(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column of those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Augusta Press.)
Recently I was studying 1 Kings chapter 11 in my Bible when I learned something I had never really thought about. The passage deals with King Solomon and the fact that he disobeyed the provisions laid out for kings in the Law. That led me to go back and look at Deuteronomy Chapter 17, which outlined how the kings of Israel were to be chosen, behave and govern.
These are passages I have read and studied before, yet this time I couldn’t help but focus on why the king was not given as many instructions as the other offices prescribed in the law. The prophet, priests and judges are given very specific instructions on what their roles are to be and how they are to perform their duties. However, for kings very little instruction and description is given.
After completing the study, I determined that there were some underlying principles in the text that I thought could apply to how local leaders are selected, and in particular Augusta-Richmond County’s weak mayor structure. The structure is often a source of local debate as previous mayors and candidates sought to increase the authority and power of Augusta’s chief executive.
I believe we have to be very careful not to abuse Scripture to make it say or mean something it does not. Therefore, here is my disclaimer. I am not suggesting that we can extrapolate what the biblical texts are saying and draw a direct comparison with Augusta’s local government. I am not saying that my analysis of the passages is a sound interpretation of the passages and what they mean. My goal is simply to state that the underlying principles of what is written in Deuteronomy 17 can provide wisdom for how we select local government leaders and maintaining the weak mayor structure.
I was not engaged with local government when consolidation of the City of Augusta and Richmond County occurred, and I honestly don’t know who the players were or their beliefs. Critics of the weak mayor structure are constantly calling for the mayor to have more authority and be able to have a stronger say in how local government is run. I personally believe changing the structure would be a grave mistake.
National defense and administrative duties would have fallen under the king in Solomon’s days, but past that, the king was to be a figurehead for the nation and a stupendous example of moral and ethical character. While the Law provided many detailed descriptions on how judges, priests and the prophet were to govern, very little is stated about the king’s role in day-to-day affairs. The king was to be the least important of the roles. God wanted the people to rely on Him not on an earthly king. Historically when the king followed God’s Law the nation prospered and when he didn’t the nation suffered.
The next time Augusta has a mayor who is not fixated on money and power but instead is focused on the promotion and prosperity of the community and people in it, Augusta will enter the most prosperous time in its history. I am hopeful that the new mayor will be the person to usher in this period for Augusta.
The weak mayor structure in Augusta-Richmond County was probably not have been created with Deuteronomy 17 in mind, but the structure has protected the community for over two decades from overzealous mayors who would seek to use the office for personal gain rather than service of others.
Hopefully the previous election’s results will provide residents with a better quality of leader. Anytime we can model government after the biblical example, we will be better off. The same applies to the qualifications we choose to espouse as important when electing those to lead over us.
Other provisions in Deuteronomy 17 provide other principles that I believe we should keep in mind when considering who to select as leaders.
There are five provisions that are found in the passage I believe we can glean principles from.
- God commanded Israel not to put a foreigner as king. We should not put someone over us based on their ethnicity; however, I do think that it’s important to look at how long a candidate has resided in the area they seek to serve. Cultural values upheld by most Southerners do not always match that of the rest of the country. Leaders we choose should share the same values of the people they serve.
- God commanded that the king was not to multiply horses for themselves. This is a matter of pride. Having large numbers of horses in the king’s personal entourage was a show of power and prestige. Kings were not to puffed up and arrogant looking at themselves as being above or better than the people they served. They were to put the people ahead of themselves.
- Kings were not to have multiple wives. Polygamy is not really a problem today, but I do think that the relationships leaders have speak volumes about their character. Who a leader looks up to as a mentor or example provides a good indication on the type of leader they will be.
- Kings were not to grow wealthy off the backs of the people. A person who seeks to use people in their charge for their own financial gain has no business in a leadership position.
- Kings were to make a handwritten copy of the law, study it, follow the principles contained in it and carry the copy around with them. I am not an expert on the laws and ordinances that govern Augusta-Richmond County. But I believe our elected leaders should be. Constantly, I am surprised and shocked when I learn that elected officials either don’t know the law, the ordinances of the county or what is generally going on in the local government. I am not advocating that they should make a handwritten copy and carry it around with them. But they should, at a minimum, be familiar with it.
Joe Edge is the publisher of The Augusta Press. Reach him at joe.edge@theaugustapress.com
