Deuteronomy 20

Deuteronomy 20:1-7

Two laws are here enjoined. 1. That no sacrifice must be offered to God, that is not perfectly found and without blemish. God requires and deforms our best. 2. Concerning the detection and punishment of idolaters. Information must be lodged against them, the judges must cite them to appear; and if on the evidence of two or more witnesses, the fact was proved, the offenders were to be instantly stunted to death,

in the most public manner, in the gate of the city. Nate, (1.) In matters of life and death, the clearest evidence is required: suspicions, though strong, are not to be admitted as a proof of guilt. 2. Executions cannot be too public and solemn, that others may see and tremble.

8. ¶ If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose; 9. And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire, and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment. 10. And thou shalt do according to the sentence which they of that place (which the LORD shall choose) shall shew thee, and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee: 11. According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand nor to the left. 12. 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. 13. And all the people shall hear and fear, and do no more presumptuously.

Deuteronomy 20:8-13

Provision is here made for the decision of difficult causes, concerning which the inferior judges were in doubt, whether in cases of blood, or in matters of right, or in actions of assault and battery, where either the circumstance were embarrassed, the evidence dubious, or the sense of the law not clear to them; the matter was then carried before the superior court, consisting of Priests and Levites, who were supposed to be thoroughly vested in the divine law, and have here a promise made them, o. g. of direction in such circumstances, and the sentence of the president of that court was final, and to be executed punctually. For disobedience to them, was accounted presumptuous for against God, and punished as a capital crime. Nate, (1.) Passive obedience to lawful authority is our bounden duty, not only for fear of wrath, but for conscience sake. (2.) To rebel against the orders of government, is to commit treason against the Majesty of heaven.

14. ¶ 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: 15. Thou shalt in any wise to him king over thee: whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayst not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. 16. But he shall not multiply: houses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses, forelasteth: as the LORD hath said unto you, ‘Ye shall henceforth return to more than that way. 17. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself (silver and gold). 18. 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 subsidy to before the priests the Levites. 19. 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: 20. 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.

Deuteronomy 20:14-20

God, who foresaw the deftes they would hereafter have to set a king over them, takes care to let them know what sort of person they must elect, and what rules he must be under.

1. They are permitted to set a sovereign over them, but God will have the direction of the choice of the person, who must be no foreigner, but one of these brethren; the type of that King Messiah, who should be none of our boon, and such of our flesh.

2. They who rule others, must remember how responsible they are to God, for the government of themselves. Here are laws to be

be observed by their future king. 1. He must not multiply heres, to put his stuff in his armies, or to tyrannize over his subjects by a military force, nor suffer the people to go to Egypt to buy horses, leall, by such communication, they should return to their old idolatry. Nies, Nothing corrupts our manners sinner than had company. He must not multiply wives, which would alike divert his heart from the service of God and the care of government, to the indulgence of his faith. The more power kings have to gratify their fleshly appetites, the more careful they should be to refrain them. Nor must he greatly intrude his creatures, leall his own heart be lifted up with pride, or his people oppressed with taxes. Nies, A king must be the father of his people, his riches can fall in the riches of his subjects. 2. He must make God’s word his rule of conduct; for which purpose, 1. He must with his own hand write a copy of the whole Law, or this Book of Deuteronomy at itself, as the abstract, and this immediately after his coming to the throne, that it might be deeply imprinted on his memory; and in the beginning of his reign, be a remembrance to him, that his happiness and his people’s depended on his conformity to the rule of duty; nor must any avocations or business in the settlement of his affairs, be pleaded for an omission of this task imposed on him. Nies, (1.) It is a great assistance to the memory, to write down what hath affected us. (2.) The greatest avocations of business will never be taken as an excuse for neglect of God’s word, and the work of religion. 2. He must not only write, but frequently revise what he had written, modulate thereupon, and make it the constant rule of his practice, that to be may learn to fear God, to be himself an example of obedience to others, and in his high estate kept humble before God, Learn hence, (1.) No day should pass without reading God’s word. (2.) The true fear of God leads to faithful obedience to his commands. (3.) The higher our station, the more exemplary need our conversation to be. (4.) No precept needs more frequent repetition, than to keep a lowly mind in a high station. 3. Religion would be the security of his throne, his own duty would be prolonged in prosperity, and his crown defend to his lasti pottery. Nies, Even in this world, God will shew, that in keeping his commandments there is great reward.