Deuteronomy 17:14-20, “Character Matters”

I sat with a pastor this week who had worked with a nationally famous pastor with a big church and a lot of influence who has recently resigned over allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. He was heartbroken and wondering, “Does anybody finish well? Can you become an influential pastor without it corrupting your character and changing your heart for the worse?”

In the kingdom of God, we should have leaders that reflect God in the way that He rules. He cultivates fruitfulness in His creatures. A good leader in the kingdom of God should cultivate fruitful lives for those under their leadership. And what kind of people should we be in a world in which leaders are falling left and right? God’s instructions to Israel three thousand years ago on how to choose a good leader are just as applicable todaty.

Walk in the World, but Not in Its Ways

The people will want a king, “like all the nations that are around me.”

Deuteronomy 17:14 (ESV)

“When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’

Their motives may be impure. They want to be like all the other nations. They want a leader with flesh and bone. Maybe he will be less rigid than the LORD God. But God allowed for it,

Deuteronomy 17:15 (ESV)

you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.

God would choose their king. He always does anyway,

Daniel 2:20–22 (ESV)

Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.

He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.

God is doing things we cannot see to orchestrate world events to accomplish His purpose. He wants His redeemed people to make decisions out of awareness of God’s decisions. Going back to our Deuteronomy passage,

Deuteronomy 17:15 (ESV)

you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.

We can see the people are choosing their king, but really God is choosing the king. God is in their midst, influencing their decision. And as they make a decision, they are aware of God’s presence. This is government at its best.

Why does God require that a brother Israelite rule as king? Why would God not want a foreigner to rule over His people?

These are the redeemed people of God. A foreigner will not understand God’s priorities for His people.

What are implications of this for us as Christians?

We walk in the world, but we are not of the world. We have priorities and values that guide our lives that align with the kingdom of God. Some of us have become willing to sacrifice the priorities and values of the kingdom of God for leaders who understand political expedience. Maybe a politician doesn’t understand the first thing about mercy and justice, but he understands how to get things done and says he will do the things I like. Suddenly I’m willing to put a foreigner over us. Not that he or she was born in Indonesia. But they are foreign to the kingdom of God.

We walk in the world, but we should not walk in its ways. God spells this out even further.

Deuteronomy 17:16 (ESV)

Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’

There is so much to say here. First, why does a king acquire many horses? To build up his military power. We would all say national defense is one function of good government.

So, why does God not want Israel’s king to do this?

In the kingdom of God, we walk according to God’s ways. What are God’s ways? What did we learn about God last week? What kind of a king is He?

Psalm 145:8 (ESV)

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

In the kingdom of God we use weapons that are not of this world. Israel was the type, or example, for all of us who will live in the kingdom. Our power doesn’t come in the ways of the world, like military power.

So, Israel’s king was not to acquire horses, but the reason is important. This is the second observation. To acquire horses, they would have to return to Egypt.

Deuteronomy 17:16 (ESV)

Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’

Egypt symbolizes the kingdoms of this world, ruled by sin, built on exploitation and slavery. God had delivered Israel out from there, and they were to never return. I don’t think He meant this only literally. Egypt had horses. But more than that, Egypt was a temptation to use worldly ways to achieve power. You can leave the borders of some place, and your heart is still there. Their hearts could be drawn back to sin, exploitation, and power. But they would return to the place of slavery.

Add to this the next two prohibitions, and God’s priorities emerge.

Deuteronomy 17:17 (ESV)

And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.

What does a king need lots of wives for? To create a royal family, a noble class. Establishing your own family in power would be tempting, rather than allowing God to choose the next king. And excessive silver and gold is obvious.

So, the three prohibitions for Israel’s kings - power, nobility, and wealth - all draw away the heart of the king, or anyone really. “Lest his heart turn away.”

Turn away from what? What is the equivalent for us today?

So, what is the solution?

Walk in the Fear of the LORD toward Humility

Deuteronomy 17:18 (ESV)

“And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests.

Stop and think about that for a minute.

How much time would this take a person to write out the five books of Moses? What would be the results for someone who did that?

Some people interpret the word “copy” as “duplicate”, in other words, that he would write two copies. One to keep at home and one to bring with him as he traveled.

Whether one or two, the purpose is clear,

Deuteronomy 17:19–20 (ESV)

And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them,

that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.

His authority was under God’s authority.

“The kings of Israel were supposed to make themselves accountable to God’s law, and to acknowledge a basic equality between themselves and the people. ‘If you are over other,’ says God, ‘you had better be under me, because then you realize you’re no better than anyone else, and that you’re only a steward, a landlord, a guardian of what’s mine!’

“The take-away lesson here: Good human authority is never absolute. Good authority is always accountable. Good authority drives inside the lines that God has painted on the road. In fact, good authority is always submissive!

“You shouldn’t lead if you cannot submit or stay in your lane, because good leadership is always in submission to God and anyone else whom God places over us. Only God’s authority is absolute and comprehensive, being accountable only to the law of his own nature.” Jonathan Leeman, “Authority”

But the other thing the king would learn was more about his heart condition (verse 20).

How would you describe this heart condition? How would you describe the character of someone who followed this prescription in our passage?

He would be marked by humility. Humility learned through the fear of the the LORD, learned through obedience to God. Humility through mutual submission to God’s law along with the rest of the people of Israel. The king was not above God’s law. It gave him a narrow way in which to walk. He would not be a sovereign power. His authority did not come from his military power, his political influence, or his wealth. His authority came from radical obedience to God and solidarity with his people.

We want leaders who are as strong and kind as God in His kingdom. We want leaders who will stand for justice and know when to demonstrate mercy. We want leaders who will do the right thing to protect us and protect the refugee.

But we have given up thinking these kind of leaders are out there. We have settled for what little we think we can get. I don’t have all the answers for who we should support. But one thing is clear. The character of the leader matters. Not just what he can get done. If he accomplishes great things, but uses the ways of the world - fear, hatred, financial leverage, manipulation - we will become complicit in our support. We have seen too many Christian leaders, pastors, using the ways of the world to build a bigger church. We should not be surprised to hear that those leaders have compromised their character along the way. If a leader does not walk in the fear of the Lord and humility, others will follow his example. We compromise our own character when we choose to overlook that.

We may not have many good choices right now. But in our system, our leaders reflect the will of the people. We never see change in our leaders if we ourselves don’t change. How do we learn God’s ways, the fear of the Lord, and humility?

When you read Deuteronomy 17:14-20, who does this remind you of? What does this way of ruling teach us about Jesus?

Matthew 20:28 (ESV)

“even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Philippians 2:6–7 (ESV)

though [Christ Jesus] was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Hebrews 2:14–18 (ESV)

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 5:8 (ESV)

Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.

Communion

Questions for Discussion

What are some good leaders you have had in your life? What makes a good leader?

Who are some Christians who have been good leaders in public life and how would you describe their character?

What can we learn about God in our passage this week?

What can we learn about ourselves in our passage?

What are the challenges to people of character becoming leaders in public life? What are the challenges for Christian leaders maintaining good character over the long haul?

How is godly character formed for leaders in God’s kingdom, according to our passage?

How does Jesus demonstrate the kind of character God desires in leaders in HIs kingdom?

How do the instructions in Deuteronomy 17 and the fulfillment in Jesus help instruct us to make choices about who we put over us as leaders?

How will you respond to this passage this week?

Who is someone you can share this with this week?