THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Deuteronomy: Moses' Great Appeal For Israel To Obey God For Blessing

Part V: Specific Treaty Stipulations Of The Great King, Deuteronomy 12-26

G. Heeding God's Ways Regarding Effective Human Leadership, Deuteronomy 16:1-18:22

3. Heeding God On The Selection And Function Of National Rulers

(Deuteronomy 17:14-20)

Introduction: (To show the need . . .)

A vacuum of good national leadership exists in the world today, leaving many people feeling insecure:

(1) Russia's leader Vladimir Putin, taking political advantage of President Obama's decision to reverse his plan to attack Syria for gasing some of its people, wrote an op-ed in the New York Times critiquing "American exceptionalism." He pontificated: "'It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional . . .'" (Peggy Noonan, "Vladimir Putin Takes Exception," The Wall Street Journal, September 14-15, 2013, p. 13).

Senator John McCain took offense at it, and in an online September 19, 2013 commentary for Pravda told the Russian people Mr. Putin "is not enhancing Russia's global reputation." (Ibid., 9/20/2013, p. A15, citing Pravda.ru)

(2) However, our own American President, Barak Obama, has faced a lot criticism for his role in the Syrian crisis: Joe Klein's article, "Stumbling Toward Damascus," in Time, September 23, 2013, p. 27-29 held: "The President . . . has damaged his presidency and weakened the nation's standing in the world. It has been one of the more stunning and inexplicable displays of presidential incompetence that I've ever witnessed."

Accordingly, a September 12, 2013 Washington Times editorial, "The unserious president," in summing up the president's alleged "debacle" with Syria and the potential it holds for bigger problems in dealing "with the Iranian nuclear-weapons program," concluded: "What's really scary is that the Obama presidency still has 40 months to run."

(3) Then, The Affordable Health Care Act, or "Obamacare," the alleged signature achievement of President Obama, is due to see its individual mandate put into effect on Tuesday, and the news media has been filled with concerns about how it will financially afflict many people. Indeed, when this sermon went to press, Congress was set to shut the government down with all sorts of negative financial fallout due to strong opposition to this law.

Need: Thus, we ask, "With the vacuum of good national leaders in the world, and the insecurity it breeds at many levels of society, what qualities should I seek in voting for a leader, and what can I constructively do at my level?!"

I. Deuteronomy 17:14-20 taught Israel to select QUALIFIED KINGS as NATIONAL LEADERS to function with characteristics and actions that HIGHLIGHTED ALLEGIANCE to GOD over IDOLS:

A. Deuteronomy 17:14-20 is part of the Deuteronomy chapters 12-26 specific treaty stipulations (Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 260) that were not an exhaustive list of God's laws, but instructed Israel on specific spiritual challenges she would face upon entering the land of Canaan (Ibid., p. 283; Deuteronomy 4:10).

B. As such, Deuteronomy 17:14-20 addressed the lure for Israel's kings to heed false Baals versus God for rain and to idolize possessions (our Deuteronomy 14:22-29 lesson) or even military might for security, tempting them to lose their perspective, hurting their subjects with damaging decisions that bred apostasy.

C. Thus, Deuteronomy 17:14-20 taught Israel the qualifications and functions of kings to counter this problem:

1. God directed Israel to select a king that (a) God Himself had chosen, (b) a man who was an Israelite, raised to revere God, being more disposed to heed Him than a foreigner would be, Deut. 17:14-15; Ibid., p. 295.

2. This king was to perform certain deeds particularly to guard his own heart from idolatry, Deut. 17:16-17:

a. Opposite relying on the false idol of human military prowess, the king was not to multiply horses or return to Egypt to acquire them versus trusting the Lord for national security, Deut. 17:16; Ibid., p. 295.

b. Opposite relying on idols introduced to him by marrying foreign women, the king was to avoid expanding his harem like other kings to guard himself from idolatry, Deut. 17:17a versus 1 Kings 11:1-3.

c. Opposite relying on gold and silver in the idolatry of materialism (Colossians 3:5) versus God for security (Ibid.), the king was not to multiply to himself great quantities of silver and gold, Deut. 17:17b.

d. In effect, the king would thus be kept at the status of a servant with God, leaving him totally dependent upon the Lord as his Master for blessing and success even as a king, Ibid.

3. Then, in this humble state of mind, the king was to fill his mind with the Law, to write himself a copy of it out of what the priests and Levites had, and to keep it and to read from it each day, Deut. 17:18-19a.

4. Doing this would lead to wonderful blessings both for the king and for everyone else, Deut. 17:19b-20:

a. First, reading Scripture daily would make the king revere God, Deuteronomy 17:19b.

b. Second, reading Scripture daily would then make him obey it as a humble subject of God, Deut. 17:19c.

c. Third, reading Scripture daily would cause him to identify with his subjects as a man of the people to serve their needs versus being elevated by false pride to use his power as king to abuse them, Deut. 17:20a.

d. Fourth, reading Scripture daily would make him obey God's Word exactly for God's blessing as opposed to turning in any manner away from what God had said, Deuteronomy 17:20b.

e. Fifth, reading Scripture daily would bring God's blessing of a long reign, and impress his descendants to want to imitate his policies as king for success in their own administrations as kings of Israel, and that to the blessing of the entire nation for generations to come, Deuteronomy 17:20c.

II. However, these directives for Israel's Old Testament KINGS is very SIMILAR in APPLICATION to God's directives for EVERY BELIEVER in OUR era of the CHURCH, with great applications for US:

A. Like Israel's kings, local church pastors today are to avoid personal idolatry in any form it exists (1 John 5:21), relying on the Lord in faith versus human or material resources, cf. 1 Timothy 4:12 with 1 Timothy 6:6-11.

B. Like Israel's kings, local church pastors today are to immerse themselves in Scripture (1 Timothy 4:13-16).

C. However, as local church pastors are to EXAMPLE in life what God wants the REST of the local church to be and to do (cf. 1 Timothy 4:12), EVERY Christian TODAY should avoid all forms of personal idolatry and immerse his mind in Scripture like Israel's Old Testament kings for God's great blessing, cf. 1 Peter 2:1-3!

D. Then, as EVERY believer follows this pattern in life, he FUNCTIONS as a GOD-BLESSED KING would function, filling the VACUUM of effective national leadership influence at HIS LEVEL of LIFE!

Lesson: God called for Israel's kings to AVOID all forms of idolatry in their walk by IMMERSING their MINDS and HEARTS in SCRIPTURE to REVERE GOD so as to OBEY Him HUMBLY, to IDENTIFY with others around them in spiritual need and to obey God EXACTLY for BLESSING and INFLUENCE. As God LIKEWISE directs local church PASTORS TODAY, and they IN TURN are to EXAMPLE what EVERY OTHER believer is to do, then as EVERY believer in Christ heeds God's directives initially given to ISRAEL'S KINGS, God USES him at HIS level of experience to help FILL the VACUUM of EFFECTIVE, GOOD NATIONAL LEADERSHIP!

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ to be saved, John 1:11-12. (2) Then, may we (a) elect those into national leadership who BEST adhere to the Deuteronomy 17:14-20 leadership model. Above all, (b) may we personally keep ourselves from every form of idolatry (1 John 5:21), (c) daily immersing our minds and hearts in Scripture to gain God's blessings and become a leadership blessing to many in a world desperate for good leadership influence.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . .)

To apply this message to the leadership vacuum problems and their fallout as noted in our introduction, we note we have no capacity right now to vote in good leaders. However, we can make a difference as we have the Scriptures, and they reveal how WE can function as affirmative, influential leaders where we live (as follows):

(1) First, (a) we know that too much Bible prophecy involving many nations must yet occur even after the Church is raptured for a world nuclear holocaust that is instigated by any nation, including Iran, to occur. Yes, the universe will eventually pass away with a holocaust (2 Peter 3:10), but only after Christ's reign (J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come, 1972, p. 174), and God will cause that event to occur to establish a new universe (2 Peter 3:11-13).

(b) Then, after the Church is raptured, the first major military movement will involve Russia's invasion of Israel that will lead to God's supernatural destruction of the invaders, Ezekiel chs. 38-39; Ibid., p. 354-355. Thus, Russia's recent emboldened political posturing in the Syria crisis only works toward setting her up for this event.

(c) Next, the antichrist, leading Europe's Revived Roman Empire, will invade much of the Middle East (Dan. 11:41-45), and the Kings of the East (India, China, Korea, Japan, etc.) will react, sending their armies against the antichrist (Revelation 16:12), a confrontation that will be interrupted and defeated by Christ's return, Rev. 19; Ibid.

(d) Accordingly, we must thus NOT be fearful over a waning U. S. influence in the Middle East -- God is merely allowing the nations to move into position to fulfill His Word. OUR part is to realize these events mean we are CLOSER to the rapture than in times past and that we need to LIVE for Christ and serve Him TODAY!

(2) Second, regarding financial concerns caused by problems created by national leaders (such as Obamacare or a government shut-down), Scripture at Philippians 4:19 shows God promises to meet the needs of believers who give to His interests (2 Corinthians 9:6-10). Christians who heed God in this matter will see Him meet their needs.

May we (1) trust in Christ to be saved. Then, (2) may we fill our minds and hearts with Scripture for an edifying view on how to live today, and (3) live for Christ, (4) using His truth to disciple others in need!