# Deuteronomy 18 š: Priests, Levites, and the Prophet
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#š Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#š Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#š¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#š§ Chapter Summary]]
> [[#āļø Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#š Key Principles / š Life Application]]
> [[#š¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#āļø Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#š Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#š Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#š Internal Notes]]
## š Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Provision for Priests and Levites
[[#Verse 01.]]Ā The Levitical priestsāindeed, the entire tribe of Leviāwill have no allotment or inheritance with Israel; they may eat the burnt offerings of theĀ LordĀ and of his inheritance.
[[#Verse 02.]]Ā TheyĀ will have no inheritance in the midst of their fellow Israelites;Ā theĀ LordĀ alone is their inheritance, just as he had told them.Ā
[[#Verse 03.]]Ā This shall be the priestsā fair allotmentĀ from the people who offer sacrifices, whether bull or sheepāthey must give to the priest the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach.Ā
[[#Verse 04.]]Ā You must give them the best of yourĀ grain, new wine, and olive oil, as well as the best of your wool when you shear your flocks.Ā
[[#Verse 05.]]Ā For theĀ LordĀ your God has chosen them and their sons from all your tribes to standĀ and serve in his nameĀ permanently.
[[#Verse 06.]]Ā Suppose a Levite comes by his own free willĀ from one of your villages, from any part of Israel where he is living,Ā to the place theĀ LordĀ choosesĀ
[[#Verse 07.]]Ā and serves in the name of theĀ LordĀ his God like his fellow Levites who stand there before theĀ Lord.Ā
[[#Verse 08.]] He must eat the same share they do, despite any profits he may gain from the sale of his familyās inheritance.
### Prohibited Occult Practices
[[#Verse 09.]]Ā When you enter the land theĀ LordĀ your God is giving you, you must not learn the abhorrent practices of those nations.Ā
[[#Verse 10.]]Ā There must never be found among you anyone who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, anyone who practices divination,Ā an omen reader,Ā a soothsayer,Ā a sorcerer,
[[#Verse 11.]]Ā one who casts spells,Ā one who conjures up spirits,Ā a practitioner of the occult,Ā or a necromancer.Ā
[[#Verse 12.]]Ā Whoever does these things is abhorrent to theĀ Lord, and because of these detestable thingsĀ theĀ LordĀ your God is about to drive them outĀ from before you.Ā
[[#Verse 13.]]Ā You must be blameless before theĀ LordĀ your God.Ā
[[#Verse 14.]]Ā Those nations that you are about to dispossess listen to omen readers and diviners, but theĀ LordĀ your God has not given you permission to do such things.
[[#Verse 15.]]Ā TheĀ LordĀ your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among youāfrom your fellow Israelites;Ā you must listen to him.Ā
[[#Verse 16.]]Ā This accords with what happened at Horeb in the day of the assembly. You asked theĀ Lord your God: āPlease do not make us hear the voice of theĀ LordĀ ourĀ God anymore or see this great fire anymore lest we die.āĀ
[[#Verse 17.]]Ā TheĀ LordĀ then said to me, āWhat they have said is good.Ā
[[#Verse 18.]]Ā I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them whatever I command.Ā
[[#Verse 19.]]Ā I will personally hold responsibleĀ anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet speaks in my name.
[[#Verse 20.]]Ā āBut if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorizedĀ him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die.Ā
[[#Verse 21.]]Ā Now if you say to yourselves,Ā āHow can we tell that a message is not from theĀ Lord?āāĀ
[[#Verse 22.]]Ā whenever a prophet speaks in my name and the predictionĀ is not fulfilled,Ā then I haveĀ not spoken it;Ā the prophet has presumed to speak it, so you need not fear him.ā
## š Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
###### Verse 20.
###### Verse 21.
###### Verse 22.
## š¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. The priests received the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach from sacrificed animals (18:3).
2. The Levites also received the firstfruits of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the first wool from the sheep (18:4).
3. A Levite from any town could come to the central sanctuary and serve there with an equal share of the food (18:6-8).
4. Making a son or daughter pass through the fire (18:10) refers to child sacrifice, a practice linked to the god Molech (Leviticus 18:21; 2 Kings 23:10).
5. The promise of a prophet answers Israel's request at Horeb not to hear God's voice directly (18:16; 5:23-27).
6. The test of a true prophet in 18:22 works together with 13:1-5, which warns that even a prophet whose sign comes true must be rejected if he leads people to other gods.
7. Priests and Levites asked John the Baptist, "Are you the Prophet?" (John 1:21), showing that this promise was still expected in Jesus' day.
8. After Jesus fed the five thousand, the crowd said He was the Prophet who was to come into the world (John 6:14).
9. Deuteronomy 34:10 notes that no prophet like Moses had yet arisen, which kept Israel looking forward to this promise.
10. King Saul later broke this command by consulting a medium at Endor (1 Samuel 28:7-8).
## š§ Chapter Summary
> [!note] š± Still growing. This section is on its way.
## āļø Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the Prophet like Moses whom God promised to raise up from among His people (18:15-18). Peter and Stephen both proclaimed Jesus as this Prophet, the One we must listen to (Acts 3:22-23; 7:37).
## š Key Principles / š Life Application
> [!note] š± Still growing. This section is on its way.
## š¬ Discussion Questions
1. The Levites had no land because the Lord Himself was their inheritance (18:1-2). What does it mean for the Lord to be your portion?
2. God forbids seeking guidance through divination, omens, and consulting the dead (18:10-12). Where do people look for hidden knowledge today, and why is it dangerous?
3. God gave a test for a prophet's message (18:21-22). How can we test what we hear against God's Word today?
## āļø Key Verses to Remember
- š verses 1-2: The Levites receive no land inheritance because the Lord is their inheritance.
- š verses 10-12: The Lord forbids divination, sorcery, omens, spells, and consulting the dead.
- š verse 15: The Lord will raise up a prophet like Moses from among His people, and they must listen to Him.
## š Related Passages/Cross Reference
- š [[Acts 03#Verse 22.|Acts 3:22-23]] - Peter applies the prophet like Moses to Jesus.
- š [[Acts 07#Verse 37.|Acts 7:37]] - Stephen points to the prophet like Moses.
- š [[John 06#Verse 14.|John 6:14]] - The crowd recognizes Jesus as the Prophet.
- š [[Hebrews 01#Verse 01.|Hebrews 1:1-2]] - God has spoken to us in His Son.
- š [[1 Samuel 28#Verse 07.|1 Samuel 28:7-8]] - Saul consults a medium.
## š Devotional Reflection
> [!note] š± Still growing. This section is on its way.
## š Internal Notes