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Kingly Qualifications

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Deuteronomy 17 Listen: (3:24) Read: 2 Corinthians 10 Listen: (2:45)

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 17.16-20

16 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” 17 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. 18 When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees 20 and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.

Reflection: Kingly Qualifications

By John Tillman

Many places in scripture tell us God considered Israel’s request for a king an idolatrous act, a rejection of him, and a rebellion. (1 Samuel 8.6-9) Yet, knowing the request will one day come, God gave Moses a list of qualifications for kings.

The godly king Moses described is nothing like the ones Israel had and nothing like the ones we ask for today. In a poll released in July of 2024, Americans rated important traits in a president. They don’t compare well with God’s priorities.

God’s first requirement is to not build up expensive military resources. (Deut 17.16) The second requirement is sexual purity in marriage to just one partner. (Deut 17.17) The third requirement is to not enrich himself through his position. (Deut 17.17) Sounds tough already, right? But the last qualification is the kicker and most important.

God wanted kings to be biblical scholars. (Deut 17.18-20) The first task of the king was to write out his own copy of God’s law and to study and read it every day, so as to follow it without turning to the right or the left. As Tim Mackie of the Bible Project says, Israel’s king was supposed to be “a Bible nerd.”

These kingly qualifications aren’t binding on our political systems, however, we can evaluate political leaders or other kinds of leaders using these principles. It’s tempting to look at the list, despair, and complain that there’s no one qualified. We can blame the system and absolve ourselves from guilt over who we choose to support. However, there’s a twist…

In democracies similar to the United States, authority derives from the consent of the governed. You are the king. These principles are for you. The reason our leaders don’t match them is decades of us not matching them.

This is not just a technicality for citizens of democracies. It is a theological reality. With or without political power, we are the body of Christ, our king, on this earth. As regents and ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven, we are the rulers commanded to do these things.

To reign with Christ, develop the qualities of a godly ruler. Love and study the Bible. Do not enrich yourselves through misuse of power. Be sexually pure in marriage or chaste in singleness. Do not trust in violence or its tools but trust in the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20.7)

Properly representing Jesus’ kingdom will have effects on earthly ones.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer

Come, let us sing to the Lord; … For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. — Psalm 95.1, 3

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer
by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Kings Like Ahab

Victories don’t grant leaders a never-expiring stamp of God’s approval or mean a leader is “God’s man or woman.”

Kings Like Ahab
Read more: To Wicked Kings, Foreign and Domestic

We must abandon Jonah’s sinful wish to weaponize God’s wrath. God will not be our tool of destruction.

To Wicked Kings, Foreign and Domestic

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Sola iustitia — Justice Alone

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Deuteronomy 16 Listen: (3:25) Read: 2 Corinthians 9 Listen: (2:26)

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 16:20

20 Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Reflection: Sola iustitia – Justice Alone

By Erin Newton

What is justice? Is it simply enforcing what is legal? Or, as Christians, do we believe in a view of justice that exists beyond the bounds of the Constitution or any such government document?

Our contemporary culture has spoken at length about justice and across various topics from race to gender to politics to immigration. Justice is wrongfully withheld. Justice is woefully overused. Add the word “systemic” to justice and many heated debates ensue.

In his book, Ministers of Propaganda, Scott Coley examines various views taught from the pulpit that are founded on misleading rhetoric. In the final chapter, he states, “The persisting myth that we should regard those who demand systemic justice as false teachers or theological liberals is more than mere error: it presents a false image of who God is and what God requires of us.” Deuteronomy 16 supports such a claim.

In a series of instructions about festivals, including the Passover, God speaks of the importance of justice. He warns against accepting bribes because it “blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent” (v. 19). Justice is to be protected from corruption and people are to be treated fairly—equally, without discrimination.

It is fascinating that instructions about how to govern the community are sandwiched between instructions on worship, as if God is showing the people that one must have the other. There is no proper worship of God if justice is corrupted. There is no justice for the people if idols are the center of attention.

What does it mean to follow justice and to follow justice alone?

When we define justice with our government’s version of legality, we make the justice that God commands relative. It only means something if our government has decreed it so.

When we pursue justice and our own comfort, convenience, or financial gain, we are not following God’s command to keep justice pure from corruption. That sort of justice preserves the status quo.

Following justice alone is in no way a self-seeking, self-benefiting action. Coley drives home the reality of what justice looks like: “Scripture provides not a single example of a false prophet demanding justice for the oppressed. By contrast, Scripture provides many examples of God’s prophets decrying the political or religious establishment for perpetuating systemic injustice.”

To follow justice is to be a prophetic voice, and that is always a voice for the oppressed.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading

Jesus said: “As long as the day lasts we must carry out the work of the one who sent me; the night will soon be here when no one can work. As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.” — John 9.4-5

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer
 by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: What You Are Doing Is Not Good

An “outsider” came in and criticized Moses’ system of justice! “What you are doing is not good!”

What You Are Doing Is Not Good
Read more: Are There Ashtrays in Your Elevators?

Like ashtrays in elevators, there are always systemic, tangible, widespread, societal enablements of sins.

Are There Ashtrays in Your Elevators?
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Deuteronomy’s Dream for the Poor

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Deuteronomy 15 Listen: (3:20) Read: 2 Corinthians 8 Listen: (3:25)

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 15.4-5, 7-11

4 …there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, 5 if only you fully obey the Lord your God…

7 If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. 8 Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. 9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. 10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

Matthew 26.11

11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.

Reflection: Deuteronomy’s Dream for the Poor

By John Tillman

Matthew 26.11 is just one phrase of many words of Jesus that have been misquoted, taken out of context, or abused in history. People have used this to imply that poverty is intractable and action against it is ineffectual at best and against God’s will at worst. This false teaching is one of the more damaging ones to spread in the history of the church.

Jesus never implied opposing poverty means opposing God’s sovereignty. Instead, Jesus directly referenced Deuteronomy 15.11, including its command to be openhanded toward the poor.

Deuteronomy makes an extraordinary promise that “there need be no poor people among you” (Deuteronomy 15.4) but follows it up with realism, saying, “There will always be poor people…” (Deuteronomy 15.11)

God proclaims the possibilities of generosity while acknowledging the grim reality of greed. Through following God, we can open our hearts and hands, maintaining idealistic visions and actions without losing sight of ugly realities. Christians can look the darkest realities of poverty in the face and confidently say, “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“If only you fully obey the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 15.4)

The dream of Deuteronomy 15.4 was fulfilled (for a short time) in the early church. It was said of them, “God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.” (Acts 4.33-34) These Spirit-filled believers fulfilled Deuteronomy’s proclaimed possibility about the poor.

All systems controlled by humans eventually become corrupted and the Acts 4 church is no exception. Racism slips into the distribution of food and the highest levels of the church leadership must get involved (and get honest) to solve it. Corruption in systems run by humans is inevitable. If the church’s own system faced accusations of inequity, how much more can we expect inequity to be a concern in secular systems? However, these concerns are not a reason that we should abandon our calling in this area.

At the heart level of each individual and at the highest levels of our churches, denominations, and governments, Christians must acknowledge that the poor are our responsibility and are one way that God will judge how well we are helping his will to be done “on Earth as it is in Heaven.” (Matthew 6.9-10)

Divine Hours Prayer: The Morning Psalm

Though high up, You see the lowly;
Though far away, you keep an eye on the proud. — Psalm 138.6

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer
by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: He Became Poor

The reasons God gives for his just acts of judgment against Israel and Judah…always include offenses related to oppression of the poor.

He Became Poor — Love of Advent
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Godly Sorrow

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Deuteronomy 13-14 Listen: (6:35) Read: 2 Corinthians 7 Listen: (2:58)

Scripture Focus: 2 Corinthians 7.10-11

10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

Reflection: Godly Sorrow

By John Tillman

The Corinthian church greatly harmed Paul.

The exact nature of what happened is unknown, though it was probably related to one or more “false apostles” who attacked Paul’s reputation. It seems the church either believed the false attacks or failed to defend Paul against them.

Paul wrote a “severe” letter of correction to them that is lost to history. (2 Corinthians 2.3-4) This severe letter caused sorrow on both sides. Paul wrote 2 Corinthians after hearing a good report of their response to this correction.

Put yourself in the place of Corinth. Would Paul write us a “severe letter?” Have we embraced false prophets, teachers, apostles, or gospels? Have we caused grief and betrayed faithfulness for flashiness?

Put yourself in the place of Paul. Do you speak up against wrongs, false prophets, and deceptive leaders? Will you risk a “severe” correction and can you deliver it while still communicating love? Are you willing to forgive enemies (2 Corinthians 2.5-11) and restore the repentant?

Paul credited his restored relationship to the Corinthians’ “godly sorrow” and not “worldly sorrow.” Neither worldly nor godly sorrow are the normal sorrow we experience from living in a world tainted and damaged by human sin. They are two ways we respond to conviction of sin.

Worldly sorrow about sin focuses inward on the self. We are sorry about being caught or sorry about the consequences. When we experience this kind of sorrow, we grit our teeth and endure punishment, but nothing changes in our heart. This, Paul says, leads to death. How? Consider Pharaoh. (Exodus 8.15, 32; 9.12, 34) Pharaoh had worldly sorrow during the suffering of the plagues but his heart continued in wickedness. Gritting our teeth through worldly sorrow hardens our heart and, as with Pharaoh, leads to destruction.

Godly sorrow about sin focuses outward on others and on our identity in Christ. We are sorry for harming others, for maligning Jesus’ name, and for falling short of our calling. When we experience this kind of sorrow, we cry out in repentance and long to restore our faithful obedience to God. This brings salvation and erases regret, leading to life. How? Consider Josiah. (2 Chronicles 34.27-33) Josiah’s heart was grieved, responsive, and humble and he responded with action, leading the greatest revival in Judah’s history.

When confronted with correction, what kind of sorrow springs up? Self-interested, worldly sorrow? Or outward-focused godly sorrow?

When confronted with sin, direct your heart toward godly sorrow that brings life.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

Restore us, O God of hosts; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved. — Psalm 80.3

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer

 by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: His Blessings, Our Curse

He died to release the curse’s hold on us, then he rose to bring to us the full blessings of life.

His Blessings, Our Curse :: A Guided Prayer
Read more: Spiritual Indicators

God holds his people responsible for the welfare of the poor, the foreigners, the widows, and the orphans.

Spiritual Indicators
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Green Flag Fear

Here are the links for today’s readings:

Read: Deuteronomy 10 Listen: (3:12) Read: 2 Corinthians 4 Listen: (3:02)

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Deuteronomy 11 Listen: (4:38) Read:  2 Corinthians 5 Listen: (3:14)
Read: Deuteronomy 12 Listen: (5:11) Read: 2 Corinthians 6 Listen: (2:31)

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 10.12-22

12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? 14 To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. 15 Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. 16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. 19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. 20 Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. 21 He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. 22 Your ancestors who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Reflection: Green Flag Fear

By John Tillman

The people are told to “fear God.” The result of this fear will be walking with God in obedience, service, and love.

Normally, fearing someone is a bad thing. It’s a red flag.

If you feared a bully in school, you’d go out of your way to avoid them. If you feared your boss, you’d try to leave the company or get transferred to another department. If you feared your spouse or parent, you’d seek help to be protected from them.

Fearing God, however, is a green flag. There’s two reasons for this.

One reason is that fearing God means knowing he is holy. Fearing God is closer in meaning to respect and reverence. When you fear a person, you recognize they are evil and may harm you. When you fear God, you recognize God is holy and will punish evil, so instead of wanting to avoid him, you want to be close to him. The safest place to be is near him. We only fear God and hide from him when we have done evil. But even then, when we return in repentance, we have no reason to fear.

A second reason is that fearing God makes us more like him. Fearing humans damages us. It makes us skittish and anxious. We are stressed and likely to snap at others. We are demanding and selfish. When we fear God, it heals us. Proper fear of God leads to actions that represent God’s nature. We are bolder because, once we fear God, who can make us afraid? We are more at peace, because being at peace with God, who can provoke us to fear? We are more generous because, fearing the one who owns the heavens, who can make us feel impoverished?

Moses said that fearing God leads to obedience, love, service, and a commitment and devotion that goes to the core of our being. (Deuteronomy 10.12) Let this kind of fear of the Lord guide us to show no partiality and tolerate no bribery. May we defend the weak, love the foreigner, clothe the poor, and feed the hungry. (Deuteronomy 10.17-18) This demonstrates fear of the Lord.

The Lord has chosen us to represent him, stiff-necked as we are. Proper fear of him will loosen our necks to obey, fill our hearts with love, and inspire our hands and feet to actions of service.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons

The Lord has pleasure in those who fear him, in those hwo await his gracious favor. — Psalm 147,12

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer

 by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Wrongly Placed Fear

Fear has made American Christians a paranoid and unpredictable group. 

Wrongly Placed Fear—Readers’ Choice
Read more: Fear and Power, Power and Fear

Like Laban…Let us hear the warning of God who protects those pursued by the powerful, and have mercy on the fearful.

Fear and Power, Power and Fear