Deuteronomy 18 – Priests and Prophets

A. The provision for priests and Levites.

1. (1-2) The inheritance of the Levites.

“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. Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the LORD is their inheritance, as He said to them.

a. The priests, the Levites…shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: The Levites – those of the tribe of Levi, who were the paid ministers for the nation of Israel – were to have no inheritance among their brethren. In other words, they were not to have allotted portions of land for their own possession. Instead, they were distributed throughout the land of Israel (Joshua 21).

b. They shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and His portion: The Levites were to be supported by the gifts and offerings of God’s people. They were permitted to receive at least a portion of most animals sacrificed to the LORD, and by this were provided with meat for food (Numbers 18:8-9).

c. The LORD is their inheritance: God calls some among His people to focus more on Him, His service, and the service of His people. These ones may have less in terms of tangible assets and material security, but they are still provided for because the LORD is their inheritance.

2. (3-5) The specific portions of the sacrificial animal set apart to the priests.

“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. 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. 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.

a. The priest’s due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice: From a typical sacrifice, the priests received the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach. The rest of the animal was either burnt before the LORD or returned to the one bringing the sacrifice, so he could enjoy his own fellowship meal with his family before the LORD.

b. Your grain and your new wine and your oil and the first of the fleece of your sheep: The priests also received these offerings of firstfruits from the people.

i. The fleece of your sheep: “The prescriptions of verse 4 are similar to those in other places in the Old Testament (cf. Numbers 18:12; 2 Chronicles 31:5). The fleece, however, is mentioned only here.” (Thompson)

3. (6-8) All the Levites had equal rights to the offerings.

“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, 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. They shall have equal portions to eat, besides what comes from the sale of his inheritance.

a. From where he dwells among all Israel: The Levites would not have their own province or state in Israel, as the other tribes did. At God’s instruction, they would be distributed throughout the land of Israel (Joshua 21), to serve the people and to teach God’s word.

b. Comes with all the desire of his mind to the place which the LORD chooses: If a Levite who lived in one of the appointed cities wanted to live and serve at the tabernacle (and later, the temple), he had the right to (then he may serve). Not every Levite would have a calling or passion to serve at the house of the LORD, but those who did were permitted to do so.

i. “Special provision was now made for any priest whose heart prompted him to special service.” (Morgan)

ii. “It is a blessed thing to feel an impulse like this. It may prompt to home or foreign missions, to some enterprise of self-denying ministry to the helpless and sad, to service for God or man. It may come on you like a strong current, fresh from the ocean, sweeping up into some quiet river or harbour basin, and lifting the ponderous barges. But when it comes, be true to it, nurse it, reverence it, thank God for it, trust and follow it where it leads.” (Meyer)

c. They shall have equal portions to eat: Ideally, the Levite who lived far away from the tabernacle or temple would receive the same amount from the tithes and offerings of God’s people as those who lived closer to the tabernacle (who stand there before the LORD).

i. Besides what comes from the sale of his inheritance: “So we find that, though the Levites might have no part of the land by lot, yet they were permitted to make purchases of houses, goods, and cattle, yea, of fields also. See the case of Abiathar, 1 Kings 2:26, and of Jeremiah in Jeremiah 32:7-8.” (Clarke)

B. Prescriptions for prophets.

1. (9-11) The command to reject all the occult practices of the Canaanites.

“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. 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, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.

a. You shall not learn: God knows that many people have a natural curiosity regarding the occult, and that curiosity often leads them to seek spiritually dangerous experiences. God wisely commanded His people to avoid dark spiritual powers and experiences altogether, to not seek after them.

b. Anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire: This refers to the debased worship of the Canaanite god Molech, to whom children were sacrificed by burning. Following are eight offices or roles played by those given over to demonic and dark practices.

i. “Of the eight terms employed, the first three refer to different means of reading the future, the next two to different means of influencing events, and the last three to different ways of consulting the dead.” (Maclaren)

c. Or one who practices witchcraft: The word witchcraft here is a broad word, describing a variety of occult activities. Basically, anything that contacts the demonic or dark spiritual world.

i. Thompson on practices witchcraft: “A variety of devices were in use in various lands, but all were designed to discern the will of the gods. The same word in Ezekiel 21:21 refers to the practice of whirling arrows in a quiver and deciding the answer to the question by the first arrow thrown out.”

ii. There is a modern revival of witchcraft, or Wicca, and many people claim that “white” witchcraft (as opposed to “black” witchcraft) is a use of spiritual powers for good, as well as being a more feminist, ecology-friendly understanding of god and spirituality. Whether a witch claims to be “white” or “black,” they still use occultic powers. This should be completely rejected by the people of God.

d. Or a soothsayer: This has reference to astrological-type divination, predicting the future or seeking guidance through the stars, planets, clouds, or weather.

i. Kalland says that the soothsayer: “Is…predicting the future by means of physical signs (astrology).” Thompson points out “it seems to refer to divination by reading clouds, or from a root which occurs in Arabic meaning ‘to make unusual noises’, ‘croon’, ‘hum’, in which case it may refer to some kind of incantation.”

ii. Even though astrology is unscientific – it is based on the supposition that the sun circles the earth, and the positions of the planets and stars have shifted, and are never consistently uniform; therefore, the houses of the Zodiac have shifted – despite all that, millions of people still believe in astrology to some degree.

iii. The Bible clearly forbids participation in astrology, which includes reading horoscopes, studying signs, and computing natal charts. Astrology is an occult art, meaning that it involves “knowledge of hidden things,” seeking spiritual knowledge apart from God’s revelation. It is a foundational art, which means it is the building block for all occultists. It is studied by witches and magicians alike. Every Christian should renounce any involvement that they have ever had with astrology.

e. Or one who interprets omens: The word for omens comes from the root “to hiss” or “to whisper” and refers to psychics and fortune-tellers who use “aids” other than naturally created things to gain knowledge, tell the future, and cast spells.

i. Today, those who interpret omens can be found among the tarot card readers, crystal ball seers, tea-leaf readers, palm readers, Ouija board users, and the like. A Christian has no business participating or approving of any of these practices, because either the practitioners are greedy frauds (at best!), or worse, they gain their knowledge from satanic, demonic, spiritual sources. Parents must prevent their children from any such involvement, even if it seems innocent or only to be play.

ii. It is worth noting that Satan or his demons cannot absolutely know the future, but they can reasonably predict the future. This may be based on their superior knowledge of people and circumstances. Alternatively, they may predict events that they have had a hand in shaping through their own demonic influence.

f. Or a sorcerer: This has reference to those who use drugs or potions to cast spells, gain spiritual knowledge, or enter altered states of consciousness. Modern drug abuse easily falls into this category, and the use of drugs has a definite occult connection that the drug taker may not desire, but is exposed to nonetheless.

i. Clarke says of sorcerer: “Those who by means of drugs, herbs, perfumes, and so forth, pretended to bring certain celestial influences to their aid.” Thompson adds, “derived from the root…‘to cut up’, may denote one who cuts up herbs and brews them for magical purposes (cf. LXX [Septuagint] pharmaka, drug). The term is used in Micah 5:12 for some such material as drugs or herbs used superstitiously to produce magical effects.”

g. Or one who conjures up spells: This is literally, “a charmer of charms” and refers to those who cast spells or charms for what is thought to be good or evil on others, using spiritual powers apart from God and not directed by His word.

i. It is a glorious thing to bless others in the name of the LORD; or even to pray to God against the evil of another person. But it is always and forever wrong to use demonic, dark, pagan, or occult powers to cast spells or charms.

h. Or a medium: The idea is of someone who “stands between” the physical world and the psychic world; they channel knowledge from the psychic world into the physical world. Such mediums and psychics must be rejected by Christians, and they do great harm with their connections to demonic spirits.

i. Thompson notes that the medium: “Spoke from within a person (Leviticus 20:27) with a twittering voice (Isaiah 29:4). Those who practiced this art called up the departed from the realm of the dead, or rather, professed to do so.”

i. Or a spiritist: Literally, this word refers to the “knowing ones” – those who claim unique occult or psychic knowledge and powers – such as those on the many psychic hotlines that one can pay to call. Again, a Christian must have no participation with, or approval of, any of these practices, because the practitioners are greedy frauds (at best), or worse, they gain their knowledge from satanic, demonic, spiritual sources.

j. Or one who calls up the dead: This refers to the practice of necromancy, which is the conjuring up or the contacting of the dead.

i. This refers to “One who investigates, looks into, and seeks information from the dead” (Kalland). This is another practice that should be rejected and avoided by Christians.

2. (12-14) Why rejection of all these occultic actions is commanded.

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. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. 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.

a. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD: God did not take these occult actions lightly then, nor does God take them lightly now. The practices mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:9-11 are participation with the powers of darkness and are always to be rejected by Christians. The people of God have reason to be concerned when these abominations are treated lightly by the wider culture and are accepted and promoted.

i. “The concern of the passage is that God’s people must avoid any heathen means of achieving revelation and must, rather, avail themselves of those prophetic instruments whom he himself would raise up and through whom exclusively he would reveal himself.” (Merrill)

ii. “It may be pertinent to comment that in our own day, when spiritualism, astrology, teacup reading and the like are widely practised, these injunctions given to ancient Israel have a particular relevance. Not only is it impossible to discover the future by such practices, but the practices themselves are forbidden by God to men who call themselves members of the covenant family.” (Thompson)

b. Because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you: God’s judgment was upon the Canaanites because of these occult practices, and if Israel took up the same occult practices, they could also expect to receive the judgment of God.

i. Yes, the Canaanites were sex-worshippers (in their service of the goddess Ashtaroth); and yes, they were money and success worshippers (in their service of the god Baal). Added to these, what made the Canaanites particularly ripe for judgment was their occult practices, practices the people of God were strictly forbidden to imitate.

c. You shall be blameless: This was more than a general call to a holy life. This was a solemn warning to keep from any involvement with these detestable practices of the occult. Such occult practices are things that the LORD your God has not appointed for His people.

i. Believers are to be blameless regarding such things, even as the Ephesian Christians, who destroyed all things that marked the occult in their lives (Acts 19:19-20). This is why it is dangerous for people to seek or approve of the occult, even if they don’t really believe it and even if it is considered fun or acceptable in the wider culture.

3. (15-19) The promise of a true Prophet to come.

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, 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.’

“And the LORD said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. 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. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.

a. The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me: In contrast to the dark, false, and dangerous spiritual practices described in the previous verses, God promised a coming Prophet. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Moses promised a prophet to come; a prophet that would first be like me – that is, like Moses.

i. Like me: “It would be a very interesting task for the young people to work out all the points in which Moses is a personal type of the Lord Jesus. The points of resemblance are very many, for there is hardly a single incident in the life of the great Lawgiver, which is not symbolical of the promised Saviour.” (Spurgeon)

ii. “The ‘prophet like you from among their brothers’ (v.18) was seen as a messianic prediction, a prophet par excellence. This interpretation was widespread in NT times, being mentioned in the NT and among the Essenes as well as among the Jews, Gnostics, and others (cf. John 1:21; 6:14; 7:40; Acts 3:22–23).” (Kalland)

b. From your midst, from your brethren: Like Moses, this Prophet would be from the midst of Israel. This not only meant that He would be an Israelite, but that He would be a “man of the people” – He would be one of them.

c. Him you shall hear: Like Moses, this Prophet would command the attention of the nation. This means both that Israel should listen to this Prophet, and that they would listen to this Prophet.

i. “Men and brethren, if our hearts were right, the moment it was announced that God would speak to us through Jesus Christ there would be a rush to hear him. If sin had not maddened men they would listen eagerly to every word of God through such a Mediator as Jesus is.” (Spurgeon)

d. According to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb: At Mount Sinai (Horeb), Israel begged for a mediator (Exodus 20:19-21). Like Moses, this Prophet to come would be a mediator, representing God to the people, and representing the people before God.

e. Will put My words in His mouth: Like Moses, this Prophet would speak God’s word.

f. I will require it of him: Like Moses, this Prophet’s message would be rejected at a great penalty. God would hold accountable (require) all those who rejected the Prophet.

i. “The day will come when he will require it of you in a much more violent sense than he does to-day; when you shall have passed beyond the region of mercy he will say, ‘I called you and you refused, why is this?’” (Spurgeon)

g. I will raise up for them a Prophet: People looked for this Prophet in the days of Jesus, and there are many references in the New Testament to this Prophet and these words of Moses.

· John the Baptist said that he was not this Prophet whom Moses promised (John 1:21, 25).

· Philip understood that Jesus was the One whom Moses wrote about (John 1:45).

· Many people in the days of Jesus recognized Him as this Prophet (John 6:14, 7:40).

· Jesus specifically said that Moses wrote about Him (John 5:46).

· Peter specifically said this promise was fulfilled in Jesus (Acts 3:22-23).

· Stephen specifically said this promise was fulfilled in Jesus (Acts 7:37).

i. “This prophet is the Lord Jesus, who was in the bosom of the Father, and who came to declare him to mankind. Every word spoken by him is a living infallible oracle from God himself; and must be received and obeyed as such, on pain of the eternal displeasure of the Almighty.” (Clarke)

ii. In describing the office of prophet, Moses completed a section dealing with the office of a king (Deuteronomy 17:14-20), the office of a priest (Deuteronomy 18:1-8), and the office of a prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-22). All these offices are perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. “He was the true King; of His brethren, appointed by God, knowing, doing, and administering the law. He was the true Priest; of His brethren, without inheritance in His own land, abiding in the service of God, ministered to by the people of God. He was the true Prophet; of His brethren, uttering the Word of God in purity and fulness.” (Morgan)

iii. Jesus is not only the Prophet like Moses, He is also greater than Moses (Hebrews 3:1-6).

4. (20) The penalty for a false prophet.

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.’

a. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name: There may be one who presumes to speak a wordin God’s name. That is, they claim that they speak for God, but they do not. For this reason, believers must always be cautious at any claim to speak for God and must guard against presumption if they themselves believe they speak for God.

i. “The difference was that, whereas the true prophet spoke for God, the false prophet spoke presumptuously, i.e. he blurted out personal opinions for which there was no backing from Yahweh.” (Thompson)

ii. “Of the three major institutions of ancient Israelite social and religious life—royalty, the priesthood, and prophetism—only the last was charismatic and nonsuccessive. Prophets were men and women raised up individually by God and called and empowered by him to communicate his purposes to the theocratic community.” (Merrill)

b. Which I have not commanded him to speak: It was possible for a prophet to hear from God, yet it was not a word that God commanded him to speak. God may speak to an instrument, yet not intend for that prophet to speak to others.

c. Or speaks in the name of other gods: Obviously, those who presumed to “prophesy” in the name of Baal or Ashtoreth, or any number of the other false gods of the Canaanites were false prophets. They must be rejected.

d. That prophet shall die: Simply stated, the penalty in ancient Israel for false prophets was death. Presumptuous speaking in the name of the LORD, disobedient speaking in the name of the LORD, and speaking in the name of false gods were never to be tolerated in Israel.

5. (21-22) The test of a false prophet.

And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’—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.

a. How shall we know: It was easy to tell if a prophet spoke in the name of Baal or Ashtoreth. But how could one know if a prophet spoke presumptuously or disobediently in the name of the LORD? One way to know was by their accuracy.

b. If the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken: If a prophet said, “Thus says the LORD,” claiming that something would happen, and it did not happen, then that prophet must be held accountable for the false prophecy. The prophet was also no longer to be regarded as a true or reliable prophet.

i. This principle does not exclude the principle of Deuteronomy 13:1-5. There, God commands that even if a supposed prophet was able to authenticate his message with some kind of sign and wonder, if that claimed messenger from God would lead people to follow and serve other gods, they must be rejected, and in ancient Israel, be put to death. Whether a predicted thing happened or not was one test of a prophet, but not the only test of a prophet. It was the first test, not the final test.

ii. “This answer is not comprehensive: it speaks of only one of the ways to determine the validity of a prophet and a prophecy. It does not cover all circumstances.” (Kalland)

c. The prophet has spoken presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him: Genuine prophets were to be treated with respect, as those who proclaimed God’s authentic message. False prophets could be disregarded. At best, such false prophets spoke from themselves (presumptuously). At worst, they were instruments of demonic deception (as in Deuteronomy 18:9-11).

i. There continues to be an emphasis on “prophets” in some Christian circles. Many of these supposed prophets claim things will happen, and the things do not come to pass. Such false prophecies are sometimes excused with the claim that the prophets were “learning” and “experimenting” and “under grace,” therefore, they should not be regarded as false prophets.

ii. While it is true that experience is a help in the use of spiritual gifts, no one should claim that a message is from God unless they are assured that it is – and if they are wrong, then their own discernment and ability to hear from God are rightly called into question.

iii. Besides, if prophets were held to this standard under the old covenant, it isn’t right to have a lesser standard under the new covenant. Under the new covenant, there is a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit, not less. Under the new covenant, the penalty for false prophecy has changed; they should not be executed. Yet false prophets among Christians today should not be respected, and not be given the title or position of “prophet.”

iv. Instead, the New Testament says all prophecy should be judged: Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge (1 Corinthians 14:29; also 1 John 4:1). While God may communicate today through the gift of prophecy, it is essential that those through whom God may communicate be humble in their perceived ability to hear from God, and that their supposed prophecies be appropriately judged.

v. Pastor Tom Stipe, in the foreword to Counterfeit Revival, spoke powerfully about the problem of false prophets in the church:

“After only a couple of years, the prophets seemed to be speaking to just about everyone on just about everything. Hundreds of…members received the ‘gift’ of prophecy and began plying their trade among both leaders and parishioners. People began carrying around little notebooks filled with predictions that had been delivered to them by the prophets and seers. They flocked to the prophecy conferences that had begun to spring up everywhere. The notebook crowd would rush forward in hopes of being selected to receive more prophecies to add to their prophetic diaries.

“Not long after ‘prophecy du jour’ became the primary source of direction, a trail of devastated believers began to line up outside our pastoral counseling offices. Young people promised teen success and stardom through prophecy were left picking up the pieces of their shattered hopes because God had apparently gone back on His promises. Leaders were deluged by angry church members who had received prophecies about the great ministries they would have but had been frustrated by local church leaders who failed to recognize and ‘facilitate’ their ‘new anointing.’

“After a steady diet of the prophetic, some people were rapidly becoming biblically illiterate, choosing a ‘dial-a-prophet’ style of Christian living rather than studying God’s Word. Many were left to continually live from one prophetic ‘fix’ to the next, their hope always in danger of failing because God’s voice was so specific in pronouncement, yet so elusive in fulfillment. Possessing a prophet’s phone number was like having a storehouse of treasured guidance. Little clutched notebooks replaced Bibles as the preferred reading material during church services.”

vi. God’s people must always guard against letting an emphasis on the supposedly prophetic overshadow a simple emphasis on God’s word: The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:28)

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