May the mumbling commence!
No one is above God’s Law – not the king, not the president, not the CEO, not the pastor, and not the priest (indeed not even the Pope). Don’t believe me? Read the guidelines for a king from Deuteronomy chapter seventeen:
"You will soon arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, and you will conquer it and settle there. Then you may begin to think, 'We ought to have a king like the other nations around us.' If this happens, be sure that you select as king the man the Lord your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite, not a foreigner. The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself, and he must never send his people to Egypt to buy horses there, for the Lord has told you, 'You must never return to Egypt.' The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will lead him away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate vast amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.
When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy these laws on a scroll for himself in the presence of the Levitical priests. He must always keep this copy of the law with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of this law. This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. This will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel. (Verses 14-20)
When you’re at the top, how do you achieve security? That question is at the bottom of this passage. Let’s look at how it answers that question.
First off, there are ways that will never bring security. Military build-up will not insure security. That is what is meant by not having a large stable of horses. It is the way of the world – not the way of the Lord! Multiple political and royal marriages to bind together kingdoms are not the path to security either. And hoarding wealth is not the way to insure security either.
The world smiles on these paths to security, but they are a mirage, a deception.
Where does security come from? Security comes from the Word of God. Read it daily. Copy the Word of God. Engrave it on your heart. Remember that you are not above the Law. It will prevent pride. It will prevent straying from the commands of the Lord. This way to security is sure indeed. It is the way of God. It will echo down the generations.
Don’t believe the warnings about trusting in those worldly paths to stability? Read from Jesus parable recorded in Luke chapter sixteen:
"The rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in these flames.'
But Abraham said to him, 'Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. Anyone who wanted to cross over to you from here is stopped at its edge, and no one there can cross over to us.'
Then the rich man said, 'Please, Father Abraham, send him to my father's home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them about this place of torment so they won't have to come here when they die.'
But Abraham said, 'Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read their writings anytime they want to.'
The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will turn from their sins.'
But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.'" (Verses 24-31)
Use wealth wisely in this world. Use it to comfort people who need comforted. Otherwise you lose the only identity that is important to you – your identity as a child of God. Did you ever notice that the rich man is never called by name but the beggar, Lazarus, is?
It is indeed essential that we immerse ourselves in the Word of God daily. It will form our attitudes, our thoughts, our words, and our actions. That is a goal of this daily study. I am glad you have joined me!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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