What can we learn from the laws that God gave for the kings of Israel?

Answer

Though the Lord was the leader of the Israelites, He predicted a time when His people would desire to have a human king to rule over them. He both predicted and permitted this, commanding, “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” «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; », (Deuteronomy 17:14).

In the verses following Deuteronomy 17:14, we find several insights that can provide wisdom for the selection of leaders today. First, God tells His people to make sure they are following His will when crowning a king. The Bible makes it clear that leaders are chosen by the Lord see Romans 13:1. In situations where we have a choice in who our leaders are, we must consult with God regarding our vote.

Second, leaders are often best selected from among the people they will lead. In the case of Israel’s kings, the Lord commanded, “He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite” «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. », (Deuteronomy 17:15).

Third, a godly leader must not focus on amassing personal wealth. Deuteronomy 17:16–17 warns, “The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people suffer by taxing them too heavily. He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold” (Deuteronomy 17:16).

e return to Egypt to acquire more of them. . . . He must not amass large amounts of silver and gold.” Great wealth has a tendency to divert a person’s heart from the Lord (see Matthew 19:23), and a leader of people should not allow himself to be sidetracked by riches.

Fourth, a good leader must be satisfied with his family situation. Verse 17 cautions, “He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.” A multitude of wives will turn a leader’s heart away from the Lord. This is precisely what occurred during the reign of King Solomon, who had 700 wives «And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. », (1 Kings 11:3). Despite Solomon’s exceptional wisdom, his heart shifted from the Lord to honor his wives’ deities.

Fifth, a good leader must be devoted to God’s Word. Verses 18–19 state, “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.” While there is no record of an Israelite king actually transcribing the entire Law of the Lord, King David serves as an illustration of a leader who was dedicated to the Law and was blessed as a result. Other kings of Israel who disregarded God’s laws did not exhibit the same quality of leadership.

Sixth, a godly leader serves with humility. The Israelite king was instructed “not [to] consider himself better than his fellow Israelites” (verse 20). Even though he occupies a throne, a king is still God’s servant.

The advantage for Israelite kings who adhered to these directives was a lengthy reign and a stable dynasty: “He and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel” (verse 20). The people under a godly king also reaped benefits. It is important

It is essential that leaders in any nation, in any era, strive to be godly. “When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan” «When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: But when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. », (Proverbs 29:2, NLT).