The Burden of Leadership
Do you indeed speak righteousness, O gods? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men? Psalm 58:1 [English] NASB
O gods – So you’re a leader? You have authority over others. You guide them. They look to you for direction. Whether officially or unofficially, you have been thrust to the front. You might not even want that role, but it’s yours. Now what does God expect of you?
First, we must notice that the Tanakh uses the word ‘elem for those in charge. This is a very strange word to use here since it usually means “silence.” You can see by the translation that scholars believe it should be translated as if it were elohim, the same word used to describe God’s unique classification among sentient beings. This should give us considerable pause. In biblical thought, leaders are representatives of the Lord. They are to act as He would act, say what He would say, think as He thinks, care as He cares. They are elohim, the regents of YHVH on earth. If this is what the verse has in mind, this simple qualification means that nearly all of those we designate “leader” do not fit the bill. If you want to practice for your role in the Kingdom, when the King establishes His rule and reign, then start being elohim now for He will certainly not be employing any who are not elohim when He returns. (If you want a rule of thumb about what it means to act as elohim, try living according to Exodus 34:6-7).
Secondly, we notice that two actions are mentioned. This first is “speak righteousness.” The explanation of this phrase is fairly obvious. It uses dabar and tsedeq. In other words, “say what is right.” Of course, only the LORD determines what is right, so this means that leaders must know His words and be willing to speak them. Once again most of the men and women we call leaders are left out of the picture. Where are those who know what He says and speak it to us? Gone the way of religious syncretism, I’m afraid. To speak the words of YHVH is probably the least politically correct oratory one could imagine, but then we live in a world without prophets, probably because we killed them all.
It is interesting to notice that if ‘elem really means “silence” instead of a shortened version of elohim, then David is drawing our attention to the lack of prophetic challenge. “Do you really speak righteousness, you silent ones?” Leaders from the Lord speak His voice. They do not retreat to silence in the face of wickedness. They announce the truth, something like this: “Honor the Sabbath. Stop pretending it is Sunday. Do what God says!” Or something like this: “Both the Tanakh and the apostolic writings condemn homosexual behavior. Don’t try to alter the meanings of the words to fit your agenda.” I am sure you can add a few more. To be silent about righteousness is to disqualify yourself as a Kingdom leader.
Finally, David connects speaking God’s voice with judging uprightly. The root word is shapat. This is the principle Hebrew word for governance. It includes every aspect of governing a people. It does not differentiate between “church” and “state.” Life is life, no matter what category we put it in, and God has something to say about how we live in His world. To “judge” is to exercise His will on earth as it is in heaven.
Leadership? Do David’s conditions describe you in your role as guide for others? Do you think God put you in this place so you could be silent and keep to yourself?
Topical Index: leader, ‘elem, elohim, shapat, silence, governance, Psalm 58:1
All in the Family
~ Now all these things are from God, who (first) reconciled us to Himself through the Anointed One and has given unto us the ministry of reconciliation ~
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, – be reconciled to God.
~ For He has made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him ~
Reconciliation. What a beautiful word!! The errant son and the prodigal Father, now are reconciled! Right-relationship restored and renewed, resulting in exuberant rejoicing- both in Heaven and on earth!
But how was this reconcilation accomplished? Simply by remembering!! The errant son remembered!! – and then he repented. In his own words, – “I am going home, I am returning to my Father.” Little did he know however, – how “willing” the Father was to receive him!
Friend, – listen to this! The Father RAN to meet him! (wow!) Words fail and fall short right now.. What a moment in time that must have been. What joy must have filled the heart of the Father to be once again to have his own son “come home!”
We need not wonder.. for friends, – “it is written!” We have the “rest of the story”- recorded for us! Now it is time for us to review and to remember!
(Luke 15.23) Here it is! (does it get any better?) What was the Father’s reaction??
~ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate!!!!! ~
~~ for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate!! (Let the party begin!)
Reconciled. (Relationship Restored and Renewed!)
But there is even more to this recorded “event..” For there is yet one more, an “elder brother,” – one who is not yet fully reconciled- one who has not yet received, or welcomed his own brother! The Father’s heart though rejoicing is still broken because His own household is not yet fully “restored.” There still is strife in the family.
~ Behold! How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in harmony! ~ (Psalm 133.1)
As ~ ambassadors for Christ, (as though God were making an appeal through us;) we (also) beg you on behalf of Christ, – be reconciled to God! ~
May it never be said of us: ~ You may have no part in this, (this ministry of reconciliation) for your heart is not right with God ~ (Acts 8.21)
The question (for all of us) then, would be: Is your heart right with God?
Is your heart right with God,
Washed in the crimson flood,
– Cleansed and made holy, humble and lowly,
Right in the sight of God?
I have a question. Does the Torah (the Sinai covenant) apply to all mankind or is it for all those who want to make a commitment to YHVH and this covenant and join Israel? I know this is an odd question but I often wonder if we should be insisting that all people need to follow Torah regardless of whether they want a relationship with YHVH and be joined to Israel. Would appreciate your opinion. Thank you.
Nita this is what I think of when I ask myself that question.
De 14:21 Ye shall not eat of any thing that dies of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou may sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.
De 4:19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, should be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
Ac 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
In my opinion He gave Israel specific laws to govern us in the Kingdom as a holy priesthood to the Nations who are supposed to be attracted to our set apartness and want to willingly join us.
De.4:5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations who shall hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’
7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them as the LORD our God is in
Listen to “Torah to the Tribes” with Matthew Nolan {You Tube} He has many teaching that will give you some guidance and answered many of your questions.
His teaching have given me so much understanding of the scriptures that I did
not have in the many years attending the church.
Take a look and be bless…….
I am NOT speaking for anyone else, here, but I see this question agitated regularly down through history. All the empires were pretty much compulsorily religious (which is the major reason the Jews kept having so many problems with being conquered), and, most notably for us, ‘Christianity’, from Constantine down, has never sung another tune, really. You are hearing the same old tune power has always sung.
But what did Yeshua say when He was asked about His kingdom? I had to go back and read and ask Him myself on this one. Perhaps you could, too.
‘Protestantism’, so called, is not exempt from this lineup, either. No one seems to remember back around the turn of the 20th century how fervently the Sunday blue laws were being fomented in this country. And how hard the Jews and other minority non-Sunday worship groups had to work to keep them out. The coalition that was formed between them all, which was the backbone of the movement for Religious Liberty in this country, was formed in opposition to a governmental mandate for Sunday worship, as that is the only commandment of the Ten, if you stop and think about it, that you can truly enforce through secular law.
So what did the Torah provide for in the land of Israel for the foreigner? Perhaps looking at that could prove helpful. Also asking why religious tolerance was a law of the land then, and even in the synagogues and the Temple, provision was made for those who came to worship the One in the way they felt led to do, also. The followers of Yeshua worshiped in the Temple and synagogues, too. Even after He had announced that He was Messiah, He was still allowed to teach in the Temple and synagogues. Yes, the Jews claimed exclusivity and specialness, in that they worshiped the One True God, but they did not force anyone around them to do the same, even though they were clearly instructed to invite and welcome those around them. Yes, businesses closed down on the Sabbath, but there were no Torah police dragging off those who were not counted in their pew seats at the local synagogue. Even when Solomon was Emperor of his known world, he did not require, unlike all the other emperors before and after him, that everyone must worship a certain way. He did not even make it a law of the land that people had to convert! If the Torah itself does not call for this, then I want to ask, why are we?
Now I see a disturbing trend. Instead of the communal self-indentified One worshiped together, even if perhaps differently, the world seems to be calling for everyone to ‘keep’ the god of their choice, as long as they all worship THE SAME WAY. Hmmmm
Listen to Matthew Nolan “Torah to the Tribes” You tube He has many teaching that will give you some guidance in this matters.
He has provided from the scriptures thing that I was not able
to understand during the many years of church attendance.
Take a look……
May Yehovah blessing be upon you as you search the Scriptures.
Amen.
Challenging it is mmmm.