Topical Bible: King: Constitutional Restrictions of

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In the biblical context, the role and authority of a king were subject to specific divine and constitutional restrictions, as outlined primarily in the Old Testament. These restrictions were intended to ensure that the king would govern in accordance with God's laws and maintain a just and righteous rule over the people of Israel.

Divine Mandate and Limitations

The concept of kingship in Israel was unique compared to other ancient Near Eastern cultures. While other nations often viewed their kings as divine or semi-divine figures, the Israelite king was seen as a servant of God, ruling under His authority. The king was expected to adhere to the covenantal laws given by God and was not above the law himself.

Deuteronomy 17:14-20: The King's Duties and Restrictions

The most explicit constitutional restrictions on the king are found in Deuteronomy 17:14-20. This passage provides a framework for the establishment of monarchy in Israel and outlines specific limitations on the king's power:

1. Selection by God: The king must be chosen by God from among the Israelites. "You are to appoint over yourselves the king the LORD your God will choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set a foreigner over you, one who is not of your brothers" (Deuteronomy 17:15).

2. Prohibition of Excessive Wealth and Military Power: The king is forbidden from acquiring excessive horses, wives, or wealth, which could lead to a reliance on military might or foreign alliances rather than on God. "He must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said to you, 'You are never to go back that way again.' He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold" (Deuteronomy 17:16-17).

3. Adherence to the Law: The king is required to write for himself a copy of the law and read it all the days of his life to ensure that he remains humble and obedient to God's commandments. "When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes" (Deuteronomy 17:18-19).

4. Humility and Justice: The king must not consider himself above his fellow Israelites and must rule with justice and equity. "Then his heart will not be exalted above his brothers, and he will not turn aside from the commandment to the right or to the left, so that he and his descendants may reign long over his kingdom in Israel" (Deuteronomy 17:20).

Historical Examples

Throughout Israel's history, the kings who adhered to these divine restrictions were often seen as righteous and successful, while those who violated them faced consequences. For instance, King Solomon, despite his wisdom, fell into disfavor with God due to his accumulation of wealth, horses, and foreign wives, which led his heart astray (1 Kings 11:1-11). Conversely, King Josiah is remembered for his reforms and adherence to the law, which brought about a period of renewal and blessing (2 Kings 22:1-2, 23:25).

Prophetic Accountability

The prophets played a crucial role in holding the kings accountable to these constitutional restrictions. Figures like Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, and Jeremiah confronted kings when they strayed from God's commandments, emphasizing that the king's authority was not absolute but subject to divine law.

In summary, the constitutional restrictions on the king in the biblical narrative highlight the importance of humility, obedience to God's law, and the pursuit of justice. These principles were designed to ensure that the king would lead the nation in a manner that honored God and promoted the well-being of the people.

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Deuteronomy 17:18-20
And it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
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1 Samuel 10:24,25
And Samuel said to all the people, See you him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.
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2 Samuel 5:3
So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.
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2 Kings 11:12,17
And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king.
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2 Chronicles 23:11
Then they brought out the king's son, and put on him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king.
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Jeremiah 34:8-11
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them;
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Daniel 6:12-15
Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree; Have you not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which alters not.
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Library

The Royal Jubilee
... the first inaugural words of the King of Israel ... the very difficult position of a
constitutional monarch, with ... and the reality of narrow restrictions, has been ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the royal jubilee.htm

The Bible and the French Revolution.
... the attack upon the admiral, the king in council ... The "constitutional bishop of Paris
was brought forward ... and those who hated the restrictions and requirements ...
/.../white/the great controversy between christ and satan /15 the bible and the.htm

The Bible and the French Revolution
... the attack upon the admiral, the king in council ... The "constitutional bishop of Paris
was brought forward ... and those who hated the restrictions and requirements ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/white/the great controversy/chapter 15 the bible and.htm

Causes of the Reformation
... was declared to be King of Ireland instead of Feudal Lord, and serious ... the rulers
of Europe initiated a campaign against all constitutional restrictions on the ...
/.../chapter i causes of the.htm

Progress of Calvinism
... free exercise of their religion with certain restrictions. ... Owing to the disfavour
of the king and the ... interests, regardless of their constitutional rights and ...
/.../chapter iii progress of calvinism.htm

Disestablishment
... of Fairfield, and General Joshua King of Ridgefield ... of Church and State, nor the
constitutional guarantee to all ... [i] "Amendments: (1) Restrictions npon Congress ...
/.../chapter xv disestablishment.htm

Covenant Duties.
... till removed in what is termed a constitutional way, but ... He is their King, and Head
over all. ... proceedings of its courts, to visit with restrictions, whether by ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter iv covenant duties.htm

Robert Nelson, his Friends, and Church Principles.
... who had settled in England under the especial favour of King William. ... with Nelson
in his Nonjuring sentiments, the prospect of the constitutional change had ...
/.../the english church in the eighteenth century/chapter ii robert nelson his.htm