Let God Choose Your "King"
From The HeartPublish date: 11/25/2012
When you come to the land which the Lord your God gives you and you possess it and live there, and then say, We will set a king over us like all the nations that are about us, 15 You shall surely set as king over you him whom the Lord your God will choose. Deuteronomy 17:14-15 AMP
Being a great leader is not just about the ability to order other people around; it is about leading in such a way that it brings blessing and peace to all – which is God’s will. Moses is referring to a king, but there are many leadership positions: head of a household; head of a business; head of an organization; head of a ministry; head of a town or a state or a nation; etc. A great leader does not make decisions that benefit only him, but that benefit those under him. Only God can choose, and make, a truly great leader!
1. When you choose a king, he shall be from among your brethren (Deut. 17:15)
Someone who has no heart for the people he leads is not going to make good decisions for the people. If a father does not love his wife and kids, he will not be the best father he can be; if a minister does not love people with God’s love, he will not be the best minister he can be; if a leader in any area does not have the best interests of the people at heart, he will be a bad leader.
2. Do not choose a Gentile to reign over you
“…you may not set a foreigner, who is not your brother, over you.” (Deut. 17:15b) The two commandments we must follow are: love God and love people. A great leader loves and honors God first. He is personally submitted to, and accountable to, God and seeks to please Him above all. A man who loves God first, will love his family and serve them. A leader who loves God first and who loves and cares for those under him will serve them and put his interests over his own. If you are a woman who is not married yet, then DO NOT marry an unbeliever, or someone who does not respect God or His word, and think that he will treat you well for the rest of your life.
3. Your king shall not multiply horses to himself
“…he shall not multiply horses to himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to multiply horses, since the Lord said to you, You shall never return that way.” (Deut. 17:16) A leader should not be focused on building personal power for the sake of power. In Scripture the horse is a symbol of fleshly strength and might in war. God does not want leaders to be arrogant or to spend time and money on preparing for “war”. Winning, and being on top, is not more important than doing what’s right. Egypt represents the worldy system and all forms of idolatry. If you look to the world to set the standards for your life, you will only end up hurting yourself and others. You can’t tread on others to advance yourself. The devil promised Jesus the world – its power, glory and wealth – if He would bow to him and you and I have the same choice to make! We must trust God to be the one who calls us, directs us, promotes us, provides for us and protects us!
4. He shall not cause you to return to Egypt (Deut. 17:16)
Egypt represents the world and the bondage of sin. It is vital that a husband, a father, a minister, a boss, a leader, must be godly and committed to serve God no matter what! If a leader loves the world too much and if he looks to the world for direction and the way forward, then he will keep leading those under him back into bondage. A leader must make some difficult decisions. Leading a family, a group, a nation, on in what’s right and good for them is not always popular. You have to make decisions to do what’s right even if they don’t like it. If a leader feels pressure from those under them to do what’s wrong, he must stand up to it and make a godly decision.
5. He shall not multiply wives to himself
“…he shall not multiply wives to himself, that his [mind and] heart turn not away.” (Deut. 17:17) God’s perfect plan for a man is to have ONE wife and to be faithful to her all of their lives. If a leader is unfaithful to his wife, it follows that he will NOT be faithful to anyone under his leadership. Many a man has destroyed his own life, lost the respect of others, and lost his position by being unrestrained in this area of the flesh. Even Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, did not follow God’s advice for his life. Because he had so many wives and concubines, he never found, nor enjoyed the company of, the perfect wife. The many wives caused only strife and division in his life and led him off into idolatry, which was devastating for the entire nation.
6. He shall not greatly multiply to himself silver and gold (Deut. 17:17)
Jesus said that we all have the choice to make for God OR mammon. The love of money is the root of ALL evil. If a man loves money too much, he will NOT be a good leader. He will make selfish ungodly decisions that will rob from those he leads. Pursuing wealth and riches is greed and idolatry. Accumulating wealth results in pride, arrogance, selfishness, heartlessness and looking upon and disregarding the welfare of on others. A great leader honors God above money and things and he makes decisions that bless the family and bless the people and/or bless the nation!
7. He shall write a copy of the law in a book, and it shall be with him to read all the days of his life (Deut. 17:18-20)
Solomon had everything going for him, but he did all the things God said not to do. When he became rich, built up a large army of men and horses, and married many wives, then his own heart turned from God. Out of Solomon’s sin came Israel’s disobedience, followed by their division and captivity. A great husband, father, minister, boss, and/or leader, must be a man of God’s word. He must have his own Bible, keep it with him wherever he goes, read it every day, and obey it. God’s word must be hidden in his heart so that he may learn to reverently fear God all the days of his life and to keep His Law. When you respect God’s word, you respect Him; when you respect Him, you obey Him: you will not exalt yourself, in your heart or mind, above others, or forget God in the day of prosperity. The only way to prosper is to know God’s will, and the only way to know his will is through His word.