High Standards (Deuteronomy 17)

Why did God require sacrifices without defect? Does capital punishment deter evils? What were God’s standards for royalty? Does our king of kings far exceed those standards? Let’s look at Deuteronomy 17.

Should a sacrifice not have any blemish or defect?

You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep which has a blemish or any defect, for that is a detestable thing to the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 17:1 NASB)

Was that because the sacrifices pictured our sinless Savior?

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV)

Was capital punishment designed to purge evil from Israel?

If there is found among you, within any of your gates which the Lord your God gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing His covenant, who has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, and it is told you, and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination has been committed in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones. Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 17:2-7 NKJV)

Is there something far worse than the death penalty?

Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28 NLT)

What if a judicial decision is too hard for the lower courts?

If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise, and go up to the place which Yahweh your God chooses. You shall come to the priests who are Levites and to the judge who shall be in those days. You shall inquire, and they shall give you the verdict. (Deuteronomy 17:8-9 WEB)

What if people don’t want to abide by the court’s decision?

You must then act according to the ruling they announced to you from that location, the one the Lord selects. You must follow very carefully everything they instruct you to do. Act precisely according to the instruction they give you and the ruling they announce to you. Don’t deviate even a bit from the word they announce. And whoever acts rashly by not listening to the priest who is in office serving the Lord your God or to the head judge will die. Remove such evil from Israel! All the people will hear about this and be afraid. They won’t act arrogantly anymore. (Deuteronomy 17:10-13 CEB)

Is there a far more important day of judgment coming?

I saw a great white throne with someone sitting on it. Earth and heaven tried to run away, but there was no place for them to go. I also saw all the dead people standing in front of that throne. Every one of them was there, no matter who they had once been. Several books were opened, and then the book of life was opened. The dead were judged by what those books said they had done. (Revelation 20:11-12 CEV)

What are the high standards that God expects regarding a king?

When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. (Deuteronomy 17:14-17 ESV)