Deuteronomy 17:12

Deuteronomy 17:12 says, And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.  Moses said that anyone who would not listen to the priest that represented God should be put to death.  If we will not listen to God's ministers today when they are truly speaking His word and were put to death because of it, we might have fewer people in the church.  Of course not all who claim to be ministers speak God's word.  Verse thirteen adds, And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.  Moses said that if the people heard what had happened to the person who refused to obey that they would no longer act presumptuously.  Verse fourteen states, When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;  Verse fifteen adds, Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.  Moses said when they got into the land of promise, if they wanted a king, it should be one of the Israelites that God appointed.  If we want people over us in the church today, it should be the person that God appoints, and then we should listen to them.  Verse sixteen adds, But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.  Moses said that whoever was over the people of Israel should not grow rich and then want to return to Egypt that they were not to follow Him, because God had said that they were never return that way.  As Christians, Jesus is our king, and we should never want to return to were where we were or what we were before we accepted Him as our Savior and Lord.  Verse seventeen continues, Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.  Moses warned against the one appointed king having multiple wives that would lead him away from God, nor was he to have lots of silver and gold.  These things can still lead us away from God today.  Verse eighteen declares, And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:  Moses said that the king should write himself copies of God's laws to guide him, and ministers today follow the teachings of the Bible.  They are not to write their own laws, just as the people then were to simply write the Law God gave them in a book. Though I believe that we should elect moral leaders to govern today, we as Christians are not always the majority to do so.  Verse nineteen adds, And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:  Moses said that the king was to read and obey God's word all the days of his life.  We as Christians need to daily read and apply the word of God in our life, whether we are a leader or a follower of those that God puts in a position of ministry today.  Verse twenty continues, That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.  Moses said that the king appointed over the people of Israel should not believe that he was superior to any other Israelite, and neither should God's ministers today.