How to Read the Bible Like A King

Ever wonder what it would be like to be the king?

More specifically, what would it be like to be the king of Israel?

In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, God revealed His expectations for the leader of His people.

¹⁴“When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ ¹⁵you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. ¹⁶Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ ¹⁷And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.

¹⁸“And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. ¹⁹And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, ²⁰that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.

First, note the prohibitions and restrictions – what the divinely appointed king should not do:

He should not accumulate “many horses” or “many wives” or “excessive silver and gold.”

In other words, “The king was not to rely on military strength (via horses), political alliances (via marriage to women from other nations), or wealth (via silver and gold) for his position and authority, but he was to look to the Lord” (MacArthur Study Bible).

Second, note the positive instructions regarding his spiritual life.

In this regard, verse 18 jumps off the page: “he will write for himself in a book a copy of this law.”

Deuteronomy 17:18 is one of the most fascinating verses in the Bible. With his own hand, the king was expected to make a personal copy of “this law” — at a minimum, the book of Deuteronomy; or perhaps the entire Law of Moses, the first five books of the Old Testament.

Obviously, this task would require much time and energy.

And to what end? Why did God command the king to copy the Word of God with his own hand?

“And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life” (v. 19).

God wanted the king to have his own copy of the Word so it would never be far from him. God wants His Word to be “with him.” And since the Word is right there by his side, on the king’s nightstand, “he shall read in it all the days of his life.”

God wanted the king to read the Bible every day. How significant is that?

And why did God want the king to read the Bible every day?

“That he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment” (v. 19-20).

Wow.

God wanted the king to read the Word daily so that he would be, first and foremost, a God-fearing man who demonstrated that godly reverence by guarding and obeying the Word of God with a heart of humility and steadfast devotion to the Lord’s written instructions for living a holy life.

In a nutshell, you just read God’s job description for the king.

And you also just read what God expects of every true believer – a life of consistent, even daily, immersion in the Word.

What is something you do “all the days” of your life? Eat three meals. Drink coffee. Brush your teeth. Read your emails and text messages. Watch the evening news. And, hopefully, spend time in the Word.

But we don’t just read the Bible so we can put a checkmark on our To Do List.

Like the king, we read the Word of God every day so we can reverence and obey the God of the Word. We read His Word so we can manifest our devotion to Him with a life of humble commitment to His kingdom and righteousness.

Amen?

One final comment . . .

In our day, we have publishing companies to provide us with copies of God’s Word, at a minimal cost. How many Bibles do you have in your house?

But even in today’s digital age, there is still great benefit to physically writing out the Word of God – on a real piece of paper with a real pen or pencil. God can use this simple yet often overlooked activity to engage your heart and mind in the Word in a way you may have not experienced before.

Why not give it a try? You’ll be doing exactly what the king of Israel was supposed to do.

You’ll be reading and writing the Word like a king.

Start with one of your favorite passages – perhaps Psalm 23 or Romans 8. Then do a short New Testament book like Philippians or 1 John. Let me know how it goes by leaving a comment below.

And if you’re looking for a group of people who are devoted to this practice of writing the Word – to provide support and accountability — check out this Facebook group . . .
the “7-Day Scripture Writing Challenge.”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/201593511177942