09.25.09: Deuteronomy 18 - 27

Daily Bible reading will keep you in range of God's voice. This is why God instructed the kings of Israel to always keep a copy of His Word nearby: "He should keep it with him all the time and read from it every day of his life." (v.Deut. 17:19). But don't just keep it near you; read it regularly! A simple took that is helpful for this is a daily Bible reading plan hence here we are... It will prevent you from just skipping around the Bible arbitrarily and overlooking sections.

People want to know the future. Most newspapers carry horoscopes and predictions by self-proclaimed future-tellers. There are even "psychic hot lines" to call. These people make a living because there's a market. Deuteronomy continues to cover laws for ruling the nation of Israel. It covers the usual civil regulations such as instructions on judges, the courts and the king. But right smack in the middle are guidelines about the occult. All citizens will find something here: responsibility to vote... something we don't follow today (I wonder why); responsibility of leaders (another area of concern); and balancing justice with mercy.

The Priests and the Levites served much the same function as our ministers today. Their duties included teaching the people about God, setting an example of godly living, caring for the sanctuary and its workers and distributing the offerings. Because priests and Levites could not own property or pursue outside business interests, God made special arrangements so that people would not take advantage of them. Often churches take advantage of men and women God has brought to lead them. For example, ministers may not be paid in accordance with their skills or the time they put in. Or pastors may be expected to attend ever evening meeting, even if this continual absence is harmful to their families. As you look at your own church in light of God's Word, what ways do you see to honor the leaders God has given you?

The Israelites were naturally curious about the occult practices of the Canaanite religions. But Satan is behind the occult, and God flatly forbade Israel to have anything to do with it. Today people are still fascinated by horoscopes, fortune-telling, witchcraft, and bizarre cults. Often their interest comes from a desire to know or control the future. But Satan is no less dangerous today then he was in Moses's time. In the bible, God tells us all we need to know about what is going to happen. The information Satan offers is likely to be distorted or completely false. With the trust-worthy guidance of the the Holy Spirit through the Bible and the church, we don't need to turn to occult sources for faulty information.

A Prophet Like unto Moses
Man has a deep desire to know the unknown, and to seek out the forbidden.
Wouldn't it be great to know what the stock market will do over the next ten years? What companies will excel in growth and profits? Which ones will fail and would be poor investments? Wouldn't it be helpful to know when and how you will die and how to plan for it? What will be the greatest opportunity of your life and how could you maximize it to your greatest advantage? If you had a magic genie in a bottle, what would you ask for today?
How many people, like the children of Israel, seek to communicate with the supernatural world through forbidden methods? Deuteronomy 18:10-12 describes some forbidden methods of seeking to know the unknown. These were on the same level with child sacrifices. They were divination, the practice of witchcraft, those who interpret omens, sorcerers, or one who casts a spell, mediums, spiritists and those who call up the dead (vv. 10-11). Some of the pagan soothsayers read the entrails of slaughtered animals; others studied the planets, stars and comets. Some read tealeaves, studied the handprints of the wealthy and gazed into crystal rocks.
Why was it forbidden? Israel was God's chosen people. "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). As His chosen people they would receive their understanding of spiritual things from the God who spoke directly to His appointed prophet. The pagan methodologies led only to self-centered, "do your own thing" and “follow your own star” manipulation of the gods. It ended in debased self-worship.
The LORD God has a better way for His people. He knows and wants what is best for them. "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. . . And the LORD said . . . I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him" (18:15, 18).
Because God spoke His word directly to the prophet, to ignore that word would lead to divine judgment (v. 19). "And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him." Those who hear as well as those who choose not to hear the words are held responsible.
How would the people be able to distinguish between the true and the false prophets? Moses gave them, and us, a simple test in 18:20-22. "When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him" (v. 22).
The words of the prophet must be in accord with what God has already revealed. True prophetic word will not contradict what God has already spoken. This is why the Scripture is its own best commentary. The false prophet would be discovered by the fact that his message did not follow what God had already revealed in the past. The second test is true prophecy will come to pass. The truth of the spoken and written word would lie in its historical fulfillment. Over the course of time in a prophet's ministry, the character of the prophet as a true spokesman of God would clearly emerge. False prophets would be discovered by their own unfulfilled predictions (vv. 21-22).
After the death of Moses, great changes would take place in Israel. Knowing the will of God was imperative for God's people to sustain their fellowship with Him. It was reassuring that Moses promised that God would send a prophet (18:15-18). The people would discern between true and false prophets (vv. 19-22), and have no need of superficial and false sayings. The people will find in Israel a sure word from God. The LORD said He would send a prophet "like unto Moses." He would resemble Moses in respect and leadership. He would act as a mediator between God and His people. He would make known the will of the LORD.
The expectation of the Messiah was not unknown to Moses and Israel in his time. This ideal prophet would be as perfectly equal to His calling as Moses was to his. He would carry out His prophetic office in the manner of Moses.
None of the Hebrew prophets was equal to Moses. Each of them built upon the foundation of Moses and the Law.

Why did God include all these laws about sexual sins? Instructions about sexual behavior would have been vital for three million people on a 40-year camping trip. But they would be equally important when they entered the Promised Land and settled down as a nation. Paul, in Colossians 3:5, recognizes the importance of strong rules about sex for believers because sexual sin have the power to disrupt and destroy the church. Sins involving sex are not innocent dabblings in forbidden pleasures, as is so often portrayed but powerful destroyers of relationships. They confuse and tear down the climate of trust, respect and credibility that is essential for solid marriages and secure children.

It's called the worlds oldest profession because its been around for a long, long time indeed. Many people reason, therefore, that if prostitution is so persistent, that if it has survived this long, what's wrong with it?
The answer here, among many other laws that God gives to His people at this crucial time in their history. They are receiving God's laws on human relationships and one of the top areas of God's concern is the sexual one. Its too important to ignore.
Prostitution was not overlooked in God's law- it was strictly forbidden. To forbid this practice may seem obvious to us but it may not have been so obvious to the Israelites. Almost every other religion known to them included prostitution as an integral part of its worship services. Prostitution makes a mockery of God's original idea for sex, treating sex as an isolated physical act rather than an act of commitment of another. Outside marriage, sex destroys relationships. Within marriage, if approached with the right attitude, it can be a relationship builder. God frequently had to warn the people against the practice of extramarital sex. Today we still need to hear his warnings... if so not worse than they did.
Don't be taken in by the cheapening of sex through self-indulgent, recreational sexual encounters portrayed in television shows, movies, books, music and magazines. Sex was God's idea. He created it for procreation, for expressing love, and for enjoyment within marriage. Celebrate your sexuality God's way!!

Its interesting Deuteronomy verse 24:1-4 sounds like its supporting divorce but I highly doubt that is the case. All four verses must be read to understand the point of the passage; it certainly is not suggesting that a man divorce his wife on a whim. Divorce was a permanent and final act for the couple. Once divorced and remarried to others, they could never be remarried to each other (24:4). This restriction was to prevent casual remarriage after a frivolous separation. The intention was to make people think twice about marriage in the first place and before divorcing.

Deuteronomy 27:9, 10 - Moses was reviewing the law with the new generation of people. When we decide to believe in God, we must also decide to follow His ways. What we do shows what we really believe. Can people tell that you are a member of God's family?