Day 76

Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9.  “Wisdom does not Guarantee Obedience”

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 outlines the guidelines for the future kings of Israel.  If you are familiar with the history of Israel, then you know that most of them failed to live up to this standard.  In fact, if you look at 1 Kings 10:14-11:13 you will see that one king, Solomon, disobeyed all three of the prohibitions given to Israelite kings in verses 16 and 17.
Now, why was it that Solomon, the wisest man on earth (1 Kings 4:29-34) and author of the majority of Proverbs, was unable to obey the Lord in these areas?  The answer isn’t so much in what Solomon did, but rather in what he didn’t do.  Deuteronomy 17:18-20 instructs us that regular study of God’s law would enable the king to “learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of this law” (Deuteronomy 17:19).
It was the absence of this regular time to study God’s Word that led to pride in Solomon to the point where he ignored a direct warning (1 Kings 11:10) from God.  So, wisdom does not guarantee obedience.  Rather, regular time studying and submitting to God’s Word puts us in the best position to obey Him.

General Questions for each day:
Summarize the day’s Bible passage in your own words.
What thoughts, actions, attitudes or beliefs are addressed in the passage?
How is the Holy Spirit leading you to apply this passage to your life today?