The Appointment of Kingdom Leaders
16:18 to 18:22
As Moses continued to prepare the new generation for life in the Promised Land, he not only instructed them about their past history and their obligations in worship, but he also explained to them the kind of government ADONAI wanted them to organize. When their ancestors were in Egypt, the Jews had minimal organization involving only elders (Exodus 3:18), and during the wilderness wanderings, Moshe had tribal officers who assisted him in solving the problems the people brought before them (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Cy – Moses Chose Capable Men From All Isra’el). Each tribe in Isra’el also had a leader (Numbers 1:5-16, 7:10-83), and there were seventy elders who assisted Moses in the spiritual oversight of the nation (Numbers 11:1-30).
This basic organization was adequate to govern a nomadic people following a gifted leader, but it wouldn’t do once the nation moved into the Land of Promise. For one thing, Moshe would no longer be with them to give messages directly from YHVH. Furthermore, each of the twelve tribes would be living in its own assigned territory, and Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh would be located on the other side of the Jordan River. How would they deal with tribal differences? Who would protect the people and enforce Ha’Shem’s mitzvot? God, in His grace, gave them the kind of government that would meet their needs.376
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