Exodus 18:21 Part 3 (Be sure to read previous posts)

“Why should a standard be expected from a civic leader since no one is perfect?”

There are 4 minimum expectations or standards that are presented in the Scripture for civic leadership. There are actually three locations for these qualifications (Exodus 18:21; Deuteronomy 1:13, 16:18-20) in much the same way there are two locations for elder qualifications for the church. These are not standards (necessarily) for salvation status, but would obviously be most easily demonstrated in a regenerate person. In much the same way the character qualifications of an elder (I Timothy 3, Titus 1) do not necessarily define a nascent Christian, however they certainly provide a maturity standard which demonstrates the reality of salvation and a life a sanctification.

Now the question arises as to why any standard should be applied to the civic candidate? Simply put, why would the electorate hire someone who might be inherently unsuited or unequipped for the responsibilities which await the office they seek? Throwing the car keys to a person who may be old enough to drive but not qualified to drive still creates accidents and consequences. Furthermore, in what area of life do we not consider standards and qualifications for participation? Doctors, lawyers, pastors, plumbers, contractors, teachers, barbers, and a host of others have stated expectations and certifications. Yet, our civic leaders should have none? That defies both logic and good sense. The reasonability meter sounds off an alarm. When selecting a surgeon for your physically body, I can think of few people who would say, “It’s acceptable to me if the surgeon is less than perfect”. We understand the doctor is a human being, but we also expect a standard of proficiency and skill.

The four expectations or “standards” of a civic leader are:

Fear God
Able
Hate dishonest riches
Embraces truth

I want to deal with these qualities individually in the posts that follow in order that we might clearly understand the expectations. As you can clearly see, the 4 qualifying bars are not exactly astronomical expectations. In fact, it would seem to be a relatively easy bar for a person to not simply aspire to, but actually embrace.

Stay tuned…

More to come…