Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.

Today we continue with Moses and his grand finale before the Israelites cross the Jordan River and take the promised land to live in it.

Moses has been giving laws for how

things will shift once they're no longer camping in the desert. Today he starts out with some laws

about worship. He reminds them that they're entering into foreign territory where pagan gods are revered.

If anyone does worship those other gods, there will be a trial involving at least two witnesses

before the death penalty is given. And the witnesses are the ones who have to carry out that

justice, so if they're lying, then they'd be guilty of murder. And because these situations can be

complex and challenging sometimes, God sets up a court of appeals made up of judges and priests to handle the more

difficult matters. Moses predicts that there will be a day after they settle in the land

when they'll look around and be like, hey, all these other nations have kings, we should get one of those.

When the time comes, God will choose an Israelite for them to set up as a king over them,

but it's important for their kings not to be drawn to wealth, power, or women.

If you know much about any Israelite kings, you already know this isn't going to end well.

The prohibition against these things was supposed to keep them humble and trusting in God

for their provision and protection,

instead of in what they could acquire for themselves. Wealth can lead a person's heart astray.

Horses represent power, which is usually about military prowess,

and acquiring foreign wives was often a way of making political alliances with other nations,

who were all pagan, which also meant that the women might lead their hearts astray. It's vital for the king to stay humble. Moses even said the king

should have his own book with God's laws written in it so he can read it daily for the rest of

his life. His heart is at stake, and power has a way of corrupting people and leading

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