A King’s Requirements (Deu 17:14-20)

A King’s   Requirements (Deu 17:14-20)

 

¹⁴ When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;

¹⁵ Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.

¹⁶ But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.

¹⁷ Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

¹⁸ And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:

¹⁹ And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:

²⁰ That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

 

Intro)

1. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “⁹ But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;”

 

2. Revelation 20:4 says, “[God’s people] lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Christians are God’s children but we also possess the precious roles of kings and high priests, as mentioned in Revelations. We are precious and important. We must remember this and strive to live as a king. Today’s scripture tells us how.

 

Body)

A) A King must be chosen by God.

Only a prince or princess and become a reigning king or queen. In other words, we must be born as children of royalty: We must be children of God who believe in Jesus Christ. We must serve His son to be a part of His royal line. We must serve Him as our father and our creator who sacrificed His only son for us.

 

Verse 14 of today’s scripture tells us the first requirement of a king is to be one God has chosen. God accepts and chooses anyone who repents and accepts Jesus as their Savior. Therefore, those who worship idols, reject God, live in sin, and prioritize others before God cannot become kings.

 

B) A King shall not have many horses.

God tells us a king cannot have many horses meaning a king must trust the Lord and not become arrogant (verse 16). When Moses was a prince of Egypt he was unable to save a single one of his people. But at the old age of 80, when Moses had no power of his own left, he was able to free millions of Israelites through the power of God.

 

A prince without God is powerless against a shepherd with the Lord standing with him. This is why God tells us a king must not have many horses because a king should not depend on his power but depend on the power of God.

 

It is a careful line to balance, but “depend on God” does not mean “condemn the all authority and money.” You don’t have to turn away from money and prestige; it simply means that we cannot depend on it and as our source of happiness and security. God allows us to endure suffering so we recognize worldly riches do not define us and we do not become arrogant in our own abilities.

 

True power comes from God. Life’s struggles come when humans place too much of their trust in the power of humans, be it themselves or other people. Surrendering to another person makes one miserable, but surrendering to God brings one peace and happiness. A person must place their whole faith in God, not themselves or their resources, to be a true king of true power.

 

C) A King shall not have many wives.

A king with many wives and concubines allows himself to be susceptible to corruption and depravity. Having many wives will likely also bring drama, causing a king to focus on his wives rather than his people. But God tells us a king should only have one wife. Since kings used to practice polygamy to strengthen their kingdoms, God rephrased His “one wife” rule to “not many”.

Even David didn't have just one wife. 2 Samuel 3 tells us at one point, David had 6 wives and 6 sings. Later one he had even more wives and concubines, bearing even more children. Humans are helpless against their desires. Even King David didn’t stand a chance. The wise King Solomon also eventually gave in to idolatry and taking concubines, leading to God punishing him later on.

 

But how does this requirement apply to us? It can be interpreted in two ways: it is instructing us to distance ourselves from physical, worldly, carnal desires and it is telling us to distance ourselves from giving away our spiritual selves to different idols. We are to keep our hearts focused on God and only God. We cannot allow ourselves to succumb to the spiritual and physical sinful pleasures of the world because once you’re in, it is impossible to escape on our own accord.

 

D) A King shall not have stores of gold and silver.

Verse 17 tells us, “neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.” This requirement isn’t condemning money; it is condemning those who accumulate wealth for themselves. A king who focuses on only his riches drives his people into poverty. A king with riches will inevitably drive himself into arrogance. A king can be rich as long as he knows how and when to distribute it to his people.

Some misconstrue faith and prosperity for guaranteed worldly riches. But faith in the name of personal wealth is not Christian faith at all. A Christian cannot pray for wealth if their goal is to keep that wealth to themselves. There is nothing wrong with a wealthy Christian, as long as their goal is to spread the wealth in God’s name.

 

God takes joy in those who give. Again, rejecting money is not what makes a true Christian. Denouncing financial success is not what makes a true Christian. What makes a true Christian is those who accept their good fortune, share it with others, and choose not to depend on money or material belongings. Work hard, strive to earn money, enjoy the fruits of your labor! But never make it your priority.

 

E) A King must keep the law close, read it, and live it.

Verse 18 continues, “¹⁸ And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:” A king must reach God’s laws everyday and lead his people on the same principles. Throughout the Bible we see kings who find victory and victory while their ears and hearts are open to God. But the moment they turn their backs, these kings fall downhill, facing defeat after defeat.

It is important to surround yourself with people of goodness and wisdom, but the advice from these people should never trump God’s words. We must not seek their guidance above God’s. A king must keep God’s laws close, obey them, and reflect only them constantly.

 

Verse 20 tells us what happens when a king does this: “²⁰ That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.” 

Following this rule allows a king to remain steadfast in the Lord, no matter what comes his way. It keeps him humble. It keeps him on the right path. It keeps him blessed and prosperous, in turn making his people blessed and prosperous.

1. one of the most important aspects of anyone’s life is their own identity. Do not let the criticisms and ridicules of other break you or define you. As children of God, we are all precious and crucial members of His Kingdom. We have the roles and responsibilities of high priests and kings. Do not forget this truth and live with dignity.

 

2. A student was constantly teased and labeled by his fellow students and even his teacher as a hopeless loser. He let this get to him and determined himself to be hopeless and a loser. After graduating, instead of pursuing a greater career, he chose to work at a factory at the lowest tier. He never made an effort to move up, because he didn’t think he was deserving.

When the factory shut down, he went to work for another factory. There he had to take an IQ test. To everyone’s shock he tested the highest IQ the factory has seen in 60 years. Even the company’s president took notice.

It took 17 years since his graduation, but the man was finally able to escape the label of a “hopeless loser” and walk a new path for his life. He later started his own company and gained success by creating and releasing innovative items.

We see many figures from the Bible who also suffered from the worthless labels the world gave them but were reborn when Jesus showed them how precious they really were. Zacchaeus, the short tax collector; David, the youngest and smallest of his brothers; even Peter, a man who was known for his abrasiveness and short temper. All these people found new lives through Jesus.

We are all priests and kings, meaning the possibilities for us are endless. Becoming complacent in our current lives is one of Satan’s many tactics. Instead of focusing on what others think, we must focus on what God thinks of us and our choices.

 

Always remind yourself that you are a king. You are a high priest. You are a prince/princess of God’s Kingdom. You are special and you possess talents and abilities no one else has. You are precious and irreplaceable. Speak these words, believe these words, and live as these words. Live as a king, a priest, a princess, and prince with confidence and dignity.

 

071518/ IK SUN AHN