Torah Portion Shoftim – When You Say I Will Set a King Over Me

The video version is available at: https://youtu.be/GeVfLzXDSec

Reading – Deuteronomy 17:14-18:7

 

By Dan and Brenda Cathcart

The name of this Torah portion is Shoftim which means judges. In this section of the Torah, Moses is relating God’s instructions about the appointment of leadership once they take possession of the Promised Land. This portion contains the specific instruction on establishing judges in every town to handle questions about keeping the commandments and handling disputes between fellow Israelites. It also contains instruction about the selection and affirmation of the king, the priest, and the prophet. The offices of king, priest, and prophet are established so that the children of Israel will not follow after the ways of the Canaanites who were already in the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 18:9 NKJV 9 "When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.

What can we learn about how to live our lives today through these instructions? Yeshua, as the divine Son of God, fulfills all three roles of king, priest, and prophet. What do these instructions reveal about Yeshua’s mission?

The first line of defense against falling into the ways of the abominations of the Canaanites is to choose a strong leader. God preferred that the children of Israel accept Him as the king, but He also knew that they would want a person in the role of Moses, someone between them and God. So, before it even happened, God set up the criteria for a king.

Deuteronomy 17:14-15 NKJV 14 "When you come to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,' 15 "you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.

There are two important criteria here in these verses. The first is that God is the one to choose the king, and the second is that the king is chosen from among the tribes of Israel. This process would later be carried out by Samuel when he selected Saul as the first king, and then later, when he chose David to replace Saul. In the first choice of Saul, God gave the children of Israel what they wanted in a king. They should have been more careful and thoughtful of their choice, but to them, Saul looked like the perfect king.

1 Samuel 9:1-2 NKJV 1 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. 2 And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

Saul was a charismatic character. He had a powerful and influential father from the tribe of Benjamin. Saul was good looking, and he was taller than average, so he stood out among the people. But Saul suffered from vanity; for him everything was about the outward appearance. I’m sure that you have encountered people very much like that in your lifetime. Saul worried about what the people would think of him, so he did things in a way that made him look good before the people instead of doing what was right. He didn’t do things according to God’s ways.

God rejected Saul and sent Samuel out to select a new king. God sent Samuel to the sons of Jesse from the tribe of Judah. At first Samuel looked to Eliab, the oldest son of Jesse. But God instructed Samuel to look deeper than just the outward appearance. God was looking for a king with integrity. Someone who would acknowledge and keep God as the head and ultimate leader.

1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

When God chooses a leader, God looks at the heart of that leader. This is especially true of a king. God is looking for an individual who has a deep desire and commitment to His commandments, statutes, and judgments. When Yeshua chose the twelve disciples for His inner circle, He did so after spending time in prayer.

Luke 6:12-13 KJV 12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;,

We need to take these instructions to heart ourselves. When we choose leaders over us, we must choose from among our fellow believers and let God lead us to His choice! Once the king is chosen, Moses lists three specific things that a king should not do.

Deuteronomy 17:16-17 NKJV 16 "But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, 'You shall not return that way again.' 17 "Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.

The first thing that Moses listed was that a king was not to multiply horses. But what does that really mean? In ancient times, horses were the engine that drove the war machinery. To multiply horses, was to build up military strength and to rely on that strength to defeat any enemies. We do know that God is not against armies; He ordered the counting of the twelve tribes of Israel according to their armies, twice! Both censuses of the children of Israel in the wilderness were of the men who were able to go to war. God, however, is always the one who actually brings the victory. At the crossing of the Red Sea, God swallowed up the army of Pharaoh, specifically his chariots, his horses and war machinery. It was God, not the armies of Israel that brought the victory at the Red Sea. Moses instructed them to always look to God for their victory over their enemies, and not the power of their own armies or even the armies of their allies.

Deuteronomy 20:1 NKJV 1 "When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

The battles that we face are not won by the strength of our arms, but by the power of God. The apostle Paul tells us that once we have prepared for battle, we are to stand firm in God’s power.

Ephesians 6:10-11 NKJV 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

The second instruction that Moses gave the children of Israel regarding their chosen king was that the king was not to multiply wives. This was for a very good reason; multiple wives could turn his heart away from God! Both David and Solomon had multiple wives, and in each case, it led to disfunction and strife within the family. In David’s case, it led to rape, murder, and treachery. In Solomon’s case, his wives directly led to Solomon’s heart being turned away from God, just as God had warned them.

1 Kings 11:4 NKJV 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.

We can look at Moses’ warning about many wives as being similar to having many loves in our lives. These loves can be a distraction for us and serve to turn our hearts away from God.

Lastly, Moses cautioned the king against multiplying riches. Multiplying riches can cause the same problems as multiplying horses and wives. When one lays up riches, it leads us to rely on our own wealth and influence instead of God’s provision. Great wealth can cause our hearts to turn away from God. The wealth of this world is fleeting and temporal, but the wealth of God is eternal. Yeshua tells us to multiply our treasures in heaven instead of the treasures on Earth.

Matthew 6:20 NKJV 20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

The last thing that Moses instructs the children of Israel about their king is that he is to write his own copy of the Torah and read it every day.

Deuteronomy 17:18-20 NKJV 18 "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. 19 "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, 20 "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.

David tells us that he meditated on God’s word day and night!

Psalms 119:147-148 NKJV 147 I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word. 148 My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.

Keeping God’s words in this way keeps us humble and reminds us that all that we have comes from God. This is especially critical for a king to remember. When we follow God’s word, we know that we live in His kingdom!

Moses now turns his attention to instructions about the priesthood. He tells the children of Israel that the LORD is the inheritance of both the priests and the entire tribe of Levi.

Deuteronomy 18:1-2 NKJV 1 "The priests, the Levites-all the tribe of Levi-shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and His portion. 2 "Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the LORD is their inheritance, as He said to them.

The entire purpose and focus of the priesthood and the Levites are their service to God. Nothing is to distract them from this service. They do not receive a division within the Promised Land and are not farmers working every day to tend the land. They are not artisans, shopkeepers, or merchants either. The Levites received the LORD’s portion because of their service to the LORD.

Deuteronomy 18:5 NKJV 5 "For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons forever.

God set apart the Levites to minister in the name of the LORD. We have looked at their duties in previous Torah studies in the books of Leviticus and Numbers. Moses again reminds the people of their responsibility to provide for the Levites. However, this responsibility goes both ways; the Levite is responsible for being faithful in carrying out his duties. And it must be done from the heart.

Deuteronomy 18:6-7 NKJV 6 "So if a Levite comes from any of your gates, from where he dwells among all Israel, and comes with all the desire of his mind to the place which the LORD chooses, 7 "then he may serve in the name of the LORD his God as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the LORD. 

Those who stand to minister before the LORD must do so out of a sincere desire. The word “desire” is #185, av-vaw', meaning longing, desire, lust after, or pleasure. Those who serve the LORD, must have a longing to do so!

Finally, Moses tells the children of Israel that God will answer their desire and send them a prophet like him who will mediate between them and God.

Deuteronomy 18:15-16 NKJV 15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, 16 "according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.'

Moses spoke to God face to face. He went directly into God’s presence and heard the words. He didn’t need to rely on dreams or visions as the other prophets do. We saw in the book of numbers that God reaffirms His special relationship with Moses when He chastises Aaron and Miriam for speaking against Moses.

Numbers 12:6-8 NKJV 6 Then He said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. 7 Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. 8 I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant Moses?"

Moses was always faithful to speak only God’s words to the children of Israel instructing them repeatedly to follow God’s commandments, statutes, and judgments. The entire book of Deuteronomy can be looked at as an admonishment to follow the Torah that God gave to them.  Moses had already described how to tell whether a prophet was a true prophet of God or a false prophet. He said that the false prophet will try to teach a different Torah.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3 NKJV 1 "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 "and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods' -which you have not known-'and let us serve them,' 3 "you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

A false prophet may be able to perform signs and wonders just like a true prophet. But a false prophet will introduce and teach them to follow other gods and abandon their love for the LORD. Yeshua’s own words are that His followers are to love the LORD their God with all their heart, soul, and mind.

Matthew 22:37-38 NKJV 37 Jesus said to him," 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 "This is the first and great commandment.

This is a primary reason that believers in Yeshua as their Messiah need to know the whole word of God. The only way to test a prophet is to measure the would-be prophet against God’s full and complete word! The apostle John warns against false prophets in his letters to the churches.

1 John 4:1 NKJV 1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Now, what about our second question? What do these instructions given by Moses reveal about Yeshua’s threefold mission. When Yeshua was on the Earth, He fulfilled the role of the true prophet. He, like Moses, spoke with God face to face. The voice of God spoke from out of the cloud of God’s glory and testified that Yeshua is the beloved Son of God.

Luke 9:34-35 NKJV 34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"

Just as with Moses, they were to hear and obey His words. Yeshua taught that Israel was to return to the LORD their God and to love Him with all their hearts as they carried out God’s commandments.

With Yeshua’s death and resurrection, He began His role as High Priest, not a high priest like Aaron, but a high priest of a higher order! An eternal priest before God in heaven.

Hebrews 5:9-10 NKJV 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek,"

Yeshua’s role of High Priest is ongoing. Today He is continually making intercession for us in the heavenly Tabernacle.

Hebrews 7:24-25 NKJV 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

The angels of God brought an important message to the disciples gathered at Yeshua’s ascension. They were told that Yeshua will return to this earth, arriving as our eternal king.

Acts 1:10-11 NKJV 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

Moses’ instructions to the children of Israel about the duties and responsibilities of their chosen earthly king, are a shadow of the ultimate king who will rule in perfect righteousness.

Yeshua has been chosen by God from among His brethren from the tribe of Judah. When He returns, He will not rely on force of arms or the wealth of this world. He will come seeking His one and only true bride who has made herself ready. As the Living Word of God, He knows the heart of God. As the ultimate king of Israel, He does not need to write His own copy of the Torah, because He is the living Torah and will follow it perfectly as He rules in truth and righteousness from Jerusalem.

Study Questions:

Teaching Questions

 

1. Paul gave some criteria for selecting a leader in 1 Timothy chapter 3. Other than these instructions, how else did Paul address this issue with the early believers, and practice this concept in his own life? What would and should this mean for us in today’s context? How do we apply this in choosing our leaders?

 

2. God chose a strong leader for the children of Israel in Gideon and used him to win a decisive battle over the Midianites. What qualities of faith did Gideon demonstrate when God first appeared to him in the wine press as related in Judges 6:11-20?

 

3. Why was it important that a king should write his own copy of the Torah rather than just have one on hand for him to refer to when needed?

 

General Portion Questions

 

4. Moses told the children of Israel that the Levites, and in particular, the sons of Aaron, did not receive an inheritance in the land. They were instead to minister in the name of the LORD. The word minister is #8334, Shaw-rath meaning to serve in a menial capacity. How did Yeshua minister in the name of the LORD?

 

5. Deuteronomy 19:14 deals with land boundaries established when they took possession of the land. What other boundaries did God establish with them? What boundaries does God establish for us?

 

6. What other insights did you gain from this teaching? What indicators are there in this Torah Portion that point to Messiah Yeshua?

 

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