Deuteronomy Eighteen

by Dr. Henry M. Morris

(taken from the Defender's Study Bible)

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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.

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

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.

Deuteronomy 18:4 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.

shalt thou give him. The same principle of support by the people of God for those who serve the Lord in a full time capacity has applied in every age. Note 1 Corinthians 9:7-14. “They which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.”

Deuteronomy 18:5 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.

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;

Deuteronomy 18:7 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.

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

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.

Deuteronomy 18:10 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,

witch. The naturalistic assumptions that have prevailed in western nations during the age of science are rapidly being displaced by the revival of occultic practices in the so-called New Age movement. All such beliefs and practices, however, are demonic wherever they are not based solely on deception. God classifies such practices as abominations. They are so dangerous that they were actually classified in the Mosaic laws as capital crimes (e.g., Exodus 22:18).

Deuteronomy 18:11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

Deuteronomy 18:12 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.

Deuteronomy 18:13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

Deuteronomy 18:14 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.

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;

Deuteronomy 18:16 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.

Deuteronomy 18:17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

Deuteronomy 18:18 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.

a Prophet. This divine promise to Moses was eventually fulfilled in Christ (Acts 3:22, 23). Christ was a greater prophet than Moses, is a greater priest than Aaron, and will be a greater king than David. He did indeed speak the words given Him by the Father. “As my Father hath taught me, I speak these things,” He said (John 8:28). “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, He gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak” (John 12:49).

Deuteronomy 18:19 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.

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.

Deuteronomy 18:21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?

Deuteronomy 18:22 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.

if the thing follow not. When a prophecy truly comes from God, it will surely come to pass. There are many so-called psychics today who predict many things, most of which never happen. These false prophets can be ignored. There are some, however, who seem really to have supernatural prescience. These also must be rejected unless they are meticulously true to Scripture, giving all honor to Christ as Creator, Savior and Lord (see note on Deuteronomy 13:3). In fact, the New Testament teaches that, “when that which is perfect is come” (probably meaning the completed Word of God in inscripturated form) then prophecies shall cease and “that which is in part shall be done away” (1 Corinthians 13:8-10; see also Revelation 22:18).