Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional by Kenton Cheek

16 March 2024

Reading From Deuteronomy 17-20

^“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.

When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.”

–Deuteronomy 17:14-20

Horses were used in battle. God wanted to be the protector of Israel. In many cases, such as when Gideon was asked to slim down his fighting forces, God wanted Israel to rely on Him for protection rather than a large military. Here in Deuteronomy 17, Yahweh also warns against having a large treasury. He does not specify if this was due to being in favor of very little taxation or that most of what the government would bring in should be put to use for the betterment of the kingdom right away rather than the silver and gold being hoarded. God was also against the king taking multiple wives.

What a wise preparation for a king to make himself a copy of the Mosaic Law. There is something about writing things down that certainly helps a person remember. In Psalm 119:11, the Psalmist says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Reading, copying down, studying, memorizing and speaking Scripture helps hide God’s Word in our hearts. We are called to be a royal priesthood as the eternal family of God; a nation of kings and priests. Therefore we should look to this wisdom as the Lord governs our lives through us and we function in His authority on the Earth.

“Lord, I pray that You would bless Your people with knowledge and wisdom that we would be wise stewards of everything You have entrusted to us. May we honor and glorify You in all that we say and do. Let the thoughts of our minds and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing to You. Increase our faith and empower us with Your Holy Spirit to function in the authority and callings You have given us. Thank You for Your Word and the many promises You have blessed us with. Amen.”

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

–Revelation 5:10