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2 C P H . O R G / S P R I N G 1407/1406 BC 305 DEUTERONOMY 18:8 17:15 God gives a concession (not a command) that His people may have a king, but the process for choosing a king would be the Lord's prerogative (cf 1Sm 9:1–10:27). One from among your brothers. The king must be an Israelite. 17:16 The king's power was limited. He was forbidden from having many horses because that would mean the unnecessary buildup of military forces. 17:17 many wives. The king was forbidden from having many wives. Mo- nogamy was God's original plan for human beings (Gn 2:8–25; see note, Gn 4:19), and polygamy often leads to further evils (cf 2Sm 11–12). A harem would also invite the possibility of idolatry with the introduction of foreign, idol-worshiping wives into the court of Israel (cf 1Ki 11). excessive silver and gold. The king was forbidden from imposing burdensome taxes and forced labor on the people (cf 1Ki 12). & 17:18 write for himself. The king must be literate and well instruct- ed in God's Word. The king was personally accountable to God and the people on the basis of the teaching handed on by Moses. approved by the Levitical priests. Unlike the kings of foreign nations, the kings of Israel would not be lawmakers but lawkeepers. The Levitical priests would ensure that the king would not introduce his own laws but would submit to God's Law. Chem: "The duty of the ruler is to see that the people 'live in honesty,' that is, they are to establish and defend external order and not tolerate anything in conflict with it. The ruler must establish discipline . . . let him rule according to the Decalog" (LTh 2:400–401). 17:19 all the days. See note, Ps 1:2. fear the LORD. See p 1001. 17:20 Unlike Pharaoh or the other kings of the surrounding nations, the kings of Israel could not consider themselves descended from the gods, with special powers to make absolute laws. Instead, God called His kings to uphold His Law. lifted up. Prideful, considering himself above the Law. % 17:14–20 God gives His concession, allowing His people to have a king, but only on certain conditions. Note well the focus on God's Word in this description of a good and godly king. God's Word will similarly bless, equip, and strengthen you for faithful service. • Lord, Your instruction shows me the way of life and love; keep my heart always open to Your teaching. Amen. 18:1 Unlike the other tribes of Israel, the Levites' inheritance is not to be a territory but portions of the peoples' offerings (cf Lv 7:28–36). Cf Dt 12:19 for an exhortation not to neglect the Levites. See "portion,"p 7. 18:2 Cf Nu 18:20. 18:5 minister. Hbr sharath, "attend," "wait on." The work of the tabernacle and the rationale for the Levites' special treatment: they were chosen out of all Israel to minister before the Lord in His name for the people. They were the mediators between Israel and the Lord. Cf 10:8; 21:5. 18:6–8 Levites residing elsewhere in Israel were permitted to come to the tabernacle as they desired to serve the Lord (cf Nu 3:5–4:49). (It is unclear whether this refers to a temporary or permanent change in location—perhaps both.) They were to be given equal portions with the regularly serving priests, even if they had other sources of income (sale of ancestral property, inheri- tance, etc.). Luth: "God commanded this to exercise their faith and love, that they might learn to share their substance gladly, persuaded by the sure faith that they would be supported by God" (AE 9:174–75). 18:8 patrimony. Likely refers to a source of income that is not to affect his service or share of the offerings. % 18:1–8 Though the Levitical priesthood will not have an inheritance of land that will provide their sustenance, the Lord Himself will be their inheritance. They are to share in the offerings that are brought to the Lord. Today, we are not to neglect the physical needs of those who serve the Lord among us, for "you shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain" (25:4) and "the laborer deserves his food" (Mt 10:10). Cf 1Co 9:9–14; 1Tm 5:18. God provided for the needs of the Levitical priests through the gifts of His people. So also today, God's people are moved by His grace in Christ Jesus to support those who labor among them, especially in preaching the and then say, m 'I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,' 15 you may indeed set a king over you n whom the LORD your God will choose. One o from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 Only he must not acquire many p horses for himself or cause the people q to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the LORD has said to you, r 'You shall never return that way again.' 17 And he s shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, t nor shall he ac- quire for himself excessive silver and gold. 18 "And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, u he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, v approved by 1 the Levitical priests. 19 And w it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, x that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by y keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he z may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, a so that he may continue long in his king- dom, he and his children, in Israel. Provision for Priests and Levites 18 "The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, b shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They c shall eat the LORD's food offerings 2 as their 3 inheritance. 2 They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them. 3 And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from those offering a sac- rifice, whether an ox or a sheep: d they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. 4 e The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. 5 For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes f to stand and minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for all time. 6 "And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, g where he lives—and he may come when he desires 4 — h to the place that the LORD will choose, 7 and ministers in the name of the LORD his God, i like all his fellow Levites who stand to minister there before the LORD, 8 then he may have equal j por- tions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his patrimony. 5 14 m Hos 13:10; [1Sm 8:5–6, 19–20] 15 n [1Sm 9:15; 10:24; 16:12; 1Ch 22:10] o [Jer 30:21] 16 p [1Ki 4:26; 10:26, 28; 2Ch 1:16; 9:28; Is 2:7; 31:1] q Is 31:1; Ezk 17:15 r ch 28:68; Hos 11:5; [Ex 13:17; 14:13; Nu 14:3, 4]; See Jer 42:15–19 17 s [1Ki 11:1, 3–4; Ne 13:26] t [Is 2:7] 18 u [2Ki 11:12] v ch 31:9, 26; 2Ki 22:8; 2Ch 34:14 19 w Jsh 1:8 x chs 4:10; 14:23 y [Ps 119:16, 24, 97] 20 z ch 5:32; 1Ki 15:5; Ps 119:51, 102; See Jsh 1:7 a ch 4:40 1 Hebrew from before 2 Or the offerings by fire to the LORD 3 Hebrew his 4 Or lives—if he comes enthusiastically 5 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain Chapter 18 1 b ch 10:9; See Nu 18:20 c Nu 18:8, 9; Jsh 13:14; 1Sm 2:28; [1Co 9:13] 3 d See Lv 7:30–34 4 e Nu 18:12; 2Ch 31:5 5 f ch 17:12 6 g Nu 35:2, 3; Jgs 17:7; 19:1 h See ch 12:5 7 i [1Ch 23:6; 2Ch 31:2] 8 j 2Ch 31:4; Ne 12:44, 47; 13:10 05-LSB Deuteronomy 140725.indd 305 7/25/2014 4:28:59 PM DEUTERONOMY 18:9 306 1407/1406 BC life-giving Gospel of Jesus. • Lord God, help us to give "double honor" (1Tm 5:17) to those who faithfully labor among us in Your vineyard, calling us to repentance with Your holy Law and uplifting us with the mercy, forgiveness, and life that are ours in Christ Jesus, our Savior. Amen. 18:9 Techniques for invoking occult powers are prohibited. Following such abominable practices as other nations would be a rejection of the Lord, the sole source of truth and power, who provides His people with legitimate priesthood (vv 1–8) and prophecy (vv 15–22). See note, Pr 6:16. 18:10–11 Prohibited abominable practices include all types of divination, magic, and consulting with the spirit world. "All such people place their heart and trust elsewhere than in the true God" (LC I 12). burns his son or his daughter. May refer to a nonlethal trial-by-fire ordeal (see ESV note) or to child sacrifice, such as to the false god Molech. See note, 12:31; cf 2Ki 3:26–27. divination . . . fortunes . . . omens. Various means to discover the course of future events or the will of the gods. See notes, Gn 30:27; 44:5. sorcerer . . . charmer. Using magic to supernaturally influence people or events. medium . . . necromancer . . . inquires of the dead. Cult of the dead or conjuring up spirits of the dead and consulting with the spirit world, esp to have the future revealed (cf 26:14; see note, 1Sm 28:8). 18:12 Not only the practices but also anyone who engages in them is an abomination to the Lord. This is why God's judgment stood against the Ca- naanites and the Israelites would dispossess them of the land (v 14). 18:13 blameless. Hbr tam, "complete" or "sound," in this case indicating faithfulness to the covenant conditions of fellowship with the Lord. Such un- divided commitment would lead to blessedness and remaining in the land. See note, Jb 1:1. 18:14 Unlike the Canaanites, who conduct their affairs by listening to sorcer- ers and diviners, Israel is to conduct its affairs in conformity with the word of the prophets (cf v 15). Luth: "All these—since they are human inven- tions without the Word of God—must be condemned among the people of God, whose life and works must be governed by the sure Word of God" (AE 9:176). % 18:9–14 As Israel enters the Promised Land, they will be exposed to the influences of the false, occultist worship practices of the nations surrounding them, which they are to avoid. The people are faced with a great challenge: will they remain faithful to the Lord, or will they desert Him? Today, consider to whom you will listen. As parents lovingly protect their children by warning, reminding, and encouraging them, so our gracious God comes to us in His Word, warning us of snares and pitfalls, reminding us of our relationship to Him as His beloved children, and encouraging and comforting us with the assurance of His love and forgiveness. • Lord God, give me an undivided heart that I may always honor Your name and be Your witness to others, a city set on a hill, whose light cannot be hidden (Mt 5:14). Amen. $ 18:15 prophet. Israel would have a succession of prophets resembling Moses in function, declaring the Word of the Lord. See pp 1081–83. like me. Moses here describes a prophet having a unique relationship with the Lord, one no other prophet enjoyed (34:10; Nu 12:6–8). Jewish com- mentators expected the coming of a new Moses. Luth: "This is the chief passage in this whole book and a clearly expressed prophecy of Christ as the new Teacher. Hence the apostles also courageously adduce this passage (Acts 3:22–23; 7:37). . . . Here Moses clearly describes his own end, and he yields his mastery to the Prophet who is to come. . . . Here he prophesies that Christ will be true man and will come from the blood of the Jews, because salvation is from the Jews (John 4:22). No one has ever arisen from this people who taught a different word from the word of Moses and set up a new ministry except this one Christ of ours" (AE 9:176, 180). 18:16–18 Precedent for making prophecy the means for God's communica- tion with Israel (cf 5:22–29). Israel felt the fear of sinners faced by a perfect, holy God and His demands, so they asked Moses to be the one who met with God on their behalf and brought His Word to them. 18:17 The Lord acknowledged the appropriateness of their request. & 18:18 I will put My words in His mouth. The true prophet speaks only God's Word (cf Jer 15:16; Ezk 2:9–3:3; 1Pt 1:10–11; 2Pt 1:19– 21). See note, Nu 12:6; see also pp 1081–83. Cypr: "Concerning [the prophet,] Christ says in the Gospel according to John: 'Search the Scriptures, in which you think you have eternal life. These are they which testify concerning Me. . . . For if you had believed Moses, you would also believe Me' " (ANF 5:512). Chem: "When minds have in this way been prepared and crushed by the Law [v 15], then God explains and repeats His promise about raising up another prophet and about another kind of teaching, namely the Gospel" (LTh 2:464). all that I command. Wide variety of subjects: religion, domestic affairs, and foreign affairs. When the prophet speaks, the Lord speaks (Ex 4:15–16). 18:19 require it of him. To obey the prophet's words was to obey the Lord's words. To ignore the prophet's word would lead to divine judgment. The Lord made no similar declaration about the orders of an Israelite king. 18:20 Two types of prophecy are punishable by death: falsely attributing a prophecy to the Lord, and speaking in the name of other gods. Abominable Practices 9 "When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, k you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone l who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, 1 anyone who m practic- es divination or n tells fortunes or interprets omens, or o a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or p a medium or a nec- romancer or q one who inquires of the dead, 12 r for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And s because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be t blameless before the LORD your God, 14 for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this. A New Prophet like Moses 15 u "The LORD your God will raise up for you a v prophet like me from among you, from your broth- ers—it is to him you shall listen— 16 just as you de- sired of the LORD your God at Horeb w on the day of the assembly, when you said, x 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.' 17 And the LORD said to me, y 'They are right in what they have spoken. 18 u I will raise up for them a z prophet like you from among their broth- ers. a And I will put my words in his mouth, and b he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 c And whoever will d not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. 20 e But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, 9 k ch 12:29–31; [Jsh 23:7]; See Lv 18:26–30; Ps 2:12 10 l See Lv 18:21 m 2Ki 17:17 n See Lv 19:26 o [Ex 22:18; Lv 20:27] 11 p [1Sm 28:11]; See Lv 19:31 q [1Sm 28:7] 12 r chs 22:5; 25:16 s See ch 9:4 13 t Gn 6:9; [Ps 15:2] 15 u Jn 1:21, 25, 45; Cited Ac 3:22; 7:37 v Jn 6:14 1 Hebrew makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire 16 w See ch 9:10 x [Heb 12:19]; See Ex 20:19 17 y ch 5:28 18 u [See v 15 above] z [Heb 3:1–2; 12:24] a Jer 1:9; 5:14; [Jn 17:8] b [Jn 4:25; 7:16; 8:26, 28, 40; 12:49, 50] 19 c [Ac 3:23] d Jer 29:19; 35:13; Mt 17:5 20 e Jer 14:15; See ch 13:5 05-LSB Deuteronomy 140725.indd 306 7/25/2014 4:29:00 PM T H E L U T H E R A N S T U D Y B I B L E The Lutheran Study Bible Packed full of everything you need to know while working your way through God's Word, this study Bible shows parallels be- tween books, as well as translation notes, deep theological com- mentary, historical timelines, and much more. With the words of Christ in red and a durable Smyth-sewn binding, this is the perfect Bible for growing in your faith. F E AT U R E S • Full English Standard Version (ESV) Text • Two-Year Bible Reading Plan • Luther's Small Catechism • One- and Three-Year Lectionaries • Maps, Cross-References, and Concordance Regular Edition These editions all contain a sangria hardback cover and an inlaid image of Luther's rose on the cover. Regular Print 012030 $59.99 Thumb Indexed 012031 $64.99 Larger Print 012036 $69.99 Black Bonded Leather This black softcover edition gives you the beauty of a leather- bound Bible with gold-gilded edges at a fraction of the cost. Regular Print 012039 $84.99 Thumb Indexed 012041 $94.99 Black Genuine Leather This black softcover edition is perfect for those wanting genu- ine leather for their Bible to withstand wear and tear for years to come. Gold-gilded edges make this a beautiful family or personal Bible. 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