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DEUTERONOMY 18

Deuteronomy 18. As the Bible Says:

In chapter 18 of Deuteronomy, more statutes and ordinances are given for Israel to adhere to. Some of which are still useful and necessary today. The priests and Levites have no inheritance in Israel and live on the offerings and tithes the people give to the Lord.

They do this because God chose them to stand and minister in His name forever before the people. Therefore, if a Levite entered the gates of an Israelite from another tribe, they were to accept him and bring him in and take good care of him.

Summary of Deuteronomy Chapter 18

The Levite, in turn, was to minister to that person when Israel entered the land that God prepared for them; they were not to learn and do the customs of the nations that were there. The nations in the land before them had abominable forms that the Lord God of Israel detested. They did things like making their children go through fire, used divination, observed times, were witches, charmers, and also dealt with familiar spirits. These are abominable to the Most High God.

God commanded Israel to be perfect. God promised to raise up a Prophet for them in Israel and this prophet will be like Moses. This is the Prophet to hear (this Prophet is Jesus the Messiah). Moses told the Israelites that whoever does not listen to this Prophet will be required to listen to that person. The chapter ends when Moses told the Israelites not to pay attention to false prophets. And that’s how you know if a prophet is false; His words will not be fulfilled.

Deuteronomy 18: 1-8. The Lord is the heritage of the priests and the Levites.

The priests and the Levites . . shall eat the offerings. As the tribe of Levi had no inheritance, like the other tribes, but were wholly consecrated to the priestly office.

Their sustenance was to come from the tithes, first fruits, and certain portions of the people presented at the altar, which God had expressly reserved for Himself, after being offered, to His ministers. 6-8. It seems that the Levites served in rotation from the earliest times; but, because of their great number, it was only at infrequent intervals that they could be called to royal service.

If, however, any Levite, under the influence of eminent piety, should decide to devote himself wholly and continually to the sacred duties of the sanctuary, he would be permitted to carry out his ardent desires; and as he was admitted to a part of the work, he would also be permitted to a part of the remuneration.

Although he might have private property, that would not be a reason to withhold or even diminish his claim to maintenance like the other priest ministers. The reason or principle for the enactment is obvious (1 Corinthians 9:13).

(1 Corinthians 9:13) At the same time, while all facilities were permitted for the admission of such a zealous and self-sacrificing officer, this admission was to be in an orderly manner: he was to minister «as all his brethren», i.e. a Gershonite with Gershonites; a Merarite with Merarites; so that there would be no alteration of the established courses.