Corruption is rampant in our world today. Politicians make rules for us that don’t apply to them. They use their political office to make themselves wealthy. Many celebrity pastors abuse their positions to enrich themselves and engage in adultery and abuse.
Today’s scripture reading contains a warning to the kings of Israel not to lift their hearts above their brothers. This is a warning that political and religious leaders in the 21st century should heed.
At the end of yesterday’s passage, Moses acknowledged that at some point in the future, Israel would want to appoint a king over them. Moses instructed the future kings of Israel that they were not allowed to multiply horses, wives, or wealth. The prohibition against multiple wives was because multiple wives would turn their hearts away.
Deut. 17:18 ¶ “Now it will be when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
Take note of the word “write”. The verses at the end of yesterday’s reading were things to avoid. This verse is something positive to do. The king was to write a copy of the law. Writing the law is better than reading the law. Writing the words of the law would imprint the law in the mind of the king in a way that hearing it or reading it could not do.
To the best of my knowledge, there is no indication that any king of Israel ever actually did this.
Deut. 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear Yahweh his God, to carefully observe all the words of this law and these statutes,
Notice the words “read it all the days of his life”. After writing a copy of it, he was to read the law every day so that he did not forget it.
Don’t miss the word “fear”. The purpose of reading the law was to learn to fear Yahweh.
The Bible tells us the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). The fear of Yahweh causes non-Christians to be afraid of going to hell. The fear of Yahweh causes Christians to be afraid of disobeying Yahweh.
Deut. 17:20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his sons in the midst of Israel.
Pay attention to the words “not be lifted up above his brothers”. Any king is just a man. He should always remember that he is not special.
The kings of Israel were prohibited from multiplying horses, wives, and wealth. Wealth, wives, and horses would make a king feel special, entitled, and above everyone else; thus they were forbidden from accumulating those things.
Every political and religious leader today should also guard against lifting their hearts above everyone else. Many career political leaders create rules that apply to us, but not them. They corruptly trade on insider knowledge to make themselves wealthy. They create regulations that stifle the lives of the population while they live in luxury.
We have this problem in modern Christianity. There are celebrity pastors who use their congregations to accumulate outlandish wealth. Some pastors commit adultery multiple times with multiple women. When they are caught, there are few consequences.
A lot of this corruption is taking place because political and religious leaders have lifted their hearts above everyone else. They think they are special and entitled.
Deut. 18:1 ¶ “The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat of the offerings to Yahweh by fire and of His inheritance.
Deut. 18:2 And they shall have no inheritance among their brothers; Yahweh is their inheritance, as He promised them.
Deut. 18:3 ¶ “Now this shall be the legal judgment for the priests taken from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, either an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach.
Deut. 18:4 You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine and your oil and the first shearing of your sheep.
Deut. 18:5 For Yahweh your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes, to stand to minister in the name of Yahweh all the days.
Deut. 18:6 ¶ “Now if a Levite comes from any of your gates of the towns throughout Israel where he sojourns and comes whenever he desires to the place which Yahweh chooses,
Deut. 18:7 then he shall minister in the name of Yahweh his God like all his brothers the Levites who stand there before Yahweh.
Deut. 18:8 They shall eat equal portions, except what they receive from the sale of their fathers’ estates.
Deut. 18:9 ¶ “When you enter the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations.
Notice the word “abominations”. Moses warned Israel that there were abominations in the Promised Land.
Deut. 18:10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices soothsaying or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer,
Deut. 18:11 or one who is an enchanter or a medium or a spiritist or one who inquires of the dead.
Child sacrifice and all forms of occultism were prohibited.
We see this in the New Testament. Paul listed sorcery as a deed of the flesh (see Galatians 5:20). Revelation tells us that sorcerers will go into the lake of fire (see Revelation 21:8).
Deut. 18:12 For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh; and because of these abominations Yahweh your God will dispossess them from before you.
Once again we see the word “abomination”. Child sacrifice and occultism are abominations.
Unfortunately, many unborn children are put to death in modern society. Occultism is gaining acceptance in the modern world. Christians must resist and teach against both.
Deut. 18:13 You shall be blameless before Yahweh your God.
Deut. 18:14 For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice soothsaying and to diviners, but as for you, Yahweh your God has not allowed you to do so.
Just as the Israelites were to listen to Yahweh, not soothsayers, so too we Christians should consult the Bible, not occultism.
Just as the kings of Israel were warned against lifting their hearts above their brothers, so too modern leaders should resist that urge. Political and religious leaders are not special and entitled. They are human, just like everyone else. They should behave as if they are just like everyone else. They should not abuse their position to enrich themselves and give themselves privileges that the common people do not have.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”