The King under the Law – Law Matters: The Law and the King (3)

The King under the Law

Law Matters: The Law and the King (3)

God’s King must rule in full obedience to His Law.

“And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left….” Deuteronomy 17:18-20

It is clear that God intended the kings of Israel to put themselves under His Law, to keep and to enforce it fully. Thus they would learn obedience and the fear of God, and thus they would prove good and faithful servants of the people in their charge.

Jesus came as Shiloh to fulfill the Law and the prophets and to bring an end to the dynasty descending from Judah. He could only do this by a life of full and final obedience to God’s Law. Jesus came under the Law of God in two ways.

By His active obedience Jesus took up the responsibility for fulfilling all the Law of God—every commandment, statute, precept, and rule, all the time, and in every situation. Jesus thus accomplished the righteousness which the Law requires in order to know the blessings of God.

Further, by His passive obedience, Jesus submitted to the threats, judgments, and wrath of the Law, thus bearing in Himself the consequences incurred by disobedient law-breakers, and earning the “fruit” of His Kingdom through garments soaked in His own blood.

Jesus was the only king in Israel who perfectly fulfilled the Law of God—including all the ritual and ceremonial laws. There is no need or place for another king after Him. He is thus the true King of Israel, the promised Shiloh, the One to Whom alone obedience and devotion are due by all peoples in all nations.

Order your copy of The Law of God from our online store, and begin daily reading and meditation in the commandments, statutes, and precepts of God’s Law. Subscribe to Crosfigell, the thrice-weekly devotional newsletter of The Fellowship of Ailbe. The Ailbe Seminary now offers online training courses to improve your walk with the Lord and ministry in His Name.

–

In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.