God, as the eternal King, reigns forever, a truth affirmed from the song of Moses and Miriam through numerous Scriptures, highlighting His sovereignty past and future. Jesus Christ, the anointed King from the line of David, is recognized as the King of the Jews and King of Israel, notably during His trial before Pilate, where He openly acknowledged His kingship. Pilate, inspired by God, inscribed a title above the cross in three languages—Hebraic Aramaic, Greek, and Latin—proclaiming Jesus as the King of the Jews, signifying His universal kingship over religion, culture, and law, extending beyond Israel to the world. In the biblical narrative, the image of a king is significant, reflecting power, authority, and the responsibility to dispense protection, justice, and mercy. However, few earthly kings have been righteous. God planned for Israel to have human kings but provided specific instructions to ensure they did not elevate themselves above the people or rule as tyrants. These regulations, outlined in Deuteronomy 17, mandated that a king be guided by God's laws, remain humble, and serve as an example of a servant of God. The king was not a law unto himself but was subject to God's law, required to read and write out the law continually to maintain familiarity with it. King Solomon serves as a cautionary example of failure to adhere to these divine guidelines. Despite inheriting a vast empire from David, Solomon compromised by multiplying horses from Egypt, indicating a lack of faith in God and a warlike spirit. He also multiplied wives, taking 700, including foreign women, which led his heart away from God toward idolatry, breaking multiple commandments. Additionally, he amassed great wealth, oppressing his people with taxes and forced labor, further violating God's instructions against excessive accumulation of gold and silver. These compromises, starting with seemingly minor infractions, led to major sins and set a precedent of disobedience for future kings of Judah and Israel. The lesson for those in training to be kings and priests in God's Kingdom is clear: compromise in small matters weakens character and can lead to apostasy. Faithfulness to God's truth, as exemplified by Christ, the King of kings, is essential. Christ never compromises God's will, always doing the will of His Father. Those aspiring to reign as kings under Him must guard against compromise, maintaining sincerity and truth in all aspects of life to qualify for their future roles in God's Kingdom.

In the pursuit of understanding the role of kingship as it pertains to our spiritual calling, we are reminded of the profound responsibility that awaits us. When we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and made the Kingdom of God our goal, we embarked on a path to become kings and priests. As Revelation 5:10 declares, we have been made kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. This is a real promise of power over the nations, as further emphasized in Revelation 2, where those who overcome are given authority to rule with a rod of iron, symbolizing strength, durability, firmness of will, superior skill, and the potential for overwhelming force. The question arises: how will we wield such power? Will we be tyrants, or will we withhold our authority and allow anarchy? To prepare for this role, God has provided specific instructions, ensuring we are not left without guidance. These principles, rooted in fairness, are found in Deuteronomy 17, titled "Principles Governing Kings," and are as relevant to us now as we prepare for the Kingdom of God as they were to ancient rulers. First, a king must be an Israelite whom God chooses, signifying our calling and election by His grace. This means we are spiritual Israelites, born into the royal family by spiritual heredity, trained to think as God thinks, ensuring compatibility with those we will rule. A leader must be like his followers to be effective, understanding their beliefs, customs, and expectations. Second, a king must not multiply horses, symbolizing war materials and armies. This warns against building military power or seeking worldly alliances, as God is to be our sole source of strength. We must trust in Him for victory and success, not in human might or resources, learning from good kings like Hezekiah and Jehoshaphat who turned to God in times of need. Third, a king must not multiply wives, a caution against foreign entanglements and personal influences that could lead to idolatry. This principle guards our internal, intimate life, urging us to remain loyal to God's truth and avoid compromise with ungodly beliefs or practices, as seen in Solomon's downfall. Fourth, a king must not multiply silver and gold, a command against pursuing wealth as a distraction. Instead, we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, as Jesus teaches in Matthew 6, focusing on eternal spiritual riches rather than fleeting material gain. Fifth, and most crucial, a king must read and write out the law, internalizing God's word on our hearts, as noted in Hebrews 8:10. This law, the foundation of the Kingdom of God, must become part of our very being, enabling us to rule with humility, fairness, and justice. Through diligent study and practice, we become walking, talking embodiments of God's word, imitating our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Word of God. The example of Josiah, a king of Judah, further illustrates these principles. He sought God with all his heart, purged idolatry from the land, restored true worship, enforced God's law, and publicly observed God's feasts to encourage his people. His actions demonstrate ruling with a rod of iron, replacing falsehood with truth, and leading by example. Ultimately, as Matthew 20 reveals, to be a king in the Kingdom of God is to be a servant, looking out for the best interests of our subjects. This quality of servanthood, practiced now in our families and communities, prepares us to be good rulers under Christ. With diligence in following these divine instructions, we will be ready to fulfill our calling as kings and priests in His Kingdom.

The instructions for kings, as drawn from Deuteronomy 17:14-20, establish the foundational pattern for what God expects of those He is training to become kings and priests in His coming Kingdom. When Israel was to set a king over themselves, that king was to be chosen by God, not a foreigner, and he was forbidden to multiply horses for himself, since this represented gathering great military power rather than depending on God. He was likewise forbidden to multiply wives, which would lead to foreign alliances and a turning away of his heart, and he was not to multiply silver and gold for himself at the expense of the people through heavy taxation. Most significantly, the king was required to write for himself a copy of the law and read it all the days of his life, so that he would learn to fear the LORD and be careful to observe all its words and statutes. The stated purpose of this lifelong study was so that his heart would not be lifted above his brethren and so he would not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, that he might prolong his days in his kingdom. This reveals that the king is to be the servant of all, ruling under God's law rather than his own will, and that he cannot judge righteously without thoroughly understanding that law. This pattern connects directly to the larger calling of God's people to become kings and priests who will reign with Christ. Since we are being trained now for that future role, the same instruction applies to us: we must build a storehouse of knowledge of God's law through diligent study, as illustrated in Psalm 119, where love for God's law produces wisdom, understanding, and peace, and functions as a lamp to guide one's path. Second Timothy 2:15 reinforces this by calling us to rightly divide the word of truth, learning to adapt God's words skillfully to the needs of the people we will one day govern, much as a householder brings forth treasures both new and old from his storehouse, as Christ described in Matthew 13:52. Beyond legal knowledge, the instructions for kings extend to character. Like the king in Deuteronomy who must not let his heart be lifted above his brethren, those called to reign must develop the very nature of God, since the king sets the standard for the realm and the people will imitate him. This includes outgoing love, even for enemies, so as to be perfect as the Father is perfect; forgiveness from the heart, following God's own pattern of forgetting sins once atoned for; patience, reflecting God's longsuffering desire that none should perish; and self-control, the disciplined ability to choose right over wrong even against personal desire. All of these qualities, rooted in the ancient instructions for a righteous king who governs by God's law and serves rather than exploits his people, are the very characteristics being cultivated now in preparation for ruling and instructing others as kings and priests in the coming Kingdom.