Commentary - Deuteronomy 1:9-15

Bird's-eye view

In this section of his great sermon, which is the book of Deuteronomy, Moses recounts the early history of Israel's journey in the wilderness. He is reminding the new generation of the foundational principles of their life together as a covenant people. The specific problem he addresses here is a direct result of God's lavish blessing. God had been faithful to His promise to Abraham, and the people had multiplied to the point where one man, even a man like Moses, could no longer govern them alone. The solution is not to halt the growth, but to structure it. This passage lays out a foundational biblical principle of delegated, representative, and hierarchical authority, a form of godly federalism that has profound implications for the family, the church, and the state.

Moses establishes a system of governance that is both from the bottom up and the top down. The people are to select qualified men from among themselves, and Moses, as God's appointed leader, will formally install them in their offices. This is not raw democracy, nor is it raw tyranny. It is a covenantal order, established with the consent of the governed, based on godly character, and designed to handle the inevitable strife that arises among a populous, and still sinful, people. This is God's wisdom for building a society.

Outline

Commentary

9 And I spoke to you at that time, saying, ‘I am not able to bear the burden of you alone.

Moses begins with a straightforward and humble admission of his own finitude. This is not a complaint, but a statement of fact. He is one man, and the nation is vast. Godly leadership begins with knowing your own limits. The world is full of aspiring tyrants and messiahs who believe they can bear the burden of everyone and everything alone. But the biblical pattern is one of interdependence and delegated authority. Moses, the great lawgiver and a type of Christ, confesses an inability here. This points us forward to the one who is truly able to bear the burden, not just of administering a nation, but of atoning for its sin, the Lord Jesus Christ. But in the administration of that nation, God's design is not for a one-man show.

10 Yahweh your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are this day like the stars of heaven in number.

Here is the cause of the problem, and it is a glorious one. The reason Moses is overwhelmed is that God has been overwhelmingly faithful. He is calling back to the foundational promise made to Abraham in Genesis 15:5. God promised to make his descendants as numerous as the stars, and here Moses says, "Look up. He's done it." The problem of administration is a direct result of the success of God's covenant promise. This is what we might call a high-class problem. When the church grows, it creates new challenges of discipleship and administration. When a family is blessed with many children, it creates new logistical burdens. The answer is not to resent the blessing, but to thank God for it and ask for the wisdom to manage it.

11 May Yahweh, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand-fold more than you are and bless you, just as He has promised you!

Moses' response to this overwhelming blessing is not to ask God to stop. It is to pray for more. "Lord, do it again, but a thousand times more." This is the language of robust, optimistic, postmillennial faith. Moses believes God's promises, and he knows that God's resources are not strained. The God who multiplied them thus far can multiply that multiplication. He grounds this prayer in who God is, "the God of your fathers," and in what God has done, "just as He has promised you." Our prayers for the future growth of Christ's kingdom should be this bold, grounded not in our abilities, but in the character and promises of our covenant-keeping God.

12 How can I alone bear the load and burden of you and your strife?

Moses returns to the problem, but now he specifies it. He mentions the load, the burden, and the strife. The first two words speak of the sheer weight of the task. But the third word, "strife," gets to the heart of it. A multitude of people, even covenant people, means a multitude of disagreements, disputes, and lawsuits. Sin creates friction. A society needs a robust judicial system to handle this friction justly and efficiently. Without it, a society will grind itself to dust. Moses is overwhelmed with being the chief justice for a nation of millions. This is a recipe for burnout and injustice.

13 Choose wise and understanding and experienced men from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.

Here is the divine solution, and we should pay close attention to its structure. This is the pattern for godly government. First, the selection process begins with the people. "Choose... from your tribes." This is representative. The people are to identify men from their own clans and families. But it is not a popularity contest. They are to look for specific qualifications. The men must be wise, meaning they have skill in applying God's law to life. They must be understanding, meaning they possess discernment and insight. And they must be experienced, or "known" among them. Their character has been tested and proven over time. After the people make their selection, the authority is then established from the top down. "I will appoint them as your heads." Moses, as God's ordained leader, formally constitutes them in their office. This beautiful balance of popular selection and constituted authority is a safeguard against both anarchy and tyranny.

14 Then you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have said to do is good.’

The people agree. They recognize the wisdom in Moses' proposal. This is a covenantal act. The government is being established with the consent of the governed. This is essential. A just order is not simply imposed; it is embraced by the people as good and right. Their affirmation is a crucial part of the process.

15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and gave them as heads over you, leaders of thousands and of hundreds, of fifties and of tens, and officers for your tribes.

The plan is implemented. Moses takes the men whom the people had selected and formally ordains them. Notice the structure is hierarchical. There are rulers of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. This is the principle of subsidiarity. A dispute between two neighbors should be handled by the ruler of ten, not brought directly to Moses. Only the most difficult cases should make their way up the chain of appeal. This creates a system that is both efficient and personal. It keeps justice close to the people. These men are appointed as "heads" and "officers." They have real, delegated authority to judge and to lead in Israel.

Application

This passage is not just a quaint story from Israel's history. It is a foundational text on the nature of godly social order. First, leaders must be humble enough to know their limits and delegate. The one-man ministry or the one-man political show is a dangerous idol. Second, we should see the problems that come with growth as blessings from God that require wisdom, not as curses to be avoided. Pray for a thousand-fold increase, and then get ready to build the structures to handle it. Third, this text provides a model for our governments, both in the church and in the state. We should seek out leaders who are wise, discerning, and of proven character, not just those who are slick or popular. And our systems of government should be structured, hierarchical, and representative, designed to provide justice that is both swift and near to the people. Ultimately, all this delegated authority points to the one true Head of all things, Jesus Christ, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and whose government and peace will have no end.