GOOD GOVERNANCE AND THE BIBLE: Selected Scripture Passages

Genesis 1:1, 31: This opening biblical passage presents us with a picture of sovereignty (“governance”) defined by generosity and creativity. We meet a God that gives life and freedom to his creation, who embodies a limitless imagination and initiative for multiplying goodness. This is the God of all life, and this must set the pattern for all of our dealings with sovereignty/power and world-engagement as creatures made in this God’s image. Moreover, this passage calls us to care for God’s world as his good creation, which must be interpreted primarily in terms of environmental stewardship in our day.

Deuteronomy 17:14-20: In biblical law, the national leader(ship) is explicitly commanded to resist the lure of horses and chariots (the primacy of military force and conflict), many wives (the temptation of lust and personal gratification), and silver and gold (the lure of greed for defining leadership and national life). Moreover, the leader is “not to consider himself better than his brothers”, i.e., (s)he is to embody and enact a culture of servant-leadership where the authority is not above the law or accountability. See also Proverbs 16:12 and 29:4 and Zechariah 9:9-10.

II Chronicles 36:15-21: Israel’s experience of exile and national devastation is explained to be the result of her leaders’ failure to “give the lands its Sabbaths.” This is biblical shorthand for the leaderships’ failure to abide by the God-given policies in Deuteronomy to prioritize the poor and to ensure the ecological sustainability of the land. As countries and cultures wrestle with economic crises and environmental devastation, this very sobering biblical passage should be kept close to the governing body’s heart.

Nehemiah 5:6-12: In a moment of volatile cultural and political transition, Nehemiah condemns the new leadership’s ironic act of copying the old practices of their former oppressors, a common problem in African leadership today. After 70 years of having been enslaved, the new leaders were now themselves practicing political favoritism, exploitation, and bribery. Nehemiah models the courage to break the silence and publically call this behavior out, condemn it, and demand restorative justice toward the exploited. For a specific legal condemnation of bribery, see Exodus 23:6-9.

Micah 6:8: Much like in Micah’s day, we are living in a time of economic upheaval, political volatility, and moral-cultural ambiguity. Globalization in all of its forms is calling into question old boundaries, established categories, and traditional values, especially in the African continent. In this kind of deeply ambiguous time, many preachers and churches claim esoteric revelations to guide the way, but the prophetic voice offers a much weightier and clarifying call to this global moment: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” As a prophet standing in between God’s promise of salvation and the final inauguration of that salvation for the world, Micah declares clarity in the midst of religious, cultural, moral, and political ambiguity: God is looking for justice, mercy, and humility. The speaker should also refer to Amos 5:15, 24 and Matthew 24:31-46.

James 2:12-13: In this passage discussing law, James very curiously and challengingly refers to “the law that gives freedom” and goes on to claim the primacy of mercy over judgment. We live in an age of ever-expanding law books and codes, where disputes are often solved in courts and where political transformation often happens through “judicial activism.” James offers us a crucial insight into the foundational intent and authority of law: to bring freedom and to promote mercy. As we inhabit and interact with legal culture in public life, we should bear this teaching in mind.

Proverbs 31:8-9: This text speaks for itself because of its challenging simplicity and directness: “Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” The speaker should also refer to Isaiah 1:16-20, which gives another unambiguous list of what God expects and desires of those in positions of governance.

Isaiah 10:1-4: A common word associate with “power” in political life is “impunity”, the notion that those in positions of authority are exempt from punishment and/or free from the consequences of their actions. The prophet Isaiah unambiguously denounces this idea of political impunity and declares that those in positions of power will come under God’s ultimate judgment and punishment. The public theology of the Bible insists that no human power ever becomes self-justifying and that no lawmaking body ever becomes a law unto itself. In short, God’s righteous judgment breaks up the finite claim to limitless power and stands over it in judgment. This is the theological justification for the peaceful overthrow of tyrannical power, based on the notion that a king may “unking” himself when his rule is in defiance of God-given natural law. For Christians, this prophetic condemnation of impunity and the principle of “the right of resistance” should not be forgotten when people speak exclusively of the “divine right of kings” interpreted from Romans 13, especially in Africa where leaders are given an almost godlike reverence at times. The speaker should also see Amos 8:2-8 for a critique of treating the poor with impunity.