What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 17:20? Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen – God knows how easily power breeds pride. The king was to hand-copy and daily read God’s law (Deuteronomy 17:18-19) so that humility, not arrogance, would mark his reign. • Proverbs 16:18 reminds, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” • 1 Samuel 15:17 shows Samuel confronting Saul: “Though you were once small in your own eyes, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel?” Pride had ruined Saul’s leadership. • Jesus models the opposite spirit: “For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45). When the king stays low before God, he can genuinely serve those he leads instead of exalting himself over them. and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left Steady obedience flows from a humble heart anchored in Scripture. • Joshua 1:7: “Be strong and very courageous… Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go.” • Deuteronomy 5:32 echoes the same call to stay on course. • Psalm 119:105 anchors us: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” • James 1:22 urges, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” By refusing detours—legalism on one side, lawlessness on the other—the king keeps Israel safely within God’s revealed boundaries. in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel Obedience carries practical, generational blessing. • 1 Kings 2:3-4 records David’s charge to Solomon: “Walk in His ways… that the LORD may keep His promise, ‘You will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’” • 2 Samuel 7:16 affirms the same covenant principle: “Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me.” • Psalm 132:12: “If your sons keep My covenant… their sons will also sit upon your throne forever.” Longevity in leadership, stability in the nation, and blessing on descendants are all tied to the king’s faithfulness. summary Deuteronomy 17:20 shows God’s blueprint for godly leadership: hearts kept humble by Scripture, feet kept steady by obedience, and thrones kept secure by covenant faithfulness. Pride dethrones; humility preserves. Detours destroy; steady obedience protects. A leader who lives this way leaves a legacy his children—and his nation—can rejoice in for years to come. |
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