tribe all the priest came from), so, he too, would be part of the justice system.  God incorporated the spiritual leadership (Levites), with the judicial system.   That was God’s plan for a system God designed.   But, to God, all authority is His system.  Note:

Romans 13:1-2 (ESV)

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. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

We forget that even though we live in a democracy and are governed by our Constitution, we are still living in God’s world and He sets up who governs.   The authorities in our form of government may not recognize that they are “actors” put in place by God, but we should.   They may not know that their power is from God, but we should.   Israel was told to obey the decisions of their “judges.”   So, too are we.   Yes, the judges of Israel were supposed to make decisions based upon God’s Word and our judges in our land make decisions based on their own, self-directed laws, but we are still to obey.   God establishes all forms of government and we are to live in them and still act in faith toward God.  The authorities are established by God:

Psalms 75:6-7 (ESV)

For not from the east or from the west

and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,

but it is God who executes judgment,

putting down one and lifting up another.