New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Deuteronomy 18
1
The priests, who are Levites, won't receive any part of the land of Israel. That also applies to the whole tribe of Levi. They will eat the offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. That will be their share.
Reference
Creation
Joshua 13:14
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 12:19
References Lord
Deuteronomy 10:9
Numbers 18:20
2
They won't have any part of the land the Lord gave the other tribes in Israel. The Lord himself is their share, just as he promised them.
3
Anyone who sacrifices a bull or a sheep owes a share of it to the priests. Their share is the shoulder, jaws and inside parts.
4
You must give the priests the first share of the harvest of your grain, olive oil and fresh wine. You must also give them the first wool you clip from your sheep.
Reference
5
The Lord your God has chosen the Levites and their sons after them to serve him in his name always. He hasn't chosen priests from any of your other tribes.
Reference
6
Sometimes a Levite will move from the town in Israel where he's living. And he will come to the place the Lord will choose. He'll do it because he really wants to.
Reference
References Lord
Deuteronomy 12:5
7
Then he can serve in the name of the Lord his God. He'll be like all of the other Levites who serve the Lord there.
8
He must have an equal share of the good things they have. That applies even if he has already received money by selling things his family owned.
Reference
9
You will enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you do, don't copy the practices of the nations that are there. The Lord hates those practices.
Reference
References God
Leviticus 18:30
10
Here are things you must not do. Don't sacrifice your children in the fire to other gods. Don't practice any kind of evil magic at all. Don't use magic to try to explain the meaning of warnings in the sky or of any other signs. Don't take part in worshiping evil powers.
Reference
11
Don't put a spell on anyone. Don't get messages from those who have died. Don't talk to the spirits of the dead. Don't get advice from the dead.
Reference
Spirit
Leviticus 19:31
12
The Lord your God hates it when anyone does those things. The nations that are in the land he's giving you practice the things he hates. So he will drive out those nations to make room for you.
Reference
13
You must be without blame in the sight of the Lord your God.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 5:48
Psalm 37:37
Philippians 3:12
References God
Genesis 17:1
Genesis 6:9
Job 1:8
Job 1:1
14
You will take over the nations that are in the land the Lord is giving you. They listen to those who practice all kinds of evil magic. But you belong to the Lord your God. He says you must not do those things.
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 14:16
15
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me. He will be one of your own people. You must listen to him.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 17:5
Luke 9:35
1 John 3:23
Prophecy
John 1:45
Luke 24:19
John 1:25
Deuteronomy 34:10
References God
1 Timothy 2:5
John 6:29
Resurrection
Acts 7:37
16
At Mount Horeb you asked the Lord your God for a prophet. You asked him on the day you gathered together. You said, "We don't want to hear the voice of the Lord our God. We don't want to see this great fire anymore. If we do, we'll die."
Reference
17
The Lord said to me, "What they are saying is good.
Reference
References Lord
Deuteronomy 5:28
18
I will raise up for them a prophet like you. He will be one of their own people. I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him to say.
Reference
Parallel theme
John 8:28
John 4:25
Malachi 3:1
Psalm 110:4
1 Timothy 2:5
Resurrection
Deuteronomy 18:15
Word
Luke 24:19
Isaiah 51:16
John 17:8
John 1:45
19
"The prophet will speak in my name. But someone might not listen to what I say through the prophet. Then that person will be accountable to me.
Reference
20
"But suppose a prophet dares to speak in my name something I have not commanded him to say. Or he speaks in the name of other gods. Then that prophet must be put to death."
Reference
Prophecy
Jeremiah 27:15
Jeremiah 23:31
Zechariah 13:3
Matthew 7:15
References God
1 Kings 18:27
Word
Ezekiel 13:6
Jeremiah 2:8
21
You will say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message hasn't been spoken by the Lord?"
Summary of Deuteronomy 18
Deuteronomy chapter 18 contains instructions regarding the support of the priests and Levites, warnings concerning occult practices, and a description of the prophet God would raise up among His people. Moses was continuing to prepare Israel for its life in the Promised Land and showing them how worship and spiritual guidance would take place.
The chapter begins with a description of the inheritance belonging to the priests and Levites. The tribe of Levi would not inherit a large parcel of land as the other tribes did. Their inheritance was the Lord; their service at the sanctuary and the offerings brought by the people would provide for their needs.
The Israelites were to give the priests specific portions of their sacrifices, including the shoulder, cheeks, and certain parts of the stomach of animals sacrificed to the Lord. Also, the firstfruits of grain, wine, and oil were to be given to the priests as well as the first shearing of the sheep.
According to Moses, the reason for this provision was that the Levites had no share of the land belonging to the Lord. The Levites had been set apart for sacred service and thus the other tribes bore the responsibility to care for them. Furthermore, a Levite from another city desiring to serve at the sanctuary could minister there, and it was the responsibility of the other Israelites to provide for him.
The chapter then turns to warnings concerning the religious practices of the nations in Canaan, warning Israel that they were not to adopt the ways of the nations concerning idolatry and forms of seeking occult wisdom. Moses listed numerous abominations committed by the nations: “child offerings,” divination, observation of times, reading of omens, witchcraft, casting spells, consulting familiar spirits, and asking people concerning the dead.
The practices of divination and consulting mediums would not become a part of the worship of the Lord. Moses warned the people that the nations of Canaan practiced these things and that was part of the reason they were being driven from the land; the children of Israel were commanded to remain completely devoted to the Lord.
Concerning the “child offerings” of the nations surrounding them, God commanded Israel not to imitate the abominations of the nations by offering their sons and daughters to fire. Moses also warned the people not to seek occult guidance in regards to their spiritual needs. Instead of trying to acquire secret and hidden wisdom from these sources, Israel was to heed the Lord’s words and revelations.
Moses reminded the people, “Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.” Thus the warning was not that Israel was to divide her affections between the Lord and the practices of the nations, but rather that she was to be completely loyal to her God.
One of the most significant promises found in this chapter was the assurance of a prophet like Moses that the Lord would raise up from among the people. The Israelites had been afraid to hear the direct voice of God on Mount Horeb because of the fire and the noise, and they had asked Moses to act as intermediary when God spoke to him.
God responded to their request by assuring the Israelites that He would raise up a prophet to speak for them, just as He had spoken to Moses. This prophet would speak for God, and the people were to heed his messages from the Lord.
The prophet was not given free rein to speak as he pleased; Moses told the people that God would put His words in the prophet’s mouth. Furthermore, those who rejected the words of the prophet would be held accountable.
The warning was given concerning false prophets claiming to speak for the Lord, but whose words did not come true. If a prophet spoke in the name of the Lord, but the word of the Lord did not come true, the people were not to fear him, for his word had not come from the Lord.
It was important that Israel had a standard by which she could judge a prophet’s claim to speak for the Lord. Religious leaders claiming to speak for the Lord could take advantage of people by manipulating them. Moses provided Israel with wisdom to judge the claims of false prophets. Messages claiming to come from God could not be separated from truth and were subject to empirical verification.
The promise of a prophet like Moses has always been understood by Christians to find its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The promise was not meant to apply to any prophet of Israel, but particularly to Jesus, as seen in the quotation from this chapter in the New Testament concerning Him in Acts 3:22 and 7:37. It is also true, however, that the prophecy was given to Israel concerning the whole system of prophets who would speak for the Lord.
The chapter reveals how vastly different the spiritual guidance of the people of Israel was going to be from that of the nations surrounding them. Israel was not to seek occult wisdom through divination, witchcraft, or questioning the dead. Rather she was to look to the revelations of the Lord given through His prophets.
Deuteronomy 18 shows that worship was connected to responsibilities. The priests and Levites needed the support of the people since they had been given a covenant responsibility in ministering to the people and teaching them the word of God. Furthermore, spiritual leaders were not to take advantage of their positions of authority but were held to the standard of truth.
The chapter thus calls Israel to faithfulness to the Lord rather than to the practices of the nations surrounding them. The people were to refuse to participate in the occult practices of the nations and support those who were faithfully serving at the sanctuary and teaching the people. These instructions would be important to the people of Israel as they entered Canaan and encountered a whole new set of religious practices different from their own. Moses wanted them to understand that they already had the answers they needed in their God and His word, rather than looking to the spiritual practices of the nations around them.
The chapter begins with a description of the inheritance belonging to the priests and Levites. The tribe of Levi would not inherit a large parcel of land as the other tribes did. Their inheritance was the Lord; their service at the sanctuary and the offerings brought by the people would provide for their needs.
The Israelites were to give the priests specific portions of their sacrifices, including the shoulder, cheeks, and certain parts of the stomach of animals sacrificed to the Lord. Also, the firstfruits of grain, wine, and oil were to be given to the priests as well as the first shearing of the sheep.
According to Moses, the reason for this provision was that the Levites had no share of the land belonging to the Lord. The Levites had been set apart for sacred service and thus the other tribes bore the responsibility to care for them. Furthermore, a Levite from another city desiring to serve at the sanctuary could minister there, and it was the responsibility of the other Israelites to provide for him.
The chapter then turns to warnings concerning the religious practices of the nations in Canaan, warning Israel that they were not to adopt the ways of the nations concerning idolatry and forms of seeking occult wisdom. Moses listed numerous abominations committed by the nations: “child offerings,” divination, observation of times, reading of omens, witchcraft, casting spells, consulting familiar spirits, and asking people concerning the dead.
The practices of divination and consulting mediums would not become a part of the worship of the Lord. Moses warned the people that the nations of Canaan practiced these things and that was part of the reason they were being driven from the land; the children of Israel were commanded to remain completely devoted to the Lord.
Concerning the “child offerings” of the nations surrounding them, God commanded Israel not to imitate the abominations of the nations by offering their sons and daughters to fire. Moses also warned the people not to seek occult guidance in regards to their spiritual needs. Instead of trying to acquire secret and hidden wisdom from these sources, Israel was to heed the Lord’s words and revelations.
Moses reminded the people, “Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.” Thus the warning was not that Israel was to divide her affections between the Lord and the practices of the nations, but rather that she was to be completely loyal to her God.
One of the most significant promises found in this chapter was the assurance of a prophet like Moses that the Lord would raise up from among the people. The Israelites had been afraid to hear the direct voice of God on Mount Horeb because of the fire and the noise, and they had asked Moses to act as intermediary when God spoke to him.
God responded to their request by assuring the Israelites that He would raise up a prophet to speak for them, just as He had spoken to Moses. This prophet would speak for God, and the people were to heed his messages from the Lord.
The prophet was not given free rein to speak as he pleased; Moses told the people that God would put His words in the prophet’s mouth. Furthermore, those who rejected the words of the prophet would be held accountable.
The warning was given concerning false prophets claiming to speak for the Lord, but whose words did not come true. If a prophet spoke in the name of the Lord, but the word of the Lord did not come true, the people were not to fear him, for his word had not come from the Lord.
It was important that Israel had a standard by which she could judge a prophet’s claim to speak for the Lord. Religious leaders claiming to speak for the Lord could take advantage of people by manipulating them. Moses provided Israel with wisdom to judge the claims of false prophets. Messages claiming to come from God could not be separated from truth and were subject to empirical verification.
The promise of a prophet like Moses has always been understood by Christians to find its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The promise was not meant to apply to any prophet of Israel, but particularly to Jesus, as seen in the quotation from this chapter in the New Testament concerning Him in Acts 3:22 and 7:37. It is also true, however, that the prophecy was given to Israel concerning the whole system of prophets who would speak for the Lord.
The chapter reveals how vastly different the spiritual guidance of the people of Israel was going to be from that of the nations surrounding them. Israel was not to seek occult wisdom through divination, witchcraft, or questioning the dead. Rather she was to look to the revelations of the Lord given through His prophets.
Deuteronomy 18 shows that worship was connected to responsibilities. The priests and Levites needed the support of the people since they had been given a covenant responsibility in ministering to the people and teaching them the word of God. Furthermore, spiritual leaders were not to take advantage of their positions of authority but were held to the standard of truth.
The chapter thus calls Israel to faithfulness to the Lord rather than to the practices of the nations surrounding them. The people were to refuse to participate in the occult practices of the nations and support those who were faithfully serving at the sanctuary and teaching the people. These instructions would be important to the people of Israel as they entered Canaan and encountered a whole new set of religious practices different from their own. Moses wanted them to understand that they already had the answers they needed in their God and His word, rather than looking to the spiritual practices of the nations around them.