Here we finish up in the book of Deuternonmy. Sure, there's plenty of other interesting things left to look at there. But we'll be moving on next time, anyway.
Deu 17:14-20 - When you have come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, "I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me," you may indeed set over you a king whom the LORD your God will choose. One of your own community you may set as king over you; you are not permitted to put a foreigner over you, who is not of your own community. Even so, he must not acquire many horses for himself, or return the people to Egypt in order to acquire more horses, since the LORD has said to you, "you must never return that way again." And he must not acquire many wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; also silver and gold he must not acquire in great quantity for himself. When he has taken the throne of his kingdom, he shall have a copy of this law written for him in the presence of the levitical priests. It shall remain with him and he shall read it in all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, diligently observing all the words of this law and these statutes, neither exalting himself above the other members of the community nor turning aside from the commandment, either to the right or to the left, so that he and his descendants may reign long over his kingdom in Israel.
This passage is one of the reasons I think Deuteronomy was written long after the fabled time of Moses and the Exodus. We see here commands for any kings that Israel might have, ordering the king not to have too many wives. Could this possibly indicate that this passage was written long after the fiasco with Solomon? Would Solomon (the most wise) actually read this every day and disobey God's law? Also, what could they possibly mean, telling the king to not exalt himself over other folks? Isn't that what being king MEANS? In any event, the time Israel existed as one nation with a king was short enough. I can't help but wonder if this was written to accuse the kings of Israel in an ex post facto set-up?
