03.12.2015 Old Testament: Deu 17.18–20

To read the Bible in a year, read Deuteronomy 17–19 on March 12, In the year of our Lord 2015

By Don Ruhl

The Lord gave the children of Israel instructions on what their king—whom they would desire and whom the Lord would put into place—should not do. Then the Lord said what the king must do,

“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 17.18–20). 

The Lord wanted the king of Israel to have his own copy of the Scriptures, and he would write it out himself. Doing so would make him more aware of the Lord speaking to him and how he should and should not conduct himself as a king.

He would learn to fear the Lord; he would know what the Lord wanted done; he would keep himself humble before his brethren, giving him a long reign as king.

When was the last time you wrote out some Scripture? Get away from the computer, get paper, find a writing instrument, and write down one of the Psalms. See what it does for you.