Deuteronomy 18 Study Notes
General
In Deuteronomy 18:13-14, how was Israel to differ from the nations that relied on fortune-tellers?
Answer: They must be wholly devoted to God and not consult them
Israel must be blameless, meaning wholehearted and undivided in loyalty to the LORD (18:13). The nations about to be driven out paid attention to fortune-tellers and sorcerers, but the LORD had not allowed Israel to do so (18:14). Instead, the very next verse promises that God would raise up a prophet for them to listen to (18:15). God’s people were to seek His will through His own word rather than through hidden arts. Isaiah makes the same contrast, asking why people would turn to the dead for help concerning the living instead of asking their God (Isaiah 8:19). Saul’s death is partly traced to his consulting a medium instead of seeking the LORD (1 Chronicles 10:13-14), and in Acts Paul drives out a spirit of fortune-telling in Jesus’ name (Acts 16:16-18).
- Deuteronomy 18:13-15 (BSB)“You must be blameless before the LORD your God. Though these nations, which you will dispossess, listen to conjurers and diviners, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.”Israel must be blameless and may not consult diviners; instead God will raise up a prophet for them.
- Isaiah 8:19 (BSB)“When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?”Isaiah asks why a people would consult mediums and the dead instead of their God.
- 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (BSB)“So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”Saul died partly because he consulted a medium instead of inquiring of the LORD.
- Acts 16:16-18 (BSB)“One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!” She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.”Paul cast out a spirit of divination in the name of Jesus Christ.
Theological
According to Deuteronomy 18:13-14, what distinguishes Israel from the nations that relied on diviners?
Answer: They must be wholly devoted to God and not consult them
Israel is to be blameless, wholehearted in covenant loyalty to the LORD (18:13). The nations being dispossessed paid heed to soothsayers and diviners, but the LORD had not permitted this to Israel (18:14); in place of occult inquiry He promises a prophet through whom He will speak (18:15). Revelation, not manipulation, is Israel’s means of knowing God’s will. Isaiah presses the same contrast (Isaiah 8:19), the Chronicler names Saul’s recourse to a medium among the causes of his death (1 Chronicles 10:13-14), and in Acts divination is exposed as the work of a spirit subject to Jesus’ name (Acts 16:16-18).
- Deuteronomy 18:13-15 (BSB)“You must be blameless before the LORD your God. Though these nations, which you will dispossess, listen to conjurers and diviners, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.”Israel must be blameless and may not consult diviners; instead God will raise up a prophet for them.
- Isaiah 8:19 (BSB)“When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?”Isaiah asks why a people would consult mediums and the dead instead of their God.
- 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (BSB)“So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”Saul died partly because he consulted a medium instead of inquiring of the LORD.
- Acts 16:16-18 (BSB)“One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!” She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.”Paul cast out a spirit of divination in the name of Jesus Christ.
General
Which of these practices appears in the list of forbidden practices in Deuteronomy 18:10-11?
Answer: Burning a son or daughter as an offering
Moses warns Israel not to copy the detestable customs of the nations in Canaan (18:9). The list includes burning a son or daughter as a sacrifice, divination or conjury (trying to learn hidden things or the future through signs or secret arts), reading omens, sorcery, casting spells, turning to mediums and spiritists, and seeking to contact the dead (18:10-11). What ties the list together is the attempt to gain hidden knowledge or power apart from God, or to win the favor of false gods, even at the cost of a child’s life. Leviticus forbids giving children to Molech (Leviticus 18:21) and turning to mediums (Leviticus 20:6), and King Manasseh later did many of the things on this list (2 Kings 21:6).
- Deuteronomy 18:9-11 (BSB)“When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead.”Moses lists the detestable practices of the nations that Israel must not copy.
- Leviticus 18:21 (BSB)“You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.”Leviticus forbids giving children to be sacrificed to Molech.
- Leviticus 20:6 (BSB)“Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.”God sets His face against anyone who turns to mediums or spiritists.
- 2 Kings 21:6 (BSB)“He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.”King Manasseh later did many of the practices on this list and provoked the LORD to anger.
Theological
Which of the following is included among the practices forbidden in Deuteronomy 18:10-11?
Answer: Burning a son or daughter as an offering
Israel must not copy the abhorrent customs of the Canaanite nations (18:9). The catalogue joins child sacrifice by fire to every form of occult inquiry and manipulation: divination and conjury, omen-reading, sorcery, spell-casting, mediums and spiritists, and necromancy (18:10-11). The common thread is seeking knowledge or power from sources other than the LORD. Leviticus forbids both child sacrifice to Molech (Leviticus 18:21) and recourse to mediums (Leviticus 20:6), and Manasseh later practiced many of these same arts (2 Kings 21:6).
- Deuteronomy 18:9-11 (BSB)“When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead.”Moses lists the detestable practices of the nations that Israel must not copy.
- Leviticus 18:21 (BSB)“You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.”Leviticus forbids giving children to be sacrificed to Molech.
- Leviticus 20:6 (BSB)“Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.”God sets His face against anyone who turns to mediums or spiritists.
- 2 Kings 21:6 (BSB)“He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.”King Manasseh later did many of the practices on this list and provoked the LORD to anger.
General
True or False: According to Deuteronomy 18:17, the LORD rebuked Israel for asking not to hear His voice again at Horeb.
Answer: False
This is false. Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai, where God gave the Ten Commandments. The people were terrified by God’s voice and the great fire and asked not to hear or see them again, for fear of dying (18:16). The LORD said their request was a good one (18:17). The fuller account in Deuteronomy 5 shows the people asking Moses to go near, listen to God, and then tell them what He said, and the LORD approved (Deuteronomy 5:24-28; see also Exodus 20:19). The promise of a prophet answers that request: God would speak through a human go-between from among their own people. Hebrews recalls how unbearable that mountain was, and sets against it the joyful gathering believers have now come to through Jesus, the go-between of the new covenant (Hebrews 12:18-24).
- Deuteronomy 18:16-17 (BSB)“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 or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!” Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well.”The promise of a prophet answers Israel’s request at Horeb, which the LORD approved.
- Deuteronomy 5:24-28 (BSB)“and you said, “Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him. But now, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us, and we will die, if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer. For who of all flesh has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the fire, as we have, and survived? Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then you can tell us everything the LORD our God tells you; we will listen and obey.” And the LORD heard the words you spoke to me, and He said to me, “I have heard the words that these people have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.”The fuller account of the request at Horeb, including the LORD’s approval of what the people said.
- Exodus 20:19 (BSB)““Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.””At Sinai the people asked Moses to speak to them so that God would not speak to them directly.
- Hebrews 12:18-24 (BSB)“For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm; to a trumpet blast or to a voice that made its hearers beg that no further word be spoken. For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”Hebrews recalls the terror of the burning mountain and sets against it the heavenly Jerusalem believers have come to, with Jesus the mediator of a new covenant.
Theological
True or False: In Deuteronomy 18:16-17 the LORD condemned Israel’s request at Horeb not to hear His voice directly.
Answer: False
This is false. At Horeb the people, overwhelmed by the divine voice and the fire, asked to be spared further direct encounter lest they die (18:16), and the LORD commended their request (18:17). Deuteronomy 5 records the same exchange at greater length (Deuteronomy 5:24-28), echoing Exodus 20:19. God’s answer is the institution of prophetic mediation: He will speak through a man raised up from among their own people. Hebrews contrasts the terror of Sinai with the approach believers now have through Christ (Hebrews 12:18-24).
- Deuteronomy 18:16-17 (BSB)“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 or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!” Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well.”The promise of a prophet answers Israel’s request at Horeb, which the LORD approved.
- Deuteronomy 5:24-28 (BSB)“and you said, “Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him. But now, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us, and we will die, if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer. For who of all flesh has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the fire, as we have, and survived? Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then you can tell us everything the LORD our God tells you; we will listen and obey.” And the LORD heard the words you spoke to me, and He said to me, “I have heard the words that these people have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.”The fuller account of the request at Horeb, including the LORD’s approval of what the people said.
- Exodus 20:19 (BSB)““Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.””At Sinai the people asked Moses to speak to them so that God would not speak to them directly.
- Hebrews 12:18-24 (BSB)“For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm; to a trumpet blast or to a voice that made its hearers beg that no further word be spoken. For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”Hebrews recalls the terror of the burning mountain and sets against it the heavenly Jerusalem believers have come to, with Jesus the mediator of a new covenant.
General
Deuteronomy 18:1-2 says Levi’s tribe would have no land of its own like the other tribes. What was its inheritance instead?
Answer: The LORD Himself, and the offerings made to Him
The Levites were the tribe set apart to serve God at His sanctuary, and the priests were the descendants of Aaron within that tribe. They received no tribal territory like the other tribes. Instead they were to live from the food offerings presented to God, and the LORD Himself was their inheritance, in keeping with His promise (18:1-2). God had told Aaron the same thing in the wilderness (Numbers 18:20), and Joshua records that Levi received no land for this reason when Canaan was divided (Joshua 13:33). Having God as one’s portion is greater wealth than any field, and the psalmist uses the same language to express his own trust in the LORD (Psalm 16:5).
- Deuteronomy 18:1-2 (BSB)“The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance. Although they have no inheritance among their brothers, the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.”The priestly tribe receives no land; it lives from the offerings, and the LORD is its inheritance.
- Numbers 18:20 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.”God told Aaron in the wilderness that He Himself would be the priests’ portion and inheritance.
- Joshua 13:33 (BSB)“To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as He had promised them.”When the land was divided, Levi received no territory because the LORD was their inheritance.
- Psalm 16:5 (BSB)“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure.”The psalmist uses the same portion language to confess the LORD as his chosen share.
Theological
What does Deuteronomy 18:1-2 name as the inheritance of the landless tribe of Levi?
Answer: The LORD Himself, and the offerings made to Him
The Levitical priests, and all of Levi’s tribe with them, receive no territorial allotment; they live from the offerings presented to God, and the LORD Himself is their inheritance by His own promise (18:1-2). The same arrangement was established with Aaron (Numbers 18:20) and carried out at the division of Canaan (Joshua 13:33). The priestly portion becomes a pattern of devotion in the Psalms, where the believer confesses the LORD as his chosen portion (Psalm 16:5).
- Deuteronomy 18:1-2 (BSB)“The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance. Although they have no inheritance among their brothers, the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.”The priestly tribe receives no land; it lives from the offerings, and the LORD is its inheritance.
- Numbers 18:20 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.”God told Aaron in the wilderness that He Himself would be the priests’ portion and inheritance.
- Joshua 13:33 (BSB)“To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as He had promised them.”When the land was divided, Levi received no territory because the LORD was their inheritance.
- Psalm 16:5 (BSB)“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure.”The psalmist uses the same portion language to confess the LORD as his chosen share.
General
True or False: A Levite who moved to the central sanctuary was to receive a smaller portion because he had money from selling his family property.
Answer: False
This is false. A Levite could leave his hometown anywhere in Israel and come wholeheartedly to the place God would choose. There he was to serve in the LORD’s name like the other Levites already serving there (18:6-7), and he was to receive an equal share of the food, even if he had income from selling his family’s property (18:8). Private money did not reduce his right to share in what was given for the Levites’ service. Deuteronomy warns Israel never to abandon the Levites (Deuteronomy 12:19), and Numbers says their support was given in return for their work (Numbers 18:21). When that support was later withheld, the Levites had to abandon their service and go back to farming (Nehemiah 13:10).
- Deuteronomy 18:6-8 (BSB)“Now if a Levite moves from any town of residence throughout Israel and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose, then he shall serve in the name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who stand there before the LORD. They shall eat equal portions, even though he has received money from the sale of his father’s estate.”A Levite who comes to the central sanctuary serves alongside the others and shares equally in their food.
- Deuteronomy 12:19 (BSB)“and be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.”Israel is warned never to neglect the Levites while living in the land.
- Numbers 18:21 (BSB)“Behold, I have given to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the service of the Tent of Meeting.”God gave the Levites Israel’s tithes in return for their service at the tabernacle.
- Nehemiah 13:10 (BSB)“I also learned that because the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, all the Levites and singers responsible for performing the service had gone back to their own fields.”When the Levites’ portions were withheld, they had to leave their service and return to their fields.
Theological
True or False: Deuteronomy 18:8 reduced the portion of a Levite who came to the sanctuary if he had proceeds from selling his family estate.
Answer: False
This is false. A Levite from any town who came in earnest to the chosen place was to minister in the LORD’s name alongside the Levites already stationed there (18:6-7) and to eat an equal portion, notwithstanding any proceeds from selling his family property (18:8). His share rested on his service, not his private means. Deuteronomy repeatedly charges Israel not to forsake the Levites (Deuteronomy 12:19); their support was given in return for their ministry (Numbers 18:21), and Nehemiah shows what happened when it was withheld (Nehemiah 13:10).
- Deuteronomy 18:6-8 (BSB)“Now if a Levite moves from any town of residence throughout Israel and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose, then he shall serve in the name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who stand there before the LORD. They shall eat equal portions, even though he has received money from the sale of his father’s estate.”A Levite who comes to the central sanctuary serves alongside the others and shares equally in their food.
- Deuteronomy 12:19 (BSB)“and be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.”Israel is warned never to neglect the Levites while living in the land.
- Numbers 18:21 (BSB)“Behold, I have given to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the service of the Tent of Meeting.”God gave the Levites Israel’s tithes in return for their service at the tabernacle.
- Nehemiah 13:10 (BSB)“I also learned that because the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, all the Levites and singers responsible for performing the service had gone back to their own fields.”When the Levites’ portions were withheld, they had to leave their service and return to their fields.
General
According to Deuteronomy 18:12, why was the LORD removing the nations ahead of Israel?
Answer: Because of the abominations those nations practiced
Moses calls everyone who does such things an abomination in the LORD’s sight, and he names these abominations as the reason the LORD is removing the nations from the land (18:12). The conquest was God’s judgment on the long-growing wickedness of the land’s peoples, whose sin God told Abraham was not yet complete centuries earlier (Genesis 15:16). Leviticus says the nations had made the land unclean by these practices, so that the land would spit out its people (Leviticus 18:24-25). Deuteronomy also insists that Israel had not earned the land by its own goodness; the nations were driven out for their own wickedness (Deuteronomy 9:4). This judgment belonged to a unique moment in Israel’s history and gave no license to any later people.
- Deuteronomy 18:12 (BSB)“For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.”The practices just listed are the reason the LORD is driving out the nations.
- Genesis 15:16 (BSB)“In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.””God told Abraham his descendants would return only when the Amorites’ iniquity was complete.
- Leviticus 18:24-25 (BSB)“Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves. Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.”The nations had defiled themselves and the land by such practices, so the land would expel them.
- Deuteronomy 9:4 (BSB)“When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness.”Israel is warned not to credit its own righteousness; the nations are driven out for their wickedness.
Theological
What reason does Deuteronomy 18:12 give for the LORD’s dispossession of the nations?
Answer: Because of the abominations those nations practiced
Those who practice these things are an abomination in the LORD’s sight, and these abominations are the stated ground of the nations’ dispossession (18:12). The conquest is therefore judicial, not arbitrary: God had deferred it until the Amorites’ iniquity was full (Genesis 15:16), and the land itself, defiled by such practices, would spew out its inhabitants (Leviticus 18:24-25). The same act is also grace toward Israel, which is explicitly denied any claim of merit (Deuteronomy 9:4). The judgment belongs to a specific moment in redemptive history and is no license for any later people.
- Deuteronomy 18:12 (BSB)“For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.”The practices just listed are the reason the LORD is driving out the nations.
- Genesis 15:16 (BSB)“In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.””God told Abraham his descendants would return only when the Amorites’ iniquity was complete.
- Leviticus 18:24-25 (BSB)“Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves. Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.”The nations had defiled themselves and the land by such practices, so the land would expel them.
- Deuteronomy 9:4 (BSB)“When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness.”Israel is warned not to credit its own righteousness; the nations are driven out for their wickedness.
General
In Acts 3:22-23, whom does Peter identify as the prophet like Moses promised in Deuteronomy 18:15-19?
Answer: Jesus, the Christ whom God raised up
Moses promises that the LORD would raise up a prophet like him from among the Israelites, and Israel must heed him (18:15). Deuteronomy itself closes by saying no prophet had arisen like Moses, with whom the LORD dealt face to face (Deuteronomy 34:10), so the promise stayed open. Peter declares that Jesus is this prophet and applies the warning of 18:19 to anyone who refuses to listen to Him (Acts 3:22-23). Crowds who saw Jesus feed the five thousand called Him the Prophet who was expected (John 6:14). Jesus is greater even than Moses: Moses served faithfully in God’s house as a servant, while Christ is faithful over that house as the Son (Hebrews 3:5-6).
- Deuteronomy 18:15 (BSB)“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.”Moses promises that God will raise up a prophet like him from among Israel, whom they must heed.
- Acts 3:22-23 (BSB)“For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He tells you. Everyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut off from among his people.’”Peter quotes this promise and applies it, with its warning, to Jesus.
- Deuteronomy 34:10 (BSB)“Since that time, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face—”Deuteronomy closes by noting that no prophet had yet arisen like Moses, leaving the promise open.
- John 6:14 (BSB)“When the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed, they began to say, “Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.””Crowds who saw Jesus’ sign recognized Him as the Prophet who was expected to come into the world.
- Hebrews 3:5-6 (BSB)“Now Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be spoken later. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.”Hebrews shows Christ as greater than Moses: Moses a faithful servant in God’s house, Christ the Son over it.
Theological
Whom does Peter identify in Acts 3:22-23 as the fulfillment of the prophet like Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15?
Answer: Jesus, the Christ whom God raised up
The promise of a prophet like Moses (18:15) was not exhausted by the succession of Israel’s prophets; the epilogue of Deuteronomy notes that none had arisen like Moses, with whom the LORD dealt face to face (Deuteronomy 34:10). Peter identifies Jesus as its fulfillment and applies the covenant sanction of 18:19 to those who refuse Him (Acts 3:22-23), and the crowds after the feeding of the five thousand recognized Him as the expected Prophet (John 6:14). Christ is the prophet like Moses and greater than Moses: Moses served faithfully in God’s house as a servant, while Christ is over it as the Son (Hebrews 3:5-6).
- Deuteronomy 18:15 (BSB)“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.”Moses promises that God will raise up a prophet like him from among Israel, whom they must heed.
- Acts 3:22-23 (BSB)“For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He tells you. Everyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut off from among his people.’”Peter quotes this promise and applies it, with its warning, to Jesus.
- Deuteronomy 34:10 (BSB)“Since that time, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face—”Deuteronomy closes by noting that no prophet had yet arisen like Moses, leaving the promise open.
- John 6:14 (BSB)“When the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed, they began to say, “Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.””Crowds who saw Jesus’ sign recognized Him as the Prophet who was expected to come into the world.
- Hebrews 3:5-6 (BSB)“Now Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be spoken later. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.”Hebrews shows Christ as greater than Moses: Moses a faithful servant in God’s house, Christ the Son over it.
General
What does God promise to do for the coming prophet in Deuteronomy 18:18?
Answer: Place His own words in the prophet’s mouth
God promises to put His own words in the mouth of the coming prophet, and the prophet will tell the people everything God commands him (18:18). Because the prophet speaks God’s words, refusing to listen to him is refusing God, and God Himself will hold such a person accountable (18:19). Jesus said the same of His own teaching: He did not speak on His own authority, rather, the Father who had sent Him told Him what to say (John 12:49). At the transfiguration the Father spoke from the cloud and told the disciples to listen to Jesus (Matthew 17:5), echoing Moses’ command to listen to the coming prophet (18:15). Hebrews says that God, who spoke in the past through the prophets, has now spoken by His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2).
- Deuteronomy 18:18-19 (BSB)“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. And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name.”God promises to put His words in the coming prophet’s mouth and to hold accountable all who refuse to listen.
- John 12:49 (BSB)“I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it.”Jesus says He did not speak on His own; the Father commanded Him what to say.
- Matthew 17:5 (BSB)“While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!””At the transfiguration the Father’s voice commands the disciples to listen to His Son.
- Hebrews 1:1-2 (BSB)“On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets. But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.”God, who spoke through the prophets in many ways, has in these last days spoken by His Son.
Theological
In Deuteronomy 18:18, what does God promise concerning the prophet He will raise up?
Answer: Place His own words in the prophet’s mouth
The prophet like Moses is defined by divine speech: God will give him His own words to say, and he will declare all that God commands (18:18). Rejecting this prophet is rejecting God, who will personally call the hearer to account (18:19). Jesus claims exactly this for Himself: He speaks nothing on His own authority but what the Father commanded (John 12:49). The Father’s command at the transfiguration to listen to the Son echoes the charge of 18:15 (Matthew 17:5), and Hebrews presents the Son as God’s final word after the prophets (Hebrews 1:1-2).
- Deuteronomy 18:18-19 (BSB)“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. And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name.”God promises to put His words in the coming prophet’s mouth and to hold accountable all who refuse to listen.
- John 12:49 (BSB)“I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it.”Jesus says He did not speak on His own; the Father commanded Him what to say.
- Matthew 17:5 (BSB)“While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!””At the transfiguration the Father’s voice commands the disciples to listen to His Son.
- Hebrews 1:1-2 (BSB)“On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets. But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.”God, who spoke through the prophets in many ways, has in these last days spoken by His Son.
General
According to Deuteronomy 18:22, how could Israel recognize a word that did not come from the LORD?
Answer: What the prophet foretold failed to happen
A prophet who presumed to speak for the LORD what God had not commanded, or who spoke in other gods’ names, was to face the death penalty (18:20). To the natural question of how to tell which messages were not from God (18:21), Moses answers: when a prophet claims to speak for the LORD and his words do not come true, the LORD did not speak them. That prophet spoke presumptuously, and the people need not fear him (18:22). Jeremiah applies this test in his clash with the prophet Hananiah (Jeremiah 28:9). Deuteronomy adds a second test: even a prophet whose sign comes true must be rejected if he leads people to other gods (Deuteronomy 13:1-3). John likewise tells believers to test the spirits, because many false prophets are at work in the world (1 John 4:1).
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (BSB)“But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.” You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”The penalty for a presumptuous prophet and the test for recognizing a message God has not spoken.
- Jeremiah 28:9 (BSB)“As for the prophet who prophesies peace, only if the word of the prophet comes true will the prophet be recognized as one the LORD has truly sent.””Jeremiah applies the test to the prophet Hananiah: a prophet is recognized as sent by the LORD when his word comes true.
- Deuteronomy 13:1-3 (BSB)“If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”A second test: even a prophet whose sign comes true must not be followed if he leads people to other gods.
- 1 John 4:1 (BSB)“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.”John tells believers to test the spirits because many false prophets are at work in the world.
Theological
What criterion does Deuteronomy 18:22 give for recognizing a word that did not come from the LORD?
Answer: What the prophet foretold failed to happen
Speaking a message in the LORD’s name that He had not commanded, or speaking for other gods, was a capital offense (18:20). Anticipating the question of discernment (18:21), Moses gives a negative criterion: a word spoken in the LORD’s name that fails to come to pass is not from Him; the prophet spoke presumptuously and need not be feared (18:22). Jeremiah invokes this test against Hananiah (Jeremiah 28:9). Deuteronomy 13 supplies a complementary doctrinal test, so that fulfilled signs cannot validate a call to other gods (Deuteronomy 13:1-3). The apostolic charge to test the spirits continues the same vigilance (1 John 4:1).
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (BSB)“But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.” You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”The penalty for a presumptuous prophet and the test for recognizing a message God has not spoken.
- Jeremiah 28:9 (BSB)“As for the prophet who prophesies peace, only if the word of the prophet comes true will the prophet be recognized as one the LORD has truly sent.””Jeremiah applies the test to the prophet Hananiah: a prophet is recognized as sent by the LORD when his word comes true.
- Deuteronomy 13:1-3 (BSB)“If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”A second test: even a prophet whose sign comes true must not be followed if he leads people to other gods.
- 1 John 4:1 (BSB)“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.”John tells believers to test the spirits because many false prophets are at work in the world.
General
What reason does Deuteronomy 18:5 give for the priests’ share of the people’s sacrifices and firstfruits?
Answer: God had chosen Levi’s line to serve before Him always
From the people’s sacrifices of cattle or sheep, the priests received set portions: a shoulder cut, the jowls or cheek meat, and the stomach (18:3). They also received the firstfruits, meaning the first and best part, of their grain, wine, and olive oil, plus the first fleece of each shearing (18:4). The reason given is God’s choice: He had chosen Levi’s family from all the tribes to serve in His name permanently (18:5). Moses had said earlier that Levi was set apart to serve in the LORD’s presence and bless in His name (Deuteronomy 10:8), and Numbers records the priests’ share of the firstfruits (Numbers 18:12). Paul reasons from the same pattern: altar servants ate from its offerings, and likewise the Lord has directed that gospel preachers may live by the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:13-14).
- Deuteronomy 18:3-5 (BSB)“This shall be the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether a bull or a sheep: the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach. You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool sheared from your flock. For the LORD your God has chosen Levi and his sons out of all your tribes to stand and minister in His name for all time.”The priests’ share from sacrifices and firstfruits is grounded in God’s choice of Levi to serve.
- Deuteronomy 10:8 (BSB)“At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as they do to this day.”Moses had earlier said the LORD set apart Levi to serve Him and bless in His name.
- Numbers 18:12 (BSB)“I give you all the freshest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain that the Israelites give to the LORD as their firstfruits.”Numbers assigns the firstfruits of oil, wine, and grain to the priests.
- 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 (BSB)“Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings? In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.”Paul reasons from the support of those who served at the altar to the support of those who preach the gospel.
Theological
On what basis does Deuteronomy 18:5 ground the priests’ portions from the people’s offerings?
Answer: God had chosen Levi’s line to serve before Him always
The priests’ dues are specified: from sacrificial cattle or sheep, a shoulder cut, the stomach, and the jowls (18:3), along with the firstfruits of grain, wine, and olive oil, plus the first fleece of the flock (18:4). The ground is divine election: God chose Levi’s family out of all the tribes to serve in His name perpetually (18:5; compare Deuteronomy 10:8), and Numbers assigns the firstfruits to them (Numbers 18:12). Paul argues from this provision for altar servants to the Lord’s command that gospel preachers be supported by the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:13-14).
- Deuteronomy 18:3-5 (BSB)“This shall be the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether a bull or a sheep: the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach. You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool sheared from your flock. For the LORD your God has chosen Levi and his sons out of all your tribes to stand and minister in His name for all time.”The priests’ share from sacrifices and firstfruits is grounded in God’s choice of Levi to serve.
- Deuteronomy 10:8 (BSB)“At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as they do to this day.”Moses had earlier said the LORD set apart Levi to serve Him and bless in His name.
- Numbers 18:12 (BSB)“I give you all the freshest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain that the Israelites give to the LORD as their firstfruits.”Numbers assigns the firstfruits of oil, wine, and grain to the priests.
- 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 (BSB)“Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings? In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.”Paul reasons from the support of those who served at the altar to the support of those who preach the gospel.