DEUTERONOMY 18

 

I.   Verse 1-8 - The income of the priests.

A.     Verse 1,2 - The priests, Levites, shall have no inheritance like the other tribes.

1.       This means that Israel shall not be divided into a separate tribe with land boundaries.

2.       This does not mean that the Levites shall not own anything.

3.       The Bible states that the Levites shall own their own cities, cattle, business, or whatever.

4.       The reason the Levites shall not be separated into land divisions like the other tribes is to picture how the true worship is not separated into land divisions, but is scattered throughout the entire nation of Israel.

5.       God wants Israel to worship in their separate homes so they will be able to worship in Jerusalem, the central place of worship.

6.       The Lord is their inheritance.

a.      This does not mean that the priests shall walk in "blind faith", that "faith" seen in Oral Roberts and some of the other charismatic.

b.      It means that God will do special things for the priests.

c.      Other tribes of Israel would depend on the things they see for their everyday needs, but God will supply for the Levites out of those things they cannot see.

B.     Verse 3-5 - What the people owe the priests.

1.       Verse 3 - From the sacrifices, see Lev.  7:32-34.

a.      The right shoulder.

b.      The two cheeks, or the two breasts.

c.      The maw, the stomach or inwards.

2.       Verse 4 - From the land.

a.      The first of the corn (wheat) oil, fleece and such.

b.      The priest were to receive the first, not the second, or last.

c.      They are representing God to Israel, therefore, Israel should give to them as they would give to God.

C.     Verse 6-8 - The income of the priest who desires to serve at the altar continually.

1.       The priest (Levites) did not all live in Jerusalem, but lived in their cities scattered throughout Israel.

2.       The priest served by course, or on a rotation similar to "shift workers" today.

3.       Verse 6 - The priest had a desire of the mind, not of the heart to serve continually.

a.      A desire of the heart could be said to be a "feeling".

b.      But the desire of the mind shows that the priest has thoroughly considered his actions, determined they are not "just feelings", and has "made up his mind" that God's will is for him to serve continually.

c.      Rom.  12:2 - "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

4.       Verse 8 - All the priests shall eat equally, regardless of their wealth.  The priest that are serving their turn at the altar shall not begrudge the priest that is serving an extra turn because he wants to.

5.       Verse 8 - "patrimony" means a right or estate inherited from one's father or ancestors; heritage.

a.      Thus we find that a priest can own possessions while the Tribe of Levi as a whole cannot.

b.      The personal wealth of the priest does not diminish the responsibility of the people to provide for him.

c.      For a pastor this means:

1)      A pastor can have a living outside the church he pastors.

2)      If he is a full time pastor, he will not work in his former business.

3)      Regardless of how wealthy the pastor is or how much income he has from former businesses, the church is still responsible for his living.

4)      The church that refuses to pay their pastor a living wage, when they are able, is missing the blessing.

5)      A church should pay according to their pastors value to them as a pastor, not according to his wealth.

 

II.   Verse 9-14 - Abominations to avoid.

A.     Verse 9 - It is always wise to avoid situations that caused others to fall.

B.     Verse 10-11 - The abominations to avoid.

1.       Maketh his son or daughter to pass through the fire.

a.      This is burning the son or daughter as a sacrifice to their god.

b.      Or sending their son or daughter to school to be trained as a priest to the false god.  The sending through the fire in this case is symbolic.

2.       divination - telling the future by any means not of God.

3.       observer of times - astrology.

a.      This means the horoscopes are of Satan.

b.      Planting your garden by the signs is not in the Bible either.  No commercial farmer I know plants his crop by the signs of the moon.

4.       enchanter - This is a person who by using chants and devices cast spells on people.

5.       witch - This refers to "Black Magic", those making contact with the Devil.

6.       charmer - This is one who is able to control by secret powers.

7.       consulter with familiar spirits - in a seance.

8.       wizard - This refers to "White Magic" as opposed to witches and "Black Magic".  A wizard is also described as a "sorcerer".  The word sorcerer comes from the Greek "Pharmaceia" meaning drugging.  We get our word Pharmacy.  Therefore a wizard is a person who uses drugs to achieve his desired effects.  The increased use of drugs in these last days means that Satan has more control than before and he will have more control in the future when drug use increases.

9.       Necromancer - a person who supposedly contacts the dead and tells the future.

C.     Verse 12-14 - The reason these abominations are to be avoided.

1.       Verse 12 - The people that do these things are an abomination to the Lord.

2.       It was because of these sins that God drove the people from their lands.

3.       Our nation will also be driven from our lands because of these abominations.

4.       God desires us to be perfect (complete), just like He desires Israel to be perfect (complete).

 

III.   Verse 15-22 - The prophet to come.

A.     Verse 15-19 - The true prophet, Jesus Christ.  Acts 3:22 - Peter preaching declares that Jesus is that prophet Moses told about.

1.       Verse 15 - He will be raised up by God.  John 3:16, "For God send His only begotten Son..."

2.       Verse 15 - He shall be a Jew, a brethren.

a.      The genealogy of Christ is given in Matthew and Luke.

b.      Christ was born in Bethlehem, raised in Egypt and Nazareth, fulfilling all the prophecies concerning the True Prophet

c.      Yet Israel rejected Him as their savior and King.

3.       Verse 15, 18 - He shall be like Moses.

a.      Moses is not bragging about himself, but stating the facts God gave him.

b.      Acts 7:37 - Stephen declares that Jesus "is that Moses".  

c.      John 6:14 - "Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world."

4.       Verse 16-18 - These verses are referring to Exodus 20:18,19.

a.      Verse 17 - God says Israel has spoken well, for they cannot go before God without an intercessor.

b.      b.            Exodus 20:21 - Moses was able to go before God because he had faith in the promises of God.            Israel was weak in faith and was not able to know about the promises of God.

5.       Israel is commanded to hear the true prophet of God.

a.      If Israel refuses to hear, their blood will be upon themselves.

b.      When Jesus came, they refused to hear Him, because he wasn't what they expected.

B.     Verse 20-22 - The false prophet.

1.       Verse 20 - All false prophets shall die.

a.      They may prosper for a while, but the end of their way is death.

b.      False preachers may seem to prosper today, but the end of their way is death.

2.       Verse 21,22 - How to tell if a prophet is true or false.

a.      Sometimes we do have a question about whether a prophet (preacher today) is of God or not.

b.      b.            If the prophet preaches something that does not come to pass, he is a false prophet.  This means that all prophets today are false.  They have all foretold at least one thing that didn't happen.            It only takes one false prophecy to show that the prophet is false.

c.      A true prophet will always prophecy a "short term" event, to prove the "long term" prophecy will come to pass.

1)      I Kings 13:1-6 - A man of God prophesied that Josiah, a future king of Judah, would offer false priest upon their altars.  This is a long term prophecy, proven true when the altar is destroyed and the ashes poured out.

2)      I Kings 13:11-32 - v.  32 - The "long term" prophecy of the younger prophet would come true because the "short term" prophecy came true.

3)      Verse 22 - There should be a holy fear for the true man of God.