We have been working through selected portions of the book of Deuteronomy. The people of Israel have been told not to turn from God’s word and to also remember where they came from. God had delivered them from Egypt in the Exodus, and is bringing them to the Promised Land. This land is a good land, but for them to live well in this land, they need to remember what God has done and what God has said in His Law. His law will permeate their private life and also their community life.
But, how does what we’ve studied so far tie into tonight’s study? In Gen 17:8, God promised land to Abraham. This promise was made way, way, way before Deuteronomy. The promise of a land was accompanied by the promise of a king that would come from Abraham’s line (Gen 17:3-6). Israel’s expectation of a king to come is warranted. Israel is right (and so are we, as Bible readers), to be looking out for signs that the king promised to Abraham will appear.
(A) Israel’s Desire for a New King (Gen 17:14-15a)
In Deut 17:14, Moses spoke to the people of a specific situation. When they eventually enter, possess and dwell in the land the LORD promised to them, they will want to set a king over them, “like all the nations that are around”. Firstly, we see how this is an intentional, not incidental action by Israel. Israel will say “I will set a king over me” and despite the Lord’s abundant giving. Israel has decided to take things into their own hands. The problem is not kingship, for God has already promised it in Gen 17. The problem is the way they went about it, for they were demanding it and sought to acquire it in their own time. This is in contrast to the LORD giving them so much thus far — law, land, love.
We also see the motivation for their action. They wanted to be “like all the nations”. God has always spoken of Israel as being set apart, holy unto God. They have been chosen from the nations and have gone through so much to enter this land but the first thing that they want is to have a king like the nations surrounding them.
Was God just against kingship? With what kind of a heart did they approach this issue of kingship? Israel, like their fathers, were drawn by the power of kings like that of the Egyptian Pharaohs. As the distance between Israel and Egypt grew, their tendency was to remember the rich food of Egypt, the powerful armies of Egypt, and the comforts of Egypt. Their expectation of living and settling down in the Promised Land soon became more and more like a copy of Egypt. They were drawn to power and prosperity and their model was what they saw in Egypt.
Deut 17:15 reveals God’s grace to them. Thus, while the expectation or desire for a king was legitimate and to be expected, the way in which Israel asked for a king and the sort of king Israel wanted raised a red flag. Yet, in God’s mercy, He did not abandon a people who rejected Him, but instead guided them towards wisdom as they sought to install a new king over them, as we will read in the rest of this passage in Deut 17. Who is their true King? It is God who is ruling and giving them the law and leading them.
(B) God’s Warnings for the New King (Deut 17: 15b – 17)
God, through Moses, addresses the king by giving a series of prohibitions and warnings. As we read these, we see that it is devastating if anyone is plagued by these sins, and it is especially important for leaders to guard against these sins!
Firstly, they were not to choose a foreigner to be their king, but had to pick “one from among your brothers” (Deut 17:15). This was addressed to the people. The king must come from the people, a reminder of God’s promise to Abraham in Gen 17:3 where they were told that kings will come from you. Someone from Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob’s line will sit on Israel’s throne and it must not just be anyone. This is what God has promised and it will be fulfilled.
This instruction isn’t just about national pride. It has to do with idolatry and obeying God. All through this book of Deuteronomy, God had been calling Israel from turning away from sins and the ways of the nations around them. He has constantly forbidden Israel to mingle thoughtlessly with the other nations. Our passage today is sandwiched between Deut 17:2-5 and Deut 18:9-14 – both of which make clear the dangers of adopting the practices and the idols of surrounding nations.
The consequence of idolatry – of worshipping and giving safe harbor to the idols of surrounding nations – is death. For the leader of God’s people to be an idol-worshipper is unthinkable because his idolatry does not just occasion his death, but the death of the nation that he steers. This warning to the people is a reminder that all of Israel, but especially their leader, is to be set apart, and a repetition of God’s promise that a king will come from Abraham’s line.
Secondly, the king is addressed, and we are told that he is not to “acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses” (Deut 17:16). Horses, chariots and horsemen are instruments of war (c.f. Isa 31:1). They are a symbol of military might that allows them to go to war and also defend themselves. When this was being written, Egypt was the centre of power and was where they’d get their military might. This is why Pharaoh was so powerful. He could defend and he could invade.
Thus, by accumulating horses, it signifies trusting in the might and multitude of horses and chariots (like Egypt) over the Holy One of Israel. In doing so, Israel would look away from God and not consult Him. They would not be any different from the nations around them. To have power is not wrong – their mistake was their insistence that they could amass the wealth and power of Egypt without also learning its tyranny. The issue at hand was not about returning to Egypt physically, but also to avoid bringing the ways of Egypt with them. They were not to turn into the tyrants that God had rescued them from! They were not to rule with fear and intimidation like Egypt did. God had brought them out of Egypt so that they would be freed from the practices of Egypt as well.
When we experience fear or insecurity (as leaders), we instinctively search for something to trust in – to assure our hearts that we belong, that we are able, that we deserve to be here. In your moment of fear, what will you trust in? A common response of a leader facing insecurity is to accumulate and display power. And as our trust in power and might grows, we want more — more power, more intimidation, always looking to be capable and impressive.
How are we tempted to put on a show? How has it gotten harder, the longer we lead, to say “I don’t know” or “I need help”? These are signs that when our hearts were looking for an anchor, we ended up placing our trust in how good, capable and competent – or even intimidating – we appear to others.
Thirdly, God also addressed the issue of the king’s wives — “he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away…” (Deut 17:17a). There are two possible readings here. The first deals with lust and the issue of acquiring wives like one would amass wealth or warhorses. The king is not to turn the women into objects and items to possess and he was certainly not to use those he was meant to protect and serve. The second deals with idolatry. Many of these marriages would be marriages of political convenience. We read in 1 Kings 11:1-8 of the pitfall of acquiring wives, especially foreign wives. David and Solomon show how easily the king’s heart can be turned towards foreign gods.
Multiple wives naturally lead to multiple intimacies, shared private worlds, and a desire to please them. This inevitably leads to accommodating their gods, their cultures and their worship. Thus, the king was to watch his private life and how he obeyed God even in something as intimate as marriage. If king disobeys and does these things, what does it mean for the nation?
Lastly, God had a word for the king regarding his wealth. He shall not acquire for himself “excessive silver and gold” (Deut 17:17b). God’s king should not think he’s a self-made man. They were not to repeat the excesses and hoarding of Egypt.
This pitfall is so real. As a king, achievements matter, for it is a mark of kingship. Good kings do prosper. But with achievements come a great temptation to draw more and more comfort from and delight in the achievements till one says, “I do not need God”. Success is not without dangers.
Thus, the real question is, what does the king’s heart rest in for significance and security? Is it wealth? Is it war horses? The king could easily be tempted to move from trusting and depending on God to trusting in his wealth. Little by little, the king of Israel could move from trusting not in the God who brought them out of Egypt, but on their warhorses and develop delusions of grandeur.
We do not need to be a king to understand this danger. We can be easily tempted to depend on other things apart from God. What are your temptations to look good all the time? Are you a cg leader that is studying the Bible to put on a show but not to read it devotionally?
Maybe you’re not leading. How do you relate to your leaders? Do you criticize them? How are you making it harder for your pastors to preach unto God and instead to make it more like a performance?
Many of us that attend Bible studies could be great with the knowledge of Scripture. Are Scripture and Bible knowledge just another ‘achievement’ to accumulate and display? Or are you searching the Scriptures to find Jesus Christ? Do you convey wonder or do you teach with a certain polished familiar with the word? But how is your prayer life? If you love the LORD, how eager are you to pour out your heart to Him and confess your need for Him and His love for you? This will affect how you lead, how you teach others to lead, how you relate to those who know less, how you wear your knowledge.
These are 4 warnings and we’ve spent quite a while unpacking each warning. Not that the warning here is against excess. Money, war horses and wives are good things, but they are not meant to be ultimate things, things that we hoard and places our security in.
(C) God’s Words for the New King (Deut 17:18-20)
God doesn’t just warn the king. He also instructs the king about what he should do to prevent these things from happening. When the king assumes power, he was to copy the law by himself and submit it to the Levitical priests for checking and approval (Deut 17:18). It was to be his own personal reading copy and he shall keep it with him all the days of his life (Deut 17:19).
The reading copy is for himself, not to show people, but it is for him. This is for the king’s own nourishment. He cannot lead God’s people if He is not first nourished by it himself. We have enough leaders who deploy God’s word to grow their following, to use it strategically, to sound clever. What we need are leaders who live on it, who feed on it.
When should he do it? When he sits on the throne. We see here something of the king’s priorities. When he sits on the throne with all eyes on him, there are many things that he’d want to do — build the nation, secure arms, extend diplomacy. Yet, Israel’s king was to make God’s word his priority. He had to immerse himself deeply and consistently in God’s word.
Note also the reference to Levitical priests. They had a teaching function and we learn here that the king is not without an authority over him. No one position in Israel’s kingdom — prophet, priest or king — has absolute power and each is subordinate and subject to another. The king’s word is not law. What is law is what God had commanded. Leaders, are there people in your life that speaks God’s word to you? Leaders, what is your priority?
The above establishes the what and when of God’s wisdom for the king. What about where? “And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life” (Deut 17:19). He has to keep it near to him all the time, just like how the people are to always cling to God’s word (c.f. Deut 6:6-8). If the people were commanded to obey God’s word continually, how much more God’s king! It shall be with him always.
These instructions also remind us that the king is first their brother before he is their king (Deut 17:15). He does not merit a different gift because of his position. He is there to serve them. This is immensely practical for us. It reminds us that our pastors, deacons and leaders are first members of the church before their leadership position. If we believe this, how does this change the way we relate to them? Is that how we see ourselves, if we lead? Is being chosen for leadership a privilege category or a responsibility category?
The king’s obedience is not just about memory work alone. This obedience is meant to produce a fear of the LORD (Deut 17:19b). We live in a culture that’s anxious and fearful but this is not the fear we are talking about here. This fear of the Lord is not terror, or dread (that leads to withdrawal) but a right beholding of God that fills the king with reverence, wonder, adoration.That is how God’s king is to lead. Not with his nose in the air, but a constant sense of who it is that has commissioned him and given him charge over God’s people (Deut 17:20). The king that reads, meditates and copies God’s word remembers that the throne belongs to God and the people belong to God.
However, when we read on, the rest of the OT shows us that this is not the sort of king that Israel gets. They do demand for a king like the nations, and they get kings that turn away from God, over and over. But the King, King Jesus, that we get is a faithful king. This King does not just copy the law and obey, but loves the word of God. The law of God is in His heart, and His steps do not slip. He will not turn aside from the command of God, to the right or to the left – He is marked by obedience & faithfulness, even unto death on a cross. This King will not be deposed. His kingdom is not just ‘long’ (c.f. Deut 17:20), it is forever. It will know no end.