Deuteronomy 18

Deuteronomy 18 sets clear instructions for the provision of priests and Levites, the rejection of occult practices, and the promise of a future prophet who will guide the people of Israel. The chapter emphasizes the importance of following God’s appointed leaders and rejecting false prophets or mediums. It underlines God's exclusive claim to Israel’s loyalty and outlines the structure of leadership within the community.

Deuteronomy 18:1-3 (NKJV)
1 “The priests, the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and His portion.
2 Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance, as He said to them.
3 And this shall be the priest’s due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it is bull or sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach.”

These verses establish the unique position of the tribe of Levi. Unlike the other tribes of Israel, the Levites are not granted land as an inheritance because their role is to serve God directly. Their inheritance is God Himself, and they are provided for by the sacrifices and offerings of the people. This arrangement ensures that they are sustained without needing to work the land, emphasizing their spiritual responsibility to the nation.

Deuteronomy 18:4-5 (NKJV)
4 “The firstfruits of your grain and your new wine and your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him.
5 For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons forever.”

These verses detail further provisions for the priests, ensuring they receive the first and best portions of the harvest and wool. God specifically chooses the Levites for ministry in His name, a role that is passed down through generations. This reinforces the idea that the priesthood is a divine calling, not merely a job or occupation, and that the community has a responsibility to support those who serve in this capacity.

Deuteronomy 18:6-8 (NKJV)
6 “So if a Levite comes from any of your gates, from where he dwells among all Israel, and comes with all the desire of his mind to the place which the Lord chooses,
7 then he may serve in the name of the Lord his God as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the Lord.
8 They shall have equal portions to eat, besides what comes from the sale of his inheritance.”

These verses address the mobility of Levites. If a Levite desires to serve at the central place of worship, he is allowed to do so, regardless of his original location. He will share equally in the provisions of the offerings, demonstrating equality among the Levites in their service to God. This ensures that all Levites, regardless of their origin, have the same privileges and responsibilities in their priestly roles.

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 (NKJV)
9 “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.
12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.”

These verses warn Israel against adopting the occult practices of the nations they will displace in the Promised Land. Practices such as child sacrifice, witchcraft, and communicating with the dead are forbidden because they are considered abominations. God is driving out these nations because of their sinful practices, and Israel must remain pure by rejecting any form of paganism or idolatry. The emphasis is on exclusive worship of God and avoidance of any spiritual corruption.

Deuteronomy 18:13-14 (NKJV)
13 “You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.
14 For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.”

Israel is called to live blamelessly before God, unlike the surrounding nations that relied on diviners and soothsayers. The difference between Israel and the nations is the direct relationship Israel has with God, who provides them with true guidance, unlike the false spiritual practices of the nations. God has not appointed Israel to follow these ways but to follow Him and His prophets.

Deuteronomy 18:15-16 (NKJV)
15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,
16 according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’”

Here, Moses tells the people that God will raise up a prophet like him from among them, someone who will speak God's words to the people. This promise points to future prophets, especially a Messianic figure who will lead and guide them. The people had previously requested at Horeb (Sinai) that they not hear directly from God due to their fear, so God would speak through prophets.

Deuteronomy 18:17-19 (NKJV)
17 “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good.
18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.
19 And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.’”

God affirms the people’s request and promises to raise up a prophet who will speak His words. This prophet, like Moses, will carry divine authority. Those who refuse to listen to this prophet will be held accountable by God Himself. This passage is often viewed as a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, the ultimate prophet who would come to deliver God's message.

Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (NKJV)
20 “But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’
21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’—
22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.”

These verses warn against false prophets who claim to speak in God's name but are not sent by Him. The test of a true prophet is whether their prophecy comes to pass. If a prophecy fails, it is a clear sign that the prophet is false. Such prophets are to be rejected, and there is no need to fear them. This guideline is crucial for ensuring that Israel remains faithful to God and is not led astray by false teachings.