𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• What comes to mind when you hear the word “integrity”? How do you know if a person has integrity or not?

• Who is the most honest person you know? Why do you think honesty is important?

• Why is it important to select people in positions of leadership who will uphold impartiality, equity, and integrity?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

"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.” 𝗗𝗘𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗬 𝟭𝟲:𝟭𝟴-𝟮𝟬

Moses reminded the Israelites that it was God who was the giver of land and inheritance to each tribe. It was the job of the appointed judges and officers to act justly, so that the tribe could continue to live in the land and pass it on to the next generations. The people should take justice and the choosing of their leaders seriously. The land itself, and the inheritance of the next generation, depended on following God’s justice. What kind of leaders should we choose? What kind of leaders should we be?

𝟭. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲.

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦. . . .” 𝗗𝗘𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗬 𝟭𝟲:𝟭𝟵

To pervert something is to change the direction of something away from its original goal. Leaders have power, position, and often wealth in order to uphold justice, to give each person what they are due. Changing this in any way, by a little or a lot, perverts justice and prevents fair treatment of everyone involved. Have you seen or experienced a perversion of justice? What was that like for you?

𝟮. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

“. . . 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 . . .” 𝗗𝗘𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗬 𝟭𝟲:𝟭𝟵

To be partial is to show favoritism to one person over another, no matter what is actually due to them. However, God requires righteous leaders to justly treat every person according to their due. In these decisions, they should only fear God and His authority to correct injustice. What does Psalm 98:9 say about how God is as a judge?

𝟯. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀.

“. . . 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴.” 𝗗𝗘𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗬 𝟭𝟲:𝟭𝟵

To subvert is to do something that weakens a righteous cause. In this case, subverting means taking payment of any kind to change an outcome from a just one to an unjust one. A wrong outcome that is paid for is not justice at all. It increases the vulnerability of the vulnerable and lessens trust or belief in the leadership. Have you seen or experienced a similar situation? What was the outcome? How did you respond?

Anyone who has the authority to make a decision about another person, or the influence to affect decisions about other people, is in a position of leadership. This includes us, even for seemingly small decisions that involve others.

We should practice righteous leadership no matter where we are or who we are leading. We should uphold justice, show no favoritism, accept no bribes, and fear only God in our decision-making. In fact, we can choose and raise leaders who demonstrate these godly qualities. When we do this, God promises us continued blessing and a lasting inheritance.

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• What instructions did God give to the people through Moses about governance, power, and justice? What were these instructions for? How does this apply to you today?

• What specific qualities are we asked to look for when choosing leaders? What qualities should leaders practice? How can you practice this when choosing the right leaders to appoint?

• Leadership is practiced no matter where we are and who surrounds us. How can you practice the qualities of righteous leaders this week?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for those who are currently in government office and positions of leadership, trusting God's purpose for their lives and roles.

• Pray and ask God for leaders who fear Him and resist any temptation to pervert justice, show favoritism, or receive bribes.

• Ask God for our governing authorities to ensure we live 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺 (1 Timothy 2:2).