The Role of Kings in Israel

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Deuteronomy and the Establishment of Kings

Deuteronomy 18 -20
November 24th 2024
Before we get into chapter 18 and beyond, I want to discuss verses 14-20 from chapter 17 which we read in conclusion last week. They were all about YAHAVAH instructing them what to do, He says, “when they get in the land and say among themselves, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; Then in verse 15 YAHAVAH continues on and says, 15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom YAHAVAH 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. This implies, almost directly, that God is telling them to elect a King over them, from their brethren.

And then he goes on to say how the king should not multiply horses, wives and/or gold or silver to themselves and explains why. He also tells them that the one who they elect as king should write his own copy of the Law and read it all the days of his life and it concludes with verse 20; 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. From this it appears that God not only allowed for kings to reign over them.

Promises and Prophecies About Kings

What adds support for this idea is that YAHAVAH had promised Abraham that Nations and Kings would come from him (in Genesis 17:6) and then we also see YAHAVAH give the same promise to Jacob (in Genesis 35:11). If we want to be sticklers, we also read of YAHAVAH prophesying to Israel of a king who would come from Judah – (which is in Genesis 49:10 and Numbers 24:7, 17) – of course, this may specifically refer to David but clearly refers to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, Yeshua the Messiah.

The Confusion in 1 Samuel

What becomes confusing is when we get out to 1 Samuel 8. Let's read picking it up at verse 4:

1st Samuel 8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto YAHAVAH. 7 And YAHAVAH said unto Samuel, “Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. 9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

So, what gives? Was the Nation to have Kings over them – as the scripture seems to suggest in Genesis and Deuteronomy? Some commentators maintain that God changed His view on kings between Genesis and 1st Samuel – that He initially wanted them but that the Nation's heart toward them over Him changed His mind when we get to Samuel.

The rub lies between the phrases, “God wanted them to have a King” And “God allowed them to have a king under special conditions” And “God did NOT want them to seek after a King” in other circumstances. Jumping ahead to 1st Samuel, Israel will lose the ark of the covenant to the Philistines at this point in their history and its return prompted the Israelites to “put away the foreign gods that they had been worshipping alongside YAHAVAH, and this change resulted in Him giving

The Israelites' Demand for a Human King

The narrative in 1 Samuel 4-7 explains that God's granting of victory over Philistia was a response to Israel’s temporary and limited repentance. Yet, their mindset soon shifted away from prioritizing YAHAVAH, as shown by their desire for a king who would adopt the same priorities. This incomplete repentance becomes evident in 1 Samuel 8, where the people ask for a king towards the end of Samuel’s life. This request is a clear rejection of YAHAVAH as their true king, as noted in verse 7. Their desire for a monarch demonstrated that they had not fully returned to the Creator.

Interpreting Deuteronomy’s Guidance on Leadership

But why was the Israelites’ demand for a king considered a sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace.? In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, God seems to suggest that if Israel desired a king, they could appoint one, provided the king was an Israelite who relied not on military might or wealth but followed God’s law. Therefore, they were not to pursue a kingship akin to pagan kings but rather leadership under a Godly man.

Their error in Samuel's era was wanting a kingship modelled after gentile rulers, not merely seeking a monarchy under a Godly leader. This is highlighted in 1 Samuel 8:19-20, where the Israelites desire a king to "fight [their] battles," despite YAHAVAH's assurance to fight for Israel (Deuteronomy 1:30). The inconsistency lay not in having a king, but in failing to choose a leader wholly devoted to God.

Biblical Examples of Godly Leadership

2nd Kings introduces King Hezekiah as a model of a Godly king, akin to his ancestor David. Hezekiah removed idolatrous practices and trusted the LORD God of Israel, standing as a paragon of faithfulness and prosperity. Hezekiah and David represent the kind of kings YAHAVAH would permit to reign, as they followed His will.

Before transferring the throne to Solomon, King David composed a Psalm, expressing his hopes for Solomon's divine-guided reign over what was a theocratic kingdom. In Psalm 72, verses outline a vision of a king adjudicating with righteousness, bringing peace, justice, and protection to the needy, ensuring reverence for God throughout generations. This encapsulates the ideal that leadership should firmly root in divine principles.

The Promise of a Righteous King

like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.
12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.
13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.
14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.
16 There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
17 His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.
18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.
19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

The Current Reign and Prophecy

Of course, this is a prayer pointing to King Yeshua Himself, prophetically, but the direct recipient of the words were, in that day, for the way Solomon would reign. So, strictly speaking, it was certainly not incompatible for the Nation to have a King that truly honored and followed and represented YAHAVAH and His righteousness.

BUT – even all the way back in Deuteronomy 17:14, that is not the kind of King the Israelites wanted. Listen again to the words Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 17:14, “when they get in the land and say among themselves, “I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;” And we can see that what YAHAVAH is really saying here is not a recommendation but a description of their errant ways.

To mediate their carnal desires to have a king “like as all the Nations around them” YAHAVAH told them the type of King that He would allow – but then, and again out to 1st Samuel, that was not what they wanted. We will discover that when God, knowing their hearts allowed them to pick their first king, chapter 9 of 1st Samuel describes him thus –

Saul: The People's Choice and Its Consequences

1st Samuel 9:1 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. 2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

These outward appearances were important to the people because in their minds this illustrated God’s hand upon their choice – this first King had all the trimmings on the tree and to them Saul was surely the one. Samuel warned them that having such a king would not be good for the nation, but they ignored him and demanded the wrong kind of king anyway (according to 1st Samuel 8:10–20).

The Lord responded by telling Samuel to listen to the people and to appoint a king for them (in verses 21–22). But as we will see, even though the people got the kind of king they wanted, it led to much strife in Israel as we will see. This first king, Saul, like the kings of the other Nations, was an absolute disaster and God will elect another shepherd boy who did love

The True King and His Kingdom

Him, who was a man after God’s own heart and who would materially do what God wanted for the Nation – in most cases. Unfortunately, and I am not being political but instead apolitical when I say this, but we have lost reasonable application of Kings in our day and have at times sought after kings like the other Nations have, forgetting that Kings rarely worked for the theocracy in Israel and more importantly that we, as believers, do have a King that lives up to David's prayer, God’s specifications and desires.

This King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and we read the following in John 18:33-37:

John 18:33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

The Misplaced Trust in Earthly Leaders

I cannot emphasize more how important this declaration is, how it lays out whom those who are His look to and trust in all of the affairs of our lives, and that there are no earthly substitutes for the King YAHAVAH gave to the world to rule and reign. Sadly, I watch as people who claim allegiance to Christ also look to men of renown, stature, power, wealth and accomplishment and appear to cry to God Himself saying, give us a King! Oh, give us a King! Forgetting that He already has, and the real solution to our personal, national and world problems will never be solved in a four or eight year political span of time, but will only genuinely improve when more people receive, believe and allow Him to reign over their hearts.

So I see God telling Abraham that nations and kings would come out of him, as a clear-cut prophecy and not a declaration of something God gave the thumbs up or the thumbs down to – it was merely a description of what would occur – nations and kings would come forth out from the old Man without children including and especially Yeshua. And with Jacob and Judah we have the same meaning. SOAP BOX? No. We want real solutions not those that come from the arm of the flesh no matter how promising and the only real solution to governance, victory, peace is for our elected Kings to also be men after gods own heart, and if not, for His disciples to solely look in faith to Him who will unfailingly reign.

The Levites’ Inheritance

Chapter eighteen opens with Moses reiterating that the Levites would have no inheritance with the rest of the Nation but would live upon the offerings of the other tribes. And from verse 3 through 8 he speaks of their inheritance (who is YAHAVAH) and how the rest of the Nation would supply and relate to them. I personally find this type, played out by the Levites alone, to picture the Bride culled out from the Nation (and faithful Gentiles) in Yeshua’s day. Where the Levites were the ones to serve as officiants and such in the tabernacle, and whose inheritance was YAHAVAH, repeated over and over again, I cannot help but wonder if the Bride of Christ, taken up at His coming before the wrath of God fell on the rest, would also be the officiants in the New JerusalemThe spiritual reality of God's fulfilled presence with humanity—replacing Sheol after 70 A.D. above, living forever inside that Kingdom and doing all that is necessary in the execution of whatever goes on in that place. I wonder if that is what they have.

Responsibilities in the New Jerusalem

Perhaps they are at the gates? Greeting all who enter in, serving as escorts, administering the Tree of Life’s fruit and leaves as it is mentioned in Revelation? Perhaps they are assigned territories on earth and in the heavens, and perhaps we are joyfully assigned to certain teams to help go out into the world, or into the Dark recesses of the Heavenly domain? Can we even imagine? I cannot. But I do see our God as a God of order, principles, and a creator within comprehensible power, love and far-reaching meaning in all He has done, and therefore all He will continue to do.

At verse 9 of chapter 18 Moses goes into more reminders of how the Nation needs to be relative to all the abominable practices the other nations practice. From verse 9-12 we read:

9 When thou art come into the land which YAHAVAH thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto YAHAVAH: and because of these abominations YAHAVAH thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

I won't spend too much time on this but I personally have known and experienced the power and forces of the Dark which are sort of summarized by YAHAVAH here to the Nation yet again. But the scripture specifically names ten forces, practices, and powers that He tells them to avoid, including:

Forbidden Practices

Learning to do what abominations the other nations do.
Nobody was to offer their child up for sacrifice by fire;
Or to use divination
Or to be an observer of times
Or to be an enchanter
Or a witch
Or a charmer
Or a consulter of familiar spirits
Or a wizard
Or a necromancer

Interestingly, the scripture does not avoid mentioning or describing the realities of these powers and actions in that day and even in this age of Christ’s victory over all things, I maintain that He will allow all people to access what their hearts truly desire. On the wall, I created a compilation of what these ten warnings are about, not by way of adoration but as an illustrative means to symbolize the reality of these forces. I’ve purposely titled it D18101112 and show how she sucks the beauty and color out of God's universe and dresses herself in borrowed glory.

We all understand the horror of offering up our children to be sacrificed to fire, but let me quickly describe these other warnings beginning with the admonition to not: “Learning to do what abominations the other nations do.” Like almost everything spiritually powerful here and there, things must be learned, practiced and applied. When the scripture talks about sin in the apostolic record, the meaning of it was the practice of sin, the open acceptance and unrepentant practice of such. I see God as being extremely merciful to the Bride in their slips and failures as human beings, but Paul’s warnings against the practice of such was the meaning, which underscores the heart condition of the persons involved.

So, the principle is don’t try and learn or practice what the dark forces promote because simply put, the most successful advocates of things like witchcraft, sorcery, cabala, and all sorts of other Dark forces are practitioners of such. The next warning is against using what the scripture calls, “divination.”

Condemnation of Divination

In the Bible, divination is the practice of using supernatural means to gain knowledge or guidance, such as by communicating with the supernatural or foretelling the future. The Bible strongly condemns divination as a serious sin because it involves seeking wisdom from sources other than God. Early Christian writers, who are by no means wholly reliable nor consistent in their observations, distinguished between prophecy.

Enchantment and Its Dangers

and divination by defining prophecy as “true knowledge from God” and divination as information from demons which was always inferior and only partially true.

Unfortunately, believers must be discerning and careful about things that appear real and true which come from sources other than the One True God in whom we trust.

Observers of Times

The next warning is against being “an observer of times.” These terms tend to overlap on each other, but to make it simple, we might see an observer of times, even though the term is linked linguistically to clouds and obscuring, as more on prognostications based on the time of a season. Something like that of a Nostradamus.

“Or to be an enchanter.” Okay – quite a big subject and has lots of interpretations relative to that day and our own. I come to this with some trepidation because in the age of Victory, I remain unconvinced that all the principles used biblically and to them in the old and the new Testaments have the same meaning. What I will admit going into the topic of enchantments is we have to be super discerning, dedicated to the will and ways of God, and walking in liberty that does put Him and His ways first.

The word enchantment can refer to the feeling of being attracted by something interesting, pretty, or exciting. But in the Bible, enchantment usually refers to the practice of the magic arts. Enchantment, as a part of witchcraft and sorcery, was clearly forbidden in God’s Law (Leviticus 19:26; 2 Kings 21:6). An enchanter was one who cast spells or put “curses” on someone. Some English translations use the words diviner, magician, fortune-teller, necromancer, or astrologer to identify someone who practiced enchantment.

Only two sources of power exist in the universe: those that originate with God, and those that God has allowed Satan to control (Job 1:12). Since time began, God has commanded us to listen and obey Him alone (Genesis 2:16–17). Although He gives us the freedom to choose our master, God has always had strong words for human beings who dabble in Satan’s territory (Deuteronomy 18:14; Isaiah 2:6; Revelation 9:21). He will not tolerate our idolatry or our fascination with enchantment (Exodus 22:18).

The Dangers of Enchantment

It is also interesting to note that the Greek word pharmakeia, translated in Galatians 5:20 as “witchcraft” or “sorcery,” is also a word that implies the use of magic potions and mind-altering substances as part of a sorcerer’s enchantment. From this Greek word we get the English word pharmacy, associated with the manufacture and dispensing of drugs. This word is used again in Revelation 18:23 by an angel executing God’s judgments upon Babylon, in part because of her refusal to repent from her “magic spell”—pharmakeia—or enchantments of every sort.

With this deeper understanding of all that enchantment encompasses, the Bible’s prohibition of it becomes even more relevant for our day. Our world’s out-of-control abuse of mind-altering substances has its roots in satanic enchantment. The very demons of hell thrive in environments where drugs, witchcraft, necromancy, and psychics are celebrated (2 Corinthians 11:14; 1 Chronicles 10:13; Leviticus 20:27; Acts 13:6–11). What our sinful flesh finds enchanting, God knows will destroy us. So He prohibits involvement with sorcery and enchantment on any level.

For a Christian, the prohibition against enchantment goes one step further. Ephesians 5:18 warns us that we cannot be controlled by both alcohol and the Holy Spirit. Alcoholic liquor, which is often dubbed “spirits,” controls us in a way that only God’s Spirit should control us. When we transfer ownership of our lives to Jesus (Luke 9:23), the Holy Spirit comes to live inside our hearts (Acts 2:38). He comes with the intention of transforming us into the image of Christ by directing our lives through our voluntary surrender and obedience to His Word (Romans 8:29; Galatians 5:16). This transformation cannot happen when we choose to be controlled by something other than Him. When we seek enchantments, through drugs, alcohol, horoscopes, fortune-telling, or any number of other satanic controls, we forfeit the fruit that God desires to produce in our lives (Galatians 5:22; John 15:1–4).

The only “enchantment” believers seek is found in the presence of God Himself. Paul uses the Greek word huperbolé, which means “surpassing excellence,” to put into words.

Spiritual Insights from Scripture

The experience of intimate fellowship with Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:7, 17; 12:7). In Philippians 3:8, Paul describes His “enchantment” with Jesus this way: “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” David was similarly enthralled: “I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’ . . . You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:2, 11). To be caught up in the Holy Spirit, enraptured in the worship of Almighty God, is the highest form of enchantment and the only form we should ever pursue.

Warnings Against Divination and Sorcery

The next four warnings, while originating from different Hebrew terms, certainly overlap and they are “a witch, a charmer, a consulter of familiar spirits, and wizard.” Witch in Hebrew is Kashif which best means whisperers of spells. Charmer is Kaber which means to fascinate especially through society. Consulter of familiar spirits is shawal obe which speaks directly to communications with sounds that come from a bottle full of air, and wizard is Yideonee which is a knowing one of ghosts and finally, Necromancer is Darash Mooth which specifically means to seek, ask or worship what is dead.

In all of these there are similarities with communications, expressions, seeking out, and possessing a knowledge of ability to communicate or convey information, spells, curses, insights from sources other than God. Coupling the fact that we know that there are spirits and gods many, that YAHAVAH wants our reliance, allegiance and devotions only on Him, and that all of these practices and arts are attempts to appeal to non-YAHAVAH sources, we can readily see why He tells them to not pursue them. And Moses adds at verse 13,

13 Thou shalt be perfect with YAHAVAH thy God.
14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, YAHAVAH thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

The Role of the Prophet

Wrap up today and chapter 18 with verse 15-22 where Moses adds:

15 YAHAVAH thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

This is speaking first of Moses and we know this because of the next verse which says:

16 According to all that thou desiredst of YAHAVAH thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of YAHAVAH my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
17 And YAHAVAH said unto me, (Moses adds) They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

So, context proves that Moses was explaining his being raised up but the fulfillment of this would be in Christ. At this point Moses then adds some clarification on prophets, saying at verse 20:

20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which YAHAVAH hath not spoken?
22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of YAHAVAH, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which YAHAVAH hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

This is a written way the people could discern if someone was truly a prophet of God, a principle we have already covered. But the context is really saying this – Don’t seek after all the soothsayers.

Prophetic Claims in Chapter 18

But if anyone shows up making prophetic claims – test their words, if they do not all come to pass, don’t be afraid of them.

Conclusion

And we will wrap up chapter 18 and our time together with that.

Questions/Comments?

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