Musar for Sanhedrin 62:20

If we take this Midrash at face value, the meaning of it is that "kicking at the true judge and releasing prisoners," means that the palace guard released the guilty. "Stoning the image of the king," means rebelling against the judge who is called אלוהים by the Torah, and who has been created in the image of G–d. The word אלוהים at the very least means that the judge is the representative of the Ultimate Judge, i.e. G–d Himself, even when the term is applied to a human being. The judge, after all, represents Heavenly Justice. The reason Moses was called איש האלוהים was only because he had been delegated by G–d to be the judge of His people. Moses in turn, had conferred that authority on Joshua, who in due course conferred it on the judges.When Moses had told G–d in Exodus 17,4, עוד מעט וסקלוני, that Israel was almost at the point of stoning him who was G–d's representative, he meant that Israel was about to curse G–d by stoning him (Moses). The word שלטון, ruler, in the Midrash refers to the most distinguished judge.