Prayerful Politicians of the Old Testament

O God, endow the king with your judgment, the son of kings with your righteousness. He will govern your people fairly and deal justly with your poor ones (Psalm 72:1-2).

The Old Testament tells the story of various saintly kings, queens, lawmakers and governors. It includes the books of Kings and Judges, as well as texts named after notable leaders like Joshua, Nehemiah and Daniel. Within its pages, we also find the wisdom of King Solomon, the prayers of Queen Esther, and the song of the Three Holy Youths, who were imperial officials.

In the Old Testament, religion and politics were inextricably linked. Moses, the leader of the Hebrews, was also the revealer of the Jewish religion. Samuel, who the people trusted as their prophet, played a key role in appointing their first king. And David, Israel’s most revered king, was both a sacred poet and a successful statesman. 

The Four Major Prophets — Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel — each preached to the rulers of their time. Isaiah instructed King Hezekiah, Jeremiah warned King Zedekiah, Ezekiel prophesied to Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt, while Daniel advised King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. These prophets also talked about social issues such as economic inequality, corruption, and the treatment of foreigners.

Various forms of government are described in the Old Testament, from monarchy and imperial rule to republican government (2 Samuel 5:1-5; Psalm 72; Ezra 1:1-4; 1 Maccabees 8:14-16). Additionally, the wisdom books offer advice for those in authority, providing various guidelines on leadership and godly government (Proverbs 16:12-13; 29:4,14; 31:1-9; Sirach 10:1-5; Wisdom 6:1-25).

Within the Old Testament, many politicians are praised for their faith, wisdom and good character. Here are ten of them:

1. King Melchizedek (pictured at the start of this article)
2. Joseph the governor
3. Deborah the judge
4. Gideon the judge
5. King David
6. King Solomon
7. The Queen of Sheba
8. King Josiah
9. Nehemiah the governor
10. Zerubbabel the governor