THE CONSTRAINT OF KINGS

(‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭17‬:‭14-20‬ NKJV) “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,’ 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. 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.’ Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself. “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. 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, 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.

As the Children Of Israel were coming into their Promised Land God told them specifically to NOT do 3 things: (These are not found in the 10 Commandments)

1. Don't multiply horses - v.16

2. Don't multiply silver and gold - v.17

3. Don't multiply wives - v.17

Plus – the Kings were to write out the book of the law (Genesis – Deuteronomy) by hand – v.18.

We all want to revel in the privileges of being a king.  But in being a king we must also walk responsibly.

Solomon was one of the greatest kings to ever reign.  However, he violated every one of the prohibitions.

1. He Multiplied Horses

Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. (‭I Kings‬ ‭4‬:‭26‬ NKJV)

And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. (‭I Kings‬ ‭10‬:‭26‬ NKJV)

Now a chariot that was imported from Egypt cost six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse one hundred and fifty; and thus, through their agents, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria. (‭I Kings‬ ‭10‬:‭29‬ NKJV)

2. He Multiplied Gold

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. (‭I Kings‬ ‭10‬:‭14, 16-18‬ NKJV)

The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. (‭I Kings‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬ NKJV)

3.  He Multiplied Wives

1 Kings 11:3 (NIV) 11:3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.

EVERYTHING HE DID – HE DID TO EXCESS.

Result:

Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. (‭I Kings‬ ‭11‬:‭11‬ NKJV)

Keep in mind that the prohibitions weren’t for everyone – just kings.  We’re not told to have horses, but there are some symbolisms that we need to heed to.

How Does This Apply To Us:

1.  Horses Represented PRIDE

They were used for sport, war, transportation, etc.  

Are there horses of pride in our lives?  Our positions?  Our titles?  Pride is a hindrance to anyone who wants to serve in God’s kingdom.

Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭18-19‬ NKJV)

2.  Silver And Gold Represented WEALTH And POWER.

Many entreat the favor of the nobility, And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭6‬ NKJV)

How many know that money can get you in trouble?

3. He Multiplied Wives.

Wives represents the LUSTS we entertain in our lives.   Notice… not only did he have many wives but also that he “loved” them.

But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— (‭I Kings‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ NKJV)

It wasn’t the horses or wealth that turned Solomon’s heart against God but the “affection” towards his wives. The 1000 wives and concubines fragmented his heart.  

Solomon loved too many things in his live. The issue is not horses, gold, or wives – but the issue is our HEART.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. (‭Ezekiel‬ ‭36‬:‭26-27‬ NKJV)

For as long as mankind has existed on the earth - there have been and there will be temptations that will abound.  The temptations of pride and wealth and power will come knocking at the door of your heart every day.

The Lord may be asking each of us to put on disciplines in our lives that he doesn’t ask others because there are constraints for kings not required for the normal man.  Just because others are doing something does not give me permission to do the same.  

I am a child of the king and there are certain things that are not allowed in my life.  There is a standard of holiness that we must rise up and attain in our lives on a day by day basis.  When we do - the rewards are phenomenal.  His blessings are eternal.

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. (‭Psalms‬ ‭24‬:‭3-5‬ NKJV)