In ancient Jewish culture, there were 3 leadership roles:
1. Prophet, 2. Priest, 3. Political Ruler

1. Prophets were primarily messengers who spoke God’s will to the people, but they were also social critics who kept society informed of whether they were veering from the lifestyle God called them to.
2. Priests oversaw upkeep of God’s dwelling place, serving as examples to the nation of what their relationship with God should look like.
3. Political rulers had different titles (king, judge, etc.), but their essential duty is to lead the nation in times of war and responsibly govern the country. Essentially, God is the sovereign leader, while the ruler serves as a manager or overseer; if they veer from His standard, they risk being removed from their position.

Question: were these leadership roles ever allowed to mix? Was it a good or bad thing?

In some cultures, the ruler would often double as a priest (Canaanite nations) or even the personification of a deity (Egyptian tradition under the Pharaohs). However, in Hebrew culture these duties/roles were clearly kept separate, and for good reason. Too much power invested in one person can lead to unfortunate repercussions, especially if that person does not know how to handle the responsibility of their position (even for one role). The Bible has both positive and negative examples of people in these roles, but for now let us explore just a few.

Good examples: Melchizedek, Moses, Deborah

Melchizedek – this priest/king has two key mentions in the Bible (Genesis, Hebrews). In the first, he approaches Abram (later Abraham) following Abram’s victorious attack against a coalition of kings who had captured his nephew. Melchizedek was the king of Salem (becoming Jerusalem later on), yet also operated as the priest of God. He is referenced later as an example of the “priesthood” role the Church would fill, contrasted with the Levitical priesthood descended from the line of Aaron (brother of Moses).

Moses – most famous for the role he played in the Exodus from Egypt, Moses is also remembered as the messenger who delivered God’s Law (10 Commandments and more) to Israel. Considered the greatest of all Hebrew prophets, he also served as leader of the nation and at times also interceded for the nation as only priests would later. Only two others (Jesus and Samuel) in the Bible acted in all three leadership roles, and human fallibility kept him from the perfection that only Jesus achieved.

Deborah – a prophetess who also ruled as a “judge” or civil ruler during the time before Israel became a monarchy. She dispensed justice to any who came to her, and she charged a man named Barak to lead an army against their militarily-superior opponent, delivering God’s promise to deliver victory to Israel. When Barak insisted she come along as a sign of good faith, she foretold the death of Sisera (the opposing general) at the hands of a woman. Her word was proven to be true on both counts; Barak’s forces defeated the enemy army, and Sisera (fleeing the battle) died from a head-wound from a supposed ally’s wife.

Bad examples: Saul, Uzziah

Saul – first mentioned in 1st Samuel chapter 9, son of a prominent man in his tribe of Israel. At first, Saul seems to be the ideal choice for ruler: big, strong, competent war leader. However, he makes two big mistakes that reveal a major flaw – he is not willing to submit to God’s direction. His first mistake: attempting to fill the role of Samuel (the judge as priest before a major battle. Usurping authority that was not his cost him a legacy – no dynasty will follow Saul’s rule. His second mistake: disregarding God’s command in regard to his battle plan, he “bowed to pressure” and took loot from an enemy instead of destroying everything as commanded. Because of this, Saul was (for all intents and purposes) no longer king; while he didn’t die until many years later, the throne of Israel was no longer his.

Uzziah – a king following the nation’s division, he ruled the southern half of the nation. After rising to political greatness, Uzziah made one grave error that cost him everything. What happened was this: while worshiping in the Temple, he attempted to burn incense as the priests did; power had gone to his head in such a way that he felt he was no longer limited to the duties of king alone. This flawed understanding had extreme consequences; God struck him with leprosy (a bacterial disease that causes nerve endings to die), and he was no longer able to act as king or even be around others ever again.

Worst example: Nimrod
Nimrod is first named in Genesis 10, a great-grandson of Noah; his accomplishments are his hunting prowess and the establishing of four cities in Mesopotamia. One of these cities is Babel, famous/infamous for the Tower built there. Biblical sources point to Nimrod as the architect for the Tower of Babel, a “high place” built to reach the heavens and make contact with the divine; since Babel was his city, and the Tower would have served as his temple, Nimrod was both a political and spiritual leader – one who led his people into error. The true purpose of the Tower was to oppose the command of God as given to Noah; indeed, Nimrod’s name translates to “let us rebel,” and his followers pursued this goal long after Nimrod’s death. His wife, Semiramus, is famous for setting up a cult in which she, Nimrod, and their “divine son” Tamus were revered as gods; this trickled down into various religions, and its legacy continues today.