For more than twenty years, LearnTheBible.org has consistently provided free content from a Bible-believing perspective to our thousands of annual visitors. We do not run ads or charge for access to this wealth of Bible study materials, outlines, preaching, teaching, and so much more! Expenses to maintain our hosting, servers, etc. are provided by the generous donations of God's people. If you have been helped and blessed by LTB through the years, would you help us continue to maintain and support this growing ministry by partnering with us with a onetime or monthly gift?
To those who read, listen, and share our content, we are extremely grateful! Please continue to pray for us and "Thank You!" for 20 great years!
The Righteous Leader - Deuteronomy 17:14-20
The Righteous Leader - Deuteronomy 17:14-20 [14] 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;
[15] 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.
[16] But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
[17] Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
[18] And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
[19] And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
[20] That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
See All...
See All...
INTRODUCTION
The Lord gave Israel some crucial instruction for the time wherein they would choose a king to rule over them. Specifically, He set forth some rules by which Israel’s king was to conduct himself during his reign. If he was to enjoy a prosperous reign, it would be because he gave himself to the daily reading of the law of God. As he read the law of God, he would "learn to fear the LORD his God." This fear would cause the king to "keep" and "do" "all the words of this law." The moment he departed from the law of God, "his heart" would be "lifted up above his brethren." At any moment the king ceased to be right with the Lord, he ceased to be right for the people.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
- (For smaller children) Josiah was a righteous leader. Read what he did when he was 16, 20, and 26 years old (2 Chronicles 34:1-3 [1] Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
[2] And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
[3] For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
See All..., 8). It was evident he feared the Lord (2 Chronicles 34:18-21 [18] Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. [19] And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes. [20] And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying, [21] Go, enquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book.
See All...). He was right for the people (2 Chronicles 34:27-33 [27] Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD. [28] Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again. [29] Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. [30] And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD. [31] And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book. [32] And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. [33] And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.
See All...; 2 Kings 23:25And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.
See All...). - Read Proverbs 29:2When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
See All.... What happens when the righteous are in authority? How is this confirmed in Esther 3:15The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.
See All... and Esther 8:15And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.
See All...? - Who puts the world leaders in authority (Daniel 2:21And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
See All...; Psalm 75:5-7 [5] Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. [6] For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. [7] But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
See All...; Proverbs 8:15-16 [15] By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. [16] By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
See All...)? How does this demand that they should yield themselves to the will and leadership of God?
PRAYER NEEDS
- Ask God to show our leaders their need to submit to Him.
- Thank God for those leaders who rule in righteousness.
HYMN
Tell It to Jesus
LTB DEVOTIONS ON FACEBOOK
Receive the daily devotions on your facebook wall by clicking "Like" on http://www.facebook.com/kingjamesbibledailydevotions.