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Deuteronomy 17 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
There are many times that the Old Testament rituals and rules can seem odd and misplaced under our New Covenant relationship with Jesus. It is imperative that when we go back through the Old Testament, we look at how it corresponds with New Testament truth. In other words, these chapters are not irrelevant for our lives today, they just take a little bit more digging in order to draw out what it means for us in this age.
The end of Deuteronomy 17 is a great example of this. It speaks of the qualifications for Israel’s future king. Moses had predicted that the people would eventually desire and elect a king to rule over them (see Gen 17:16; Gen 35:11; Gen 49:9-12; Num 24:7, Num 24:17). In preparation for that time, God prescribed a set of rules for Israel’s future king.
Verses 15-20 can be summarized with five main points.
- The king was to be a man chosen by God and an Israelite.
- The king was forbidden to have a large number of horses, and never to return to Egypt.
- The king was forbidden from taking many wives.
- The king was forbidden to acquire large amounts of gold and silver.
- And finally, the king was to keep an original copy of God’s laws and teachings and follow it with all his heart.
When you think about the practicality of these points, they really mirror a believer’s life today. A large army of horses would have tempted the king to trust in his military power instead of God. Having many wives would have tempted the king to pursue foreign gods, drawing his heart away from God. Acquiring a great amount of wealth was dangerous for the same reason because the love of money has the ability to steal our hearts. Finally, God required that the king saturate his heart and mind in the Word of the Lord which would keep Him accountable with truth and wisdom.
Ironically, King Solomon is a prime example of a man who started out so well but was pulled away by all of these desires. These may seem obvious, but as a person of power and prestige, the temptations are stronger than ever. This is why God gave such practical wisdom ahead of time.
All of this is true for us. If we are not rooted in His Word and guarding our hearts against temptation, we too will fall in this same way.