Deuteronomy 17:14–20

Someone may claim that this part of Deuteronomy could not have existed, or been known to the prophet Samuel. If it had, why did he try to turn the people from their purpose? The fact was that they asked for a king through unbelief... The law gave directions about the king and about how he should behave. It foretold that the kingdom would come, but it did not lay down the conditions under which the people should ask for one. Did the law in Deuteronomy lessen their guilt? Certainly not. They were wrong in asking for their king when and how they did. As the history shows, he became a hindrance to them. But think how comforting this part of the law must have been to any true-hearted person among them. Whatever they might do in their wilfulness and unbelief, God had given directions which, if followed, would bring good to everyone when a king ruled over them.

The whole style of this, and the desire to be like the nations, stamp it as the will of man and unbelief. God foresees it and meets it, just as the Lord meets it here. That in no way shows He approves it. Yet He grants what they ask. This shows there is something in it that agrees with His mind — something by which He will carry His purposes forward toward fulfilment.

Through Moses, the Spirit of God had foreseen the time when the people of God would ask for a king. He had given rules to follow when that time came. But the will of God is not found there.

From the beginning God purposed that Israel should have a king... From Moses to Samuel, the government of Israel was a pure theocracy — God was their king... In the law itself, however, God provided for the day when a king would rule the nation. He directed who should be chosen, and how the king was to behave on the throne. All this looked ahead. Like all God's gracious provisions for man's need, it waited until man's sin gave the occasion to bring it in.

God knew that a king would make Israel's troubles worse, not solve them. He also knew they were so self-willed that they would one day demand a king "like all the nations". So God would allow them their way, just as He often allows us our way, so that we may learn the end results of our folly.

God's thoughts about a king were far different from man's... But when God looks forward to a king for His people, He really looks on to the Lord Jesus, His absolute ideal.

Long before the first king of Israel sat upon his throne God had given His commandments through Moses as to what he should do... "One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother" (verses 14, 15). God foreknew the whole course of Israel's history, and ordered what was best for the people that He loved.

The law gave directions about the king, and guidance for his conduct too. It foretold that Israel would have a kingdom, but it did not set the terms on which the people should ask for one. Did the law in Deuteronomy then lessen their guilt in the matter? Certainly not. They were wrong to ask for their king when and how they did, and, as the history shows, he became a hindrance to them. But to any true-hearted person among them, how comforting this part of the law must have been. It showed that, whatever they might do in their stubbornness and unbelief, God had given directions. If Israel followed them, they would bring good to everyone concerned when a king ruled over them.

The whole style of this, and the desire to be like the nations, stamp it indeed as the will of man and unbelief. God foresees it and meets it, just as the Lord meets it here, but that in no way shows He approves of it. Yet He does grant what they ask, and that shows something in it agrees with His own mind — something through which He will carry His purposes forward toward fulfilment.

Had they waited in faith, God might have raised up for them at Samuel's death a king of His own providing: "a man after His own heart," David, a model prince, and a picture of the One who is both "King of Israel" and "Prince of peace." But no. They could not wait. They would not take advice, and so God gave them what they wanted.

The Lord wanted Israel's king, once the time came for them to have one, to read the book of the law every day, "that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers." There is nothing of the eastern tyrant here. God's king must not oppress the people. He must "feed Jacob His people and Israel His inheritance" (Psalm 78:71).

The Christ was to be raised up in Israel — among that people alone, though blessing for the whole world results. The KING was to be from among Israel's brothers (Deut. 17:15), not a stranger. The PRIEST likewise (18:2), also the PROPHET (v. 18).

The Herods came from Idumea, the Greek name for Edom, the land of the descendants of Esau. That left the Jews of the Gospel days in a deeply humiliating position. They were not only under the rule of the Gentile power at Rome, but a son of Esau ruled over them in the land... And the New Testament opens with the Edomite — ruler of Edom, Judea and Galilee — trying to destroy Him who was born King of the Jews.

God's thoughts about a king were far different from man's... But when God looks forward to a king for His people, He really looks on to the Lord Jesus, His absolute ideal. Here the king was to be one whom God would choose from among his brothers, not a foreigner.

In the days of Moses, the great lawgiver, God's all-seeing eye ran across the centuries. He foresaw the future kings of Israel and their special dangers, and He put the warning they needed in His Word. He also provided the antidote. He ordered that the future king should write his own copy of the law and always keep it with him, so that he could read it all the days of his life.

To any true-hearted person among them, how comforting such a portion of the law must have been. It showed that, whatever they might do in their wilfulness and unbelief, God had given directions which, if carried out, would be for the welfare of all concerned when a king should be set over them.

Of course people thought war horses were necessary to protect the kingdom. Could faith not depend on God for such protection rather than on horses? See Psalm 33:17; Hosea 14:3.

Outward weakness was the characteristic the Lord intended for Israel's national life. The people were to know that "they did not win the land by their own sword, and their own arm did not save them, but Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your face, because You delighted in them." For this reason God forbade them to multiply horses. For this reason too, three times a year they left their borders entirely unguarded, while all their males gathered at Jerusalem before the Lord.

Egypt was famous for its horses and chariots, and the Lord's prohibition to the king takes note of it. Their redemption from Egypt and all its power should have been final. Nothing should have tempted them to return. But in the reign of Solomon we find that horses were a chief article of trade with Egypt.

We find Solomon importing horses for military use from Egypt. He also multiplied wives, until he had seven hundred wives who were princesses and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. All this was despite the prohibition in Deuteronomy 17:16. Wisdom did not keep Solomon, and it will not keep any one of us; but holding fast to the Lord will.

Sad to say, he broke down in the most deplorable way. He failed at every point on which the law of his God had spoken so definitely and so clearly. God told him not to multiply silver and gold, and yet he multiplied them. God told him not to go back to Egypt for horses, and yet to Egypt he went for horses. God told him not to multiply wives, and yet he had a thousand of them, and they turned his heart away.

There is no mention of a horse in Israel up to the days of Solomon. The only exceptions are the few that David captured and kept (2 Samuel 8:4), and Absalom, who prepared chariots and horses for himself when making his bid for the kingdom (2 Samuel 15:1).

In the purest days of Jewish government, the leading men in Israel used no animals but donkeys (Judges 5:10; 10:4; 12:14). Horses only came in during the corrupt times of Solomon. So when the Lord took up the title "King of Israel," He took every feature, however small, that belonged to the only pure and true form of that character. That is why He told His disciples to bring Him a donkey's colt... Moses had laid down that the king who would one day rule over Israel must not surround himself with display that might lift his head in pride above his brothers. Christ the King would surely conform Himself to the model Moses had provided.

In the days of Moses, the great lawgiver, God's all-seeing eye had already looked ahead down the centuries. He saw the future kings of Israel and the special dangers they would face. So He put the warning they needed in His Word. He also gave the cure: He ordered that the future king should write out his own copy of the law, keep it with him always, and read it every day of his life.

First, he was NOT to multiply horses to himself, and thereby cause the people to return to Egypt. Second, he was NOT to multiply wives to himself, that his heart should not be turned away. Third, he was NOT to multiply to himself silver and gold. Notice how the word "multiply" keeps coming back, and the third time it is "greatly multiply." Each time it is "multiply to himself."

Nor was a king to "multiply wives for himself" (v.17), for this would turn away his heart from the Lord. In this also Solomon grossly disobeyed God, having 700 wives as well as 300 concubines, and "his wives turned away his heart after other gods" (1 Kings 11:4). Not only did this Scripture (Deut. 17) warn him, but he reports himself that his mother warned him, "Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings" (Prov. 31:1-3). His great wisdom did not preserve him from sin.

We are in danger of going out to the world, or of letting the world come in to us. The second danger may be even greater than the first... Little by little the world works its way into our homes and lives, and often, by the time we see the danger, it is already too late. "They will surely turn away your heart after their gods," the Lord had said. Marriage with the world is bound to lead us to the religion of the world.

The king was also not to "greatly multiply to himself silver and gold," because there is always the danger that the heart will trust in the riches it has gained rather than in the source of all blessing.

The Lord promised Solomon that He would give him "riches and wealth and honor" (2 Chron. 1:12), but this was not enough for Solomon, just as other wealthy men grasp after more and more... and he laid heavy taxes on the people (1 Kings 12:3-4, 11).

Had he inquired of the Lord before doing so, what would the Lord have replied? Read my Word! Dependence on God and dependence on His Word are one and the same thing. David had the books of the law in hand, and he only needed to think them over to see his path... By human reasoning he could have had all kinds of good reasons for what he did — securing a royal line, and so on. But this was not God's way.

When God looks forward to a king for His people, He really looks on to the Lord Jesus, His absolute ideal. Here the king was to be one whom God would choose from among his own brothers, not a foreigner... Both Moses and Christ measure up to these standards.

God foresees the day the people ask for a king. They are told he must be one of the people. He must not act in a way that opens the way to dealings with Egypt, or that leads the people into idolatry. But he is to write a copy of the book of the law with his own hand. He is to read it all the days of his life and be subject to it, so that he does not despise his brothers.

The law each king was to copy out was not the Ten Commandments, but the last words of Moses, the man of God. Each king who came to the throne of Israel was to copy it out, and each one was to copy from the original. The reason for this is clear. If one king had copied from another, he might have made a mistake or a change, either deliberately or through carelessness. The next king would then copy that one, and would not really know what the word of God was. But God held each king responsible to go straight to the one Moses had given them, and copy it for himself.

He should not have forgotten God's word: "it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life." Most of our acts of disobedience come from not keeping living daily contact with the Word of God.

Reading God's Word would have such an effect that it might keep the king from having his heart lifted above his brothers (v.20)... In all of this we are taught that if someone is to rule rightly, he must first learn to be fully subject to the rule of the Lord.

We hear nothing of his having made a copy of the law; and most certainly, if he did make a copy of it, he did not attend to it. Instead he turned his back on it, and did the very things he was told not to do. In a word, the cause of all the wreck and ruin that so quickly followed the splendour of Solomon's reign was neglect of the plain word of God.

Suppose each ruler in Israel in turn had obeyed this instruction. Suppose each had prepared his own copy of the law and had read it all the days of his life. Then the huge array of evils Josiah had to deal with would never have existed. Nor would the original of God's holy law have lain buried under rubbish, so that finding it was a real discovery!

The king was to write out a copy of God's law for himself, have it with him, and read it all his life. While Moses was used to write the law, our Lord Jesus could say in prophetic language, "Your law is within My heart" (Ps. 40:8). Moses turned aside from God's word on one occasion, and his heart was lifted up above his brothers (Num. 20:7-12). So he could not prolong his days or enter the Promised Land. Christ, the meek and lowly One, in perfect contrast to Moses, even washed His disciples' feet. "Of His kingdom there will be no end" (Lk. 1:33).

Besides his political and other reasons for taking many wives, David may have forgotten God's prohibition. He should not have forgotten that the king was to write out his own copy of this law, and "read in it all the days of his life." Most of our acts of disobedience come from not keeping living daily contact with the Word of God. To follow our own thoughts by neglecting this positive, absolute direction is disobedience.

Each king who came to the throne of Israel was to copy it out, and each one was to copy from the original. The reason for this is clear. If one king had copied from another, a mistake or a change might have crept in, on purpose or by carelessness. The next king would then copy that, and would not really know what the word of God was. But God held each king responsible to go straight to the one Moses had given them, and copy it for himself.

There was nothing burdensome about the prohibitions, given in divine goodness and wisdom. God knew the dangers that would surround the king, and warned him of them in advance. These prohibitions were divine safeguards for the good of the king and his people. How right it was that the king should know God's law and walk in its light at all times! In this way he would be a true leader for the people of God, leading them in the paths of righteousness where they would have God's blessing.

Whether Solomon obeyed verses 18 and 19 may be a question. But if he had written a copy of the law and read it every day of his life, this might have kept him from the sad failure and disobedience that caused him such grief in his later years. Reading God's Word has such an effect that it might have kept his heart from being lifted up above his brothers (v.20). The pride that comes with prominence can do severe damage to a king, as it did to Solomon. In all of this we are taught that if someone is to rule rightly, he must first learn to be fully subject to the rule of the Lord.

Suppose each ruler in Israel had obeyed this instruction. Suppose each had prepared his own copy of the law and read in it all the days of his life. Then the whole formidable array of evils Josiah had to deal with would never have existed. Nor would the original of God's holy law have lain buried under rubbish, so that finding it was a real discovery!

The king was to write out a copy of God's law for himself, keep it with him, and read it all his life. God used Moses to write the law, but our Lord Jesus could say in prophetic language, "Your law is within my heart" (Ps. 40:8). Once Moses turned aside from God's word, and he lifted up his heart above his brothers (Num. 20:7-12). So he could not prolong his days or enter the Promised Land. Christ, the meek and lowly One, stands in perfect contrast to Moses: He even washed His disciples' feet. "Of His kingdom there will be no end" (Lk. 1:33).

Reading God's Word would have had this effect: it might have kept his heart from rising above his brothers (v.20). The pride that comes with high position can do great damage to a king, as it sadly did with Solomon. All of this teaches us that if someone is to rule well, he must first learn to be fully subject to the rule of the Lord.

There was nothing harsh about these prohibitions. God gave them in goodness and wisdom. He knew the dangers the king would meet, and He warned him about them in advance. The prohibitions were God's own safeguards for the good of the king and his people. How right it was that the king should know God's law and keep walking in its light! That way he would be a true leader for the people of God. He would lead them in the paths of righteousness, where they would have the blessing of God.

David's attitude towards the people, as he encouraged them to build for God, is very beautiful. "Hear me, my brothers" (1 Chron. 28:2). The LORD wanted Israel's king, when the time came for them to have one, to read the book of the law daily, "that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers" (Deut. 17:20). There is nothing of the tyrant in this. God's king must not lord it over the people, but "shepherd Jacob His people, Israel His inheritance" (Psalm 78:71).

Most of our acts of disobedience come from not keeping up living, daily contact with the Word of God. To follow our own thoughts and neglect this clear, absolute direction is disobedience.

We hear nothing about him making a copy of the law. And if he did make one, he certainly paid no attention to it. He turned his back on it, and did the very things the law forbade. Splendour marked Solomon's reign, and then came wreck and ruin. The cause of it all was neglect of the plain word of God.

Neglect of the word of God is the source of all the failure, all the sin, all the error, all the trouble and confusion in this world. It is the source of the false teachings, sects and divisions that have ever been or are here now. And we can add, with equal confidence, that there is only one real cure for our sad state today. Each one of us, for himself and for herself, must return to the simple authority of the word of God, which we have so sadly neglected.

Moses turned aside from God's word on one occasion, and his heart was lifted up above his brothers (Num. 20:7-12). So he could not prolong his days, and he could not enter the Promised Land. Christ, the meek and lowly One, stands in perfect contrast to Moses: He even washed His disciples' feet. "Of His kingdom there will be no end" (Lk. 1:33).