Our Civic Duty

“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not pervert justice. 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. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” [1]

Civic leaders reflect the moral and ethical climate of a city, of a province, and of a nation. Many people imagine civic leaders dictate morals and ethics; but the reality is that the prevailing social climate first elevates and then tolerates those who lead. Society avidly and openly embraces the moral and ethical standard of the leaders since leaders reflect society itself. Underscore in your mind this essential truth—civic leaders reflect the moral and ethical climate of the society they serve.

Because this is true, God teaches us that His people are to consider the character of those who are appointed to lead. Character counts in leadership. When Moses commanded the Israelites to appoint God-fearing leaders, he wasn't just talking to a handful of citizens who felt like getting involved. You will note that the command given in our text was directed to all Israelites. And modern Christians are under the same obligation to choose leaders who love justice. Ironically, the Scriptures warn that if we value prosperity over justice, we'll end up losing both. Moses told the Israelites, “Justice, and only justice, you shall follow.” This command is followed by a promise that the people will “live and inherit the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” In other words, if people want prosperity, they must choose leaders committed to justice.

In the Old Testament, God often sent people to find particular individuals to lead. Today, in our modern democracy, free citizens act as God's agents for choosing leaders, and we do this by voting. The term “judges and officers” in the text before us covered all government leaders. Besides hearing cases and rendering decisions, they set public policy and could even call out the military in a crisis. Given these heavy responsibilities, the criteria for selecting judges were strict. Civic leaders were to be men who feared God, men committed to the truth, men who hated dishonest gain. And while the charge the LORD delivered was applicable to the whole of society, the leadership was warned: “You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe … subverts the cause of the righteous.”

The political doctrine of my childhood was summed up in two statements: “Anyone can become president,” and “Every American should vote.” I’m sure that similar sentiments were heard throughout the Dominion of Canada, though I acknowledge I didn’t live here during my formative years. Candidly, I’m not certain that I was ever convinced of the veracity of the first statement, and early in my adult life I began to harbour serious doubts about the second statement. The reasons Americans vote at this stage of national development have become less idealistic.

In 1867, 73.1% of eligible voters voted in Canadian elections. From 1958 through 1963, the percentage of eligible voters exercising their right to choose who would govern the nation had risen more than 79% of eligible voters. By 2008, however, the percentage of eligible voters exercising the right to elect their Member of Parliament had fallen to 58.8%. I don’t know if the trend of participation in voting by eligible voters will continue downward, but if surveys of those of voting age is any indication, the lack of understanding surrounding the issues facing Canadians would suggest that it would not be a bad thing to see reduced voter participation.

Despite whatever misgivings I may harbour concerning the Canadian electorate, we who follow the Son of God, we who are conversant with the Word of God, can be assured that we are do have responsibility to exercise our voting rights as Canadian citizens.

To be sure, voting is a privilege of citizenship; and participating in the act of selecting those who represent us in Parliament and in the provincial legislature, places responsibility on us as followers of the Christ to treat this responsibility with the seriousness it deserves. If we will fulfil the responsibility of which I am speaking, it behooves us to acquaint ourselves with the instruction delivered to Israel as they moved resolutely toward moving into the land God promised they would possess.

LEADERSHIP WAS TO BE REPRESENTATIVE — “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes” [DEUTERONOMY 16:18a]. Racial diversity is a non-negotiable demand by those of the world. And when racial diversity is not being demanded, it is “gender diversity,” a concept freighted with confusion, if not absolute craziness. No one knows what this is!