Through Moses, God continued to instruct his people. He spoke of inappropriate worship and the manner of legal decisions. He also gave instruction regarding rulers: the king must be a special kind of king, one who does not acquire much wealth for himself and who would keep the law before himself all his days “that he may learn to fear the Lord his God . . . that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers . . . not turn[ing] aside from the commandment . . . so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel” (Deut. 17:19,20).
Oh, to have political leaders like this! Like Moses (chapter 18) and like Jesus of whom Paul wrote, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Think about it! Our King was born in a barn! Think about it! Our King must say of himself, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). Just think about it, our King rode into the royal city on the back of a donkey, a donkey he had to borrow! Many other commandments did Moses repeat before the Israelites but, oh, to have the privilege of living according to those commandments under the rule of a godly ruler and to become more and more like our king, Christ (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
Be thou my pattern; make me bear
more of your gracious image here:
then God the Judge shall own my name
amongst the foll'wers of the Lamb. --Isaac Watts