Deuteronomy 16:18-20 “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the Lord your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment. (19) You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. (20) You shall follow what is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”
The above passage of scripture once again confirms to us the qualities that God requires in those who govern. Although in this passage God is speaking about those placed in authority in the nation of Israel, these same qualities are also applicable for the authorities of all the nations of the earth. God says that those in authority are not to pervert justice by showing partiality or taking bribes. Sadly many leaders in the nations of the world display the exact opposite to God’s requirements, by showing partiality to certain favoured citizens and taking bribes from the same. In His word, God tells us that if a ruler is dishonest then all the members of his administration will themselves eventually become morally bankrupt (Proverbs 29:12). And so we see that nations that appoint to positions of authority people displaying these character flaws, will begin to see an erosion of justice in their midst as more and more government officials begin to show partiality and take bribes. But I want you to notice the blessing that God pronounces on the nation that has governors that do not pervert justice by showing partiality and taking bribes, in that He says that nation will live. The word translated “live” also carries the meaning of living prosperously, and so those nations can expect to become prosperous as God blesses them. The scripture goes on to say that they will inherit the land God has given them. That simply means that those nations will see their borders expand to the full extent that God intended for them, and that none will be able to diminish their borders.
Michael E.B. Maher
Comments