Representative Government in the Old Testament

By Andrea M

When the Founding Fathers were preparing to write a new Constitution for the United States of America, they studied the various forms of government. Thomas Jefferson studied the language of the Anglo Saxons so he could read their laws in the original form. One of the reasons for studying the Anglo Saxon laws was to understand how they governed themselves. The Anglo Saxons enjoyed a representative form of government similar in many ways to the form of government Moses established for Israel.

In the Anglo Saxon government, all the power rested in the people. Each group of 10 families picked a person to represent them. This person was a father or elder in their community and he was known as the Tithing Man. A Vil Man was the elected leader of a group of 50 families. A Hundred Man represented 100 families and an Earl represented 1000 families. Often an Earl would use a Shire Reef to assist with enforcing laws. Today we have Sheriffs in the United States who are the only elected official in the local police force. In addition to the heads of each group who made decisions for those they represented, there was a Chief. The Chief was only granted authority in time of war and as soon as the war was over, his authority was taken away.

In Israel, Moses also asked the people to elect representatives. Moses organized people into groups of 10 families. There were groups of 50, 100 and 1000 families. The “elders” governed the people whom they represented. The written Mosaic law was the basis for governing. If at all possible a local leader solved petty crimes. The power stayed with the people. Moses was a religious leader who adjudicated only the most difficult cases.

In the Old Testament, there are a few remnants of the representative government Moses set up. Exo 18:21-23 mentions the groups. In Joshua 9:18, the princes of Israel are tricked but the Gibeonites. These princes are probably “elders” as there was no royalty. When Joshua finds out about the promise they made to the Gibeonites, he is upset. However, as “chief,” his authority is limited. He is the military leader but the people govern themselves.

When Joshua dies, the people do not have one special chief. Each tribe’s elders are deciding what they want to do as recorded in Judges 17:21. Joshua certainly gives instructions at his death and the elders he knows keep Israel going for a while. See Joshua 23:2 and Judges 2:7, 10 However the next generation leaves behind the “old ways.”

Today in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we still use some terminology that comes from the Old Testament. For example, a “Judge in Israel” is a bishop. An “elder” is a man who has received the Melchizedek Priesthood and may also be a missionary. A “seventy” is a regional leader. Many decisions in the church are made by the local leaders of a “ward” (single church unit) or “branch”. The leaders are known by everyone in the ward.

The idea of self government is not new. However, it is easy for people to stop being proactive about solving problems and look to others for leadership and direction. In times of peace, the people naturally focus on their own affairs: flocks, herds, farming operations, business ventures or pleasure.

In Israel, Joshua got the people into the promised land. However, many cities remained unconquered. Othniel is the first judge or “deliverer.” The book of Judges documents the efforts of twelve judges to lead the people in military ventures. The book of Judges does not go into detail on how each tribe was governing itself. When the people were righteous, they lived in peace. When they married outside the covenant or worshiped the gods of their neighbors, they lost their freedom and became slaves. Much of the book of Judges shows how the people were constantly trying to regain their freedom after it was lost.

My understanding of self government today is that the law of the harvest informs us of what consequences to expect for our choices. Good choices often lead to good outcomes. Bad outcomes generally point to poor choices or bad luck.

Gideon was one unlikely hero whose family was in a tribe that was constantly being attacked by its neighbors. The Midianites were a group of organized thieves who would come into the land and take or destroy the harvest. Gideon was not an elder in his tribe. In fact, he was a younger member of his family and he felt that he was unprepared to serve God when an angel came to him. The angel described a mission that God wanted Gideon to perform in liberating his tribe from the Midianites. Gideon had a number of obstacles to overcome. First, no one knew him and so he had no following. Second, he was told to remove a Baal statue. If the people were going to trust YHWH, they had to quit worshipping Baal. Gideon toppled the statue and his neighbors threatened to kill him. So he survived that threat only to receive promptings from the Holy Spirit that his preparations to amass an army were excessive. He was told to reduce his army by half or more. The first to be exempted from serving in his military were those with fear. Then he did a test whereby the army was reduced by exempting anyone who drank water without watching for their enemy. Whether he felt as confident after his army went from 32,000 people to 300, is left to speculation. He trusted God and did as he was commanded despite the odds looking pretty bad. In the end, he and his army were successful in routing the bands of the Midianites.

The story of Gideon shows us that those who prepare, overcome obstacles and trust God are successful. Their success may not seem imminent. However, God is not in the business of winning by having good odds. His ways are often counter-intuitive. After victory, the people ask Gideon to be their king. Gideon refuses this honor, which shows that he was not in the business of leadership for power or position. This story is relevant to today as we think about how we try to accomplish things. Do we rely on our own strength? Do we prepare properly? Do we ask God for instructions and follow the Holy Spirit’s promptings? Judges 13-16 shows the foil to Gideon — Sampson. We learn from Sampson’s failures that strength comes from faithfulness to our covenants with God.

Sister Ann M. Dibb taught: “Samson was born with great potential. His mother was promised, ‘He shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines’ [Judges 13:5]. But as Samson grew, he looked more to the world’s temptations than to God’s direction. He made choices because they ‘pleaseth [him] well’ [Judges 14:3] rather than because those choices were right. Repeatedly, the scriptures use the phrase ‘and he went down’ [Judges 14:7] as they tell of Samson’s journeys, actions, and choices. Instead of arising and shining forth to fulfill his great potential, Samson was overcome by the world, lost his God-given power, and died a tragic, early death” (“Arise and Shine Forth,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 118).

In Judges 2:1-2, the angel says that Israel broke the covenant. We read in Judges 3:6-7 how the Israelites married outside the covenant and worshipped Baal in groves. This spiritual apostasy led to weakness and God did not protect them. We choose how we worship. We also get the natural consequences of our choices. The freedom of self government comes from a certain way of living. I believe that we can govern our self through making good habits, seeking truth and working to resolve personal conflicts.