Deuteronomy 17-20

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Chapter 17- This is one of those chapters that appears boring BUT is filled with things to underline.  Have you ever watched a movie like Sixth Sense?  The kind of movie that when you watch it a second time and you pick up on all the little clues, this is that chapter!

Example: When we read the trial of Jesus:

Things to underline today:

• ⁶ On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
• ⁸ If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge—whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults—take them to the place the Lord your God will choose
• ⁹ Go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office at that time. Inquire of them and they will give you the verdict. 

Did Jesus have 2 (truthful) witnesses?  Was He tried at the Temple?  Who is the High Priest at the time?  If the priest gave a verdict why were Pontius Pilate and Herod involved? (many more illegalities will occur)

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Verse 14-20.  You might as well memorize these scriptures.  I am probably going to refer back to them 100 times!  You must read them twice, they are very important.  Right now in our read-through, we are a Theocracy-The Lord is King.  However, we will throw that idea away and become a Monarchy, and after that, we will become a divided kingdom (2 Monarchies).  The Lord KNOWS we are going to want a king (other than God) so here are the rules for the king:

Chapter 17:14  “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”

God does not just appoint them a king….they ask for one!  Oh no, that won’t be good.  We already know we are to follow God, not a king.  But God gives them a king anyway to show them they don’t need one!

The King must:

1. He must be the one the Lord chooses
2. He must not multiply his horses for military purposes
3. He must not acquire many wives (or you will take on their false worship)
4. He must make a copy of the Law and have it with him at all times.  He will read it every day. (oh, and follow it)

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Chapter 18-

• The Levitical priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance.  If people are not worshipping at the Temple eventually, how will the priests live off the offerings?  SMH.

Chapter 18:9-13 (Refer to Lev. 18 for a recap)

¹⁰ Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, ¹¹ or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.

Sacrifice their sons and daughters??  This was a Canaanite ritual, that was common.  Molech represented the male principle of life and reproduction while Ashtoreth represented the female principle of fertility.

      

Canaanites would sacrifice their children to this false god.  A fire inside the statue would receive the newborn child and pass through to their god.  But this should not be a problem BECAUSE we have read that when they enter the Promised Land they will should destroy ALL of their pagan ritual sites, not take on their ways, or marry into their tribes, or partake in their sexual rituals to their gods……

The second part of the above verse…consult mediums?  Who would do that in the Bible?  Maybe the FIRST king does it?  (Trivia: Can anyone name the first king of the Monarchy in the Bible? No googling! It is NOT David 😂)

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Prophets- After reading that the Israelites should NOT listen to a fortune teller, a medium, or spiritist, they are introduced to Prophets.  Well, how do we know one from the other?

A True Prophet:

1. will be Hebrew
2. must speak in the name of the Lord
3. what the prophet says must come to pass

BUT ❤️

¹⁸ I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. ¹⁹ I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.

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Chapter 19 Cities of Refuge.  If you skipped some of the readings click here for the Numbers 35 post on this.

These chapters are amazing…Jesus is on every page! Kings, Prophets, Priests….

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Chapter 20.  A beautiful ending.  If Jesus is our High Priest, and you are facing a battle in your life: cling to chapter 20: ❤️

20 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. ² When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. ³ He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. ⁴ For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”