What were the duties of a king?
Question:
What did kings do as they were king?
Answer:
A king was responsible to God for the welfare of the people in his nation.
- He was the leader of the army in times of war (I Samuel 8:20).
- He was the final judge or highest court of appeals in judicial matters (II Samuel 8:15; 15:2; I Kings 3:28).
- He was God's representative or steward to the nation (II Samuel 6:18; I Chronicles 28:5; 29:23).
- He made appointments for who served in the temple within the confines of the law (I Chronicles 15:16; 16:4).
- He enforced the laws, such as in keeping the purity of their religion (II Kings 18:4).
A king could not create law. Legislative authority was held by God. The king was himself under the law (Deuteronomy 17:19).
