Thematic Bible: Constitutional restrictions of


Thematic Bible



Then Jehoiada led Joash out and placed the crown on his head. He gave him a copy of the laws governing kingship. Then Jehoash was anointed and proclaimed king. The people clapped their hands and shouted: Long live the king!

All the elders of Israel came to King David at Hebron. He made a sacred alliance with them. They anointed him, and he became king of Israel.

Then they brought out the king's son and put the crown on him. They gave him the testimony and made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him. They said: Long live the king!

When he first sits on the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll taken in the presence of the Levitical priests. He should keep it with him. He should read from it all the days of his life. In this way he will learn to respect Jehovah his God by carefully observing all the words of this Law and these statutes. He must not think he is better than the rest of his people. He will not disobey these commandments in any way. So he and his sons will rule for a long time in Israel.

Jehovah spoke his word to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah and all the people in Jerusalem promised to free their slaves. Everyone was supposed to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was supposed to keep another Jew as a slave. All the officials and all the people agreed and promised to free their male and female slaves and not to keep them as slaves anymore. So they set them free. read more.
Later they changed their minds and took back the men and women they had freed and made them their slaves again.

They approached the king about his decree: Did you sign a decree stating that every man that shall make petition to any god or man within thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the den of lions? The king answered: The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be altered. Then they said: Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, does not show you respect, O king, nor the decree that you signed. He offers his prayer three times a day. Then the king, when he heard these words, was very displeased with himself. He was determined that Daniel not be delivered to him; and he labored all day to rescue him. read more.
Then these men assembled before the king and said: Know, O king that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no decree or statute that the king establishes may be changed.

The priest Jehoiada had King Jehoash and the people make a covenant with Jehovah that they would be Jehovah's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.

Samuel asked the people: Do you see whom Jehovah has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people. Then all the people shouted: Long live the king! Samuel explained the laws concerning kingship to the people. He wrote the laws on a scroll, which he placed in front of Jehovah. Then Samuel sent the people back to their homes.