How can we ensure our leaders follow God's law, as in Nehemiah 9:34?

Recognizing the Gap: Nehemiah 9:34

“Our kings, leaders, priests, and fathers did not obey Your Law or listen to Your commandments and the warnings You gave them.”

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Why Leaders Drift from God’s Law

• Complacency that forgets past deliverance (Judges 2:10)

• Influence of surrounding culture (1 Samuel 8:5)

• Pride that resists accountability (2 Chronicles 26:16)

• Neglect of Scripture itself (Hosea 4:6)

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Biblical Steps to Safeguard Leadership

1. Saturate Leaders with Scripture

• Deuteronomy 17:18-19—each king must write “for himself a copy of this Law… and read it all the days of his life.”

• Joshua 1:8—“This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth…”

2. Establish God-Centered Accountability

• Nathan confronting David (2 Samuel 12:7) models courageous, respectful correction.

• Proverbs 27:6—“Faithful are the wounds of a friend.”

3. Elevate Righteous Standards in Selection

• Exodus 18:21—“select capable men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain.”

• Acts 6:3 shows the same pattern for church leaders.

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Personal Responsibility

• Know the Word—Psalm 119:105

• Model obedience in home and workplace—Matthew 5:16

• Speak truth with humility when policy or conduct contradicts Scripture—Ephesians 4:15

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Corporate Actions

• Teach the full counsel of God publicly and privately—Acts 20:27

• Promote leaders who honor marriage, life, justice, and integrity—Proverbs 29:2

• Withdraw support from those who persistently defy God’s commands—2 Corinthians 6:14

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The Role of Prayer and Intercession

• 1 Timothy 2:1-2—“I urge… that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered… for kings and all in authority.”

• 2 Chronicles 7:14—God heals a land when His people humble themselves and seek His face.

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Living as Examples for Leaders

• Romans 13:1—submit to authority while remembering authority is God’s servant.

• Titus 2:7—“In everything, show yourself to be an example of good works.”

When the people treasure God’s Word, insist on accountability, pray faithfully, and live righteously, leaders are far more likely to follow God’s law, and the lament of Nehemiah 9:34 is replaced with the joy of national obedience.