Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy Chapter 18

• Deuteronomy 18:1 The priests the Levites, and 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 inheritance. 
• 2 Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them. 

The Lord was their inheritance. His service and His calling was upon them to serve Israel in spiritual matters. That was their reward and their inheritance. They were not to have the same division of land and substance that the other tribes of Israel had. Instead they occupied territories or cities within each tribe.

After the coming of Christ and the abolishment of the priesthood of Aaron, this ended. The work of the Levites were only to continue until the day of Christ and the change of priesthood. 

The book of Hebrews is an excellent one to explain the change in priesthood. First in Hebrews 2: 16, 17 we see Christ described as taking on the seed of Abraham in order to make reconciliation of the sins of the people. 

• Hebrews 2:16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. 
• 17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Jesus Christ was a faithful high priest making reconciliation for our sins. 

So we see that a change in the priesthood and the way of salvation came about at the coming of Jesus but until that day came, we see the law of God that was given to Moses making a provision for this temporary priesthood in order to make intercession of Israel until the time of Christ and that which was the perfect way of salvation was ushered in. 

• Deuteronomy 18:3 And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw. 
• 4 The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him. 
• 5 For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever. 

This says here that it was meant for the tribe of Levi to minister before the Lord forever. We saw though through the Old Testament writings that the priesthood of Levi became corrupt and did not do as the Lord required. Whether they will be restored during the Millennial reign of Christ as sort of a memorial is under speculation. It would seem that this may be when one reads Ezekiel. Since Christ is the permanent sacrifice for sins though any animal sacrifices done by priests would have to be symbolic or a memorial of sorts perhaps showing all the inhabitants of the earth what would have been if Israel had not have departed from the Lord and had broken the first covenant. 

In reading church history we see that after the church became more organized, they set up a system of tithing to support the church patterned a little after the Levitical priesthood. Whether or not they should have done this is debatable. 

We do know that if someone gives up a secular job and dedicates all his life and time to the service of the Lord as a missionary or pastor of a local church for instance that he has to have a way to make a living. Perhaps the tithing system is a good way to do that. Some believe freewill offerings are a more New Testament way of giving. 

This Levitical priesthood though set in place at this time in the days of the Law, was set up to be supported by tithes. They gave up the inheritance that their brethren had and was granted cities and places to live among the other tribes for the purpose of serving the temple, tabernacle and the spiritual matters. 

The whole priesthood has been changed in Christ. I do see the need though for local congregations to be set up for worship, teaching and preaching to exhort one another and build up our faith. In order to have godly order we would need to have a pastor as such to keep us from straying or having free for all services with no order, teaching or instruction. Yet in saying that, having the clergy separate from the laity where the clergy does everything and the congregation sitting as spectators is not really a good way to worship either.

Someone has to be in charge in order to keep out the wolves that would deceive the flock, but I don't believe the Lord ever endorsed hierarchy for the sake of exalting one brother over another. There is wisdom in ordaining pastors who God calls to lead. All these are debatable subjects, but the bible does teach that all believers have become priests. We are all to use our spiritual gifts and serve the Lord in some capacity after we have come to Christ. It would seem to me though that if men corrupt and misuse the office they have instead of serving the Lord, they would stand to lose it all.  

During the Middle Ages we saw church and state mix. The church became corrupt and their power was misused. They soon lost all that power and the church was divided because of it.

Power corrupts mankind. I believe it had to be broken up to keep that from happening again. Perhaps God never intended for there to be a separation between clergy and laity after the coming of Christ. That seems to have been part of the Old Leviticus system that was not be to carried on after the priesthood changed under Christ. Again I see that this is a cause for debate. Good leadership in the church is vital but the leadership is to be under Christ, acknowledging Him as the head of all things. The leadership must also regard themselves as servants, ministers and worshippers along with the congregations they lead. If they get too much into hierarchy, people take their eyes off Christ and get them on the leader. This is never a good thing. 

Speaking of Christ in Hebrews 8:

• Hebrews 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 
• 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. 
• 3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. 
• 4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: 
• 5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. 
• 6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 
• 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 
• 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 
• 9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 
• 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 
• 11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 
• 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 
• 13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. 

We know from experience that when something old wears out or becomes useless, we get something new to takes its place. 

The Old system was set in place until the new. Israel broke the old law and went into idolatry which led to further sin. God knew of course that this would happen and planned to do away with the first to establish the second. He did this in order to include Gentiles as well as Jews in His plan of salvation. The first system was for Israel only. One would have to go live among Israel and become part of them in order to benefit from the Old law. Through Christ salvation is provided for all who would believe in Him and come to Him for cleansing from sin. I sometimes wonder if Israel would never had sinned and corrupted the priesthood, would the way of salvation been opened up to the Gentiles. I would say yes, because through Abraham, it was promised that through His seed all nations would be blessed. Israel was chosen to bring the salvation message to the whole world. 

• Deuteronomy 18:6 And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose; 
• 7 Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD. 

This is a good example of how a true minister should be. He should desire to worship and serve God and he should desire to minister for the Lord and serve the people. A true servant or minister of God will be humble and serve, not exalt himself to the place of adoration and fear as a king would. Christ is king and we must always remember that whether we are in leadership or serve in some other capacity, we are servants, not lords over the flock. 

• 1Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 
• 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 
• 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 
• 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 

Notice how if we take the whole bible and not just take part of it, we will get the true picture of how the church should be and how we should best serve God. Even in the secular world, a bad controlling dictator makes a terrible leader. This is true of religious leaders as well. 

• Deuteronomy 18:8 They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony. 

We see our loving God making provision for those who choose to serve Him by ministering in holy things. When this is abused, people get hurt and desire to do away with any type of spiritual leadership. That is why we have a strong anti-pastor movement today and more into home fellowships. The thing is that even home fellowships are not immune to bad leadership if they do not watch. 

My opinion on home fellowships as opposed to church buildings is this. Why limit God to one method or the other. Whatever works and gets people saved is what we should be doing. I'm not against either one. 

• Deuteronomy 18:9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 
• 10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 
• 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 
• 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. 

God knows who is behind familiar spirits and witchcraft. It is Satan who desires to steal, kill and destroy our very souls if possible. These things harm whole nations. This kind of stuff hurts innocent children. Notice that in some idol worship practices, child sacrifice and passing children through fire was part of their rituals. This is why God allowed Israel to take over the land of Canaan. Canaanites practiced this type of thing. It is an abomination and God puts up with it only so long before He puts a stop to it. 

• Deuteronomy 18:13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. 
• 14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do. 

We have to choose either God or evil. God's people are never to associate with idolatry. It is an insult to God in the worst way. Devils control idol worship and they can control anyone who worships idols. 

• Deuteronomy 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 
• 16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 
• 17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. 
• 18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 
• 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 

Here is a Messianic prophecy of none other than Jesus Christ. Many have tried to make claim to be that prophet and in the latter days one will rise up and make this claim again but it is Jesus and no one else. Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53. Jesus will fulfill all other prophecies at His second coming. 

This prophet Moses speaks of is not Joseph Smith, William Branham or any other man. It is the very Son of God, Jesus Christ (Yeshua). No one else can lay claim to being that prophet. 

There is no other name by which we can possibly be saved. We read that in both the Old Testament and in the New. There is no other name. Moses wrote: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 

• Deuteronomy 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. 

To claim to speak for the Lord when He didn't command us to speak is very serious and even had the death penalty associated with it. 

• Deuteronomy 18:21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? 
• 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. 

Sooner or later a false prophet will get it wrong. That is how we can tell they are not true prophets of God. If they claim to speak in the name of the Lord and it doesn't come to pass even one time, then they didn't speak in the name of the Lord. Remember someone can guess a few times and get it right but sooner or later they will miss the mark. We must watch their fruits and examine their motives. Something from God will work righteousness and true holiness. Some prophecies are yet future also, so in that case we are to just go by what they teach, whether it lines up with the word and the fruit they bear in their lives. This has to be done very carefully that we don't false accuse and become a mouthpiece for the accuser of the brethren. We have to judge whom we decide not to follow, not splatter rumors across Facebook or social media. Even if a prophet prophesies things that do come to pass, yet he teaches falsely and turns people away from God, we don't follow that person without question. We follow the LORD. -DC

Deuteronomy 19