Deuteronomy 18, Priests and Prophets

We continue to explore concepts of citizenship, authority, justice and honor, in reflection on the Fifth Commandment. We have examined the role of judges and kings; now we look at instructions for priests and then prophets.

Deuteronomy 18: 1-5, Inheritance of Levite

The priests, who are Levites--indeed the whole tribe of Levi--are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the offerings made to the LORD by fire, for that is their inheritance. They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them.

This is the share due the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulder, the jowls and the inner parts. You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep, for the LORD your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the LORD's name always.

The tribe of Levi is special.  The Levites do not have a special land and the priests are to be supported by the sacrifices.

Deuteronomy 18: 6-8, If a Levite moves

If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose, he may minister in the name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the LORD. He is to share equally in their benefits, even though he has received money from the sale of family possessions.

The ministry of a Levite moves with him. Wherever he goes, he is to be supported, even if he has additional resources.

Craigie argues that there is some confusion here in interpreting this passage, as not all Levites were priests. (Priests were male Levites of a certain age.)  Parts of this passage presumably apply to all Levites, including wives and children of one who is a priest.

Deuteronomy 18: 9-14, Detestable ways of the nations

When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.

Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God. 

The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.

While we are discussing the priests, we are warned, once again, of the religious practices of other ancient Near Eastern tribes and peoples. Sorcery, witchcraft, casting of spells were all practices intended to convince the gods to take certain actions. Particularly abominable was the sacrificing of children to incur a god's favor. (Currid says that archealogical sites at Carthage include the charred remains of hundreds of children.)

Deuteronomy 18: 15-19, A future prophet

 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, "Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die." The LORD said to me: "What they say is good.

'I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.

The people of Israel are not to engage in witchcraft or other types of magic but will instead, from time to time, be given genuine prophets to guide them. This passage seems to allude to a special future Prophet, one like Moses. (In Acts 3:22, the apostle Peter identifies this special prophet as Yeshua/Jesus.)

Deuteronomy 18: 20-22, False prophets

But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.

"You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?"

If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

Some may claim to be a prophet when they are not. A prophet is one who communicates the message of God and, in some cases, makes predictions about a future event. So a false prophet will be one whose proclamations are false, either because the words conflict with the given Law or because they predict events that do not take place.