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by Kevin Pauley
When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before the elders of that city, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them. - Joshua 20:3-4 HCSB
In their capacity as shepherds, leaders and general establishers of peace and justice, elders sometimes must act as judges among the people. When God’s people have an interpersonal or business conflict that they cannot resolve on their own, they have the option of bringing it to a “beit din”[1] for resolution.[2]
In Israel, when someone accidentally killed a person, they had the option of running to a city of refuge and bringing their case before the elders there. If the elders agreed that it was in fact an accident, they had the authority to protect that person from the victim’s avenging family.
Elders continued to function with similar authority even after the times of the judges had passed and a monarchy had been established. Saul, for instance, asked to be honored before the elders.[3] That passage particularly indicates that the eldership is not to be taken lightly. Even a king with the power of life and death feared the loss of their respect.
The role of elders as counselors to both the people and the people’s leaders has a tremendous amount of precedent (for both good and ill). Apparently, the elders were considered the advisors of the king. The elders appeared before and counseled the rebellious son of David.[4] They counseled wrongly in that particular case, but elders are human after all. Elders were involved in the election of the king and in advising the king. If, like Rehoboam, [5] the king did not accept their advice, he could anticipate trouble.
The elders served as local magistrates in bringing murderers to trial.[6] They dealt with intra-family affairs, seeing to it that disobedient sons were punished.[7] They dealt with interpersonal affairs, inflicting penalties for slander.[8] They punished those who were found to be in noncompliance with the Levirate marriage law. In brief, they were tasked with the promulgation and enforcement of God’s Law.[9]
The church’s chosen elders are similarly vested with representative, judicial and executive authority. When gathered together for the purpose of judgment, they are referred to as the “beit din” or the “council of elders”.[10]
However, history’s lesson is that simply accumulating learned people and gathering them together for judgment does not necessarily bring forth justice. It was, after all, a beit din that advocated the murder of our Lord. This is why the members of a beit din must be characterized more by fear of God and adherence to His Word than by their sheer intellectual muscle.[11]
[1] A group of elders gathered together in order to render a ruling or judgment on a matter.
[2] Exodus 18:20-22; Deuteronomy 16:18; 1 Samuel 7:15-16; 1 Corinthians 6:1-6
[6] Deuteronomy 19:12; 21:1-2; Joshua 20:3-4
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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