December 27th
“I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:13-16 NKJV
“Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself. Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.” Deuteronomy 17:17-20 NKJV
During this time of year we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who was and is the “King of Kings” and the “Lord of Lords” (Revelation 17:14). As believers in Christ, we become heirs to God’s kingdom (Romans 8:17) and kings and priests in His kingdom. Revelation 5:9-10 NKJV says:
“And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”
What a tremendous blessing it is for us to share in the administration of God’s kingdom. With that privileged office comes the obligation to live in a manner that befits our title. As Jesus explained to the disciples, the kingdom of God is quite different from earthly monarchies. Those who are greatest in the kingdom are those who are humble and who serve others in love (Matthew 18:4).
Considering that we are kings serving The King, we can read God’s instructions to the Israelites concerning conduct of their kings in a new light. In the above passage, God highlighted two important areas of obedience for the kings: sexual purity and learning God’s laws. God warned the kings not to have many wives. The danger was that the king’s heart could be turned away from God to lust and sexual idolatry. The Israelites did not heed God’s warning. For example, David and Solomon were among the kings that had many wives, and both fell into sin due to their involvement with women. Both men had been richly blessed by God, yet still went astray. David sinned with Bathsheba and Solomon sinned with his wives in idolatry.
Just as the Israelite kings were not to multiply wives, we should not let sex become an idol in our lives. Pornography is a powerful tool that often causes sex to become an idol in our minds. Lusting over hundreds of porn pictures is not too much different from having hundreds of wives. God has given us sex to be enjoyed within the intimacy and security of marriage with one spouse (Proverbs 5:18-20). Whenever sex is taken out of that context, it is not blessed by God, and may cause unpleasant consequences, such as addiction, perversion and spiritual and emotional confusion.
The kings were to read and write out God’s laws regularly, so that they would know them, obey them, and fear God. Likewise, we too should be reading and learning God’s word regularly. This in turn will help us in every area of our walk. As Paul explained, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV). As we read the scriptures, they will help us grow in our relationship with God and equip us for every good work in his kingdom.
Questions for further thought:
What powerful advantage do we have over the Israelite kings in resisting temptations? (Romans 8:11-13)
To whom will we be giving an account for our actions at some point in the future? (1 Timothy 6:13-16, 2 Corinthians 5:8-10)
Did Solomon ultimately agree with God’s instruction concerning multiple wives? (Ecclesiastes 9:9)
What things can you do to foster daily reading and learning of God’s word?
Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, you are King of kings and Lord of lords. I praise you for appointing me as a king in your kingdom. I accept this commission and commit to live in the reality of my title. I affirm my allegiance to you and that I am a vessel for your purposes. I offer my members today as instruments for righteousness and not sin. Please help me put on humility each day and serve others in love, just as you did when you lived on earth. Please help me avoid even the hint of sexual sin. Please help me learn and retain your laws in my heart each day. Thank you, Lord! Amen.”