The last standard Jethro tells Moses to identify for civic leadership is that those who are selected must be men of “truth”. The Hebrew word is EMETH and like most Hebrew words has a variety of meanings and nuances. It certainly communicates the character of one who doesn’t lie, but it also gives the vibe of firmness and faithfulness. Truth doesn’t change. It is reliable and objective. There isn’t a spectrum of truth. Truth is never subjective and tied to one’s feelings or the prevailing deceptions of the era. Truth in Hebrew is trustworthiness. God is always reliable. He can be trusted to always be exactly what He says He will be and do what He says He will do. That’s the living, personal character of truth.
We are to select civic leaders who understand what objective truth is. Jethro tells us that our leaders, the ones in authority, must be people who demonstrate exemplary commitment to faithfulness and reliability. They must have personal consistency. We know that we can put our governance in their hands because they do not vacillate or waver.
So let’s review the four qualifications for civic leadership upon which our selection should be made…
The candidate should fear God and desire to legislate according to God’s precepts and principles.
The candidate should be “able” or courageous, willing to honor God and not succumb to carnal public pressure.
The candidate should handle money integrally and not leverage civic service for personal enrichment.
The candidate should have a clear moral rudder of objective truth. Their worldview and commitment to biblical precept is reliable and consistent.
These are not astronomical expectations, but actually standard operating procedure for the mature and credible Christian. That said, our era seems lean on these qualities.
Now the question arises as to what are we to do as Christian citizens who seek to obey God by applying Exodus 18:21 standards to our voting priorities? How do we navigate our binary political system which many times appears to leave us with no options? If we are under divine directive to participate in the privilege of voting (Christian stewardship and influence principles) yet seemingly have no one qualified under E18 to support, is that not an untenable position? What are we as believers to do?
Stay tuned…
More to come…
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