Deuteronomy 17 FORBIDDEN PRACTICES The maintenance of law and order as a nation does not only depend on having understandable laws, but enforcing them in a way that brings benefit to the greatest number of people. In Moses' final instructions, he again made very clear the seriousness of treating the commands of God carelessly. Whether it be the religious life of the people, their daily life involving labor and business, or the role of leadership, God gave plain instructions. People need to know that among God's people His honor and His name are represented in all we do. His honor and His will have the first claim on every activity in which we are engaged. Perhaps some Israelites had already been bringing second-rate leftovers from their flocks and herds for sacrifices thinking that would not make any difference to God. That practice had to be stopped. Imperfect sacrifices reflected what the people bringing them thought about God and His provision for their acceptance. The attitude we have when we worship, praise God and read the Bible is a reflection of our attitude toward God. Indifference, carelessness and dishonor toward holy things are not going to go unnoticed by God, nor are they unnoticed by those who listen to and observe us. My family will know what the things of God and God Himself, means to me by my tone of voice, my handling and reading of the scriptures and my response to divine things, in comparison to the other things going on in my life.
Wrong must be judged. The idolater in Israel had to be stopped. If a person was seen giving obeisance to idols, that person was to be dealt with by the full extent of the law. Tolerance of evil by most people today would make most to say that God is very unfair in not accepting anyone's religion no matter what it is. Allegiance to idols is to give that idol the place of preeminence and authority in one's life. The only way it was to be dealt with was to permanently eliminate the person who had turned to idols from God, from among God's people. If he or she was allowed to continue in idolatrous practice, it would infect others around them with the same spiritual disease. Children may follow parents. Friends of the children may follow them. The parents of the children who follow the children who follow the parents, may be influenced by them, and it is the fault of those who did not carry out the discipline God intended. Before long the deadly spiritual infection has spread through the whole company (or nation as in the case of Israel). God insisted that it be dealt with by death to the offending idol worshipper.
When just judgment is to be carried out, there is more than one purpose behind it. The offender must be punished. Observers of the punishment are warned as to what will happen to them if they do the same thing. The one or ones who have witnessed the offense must finish what they started. Witnesses must take the responsibility of following through on the charges they make. That would tend to eliminate vindictive accusations that have no real evidence. More than that, there had to be more than one witness so the rights of the accused were safeguarded. In any accusation more than one witness is needed and the consequences must be severe enough to bring the desired result. There are a number of proper disciplinary responses given in the New Testament to be applied when a person has sinned. The action to be taken is to be suitable to the sin committed. From a word of correction given by spiritual men, to being put away from God's people, the reason for discipline is to change a person's behavior from what is wrong to what is right.
Witnesses must be able to identify the problem and that must be supported by two or three who have observed the wrong behavior of which a person is being accused. The way judgment is carried out must correspond with what the scripture says. It also must be consistent with the objective of the discipline. It is possible to misuse the authority of a disciplinary action for the wrong reason. When that happens, it increases the consequences of the problem rather than dealing with it.
In the course of daily living, there arise matters to be faced that go beyond our ability to know how to deal with. Wise counsel from those who are spiritual (in Israel the priests) and those who have experience (in Israel the judges) is needed to make right decisions. Even in that case, the same as when accusations of sinning are made, two or three advisors are needed, that "in the multitude of counselors" there will be safe and wise decisions made. "Off-the-cuff" answers will often cloud the issues at stake rather than clarify the appropriate solution. There is a certain strength of wisdom that comes from those who spiritually and experientially have lived a long time. When they take counsel together, they can hopefully give a solution to a dilemma that will benefit those who have asked for their guidance.
The Lord God did not propose that Israel would have a king. He was their King. But He who knows the future, knew there would be a time coming when Israel wanted a king. To make plain to them He would choose the king, the laws concerning kingship and the leadership of a king were already given. Who should be king, what he should not do and what he should do, were clearly stated so there would be no mistake as to what God wanted in leaders. They were not to overtax the people so he could have a whole lot of "horses" and all the expense that goes with having and maintaining a lavish lifestyle. God's intention for a king was to have a just and fair leader who lived modestly among the people and could guide and serve them under God's leadership. He was not only to be moderate in his lifestyle but in his personal life. The position of leadership is easily abused so that a leader can fulfill his personal lusts for pleasure at the expense of the people he is supposed to serve and lead.
For all his wisdom, Solomon failed in the fundamentals of kingship. He knew how to judge the people but he didn't know how to judge himself. If perchance he did know that, to the extent he could write Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, he did not act on what he knew and gathered to himself so many women he was led astray in spite of the warnings the Word of God gave him. Even the huge amounts of gold he accumulated was contrary to what God had commanded. It is possible for a person, whether he is a leader or not, to know what is right and still choose to do what is wrong. Usually there is some excuse made for wrong behavior, but that does not change the fact that wrong is wrong, no matter what it is and who does it.
God instructed His people back then, and intends for leaders now, to be men who are men of the word of God. They need to know it, what it means by interpretation, and how to apply it in situations that arise. The practice taught by Moses to those who would become kings, is a good practice for those in positions of leadership to follow today. The king had to personally write out the words of the law. In that way the majority of his senses were used to press the truth home to his mind and heart. Then the king had to keep a copy of it with him so it would be at his hand when he had to make a decision on the spot. Further, he had to read it daily. In that way he would be conscious of the impact of it on himself, if he could expect those he judged to obey it.
When a person learns truth from God Himself through the Bible, it becomes real to him as he gets a right understanding of himself or herself. We can know in a general sense the value of the Word of God and the teaching it gives. But when it comes to really understanding its meaning and putting into practice what is taught, we have to read it word for word. Then we know what we should or should not do when it comes to giving God our sacrifices of praise, worship and thanksgiving. We will know that making wise decisions often requires the wise counsel of others. We will also know what is the right thing to do when we are called upon to take responsibility for God's people.