Tag: Deuteronomy 16

Under My Own Power

I often see people cite Deuteronomy 17:17 when talking about David and Solomon, both of whom had multiple wives. And in the case of Solomon (who neared 1,000 when you factor in concubines) we see the direct statement in 1 Kings 11:3 that this did indeed result in his heart of hearts being led astray. But God never addresses Polygamy head-on as a perversion of marriage even though it is CLEARLY in contravention of Genesis 2:24 & Matthew 19:5-6.

But I actually don’t think this passage (17:17) addresses the king having more than one wife any more than the previous verse addresses the king having more than one horse (17:16). These two verses are about how Israel is to run itself as a nation, and not really about the behaviour of the king specifically. At this time there still was no king. Nor would there be for a while to come. They have the reign of Joshua still ahead of them, then the Judges… then the Kings. No what’s happening here is the establishment of a new nation with guiding principles. And God recognizes that how the king (or queen or whatever head-of-state) conducts himself will signal to the people how things ought to be done. The king is accountable for what he models for his people.

All of that to say, let’s look at what each of these prohibitions means.

  1. The king may not acquire a great number of horses — God doesn’t care how many horses the king has. God is not telling the king to be a one-horse man. Rather, the horse was a symbol of military strength. God didn’t want Israel to hoard weapons of mass destruction because they were to rely on Him! He says as much in 20:1! Amassing military strength demonstrated a lack of trust in the God who brought them out of slavery in Egypt. Solomon did this in spades (1 Kings 10:26)!
  2. The king may not send to Egypt for horses — Egyptian horses were considered to be the best horses in the Ancient Near East, taller and larger than the northern breeds. So you can see why the temptation to buy some of those sweet Egyptian studs might have been large. But the problem here is that God delivered the people FROM enslavement in Egypt, so to turn BACK to the enslaver for protection rather than the God who showed his might against them is a slap in the face to God. Solomon, of course, did this too (1 Kings 10:29). And was called out for in Isaiah 30:1-5.
  3. The king may not take many wives — This was less about marriage and more about treaties with other nations. It was common to make a deal with the king of another nation and secure it with a marriage. A son from one side would marry a daughter from the other. This was — essentially — using children as a sort of contract signature. To highlight the strength of the bond between the two nations. Why did this matter, though? Because it was a sign of political strength. Why would Nation X try to attack me if I have the support through treaties with Nations A, B, and C? And, of course, Nation E cannot attack because we have a treaty between the two of us. Once again, God is our peace and protector. We should not be trying to do his job! God doesn’t like it when we sit on His throne. And of course, these close bonds lead to adoption of worldviews, ideas, and beliefs — all of which can (and do) draw us away from God. And yes, Solomon did this as well (1 Kings 11:1-13).
  4. The king may not amass silver and gold — This is monetary strength. Having a “war chest” of sorts. Riches and opulence give us a sense of security. Confidence. Importance. Again, this is a distraction. We shouldn’t seek to acquire money just for the sake of having the money. God is our provider, not ourselves. We need to be good stewards, we need to work hard, we need to make the most of the gifts & blessings God has given us… but that doesn’t mean we bask in it, embrace it, and love it. In fact we are warned quite sternly that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). And yes, Solomon also fell into this trap (1 Kings 10:27).

So then, should we marry as many people as we like? No. Of course not. But we also need to remember to trust in God’s provision and protection. This is not a call to recklessness or a vow of poverty, but it is a call to put every decision before the Lord and allow Him to make use of what you have been given. Don’t make and execute a plan then invite God to tag along. He’s not your kid brother. Go to God and ask Him to guide you through the planning process. Stop along the way and listen for his voice/leading.

Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9 | 076/365

Death to the Infidel!

Right at the top of chapter 13 God tells us that false prophets and dreamers of dreams can be tested. We can know if they are the real deal or if they are trying to lead us astray. How? When they tell you to follow their new god… It’s kind of hilarious in its simplicity, isn’t it?

Prophet: Hey, come and follow me! I’ll introduce you to a newer, better-er god!
Me: Honey, I think this guy may not be on the level.
My wife: Agreed.

But the interesting part to me is rather the parts that follow; 1) God is doing this to test you, and 2) the prophet or dreamer must be executed for encouraging rebellion.

1) What does it mean that God is testing you? I’ll be honest, at first blush — to me, at least — this seems like a very convenient excuse. God gave this false prophet the power to foresee the future or speak a word of knowledge just to test us… but then we have to kill him/her? But of course this objection is short-sighted. Why? Because — unlike what so many people believe (Seriously. So. Many. People.) — our God is not one of blind, unquestioning faith. He is, and has always been, an evidential God. He doesn’t say ‘follow me because of what I say I can do’, but rather He says, ‘follow me because of what you have SEEN me do!’ God reminds the people continually of how He rescued them from Egypt. How he provided in the wilderness. How He protected them in battle. Then some new guy comes along, knows that your great aunt Ethyl was a Scorpio and you’re all “take my hand, we’re off to never-never land”? Madness. Why would anyone abandon a faithful God to follow a lie? Usually? Because it feels good.

2) The false prophet is to be executed. This is where the “death to the infidel” title came from. A touch extreme, no? Is there no avenue to redemption here? This was a life-or-death matter. Remember the “hearts of hearts” we talked about yesterday? Here we have a person (in the prophet/dreamer) who has seen what God can do, and has been imbued by God with a gift of prophecy, but attributes it to not God? The author of Hebrews warns us:

For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame. (Hebrews 4:4-6, NLT)

This is a person who cannot be brought back to repentance, and so he (or she) must be made an example of to all would-be apostates. His death is judgement for unrighteousness. And moreover, his death is protection for others whose “heart of hearts” might be corrupted to their own damnation through the work of the apostate.

We no longer summarily execute apostates… at least not in the west. We are called to obey the laws of the land. Back in Moses’ day it was near anarchy. Small city-states were ruled with an iron fist and life was exceptionally hard. Again, no country in the western world operates as a Theocracy. But we can still apply these principles. How?

We need to keep those who are apostate at arm’s length. We cannot allow them to influence our “heart of hearts”. And, of course, we pray. We pray that even though we may not be able to win them back (as we read in Hebrews), there is nothing impossible for God. There are people I deeply care about who have turned their backs on God. And it is my sincere prayer that one day I will be standing side-by-side with them, arms raised in worship of our God again. Praise Jesus.

Deuteronomy 13:1-16:17 | 075/365