The King and I
by Shane Carrington
Before God brought Israel into the promised land, He repeated the law originally delivered at Mt. Sinai. In fact “Deuteronomy” means “second law,” because it was the second giving of the law. As they approached Canaan, God prepared them for the time when they would have a king. God said what He wanted kings to do. Consider five “thats” found in Deut. 17:18-20.
“Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.”
“That He Shall Write For Himself A Copy of This Law”
Rather than use one of his “modern-day” copy machines - a royal scribe - he was to copy the law himself. Considering the bulk of those writings, this would take quite some time to fulfill. It took commitment, sacrifice of time, and effort. Yet each king was to do this. Why? So he would have a copy of scripture to read each day. Kings, like the rest of us, need frequent exposure to scripture to serve God.
Today some commend the usefulness of handwriting scripture. You might copy a few verses longhand periodically to see if this strengthens you.
“That He May Learn To Fear The Lord”
Like the rest of us, kings need to fear the Lord in both Bible senses: reverence for His grace and mercy and terror at His power and justice. This was the stated reason kings were to write a copy of the law (Deut. 17:18,19). Reading scripture would produce these godly traits in the kings. When people spend consistent time with God’s word, they increase the heart’s capacity to love and service. May we read God’s word every day!
“That His Heart May Not Be Lifted Above His Brethren”
Fearing the Lord and following His statutes brought this added virtue to kings: humility (Deut. 17:19,20). God has always hated arrogance, listing “a proud look” among seven sins God “hates” (Prov. 6:16-19). Kings may be tempted to consider themselves superior to others due to their wealth and power. But God considers all leadership roles as acts of service.
Regardless of our stature in the family, community, or church, we must realize ourselves as servants bound by God’s law to do His will. May we lead with godly love and truth.
“That He May Not Turn Aside From The Commandment”
Kings may feel the urge to change God’s teaching to get their own way. Note the many times in human history when leaders with great might abused their subjects by changing laws to suit their selfishness … or invoking special privilege to set law aside to fulfill their whims. But God’s word is binding on kings too. God is the ultimate leader, and kings must submit. Any attempt to demote God’s word brings consequences. Consider two kings in Scripture who did this: Saul and David. Saul’s sins lead to losing the kingdom and his life. David’s sins brought him tragedy the rest of his days, with a son even taking his kingdom.
We too must heed the warning: God means what He says and expects unwavering obedience (Rev. 22:18,19).
“That He May Prolong His Days In His Kingdom”
Live long and prosper, then go to heaven when we leave this world: is that not what we all want? Kings of Israel could do exactly that … if they let God’s word guide their hearts and lives every day. Consider Israel of old when they obeyed God. They had peace, prosperity, and God’s protection. But when they traded God for idols, He sent enemies to conquer them. Their past was written to teach us (Rom. 15:4).