What purpose does the leader of a nation — king, president, prime minister — serve, as well as the lesser offices of state? The inspired prophet Peter sets their purposes clearly before us: “for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good” (1 Peter 2:14 NKJV). The apostle Paul agreed: “the governing authorities” are “rulers” who “are not a terror to good works, but to evil” (Romans 13:1a, 3a). These leaders must serve a dual role within the nation: punishing evil and rewarding good. Thus, the primary responsibility of the government and its leaders is to promote national morality, which must be defined somehow. A future study will consider how to define this public set of ethics. But the king serves another major purpose: justice. The Queen of Sheba, mentioned in Study #4, described Solomon as responsible “to do justice” as well as righteousness” (1 Kings 10:9). The nation without a functioning justice system is inherently unstable. The nation without a fair justice system is in danger of revolt. The government must, then, encourage public righteousness and provide a system of equitable justice which serves all the inhabitants of the nation.
