Deuteronomy (Written)

Deuteronomy 20:1-9
Conduct for War, Part I

Beginning in Chapter 19, legislations are put forth that are predominantly intended to reveal the sanctity of human life and how it is to be protected. This continues on in Chapter 20 which is, surprisingly, one concerning warfare.

This particular set of verses deals with those of the soldiers of Israel. It refers to those who are to be excluded from the battle, and it speaks of those who will remain in the battle. The primary concern here, though not explicitly stated at first, is the strengthening of the soldiers in order to bring about victory.

And there cannot be victory in battle if all of the soldiers are either killed or flee from the engagement. As for the Christian, however, there is a marked difference. The very thing that gives us the courage to not only enter the battle, but to continue on in it, is not what other armies rely on at all.

Instead, the thought of death is that thing which prompts us on to even greater things. First, we follow a crucified Christ. It is His death that even makes our engagement in the battle possible. But more, we follow a risen Victor. It is this that tells us that absolutely nothing can prevail over us.

Text Verse: Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1, 2

Understanding what Christ has done gives us all of the motive we need to go forward in our battle. But there is another type of death that should spur us on as well. That is the death of those not in Christ. The devil is fighting hard in that battle, and he is gaining the victory over countless souls because of it.

The only thing – literally – the only thing that stands in the way of that is what the Lord has provided for us as we engage in this war. How important is it to you to know that people are dying apart from Christ and that you could stop that? He has equipped us, He has given us the mandate, and we should be expending ourselves in order to complete the task He has set before us.

Someday, our time of labor will end. What will we say when it comes? How are we using our time, our resources, our abilities, and our place – wherever that may be at the moment – to further the cause of Christ?

Deuteronomy 20 gives us the Conduct for War guidelines that Israel used in their physical battles. The entire Bible gives us the Conduct for War guidelines that we are to use in this spiritual battle. Let us live by them and let us employ every weapon of war provided to us to effect victories on our own path to glory.

Such great lessons as this are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Today You Are on the Verge of Battle (verses 1-3)

“When you go out to battle against your enemies,

The words of this chapter deal with milkhamah, or warfare. The inevitable course of nations is that of warfare. In the case of Israel, they are pre-commissioned as a force that will enter into war, simply because of the land to which they are entering. It was promised to Abraham generations earlier with the expectation that eventually his descendants would occupy it.

However, there were already inhabitants in Canaan. In order to be the Lord’s people in the land promised to them by the Lord, and free from the practices of the nations already there, they were under obligation to clear them out.

Because of this, and because of other wars which would surely follow after they had possession of the land, Moses will now provide instructions concerning how to handle such matters.

Though it appears to be a passage condoning the brutal slaughter of others, the sanctity of life is actually at the forefront of what is conveyed. Only when the circumstances called for destruction of those they faced was it to be brought to bear. Otherwise, the care of the Lord for people is highlighted.

As far as the protection of Israel, the details of that are first conveyed…

^1 (con’t) and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you,

Moses conveys it as a certainty that these things will occur. There will be times when Israel will face armies that are greater in size, that are more fully equipped for battle, and that are in better positions for engaging in warfare. In the event of such a scenario, Israel is now being instructed.

And, indeed, the writings that follow – from Joshua through Chronicles – are filled with such instances. Early on in the conquest of Canaan, Israel had defeated Jericho. That was followed by the destruction of Ai.

When this occurred, the inhabitants of Gibeon realized that they were doomed for destruction and sent emissaries to Joshua to make a covenant of peace through deception. The covenant was made, and thus Gibeon fell under the protection of Israel. This is found in Joshua 9.

In response to this, and knowing that Gibeon was a great city and that it had simply capitulated to Israel without even raising a single sword in battle, a coalition of five kings came together in Joshua 10 to engage Gibeon. Being under covenant with Israel, they petitioned Joshua for assistance.

In this, Israel responded and destroyed those five kings and subdued all the land over which they ruled. This is recorded in Joshua 10. The chapter ended with –

“So Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded. ⁴¹ And Joshua conquered them from Kadesh Barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even as far as Gibeon. ⁴² All these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. ⁴³ Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.” Joshua 10:40-43

Because of this, the events of Joshua 11 came about. That chapter opens with a thought perfectly in line with Moses’ words now –

“And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor heard these things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, ² and to the kings who were from the north, in the mountains, in the plain south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west, ³ to the Canaanites in the east and in the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the mountains, and the Hivite below Hermon in the land of Mizpah. ⁴ So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots. ⁵ And when all these kings had met together, they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.” Joshua 11:1-5

With such a massive and formidable foe, one would think that Israel would shrink in fear. Despite their success against the five kings, this coalition was enormous, and it was fitted with both horses and chariots. To an army ready to engage such a force in battle, it would appear to be a hopeless challenge. But Moses now tells them…

^1 (con’t) do not be afraid of them;

Moses has already spoken to the people concerning this. In Chapter 7, he said to them –

“If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?’— ¹⁸ you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt:” Deuteronomy 7:17, 18

There, he spoke in general terms about what lay ahead. Now, he is speaking in specific terms about facing an actual foe that is undoubtedly numerically superior to them. But he exactingly repeats the sentiment, lo tira mehem – “Do not be afraid of them.”

Because of his words to the people, and because Joshua both trusted the Lord and the admonition of Moses, he repeated to the people of Israel the same sentiment now given –

“But the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.’” Joshua 11:6

Several times in Deuteronomy, Moses uses the same word, translated as “fear,” when speaking about the people’s relationship with the Lord.

In essence, “Do not fear the people of Canaan, and do not fear large armies that are well-equipped. Rather, it is the Lord your God that you are to fear, clinging to Him and relying on Him in all you do.” It is in this that Israel will find success, as Moses next says…

^1 (con’t) for the Lord your God is with you,

If the Lord is with Israel, and if Israel both understands this and demonstrates a reverent fear of the Lord, then why should they have any reason to fear the multitudes? They had already faced such a force, and that force was utterly swept away. Again, as Moses continues. It is He, Yehovah elohekha – Yehovah your God…

^1 (con’t) who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

Here, in reference to the Lord the verb is used as a noun: ha’maalkha me-erets mitsrayim – “the Bringer up from Egypt.” He had brought them out, He had conducted them along the way, and He was still bringing them up as they prepared to enter the promise.

The words are similar to those already spoken to the people. As the words of Deuteronomy 7 (cited above) continue –

“the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs and the wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. So shall the Lord your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid.” Deuteronomy 7:19

It is the Lord who brought Israel out from under the yoke of one of the greatest nations on earth. They were without any means of resistance, they were sorely outnumbered in fighting force and capability, and yet the Lord had defeated the armies of Egypt.

As this was so, and as He brought them out of there, then they were to have every confidence that He would also deliver the land He promised to them into their hands. And He did, time and time again. Great multitudes are recorded as being arrayed against Israel not only in Joshua, but in Judges, 1 Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles.

Israel was able to defeat these armies when they trusted the Lord and relied on Him. However, when the people turned from Him, Israel’s own defeat was inevitable.

Concerning this verse, and the words from Moses now, Cambridge almost flippantly asks, “Was it on the strength of this verse that Josiah adventured on his fatal encounter with Pharaoh-Necoh in 612 b.c.?”

In other words, their statement implies that Josiah falsely trusted in the words of Moses and thus died in battle. At least, that is what they are hinting at.

First, half the time, Cambridge argues that Deuteronomy is a work pieced together long after the time of Moses, meaning they are arguing against their own analysis of the dating of the book by making such a stupid comment.

Secondly, Josiah was told – in advance – that he would be taken by the Lord so that he would not see the great calamities that would come against the land –

“Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants.” 2 Chronicles 34:28

Whatever was going on in the mind of Josiah when he went out to face the king of Egypt in battle, the Lord had already told him that he would die before the time He brought His destruction upon the land –

“Nevertheless the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. ²⁷ And the Lord said, ‘I will also remove Judah from My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, “My name shall be there.”’” 2 Kings 23:26, 27

The people had failed to fear the Lord. Because of this, the Lord would turn His wrath against them. What happened to Josiah was not a failure of the promises of Moses. Rather, it was a merciful act bestowed on him because of the failure of the people.

We can hope that the folks at Cambridge will also face the Lord’s mercy despite their constant failure to uphold the sanctity of the word of God. As for Josiah and what happened to him, that is all for later in Israel’s history. For now, Moses continues with his words to the people, saying…

² So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle,

The words of Deuteronomy have been in the singular for an extended period now – you Israel. Suddenly, it changes to the plural – you all. This is both expected and appropriate.

Moses is speaking to the people with the understanding that each is an individual and together they form a whole. Because the sanctity of life is the main focus of the passage, each life is precious in relation to the whole. Thus, it switches to the plural to acknowledge this.

^2 (con’t) that the priest shall approach and speak to the people.

This is not referring to the high priest. Rather, a priest (or priests) other than the high priest would accompany the army to the engagement. This was seen first in Numbers 31 –

“Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand.” Numbers 31:6

During a battle in 1 Samuel 4, the Israelites were being defeated by the Philistines. At that time, they called for the ark to be brought to them as if was a talisman that could secure the battle for them. Along with the ark came the sons of Eli the priest. That is not what is being referred to in this passage. That is at a point of disobedience in Israel and cannot be used to correspond to Moses’ words now.

What is probably closer to Moses’ command, though not specifically in accord with what is said here, is recorded in 2 Chronicles –

“Now look, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with sounding trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper!” 2 Chronicles 13:12

The priests had accompanied the armies, and probably conducted the ceremony Moses refers to now before the battle was engaged. Moses’ specific words concerning the priest are…

³ And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel:

Here, the priest is given the words to speak. He is to first acknowledge that his addressees are Israel, or He who strives with God. They were to thus understand that a battle was about to ensue, that the Lord would be with them, and they were to strive with Him in the accomplishment of their task.

^3 (con’t) Today you are on the verge of battle

Moses uses a masculine plural verbal adjective to express the matter: atem qerevim hayom lamilkhamah – “You (all) approachings the day to war.” As it is in the plural, the priest is speaking to all of the people as individuals. “Each of you is a part of what is drawing near to this engagement.” And it is to be…

^3 (con’t) with your enemies.

The word “with” is a poor choice of translation. It reads: al oyevekhem – “upon your enemies.” One could say “against,” but the word gives the sense of a downward aspect. It is, in itself, a word of encouragement. Israel is said to be coming down upon the enemy, even though the battle has not yet engaged.

Using the word “with” implies an equal footing, but this is not the intent of what is said. Just as the Lord is above them, so Israel will swoop down upon them. Therefore…

^3 (con’t) Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them;

Moses’ words that are to be repeated to the people by the priest are full of lively encouragement. Two of them are brand new in Scripture. The first is rakak – to be fainthearted, make soft, and so on. The second is khaphaz – to be in trepidation, hurry, or alarm.

Taken together, they are words of inspiration – “no do let soften to your heart, no you shall fear, and no you shall panic, and no you shall be terrified from their faces.” The priest is to speak these words confidently, knowing that Moses is the one who first spoke them, and that he was led by the Spirit of God as they came forth. As he says in the coming verse…

The Lord your God is the GOER with you
He will be with you each step of the way
The Lord your God; Faithful and True
Will be with you through the bloody fray

He is the Bringer up of you from where you were
As this is so, He has a plan for you
He will never leave you, this is for sure
The Lord your God; Faithful and True

Have no fear as you enter the battle; it is already won
Press into it without any fear; you shall prevail
God sent before you His beloved Son
And together you shall the enemy assail

II. Let Him Go and Return (verses 4-9)

⁴ for the Lord your God is He who goes with you,

As in verse 1, Moses uses a verb as a noun to describe the Lord. He is “the Goer with you.” It wasn’t that the Lord was watching over the battle as a coach on the sideline, but He is actively with Israel, stepping onto the field of battle with them in order to secure the victory for them. As Moses next says…

^4 (con’t) to fight for you against your enemies,

Again, the NKJV misses the translation and thus misses the unity of what is occurring. Instead of “to fight for you against your enemies,” it says, “to fight to [with regard to] you with your enemies.” It is the synergistic (working together) idea that Moses has put forth so many times already in Deuteronomy.

Israel has its part in the battle, but the Lord has His part. He will fight against the enemies of Israel as Israel comes down upon them. And this is then noted to have a purpose, which is…

^4 (con’t) to save you.’

Here, the word is yasha. It comes from a primitive root signifying to be open, wide, or free. Thus, it means to deliver. Here it is delivered in the form of victory. Israel is already the Lord’s people, but they have battles to face in this capacity. When they rely on the Lord, they will be delivered in the battle, triumphing over the enemy.

One should, hopefully, see the intended connection to the church in this. We are the Lord’s people. We have battles to face in this capacity. But we have been given the ability to overcome them and to be delivered in the battle, gaining victory over the enemy.

This is not speaking of salvation, which is already accomplished, but of deliverance in war. Just as Israel faced physical enemies in battle, so we face spiritual enemies –

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10-13

And just as the Lord promised to be with Israel in battle, we have the same assurance as well –

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—” Ephesians 6:14-18

Israel had its part in what was expected, but the Lord also had a part in its outcome. The same is true with us. If not, Paul would not have written these words to us.

A part of preparing Israel for the battle was to remove from the engagement anyone who was not suited to participate in it at that time…

⁵ “Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying:

Here, Moses’ direction goes from the attending priest to the shoterim, or officers. The word comes from a root probably signifying “to write.” Thus, they are superintending magistrates who are likely responsible for the genealogical records.

Whether they were fighters or not, and probably not, it is they who would account for those who would go forth to engage the battle. And, to ensure that all who would go were both capable and qualified to do so, they would first call out any qualified exemptions, saying…

^5 (con’t) ‘What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it?

It is a personal question: mi ha’ish asher banah bayit khadash v’lo khanako – “Who the man who built house new and no dedicated it.” The magistrate is speaking to each and every person. “Does this apply to you?”

This is the same for each question that follows. Instead of “What man is there,” it should read, “Who is the man.” Each instance is personal and is directed to the life and conscience of the men.

The word khanak, or dedicate, is introduced here. It is used when referring to the dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8. The noun form of the word is found in the introduction of Psalm 30 as well –

“A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the house of David.”

It appears that new homes were dedicated to the Lord, just as we dedicate houses or churches to the Lord today. Along with this would have been singing, a party, food, friends, and the like. If you have ever watched, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a short ceremony like that was conducted at one of the new houses in the town.

Dedicating a house in this way would be as much of an appeal to the Lord for its protection and blessing as anything else. One can see how the word khanak is the verbal root for the word Hanukah, or dedication. If someone had not so dedicated his house…

^5 (con’t) Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it.

Of this, John Lange says that such a person “if he had made efforts for life, should first rejoice in the result of his efforts. It was as humane as prudent.” We always look at such occurrences as tragic.

If a person wrote a great novel and died before it was published and it sold 10 million books, we would say, “How sad.” Such an instance, then, would not only be detrimental to the memory of the person, but it would also be detrimental to those soldiers who were aware of the event.

In this, they too would be disheartened, and it would then further affect the morale of those engaged in battle. The important point here is that though the battle is fought with the Lord, it is anticipated that the Lord will allow deaths within the ranks.

In other words, the synergistic (working together) concept of the battle is once again revealed. Soldiers could not just walk out onto the field of battle and assume they would prevail and come out unscathed. The lesson here tells us that we can expect no less in our own Ephesians 6 battles.

We must prepare as soldiers who are actually engaging the enemy. To fail to do so is an imprudent choice leading to an ineffective Christian in the ongoing war.

⁶ Also what man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it?

The word khalal is used. It gives the sense of boring or piercing, and thus to open. The idea here is not of merely eating the fruit, but of bringing it into common use – whether for eating, selling, and so on. This is based on the precept stated in Leviticus 19 –

“When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten. ²⁴ But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the Lord. ²⁵ And in the fifth year you may eat its fruit, that it may yield to you its increase: I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:23-25

The person has planted the vineyard, he has cultivated it and brought it to maturity, and he has even brought it forth as a praise to the Lord, and yet he has not brought it into its common use, meaning he has not profited off its labors in eating, selling, giving to the neighbors, or whatever else he could do with it. If so…

^6 (con’t) Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it.

Again, the irony of the tragedy would be heartbreaking to friend, family, and any other who heard of it. And further, the other soldiers would become disheartened over it as well, knowing that he had died before receiving the blessing of his efforts.

Along with the first two tragedies, comes one more…

⁷ And what man is there who is betrothed to a woman and has not married her?

It is another humane act bestowed upon the people. Just as a person should be the one to benefit from dedicating a house or seeing a vineyard through to its maturity, so a person should be allowed to bring forth his intent to marry in like manner.

Nothing is said here of either a virgin or otherwise. The man is betrothed, and he is entitled to the blessing of that betrothal.  Later in Deuteronomy, an explicit timeframe is given by Moses concerning this –

“When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.” Deuteronomy 24:5

Although it isn’t always the case, apparently a good round number for man to no longer bring that special happiness to his wife seems to be at the one-year point. After that, the old saying, “Distance makes the heart grow fonder,” will hopefully help bring things back to that once delightful state.

All kidding aside, the word for a man so betrothed is…

^{7 (con’t)} Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man marry her.’

Again, the ironic tragedy of dying in battle without having been blessed with the fruit of the action is what is conveyed here. To see a man die in such a state would not only be harmful to the betrothed woman, but to all who saw it – including the other soldiers. Hence, the wisdom of Moses’ words is clearly seen.

In these three aspects of the soldier’s life, a hint of the work of Christ can also be seen. The Lord is building a house which is not yet dedicated (1 Peter 2:5). The Lord has a vineyard which is not yet complete (Luke 20:16, 22:18). And the Lord has a betrothed whom He has not yet married (1 Corinthians 11:2).

Despite this, He died in the battle before all three were realized. And yet, the victory remains His because He prevailed over death. Thus, the ironic tragedy of the soldier of Israel is overcome by the victorious Lord.

It should also be noted that the opposite of these humane blessings is stated as a curse to the people who fail to obey the terms of the covenant. In Deuteronomy 28, in the blessings and curses upon the people, it says in the curses –

“You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but shall not gather its grapes.” Deuteronomy 28:30

With these things understood so far, Moses next continues with…

⁸ “The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted?

The words are personal and specific, saying – “Who is the man, the fearful, and soft to heart.” Here, the adjective form, rak, of the word rakak seen in verse 3 is used.

This cannot be speaking of the normal sense of fear that any soldier would feel at the outset of a battle. Other than someone who is not quite right in the head, it is almost unimaginable to consider a person not being in some sort of mental anguish at the prospect of engaging in a battle.

This person, however, demonstrates an unhealthy fear that has abandoned trust in the Lord’s ability to win the battle. It is a hopeless fear that has no place in the man prepared to serve according to the prospects that all responsible soldiers must face.

The reason I say this is because the Lord Himself demonstrated His own internal conflict in the battle that was set before Him. However, His trust in the Lord’s ability to bring Him through the battle was stronger than the desire to run from it –

“And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, ⁴² saying, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.’” Luke 22:41

The Lord understood that His mission was to accomplish the Father’s will. He sought that first and foremost, and He prevailed through the battle. He brought forth the victory because of this. And in His victory, we now have the same Source of strength open to us. This would not have been possible otherwise. As Moses says concerning the soft-hearted soldier…

^8 (con’) Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.’

v’lo yimas eth l’vav ekhav kilvavo – “And no melt to heart his brothers as his heart.” A cowardly heart cannot bring about victory. And in the face of defeat, the rest of the people will also flee from the battle. This is seen, for example, in Joshua 7:5 –

“And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.” Joshua 7:5

It is again seen in Judges 7 where the Lord whittled the soldiers down to an impossibly low number, many through this exact allowance by Moses –

“And the Lord said to Gideon, ‘The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, “My own hand has saved me.” ³ Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, “Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.” Judges 7:2, 3

Despite the people of Ai being a much smaller force, the soldiers of Israel smelled defeat and their hearts melted. And despite being a much, much smaller force than the Midianites, Gideon and his three hundred men remained strong-hearted, and they prevailed.

Fear is contagious. What the people in a battle need is not the cowardly at their sides, but the heroic at their head. This is seen in the example of David when Israel faced Goliath and the Philistine army, and it is seen in the church today.

We know that we can prevail because we know the Lord already has prevailed. And more, we know He is with us in this battle, and He will deliver us safely to the victory. Our conduct will be based on who we fix our eyes on, and so, let us fix our eyes on Jesus. With that, we will have all the strength we need to endure the battle we are in, and to prevail.

*^{9 (fin)} And so it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.

This translation of this last verse is almost wholly conveyed in this manner – “When the officers are done, they shall make captains.” In other words, the action of appointing captains comes after the dismissal of the various exemptions, and it is conducted by these same officers.

However, there is a second possibility for the Hebrew. It reads, u-paqedu sare tsevaoth b’rosh ha’am – “and shall muster them captains armies in head the people.” In other words, the action of the second clause is not that of the officers, but of the army captains. This is reflected in the Aramaic Bible –

“And when the Scribes have finished speaking to the people, the Commanders of the armies shall stand at the front of the people.”

In this, the sare, or military leaders, already have their positions, and it is now their turn to accomplish the mustering of the troops that remain. This would actually be more in accord with the military designations made later in Scripture.

There are set military leaders who go before the soldiers. But for each battle, the officers would come forward, call out for exemptions, probably record those exemptions, and then cease their work to allow the military leaders to then muster their troops and prepare to engage the enemy.

Either way, the army is initially prepared for battle, those who are not to serve for the various reasons set down are then removed from the ranks, and then the final preparedness for the battle is made. It is with this thought in mind that the passage ends.

In the next eleven verses, the actual rules for conducting the battle will be laid out. And so, for now, we will close with the thought that even though this is not a heavily Christological passage, it still bears the mark of precepts that are actually fulfilled by the Lord.

Though His battle was not a physical battle on an open field, it was an actual battle, nonetheless. And with the continued war that Paul refers to in which we are – even now – engaged, we have the same assurance that the Lord is with us that Israel had.

Yes, it may be even scary to live out our lives in this fallen, troubling world, but we have all of the implements that being a soldier of Christ calls for. It is, however, up to us to use them. The very fact that Paul implores us to make use of them means that it is up to us to do so.

If we fail in this, it is we who will be ineffective in the battle. There is the same synergistic (working together) idea now that there was for Israel. But, like Israel should have done, I will clue you into this… the more that we rely on the Lord, the more we set our eyes on Him, and the more we employ the implements He has provided us, the better off we will be.

Israel would often go it alone, and they would fail. But great leaders like David would acknowledge that the Lord was at their head, and they would prevail. Let us act in like manner, and in this, we will be effective in the battles we face – to the glory of the Lord who has and who does go before us.

Closing Verse: “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ³ You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ⁴ No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” 2 Timothy 2:1-4

Next Week: Deuteronomy 20:10-20 What things are soldiers of the Lord required to do…? (Conduct for War, Part II) (60^th Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Conduct for War

“When you go out to battle against your enemies
And see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you
Do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; He is faithful and true

So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle that day
That the priest shall approach and speak to the people
———-with words to convey

And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel:
Today you are with your enemies on the verge of battle
Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid
And do not tremble or be terrified because of them
———-or because of their prattle

For the LORD your God is He who goes with you
To fight for you against your enemies, to save you – so He shall do

“Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying:
‘What man is there who has built a new house
———-and has not dedicated it?
Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle
And another man dedicate it; a tragedy anyone would admit

Also what man is there who has planted a vineyard
And has not eaten of it? To it his tastebuds he did not it commit
Let him go and return to his house
Lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it

And what man is there who is betrothed to a woman
And has not married her? A tragedy fer sher
Let him go and return to his house
Lest he die in the battle and another man marry her

“The officers shall speak further to the people, and say
‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted from the start?
Let him go and return to his house
Lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart

And so it shall be
When the officers have finished to the people speaking
That they shall make captains
Of the armies to lead the people, the ranks they shall be tweaking

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. ² So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. ³ And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; ⁴ for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

⁵ “Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying: ‘What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. ⁶ Also what man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it. ⁷ And what man is there who is betrothed to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man marry her.’

⁸ “The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.’ ⁹ And so it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.

Deuteronomy 19:14-21
The False Witness

When we get to verse 16, we will come across a word used only once before, and one which will only be seen eight times in total in the Bible. It is translated as “wrongdoing,” but it signifies a turning aside or an apostasy.

We will go over that verse in detail when we get there, and so there’s no need to rush into all of the detail of it now. But because we are New Testament believers who accept the words of the New Testament as inspired, and because almost everyone who accepts the New Testament is inspired is at least aware of the doctrine of the rapture, this is a good time to consider a portion of that particular doctrine.

This is especially so because the rapture – whether you accept the premise of it or not – is an exciting doctrine to debate. Those who dismiss it, love to debate why they do. Those who accept it, love to debate why they do.

And, unlike most other doctrines in the Bible, the rapture is one of the rare doctrines where almost every person is a specialist on it. People may not have a single thought to express on soteriology, hamartiology, anthropology, ecclesiology, and so on, but it seems like everyone is an expert on eschatology – especially that related to the rapture.

But… not everyone is right. One point of the rapture which is mangled and abused by people who want to justify their position on a pre-tribulation rapture will use the words of Paul from 2 Thessalonians 2 to justify their position. That is found in our text verse today…

Text Verse: “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4

In his words, Paul uses the term “falling away.” That is from the Greek word apostasia, meaning a defection, apostasy, revolt, etc. It is used only twice. Once it is found in Acts 21:21 and then again in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. In order to justify a pretribulation rapture, “scholars” abuse the word apostasia out of its intended context.

In doing so, they can then say, “See, this proves a pre-tribulation rapture.” First, no – no it doesn’t. Secondly, there is no need to use this to prove a pre-tribulation rapture. The doctrine stands on its own from the exact same chapter of 2 Thessalonians.

Paul was not speaking of a rapture. He was speaking of exactly what the word means, a departure from sound doctrine. As noted, the word is elsewhere found in Acts 21 –

“And they said to him, ‘You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; ²¹ but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.” Acts 21:20, 21

The word translated there as “forsake” is the same word, apostasia. This is a word that finds its roots in the passage we are looking at today in Deuteronomy. It is not an etymological root, but a root based on the idea of apostasy.

It is based on the word I mentioned earlier from verse 16, translated as “wrongdoing.” It is the Hebrew word sarah. It signifies the same thing as the Greek apostasia – apostasy. It is derived from the Hebrew word sur – to turn aside.

It is found in Deuteronomy 13:5 & 19:16; Isaiah 1:5, 14:6, 31:6, and 59:13; and in Jeremiah 28:16 and 29:32. With the exception of Isaiah 14:6, each of these refers to a turning away from the law or a turning away from the Lord. Even in Isaiah 14, it gives the sense of non-withdrawal.

Paul, a trained Pharisee, certainly had this idea on his mind when he wrote of the turning away from, or departure from, the truth of the word, and what is to be considered proper doctrine in established religion.

Like Acts 21, it is turning from set doctrine that is being referred to by Paul in 2 Thessalonians. Although this seemingly has nothing to do with the subject matter for the passage today, the passage today has something to do with the subject matter Paul was speaking of.

Let us not attempt to twist words to fit our theology. Rather, let us allow proper theology to mold us into sound, reasonable, and responsible believers who apply the word in its intended way. In this, we will remain in the theological sweet spot at all times.

Such truths as properly evaluating words in Scripture are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Neighbor’s Border (verse 14)

¹⁴ “You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark,

The Hebrew conveys the same idea, but is less definite, saying, “You shall not remove the border of your neighbor.” Obviously, it means “landmark,” but it signifies a change in the border. In this, a new verb is introduced, nasag, meaning to depart away, remove, take hold, etc. Five of its nine uses will be in relation to this precept now, the removing of a border.

Before going on, the context of the previous passage should be remembered. In the previous thirteen verses, it spoke of the cities of refuge, set up to protect the life of the manslayer who killed in innocence.

At first, it’s hard to think of why Moses would suddenly jump to an entirely different and unrelated subject, but such isn’t the case. The general consensus of scholars is reflected in the words of Albert Barnes. He says –

“As a man’s life is to be held sacred, so are his means of livelihood; and in this connection a prohibition is inserted against removing a neighbor’s landmark.” Albert Barnes

The idea here is that of theft, as is defined in the eighth commandment. However, that obviously occurs because of a violation of the tenth commandment, that of coveting. Someone sees something that is not his, he covets it, and then he takes action to steal it.

In this, he then deprives the livelihood of the person. One thing follows after another. Thus, there is no unexplained leap from murder to the removing of a boundary. It is a logical progression of thought.

So serious of an infraction is this, that it calls for a direct curse upon the person who would do it –

“‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’
And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’” Deuteronomy 27:17

However, this is not merely a precept of the Mosaic Law that has no sense of moral importance outside of the law. Rather, Job 24 refers to this exact precept, placing it alongside theft as well –

“Some remove landmarks;
They seize flocks violently and feed on them;
³ They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;
They take the widow’s ox as a pledge.” Job 24:2

Job was referring to those people who do not know the ways of the Almighty. In other words, even though he lived outside of the covenant people, he took it as an axiom that doing such a thing was an offense to the all-powerful Creator. Understanding this, Matthew Henry rightly states –

“It is the will of God that every one should know his own; and that means should be used to hinder the doing and suffering of wrong. This, without doubt, is a moral precept, and still binding. Let every man be content with his own lot, and be just to his neighbours in all things.” Matthew Henry

The precept is referred to twice by Solomon in the proverbs. In Proverbs 22:28 and 23:10, the words are closely repeated –

“Do not remove the ancient landmark
Which your fathers have set.” Proverbs 22:28

“Do not remove the ancient landmark,
Nor enter the fields of the fatherless;” Proverbs 23:10

Further, the sin of moving one’s border is so reprehensible to the Lord, that it is used as a comparative form of wickedness, meaning it is a seriously grave sin, when speaking of His coming wrath upon the land of Judah –

“The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark;
I will pour out My wrath on them like water.” Hosea 5:10

In this broad brushstroke of the precept, we can see that Matthew Henry is right. This is not simply a law of the Mosaic covenant, but it is a moral precept that the Lord will find deplorable in any time or place. The rights to property are, to Him, inviolable. Such a border is next said to be…

^{14 (con’t)} which the men of old have set,

asher gebelu rishonim – “which have bordered the firsts.” Here Moses uses the verb form of the noun of the previous clause. He also uses the word rishon, meaning “former,” “first,” or “chief.” It generally speaks of an ancestor, elder, and so on.

In this case, it is surely speaking of the chief leaders who will originally set and define the borders of the land upon its acquisition. In a paraphrase, we could say, “your neighbor’s border that the leaders have bordered.”

The reason for giving this detail is because the people are not yet in the land. Moses is speaking of what will be, not what is. In saying, the first’s, or (as the NKJV translates it) the men of old, one might get the impression that it is referring to something already accomplished.

In their ever-ridiculous effort to appear scholarly, and to tear apart the word of God, the scholars at Cambridge do exactly this –

“For while the law betrays its date as subsequent to Israel’s settlement in the land—and with this agree the facts that there is no parallel in the earlier codes and that protests against removing boundary-stones appear in the prophets and later books.” Dolts at Cambridge

These incomprehensibly stupid comments demonstrate and explain why we have words to describe people lacking any brains at all. First, we have already cited Job, a man outside of the covenant people and who was – as most scholars agree – contemporary with the time of the patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob.

Therefore, it is untrue that “there is no parallel in the earlier codes.” It is just not in the earlier codes of the books of Moses. Secondly, every code of the Law of Moses has to be introduced at some point. This code is now introduced.

It could not be in the earlier codes of Moses, because the earlier codes of Moses did not include them. It is an unreasonable argument to say that something is not original because it wasn’t referred to before. Using that logic, nothing could ever be considered original.

Thirdly, saying that such “protests against removing boundary-stones appear in the prophets and later books” is irrelevant to whether it is original here or not. There are things in the prophets and later books not mentioned in the laws set down by Moses, and there are things set down by Moses that are never again mentioned in Scripture, such as having a blue thread included in the tassel of a garment.

And so, fourthly, this precept does not betray “its date as subsequent to Israel’s settlement in the land.” Only in assuming that a later scribe is using the term rishon to mean “an ancestor” rather than a “chief leader” could they come to this erroneous conclusion.

But a later scribe, inserting this precept into the law, would have been careful to not make Moses appear as brainless as the scholars at Cambridge.

The words are original, they clearly mean that the people are to protect the future borders as defined by the leaders of Israel, and the legislation builds upon the moral precepts of the unseen God that were already understood by people of the world prior to the time of Moses, such as Job.

^{14 (con’t)} in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

The words speak both of surety and of warning. The land is Israel’s inheritance (the words of the passage are in the singular), and they will inherit the land. However, it is the land that Yehovah is giving them to possess.

In other words, in violating the precepts laid down here, they can expect to be removed from the land of their inheritance. This is why the use of moving the borders as a comparative sin in Hosea 5 is so striking. The Lord doesn’t say that they did this thing, but that their actions in other areas were as if they had done that thing.

Because of committing sins “like” removing the borders of one’s neighbor, Judah would be uprooted from the land of their inheritance. The curse of Deuteronomy 27 was imputed to them for their actions.

Hey buddy… why are you plowing on my land?
What makes you think you can do this?
What part of the borders do you not understand?
Exactly what are you thinking? What did I miss?

Your land? Ha. This land belongs to me!
This is mine and I am plowing my own field
Look at the landmark, and then let me be
You’d better push off. You had better yield

* Hey, that stone belongs way over there!
You’re no better than a murderer. Now beat it
* Ha! I’ll dispatch you without a care
Your life means nothing to me. That I admit

One sin leads inevitably to another
The border mover has now killed a brother

II. Those Who Remain Shall Hear and Fear (verses 15-21)

¹⁵ “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits;

lo yaqum ed ekhad – “no shall rise witness one.” The word qum signifies to rise or stand. But the intent will be fully expressed in the next clause. For now, the same theme is again brought forth concerning the protection and sanctity of livelihood and life. This now implicitly deals with a violation of the ninth commandment, that of bearing false witness.

One witness is not sufficient to convict a person of a supposed crime. If it was, a single false witness could deprive another of either livelihood or life. Again, the violation of one command can, and often does, lead to the violation of another. And so, rather…

^{15 (con’t)} by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.

Here, Moses uses the same word, yaqum, that he did in the previous clause which is translated as “shall be established.”

One shall not stand (to establish).
By the mouth of two or three it shall be established.

The precept was already laid down for capital crimes. First, it was laid down for murder –

Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty.” Numbers 35:30

It was next laid down for any other capital crime –

“Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness.” Deuteronomy 17:6

Now, it is made a general principle. Any accusation against another was only to be entertained by two or three witnesses. One is insufficient.

The reason is obviously because, as has been seen twice since we started, that a lesser infraction can – and often does – lead to a greater one. Therefore, the general precept is given for all infractions. As this is so, Moses continues with the proper way of handling a matter of false testimony…

¹⁶ If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,

The words here are understandable in almost any translation, and yet translations are so varied it’s amazing to see the diversity of them. The word translated as false comes from a word signifying violence or wrong. It is translated as malicious, false, unrighteous, unjust, violent, and so on.

The word translated as wrongdoing signifies turning aside, defection, apostasy, and so on. It is variously translated as a crime, wrongdoing, evil, iniquity, lying, transgression, false accusation, perverted witness, apostasy, and so on.

The main idea is understandable in every translation. One person (Hebrew: ed khamas – a “witness of violence”) rises to establish something negative in another which is untrue, and which could then bring harm to that person who is obviously innocent of the charge being made. If such is the case…

¹⁷ then both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord,

The precept here follows logically after that stated in Chapter 17 –

“If a matter arises which is too hard for you to judge, between degrees of guilt for bloodshed, between one judgment or another, or between one punishment or another, matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the Lord your God chooses. ⁹ And you shall come to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge there in those days, and inquire of them; they shall pronounce upon you the sentence of judgment.” Deuteronomy 17:8, 9

In other words, the words, “stand before the Lord,” are then explained in the next words…

^{17 (con’t)} before the priests and the judges who serve in those days.

These are the Lord’s representatives. To stand before the priests and judges is to stand before the Lord. It appears, then, that any and all cases involving assumed false testimony were to go to these officials to have the case decided.

The serious nature of such an infraction means that the judgment is not to be informally decided. Rather, it is considered of such great weight and importance that it requires their ruling. It is a ruling that occurs at the place where the Lord’s name is, meaning the tabernacle or temple, or where the civil ruler is.

From there, their ruling is considered that of the Lord. As such, it is then to be adhered to accordingly once it is rendered. First, in order for that judgment to come about…

¹⁸ And the judges shall make careful inquiry,

The meaning is that the matter requires evidence, testimony, and contemplation. It is not a matter that will be established by simply listening to the false accuser and then the one accused. But it is a matter that requires a full investigation by people competently appointed to determine what has actually transpired.

This is not something that could be lightly decided upon because the two standing there before them would ostensibly know enough of, or be advised concerning, the law to understand they had a right to these measures.

Although the lawyer is only mentioned in the New Testament, the uses are almost all in the gospels, meaning someone who is learned in the law and under the dispensation of the law. Thus, it can be assumed that a group of people existed who were proficient enough in the law to understand and defend the rights of those under the law.

When this came about isn’t stated in Scripture, but it is the law that sets the boundaries of the matter set forth now by Moses. As such, the investigation mandated here is to be conducted according to that same law. Once that is complete…

^{18 (con’t)} and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother,

v’hineh! ed sheqer ha’ed sheqer anah b’akhiv – “And behold! Witness false the witness false answers in his brother.” The matter is brought into a close and personal relationship by saying “in his brother.”

It is no longer just two people who are unrelated, but it is two people who are joined in Israel as brothers, making the crime most egregious in nature.

¹⁹ then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother;

Here a change takes place. The Hebrew goes from the singular to the only use of the plural in the entire passage with the words “you shall do.”

Moses has been speaking to Israel collectively throughout the entire chapter. But then he switches to each and every individual in the nation to highlight the importance of the matter. Each member is jointly responsible for upholding the word of the Lord as determined by the priests and judges.

The change to the plural is supported by both the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Greek translation, and yet – incredibly – Cambridge says, it is “either a clerical error or an instance of the possibility of a writer slipping from one form of address into the other. Read shalt thou.”

In other words, “The text is wrong, so it should be changed to the singular.” The arrogance of such a notion is beyond comprehension. Rather, the change is purposeful. It has a specific intent, and it is accentuated through this change. The witness is established by them to be false, and the people are to jointly treat him as such.

Here, the word translated as “thought” is zamam. It signifies to devise, purpose, plot, and so on. It is more than a passing thought, but a purposeful, intentional plan to harm another. He has done so, and his intent has been exposed – he is a false witness.

That is the decision to be rendered, not the sentence. The sentence is already given by Moses. Whatever the penalty would have been for the person who was falsely accused will be the punishment levied upon the false accuser.

If it was a fine, the fine would be levied upon him. If it was incarceration, that is what the false accuser would receive. And if it would have resulted in death, the false accuser was to be terminated.

Here is the irony of the matter. If only one witness came forward and spoke the truth concerning an offense against another, his testimony could not be used to convict the man who had actually done wrong.

However, if that one witness came forward and spoke a lie concerning an offense against another, that single false witness was considered sufficient to condemn the false witness.

Depending on the circumstances, the testimony of a false witness was thus capable of bearing a heavier penalty than that of a true witness. But that was for a good and valid purpose…

^{19 (con’t)} so you shall put away the evil from among you.

u-biarta ha’ra miqirbekha – “and you shall consume the evil from your midst.” The word ba’ar comes from a root signifying “to burn.” Thus, it is as if Israel is being smelted through the process, burning off and purging away any impurities, and thus purifying the people of any evil.

And this purification process isn’t just the removal of the offender. Not by a longshot. There is a greater purpose in dealing with the offender in this manner…

²⁰ And those who remain shall hear and fear,

This is one major purpose of punishment in society. When a person is punished, those who hear of it, if they are wise, will say, “I don’t want that.” In this, they will fear the law, they will fear the consequences of breaking the law, and they will fear those who administer the law.

In this, society is kept in check, and the people will then have no fear of those who would otherwise have no fear of the law. In this, the result is…

^{20 (con’t)} and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you.

This is the same general idea of what was said in Chapter 13. There, the person thought to draw the people away from the Lord to serve other gods. In that, they were to be taken out and stoned by all.  The accuser first, and then by all the people –

“So all Israel shall hear and fear, and not again do such wickedness as this among you.” Deuteronomy 13:11

The idea is that of having all the people come to an appreciation for what is right and just. The books of wisdom, in particular, reflect the importance of maintaining righteousness through upholding the law – whatever law that may be – that regulates the conduct of a nation’s citizens. Solomon uses the same precept twice in Proverbs 28 to convey this notion –

“When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory;
But when the wicked arise, men hide themselves.” Proverbs 28:12

“When the wicked arise, men hide themselves;
But when they perish, the righteous increase.” Proverbs 28:28

The sense is that something has caused the wicked to arise. That is, invariably, a failure to maintain social order. This is the purpose of law. It is a developed structure in which people will properly conduct their affairs.

When the law is not upheld, then the wicked will arise. But when the wicked are taken out of the picture, the righteous remain and even increase. Solomon uses a similar precept in Ecclesiastes, showing that even if a sentence is handed down, it must be carried out with alacrity. If not, only more evil will result –

“Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Ecclesiastes 8:11

With such precepts clearly understood, and with the need for them to be upheld, Moses next says of such an offender…

²¹ Your eye shall not pity:

This is certainly directed in two ways. The first is to the priests and judges who knew what a guilty sentence required. They were not to consider that when making such a sentence.

The second is to the people who would be called forward to assist in executing the matter, especially if it was a sentence of death. If called to stone the person, they were to accept it as the Lord’s judgment and to participate in the judgment of the Lord.

The law had spoken, the matter was established, and the sentence was to be carried out. Whatever the intended harm, that was to be the set forth sentence…

*^{21 (fin)} life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

This is known as the lex talionis, or “law of like-for-like.” It was first mentioned in Exodus 21 in regard to harming the baby in a mother’s womb –

“If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. ²³ But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, ²⁴ eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, ²⁵ burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” Exodus 21:22-25

The precept was again brought forth in Leviticus 24 –

“If a man causes disfigurement of his neighbor, as he has done, so shall it be done to him— ²⁰ fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him.” Leviticus 24:19, 20

The lex talionis was later incorporated into other societies. Though seemingly harsh, this law is actually as much a curb on retribution as it is a means of punishing an offender.

No greater punishment was to be meted out than that which had been inflicted. Thus, the punisher was not unduly or overly punished. Of this precept, Adam Clarke rightly states –

“The operation of such a law as this must have been very salutary: if a man prized his own members, he would naturally avoid injuring those of others. It is a pity that this law were not still in force: it would certainly prevent many of those savage acts which now both disgrace and injure society. I speak this in reference to law generally, and the provision that should be made to prevent and punish ferocious and malevolent offenses. A Christian may always act on the plan of forgiving injuries; and where the public peace and safety may not be affected, he should do so; but if law did not make a provision for the safety of the community by enactment against the profligate, civil society would soon be destroyed.” Adam Clarke

It is a demonstrable fact that when a society does not fully punish offenders, they tend to come back even more violently than before. It is said that capital punishment is not an effective means of curbing violence. That is untrue. When a person is executed for his crime, he will never commit that, or any other, crime again.

When laws are not enforced, there will only be lawlessness. And when a society removes those who are sworn to uphold the law, that lawlessness will grow exponentially.

This has been validated time and again in the past year as those on the left have removed laws against criminals, removed the imposition of the penalty for violating standing laws – either in part or entirely – and who have removed those who are intended to enforce those laws.

In each and every one of these instances, the incidents of crime increase, the people who are affected by those crimes become more and more afraid for their own lives, and the general breakdown in society increases.

It is not uncompassionate to show no compassion in the right judgment of an offense and in the imposition of the penalty for that offense. The opposite is true.

Where justice is to be blind, and where punishment is to be meted out according to that justice, those responsible for such matters are demonstrating the greatest form of compassion for the society they serve. This is certain because the model is given in the laws for Israel as directed by the Lord.

As for the offender, especially for one condemned to death, it is the right and the responsibility of the judge in particular – and the society in general – to ensure the sentence is carried out. And yet, it should be the compassionate desire of both to ensure that the gospel of salvation is presented before it is. Even the person condemned to death can be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

Unfortunately, one society after another has made, or is steadily making, it almost as much of a crime to preach the good news of redemption as it is to commit the most horrendous of crimes.

In fact, in the increasingly liberal west, crimes that were once considered intolerable are openly applauded, and the simple, pure preaching of salvation through faith in Christ is now almost a damnable offense unless it is secreted away in a closed building where the general public doesn’t have to be burdened by its proclamation.

I am not a proponent of the term “Judeo Christian values.” It is a remarkably inept way of speaking about the state of a society, and it elevates the moral state of unsaved Jews, and the teachings they profess, to the same level as that of Christianity.

Further, the term “Christianity” is so heavily abused by left-leaning churches, that it often rests on the same moral plane as that of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The only appropriate way of exalting proper morals in a society is in relation to that of the state of believers – true believers. Thus, one could say, “biblical Christian values,” and hope that those who adhere to those values are doing so in the proper context.

Those Jews who have the proper values are those Jews who have found their Messiah who was prophesied of in their own Scriptures. Those Christians who have proper values are those who have come to a saving knowledge of the Christ of the nations – Jesus.

They accept His word, they proclaim it in the proper context, and they understand that in Him alone is the full and final answer to the issues dealt with in Chapter 19 of Deuteronomy.

He is the place of refuge for the lost soul. He is the border which cannot be moved, and He is the One in whom there was nothing false, and yet who bore the penalty as if He were a presenter of false testimony or a murderer of men.

The very law He gave to Israel, through Moses, was brought to bear against Him. As it says in Mark –

Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. ⁵⁶ For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.

⁵⁷ Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, ^58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’” ⁵⁹ But not even then did their testimony agree. Mark 14:55-59

Those who brought false testimony against Him, by the law they were trying Him under, should have then been given the penalty that they tried to bring upon Him. Instead, those who stood judging the Lord’s case ignored that and found a supposed reason to convict Him which was actually the truth –

Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”
⁶² Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
⁶³ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? ⁶⁴ You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?”
And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Mark 14:61-64

The Christ, the Son of the Blessed, stood before them and proclaimed who He was, not denying the truth. And yet, for this, they found Him guilty and worthy of death. Christ Jesus died under this law that He gave to Israel in order to redeem them from it, if they would just believe.

The record shows that most did not. But among them some did. For them, salvation is found. For the others, they have gone off to the place where they await the final sentence of condemnation.

The offer is given now to all people – to the Jew first and then the Gentile. There is salvation to be found in the Person of Jesus Christ, if we will just believe. The laws of nations are often not perfect, and even when they are perfectly just and fitting – as was Israel’s law given through Moses – the law could not save the people.

However, the problem is not in the law, but in the people. It is their failure to uphold it that makes the work of Christ all the more glorious. He did, and then He died in fulfillment of it. Let us remember this, be grateful to God for what He has done, and reach out to Him for the grace that is now offered.

Closing Verse: “Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? ⁴⁷ He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” John 8:46, 47

Next Week: Deuteronomy 20:1-9 To avoid blood and guts galore, this is to be done (Conduct for War, Part I) (59^th Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The False Witness

“You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark
Which the men of old have set, so to you I address
In your inheritance which you will inherit
In the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess

“One witness shall not rise against a man
Concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits
By the mouth of two or three witnesses
The matter shall be established, as the situation fits

If a false witness rises against any man
To testify against him of wrongdoing, such are his ways
Then both men in the controversy shall stand before the LORD
Before the priests and the judges who serve in those days

And the judges shall make careful inquiry
And indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified
———-falsely against his brother
Then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother
So you shall put away the evil from among you
———-him and not another

And those who remain shall hear and fear
And hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you
Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye
Tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot – so you shall do

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

¹⁴ “You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

¹⁵ “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. ¹⁶ If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, ¹⁷ then both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. ¹⁸ And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, ¹⁹ then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you. ²⁰ And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you. ²¹ Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

 

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 19:1-13
You Shall Prepare to You the Way

With the completion of the previous chapters which have dealt greatly with the unity of worship within the land, Chapters 19-21 will put forth legislations that are predominantly intended to reveal the sanctity of human life, and how it is to be protected.

For the passage today, what we have here is a supplemental thought to what was especially presented in Numbers 35 concerning the Cities of Refuge.

However, this is much less of a repetition of those verses than it is a call to carry out what was mandated there concerning those cities – both in their establishment and in what was to occur in them regarding manslayers.

If we were to look for a close parallel in our society in relation to what they were intended to do in Israel, I would suggest the Witness Protection Program provided by the US Marshalls. Obviously, the parallel doesn’t go very far, and there is certainly nothing Christological in nature about the US Marshalls, but they do protect people from harm in a unique way.

The problem with the Witness Protection Program is that it doesn’t just protect the innocent who have gotten caught up in something beyond their control, but they also protect really greasy people who are willing to roll over and give up information in order to save their own skin.

As far as the innocent of Israel who accidentally kills someone, and who thus became a target for the avenger, there is protection for them behind the walls of the City of Refuge.

For the innocent in modern America who is inadvertently caught up in some type of crime to which they could be hunted down for, they are hidden behind the walls of a new identity in a new place by the US Marshalls.

For sure, we don’t want to stretch that analogy too far, but you get the point. Someone has had time and circumstance negatively affect his life, and a provision is made to bring about safety for that person. In the end, I’d much rather be hidden in Christ than hidden by the bungling US Government.

Text Verse: “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, ¹⁸ that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” Hebrews 6:17, 18

The Christological significance of the City of Refuge has already been seen in Numbers 35. The words today are intended to build upon that passage, but it doesn’t introduce a great deal of typology. Rather, as I said, it is given as a call to action by Moses for that which was already presented by the Lord.

It is hoped that the words will bless you, be instructional to you, and build you up in your knowledge of the word. One of the key verses to consider when we get there contains the words of admonition to Israel to “love the Lord your God and to walk always in His ways.”

The law has been given, Christ fulfilled that for us. But the precept remains true for us today. The highest precept for us to consider in our daily life is that of loving the Lord God. Consider this. What good is it to cross every t and dot every i if we don’t have a deep and yearning love for the Lord?

As Christ is the fulfillment and embodiment of this body of law, let us remember to love Him with all of our hearts and souls. With this, we will always remain in the sweet spot. Great truths such as this are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. You Shall Separate Three Cities for Yourself (verses 1-3)

“When the Lord your God has cut off the nations whose land the Lord your God is giving you, and you dispossess them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,

There are a couple of points concerning these words that immediately take prominence. The first is, once again, the surety of them. The verse begins with ki yakhrit – “For has cut off.” Translating it as “when” is fine, but it is to be taken as an absolute surety, and already accomplished in the mind of the Lord.

The second concerns the words asher Yehovah elohekha noten lekha, or “which Yehovah your God is giving to you.” It is the fulfillment of the ancient promise, and it is from the Lord to the people. There is nothing deserving in this generation. They are simply the ones alive when the promise comes into effect.

The third point is one also seen many times. Moses says, virishtam, “and you dispossess them.” The Lord is giving Israel the land. They could not otherwise possess it, and yet, Israel has a synchronistic part in acquiring the land. They must actually get up and act, working together with the Lord to possess the inheritance.

And finally, it says they will “dwell in their cities and in their houses.” This goes back to Moses’ words of Chapter 6 –

“So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, ¹¹ houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full— ¹² then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.” Deuteronomy 6:10-12

Israel will benefit from the labor of others. The Lord has made every accommodation for them prior to, and during, their taking of the land. When this is accomplished…

² you shall separate three cities for yourself

Moses’ words now are reminding the people of the command of the Lord from Numbers 35. At that time, it said –

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁰ ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ¹¹ then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there.’” Numbers 35:9-11

Further, Moses has already designated the first three cities of refuge by name in Deuteronomy 4 –

“Then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun, ⁴² that the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without having hated him in time past, and that by fleeing to one of these cities he might live: ⁴³ Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites.” Deuteronomy 4:41-43

Those cities named in Chapter 4 are the cities of refuge east of the Jordan in the land already taken by Israel. Moses is now giving further instruction for the land west of the Jordan. The actual naming of them will occur in Joshua 20. These cities are to be…

^{2 (con’t)} in the midst of your land

The prominence of the words is given to ensure that, due to the highly important nature of their designation, the cities are to be chosen specifically for their accessibility from all directions. And again, Moses notes that it is a land…

^{2 (con’t)} which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

The constant repetition of these words may seem mentally tedious to read as one goes through Deuteronomy, but when the law was given, it was referred to in bite-sized nuggets as a tool of instruction for the people.

They would have a matter to deal with, and they would proceed to whatever section dealt with that matter. In doing so, the words would be a constant reminder that the land was given to them. Thus, it is also a warning: The land can be taken from them. Hence, the law in all its detail was to be strictly tended to…

³ You shall prepare roads for yourself,

The words are singular for a strong effect: takin lekha ha’derek – “You shall prepare to you the way.” Israel is the subject. The way is the means of travel, and the city is the intended destination. It is to be readily available for the one who needs to reach it.

Herxheimer says, “According to tradition, the way must be level, thirty-two cubits broad, and marked by fingerposts, bearing the words Refuge, Refuge.” Other traditions say that the roads were inspected annually in the month of Adar, that any obstructions were removed, and any bridges would be repaired for quick access over rivers and brooks.

If these precepts of the Torah were adhered to by Israel as unfaithfully as the rest of them, it is doubtful if this tradition was, for most of their history, anything but on paper. There is nothing in Scripture to support any such traditions.

As far as the words of this clause, however, they are reminiscent of Jesus’ words, “I am the way.” There is a place of safety, and there is the Way prepared to reach that place. For Israel in Canaan, Moses next says…

^3 (con’t) and divide into three parts the territory of your land

The cities were to be strategically situated so that they were prominent, easily accessible, and placed as much as possible at equal distances from one another and from the exterior borders of the land.

In this, no matter what direction one would travel to such a city, it would be at the closest possible point from even the furthest distance. The precept is to be exactingly adhered to because it is in the land…

^3 (con’t) which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit,

The word nakhal, or inherit, is used. One inherits an inheritance. In this, the inheritance is being equally divided for the benefit of all. As this is land given by “the Lord your God,” one can see the same fairness as in concepts such as the shemitah (remission) or of the Hebrew slave.

The Lord, through Moses and through the law, has made provisions for all in order to bring all to a state of equality. This is no different now. There is an overarching fairness in all that is presented so that when time and circumstance work against a person, restoration is always made available. In this case, it is so…

^3 (con’t) that any manslayer may flee there.

v’hayah lanus shamah kal rotseakh – “And shall be to flee there all manslayer.” The word ratsakh needs to be reexplained. It signifies unsanctioned killing. It does not cover capital punishment, sanctioned killing in battle, and so on. Rather, it covers any killing – accidental or purposeful – that is unsanctioned.

From there, and only from that standpoint, is there a difference made between accidental killing and murder. But both are on the same level until the determination is made. This then, is the purpose of the are miqlat, or cities of refuge.

Though the term miqlat, or asylum, is not used in Deuteronomy, this is the precept that is being conveyed here. The cities to be appointed are for exactly that reason. As Moses will next say, in what is a parenthetical thought…

Where can I go to save my life?
How can I get free from what I have done?
I killed a man, but not by strife
In innocence have I slain this one

But the avenger of blood waits for me
To take my life for what I have done
Is there a place to where I can flee?
Is there a place to where I can run?

Who will save me from what has come about?
Who can rescue me from what I have done?
Is there a chance for me? How will it come about?
Lord, my only hope is that to You I run

II. Since He has Not Hated the Victim (verses 4-7)

⁴ “And this is the case of the manslayer

v’zeh debar ha’rotseakh – “And this word the manslayer.” It is the specific instruction, the word, to be issued concerning someone who kills another in an unsanctioned manner – regardless as to the circumstances. His life is in jeopardy, and he must take action…

^4 (con’t) who flees there, that he may live:

The word here is very clearly explained in verse 11. The city of refuge was for “the manslayer” to run to. Any manslayer could do so, but there are different provisions for how the killing occurred which will be reexplained by Moses following after what has already been spoken forth in Numbers 35. As Moses next says…

^4 (con’t) Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally,

asher yakeh eth reehu bivli daath – “Which strikes his neighbor lacking knowledge.” In Numbers 35, it used a different term, “in his inadvertence.” Here, the meaning is the same even if the terminology is different.

The person accidently, or without knowledge, has killed another person. There was nothing premeditated about it. As it says…

^4 (con’t) not having hated him in time past—

Despite the English translation, it is an exact repeat of Deuteronomy 4:42, which said, “without having hated him in time past.” The two phrases are identical with but two unusual exceptions.

In verse 4:42, the Hebrew words mitemol shilshom are spelled differently than they are here. In both, the letter vav is included in 4:42, but it is missing now. It could be as simple as us spelling the word worshiped with one or two p’s. Or there may be a reason that the Lord purposefully dropped the additional letter out now.

If the latter, I can only provide a speculative suggestion. Vav is the sixth letter. Six is the number of man, especially fallen man. It is five plus one, or grace plus man’s addition to it. It is seven minus one, or coming short of spiritual perfection.

The cities are given as a haven for such. They are a place of grace for those who fall short but who seek refuge. The cities themselves do not save; they only protect. And they only do so by the voluntary act of the man staying in them.

At the time of Deuteronomy 4, only three cities were mentioned, thus the addition of the vav, the sixth letter of the aleph-bet, was included to show the fallen state of this otherwise innocent man.

In this passage, there is no need for that because the cities now total six, implying that there is a need for them for all in Israel because all fall short of perfection.

That is a highly speculative analysis, but it is the only logical thing I could think up. I would suggest you not add a permanent squiggle to your brain over this.

⁵ as when a man goes to the woods with his neighbor to cut timber,

Moses gives a common example of something that could occur that would make a person a manslayer, but not guilty of murder. The example is that of two people, friendly with one another (not having hated in the past), and going out to do what neighbors do in a place where it is expected that they would go.

In this clause is a new word to Scripture, khatav, meaning to cut down, hew, or polish. It can even mean gather, as in Ezekiel 39:10. The men are simply going out to cut timber…

^5 (con’t) and his hand swings a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree,

Again, Moses is simply giving out thoughts as they would occur on any given day and between any friends as they are out working together. It is during the daily affairs of life that suddenly something unexpected happens…

^5 (con’t) and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies—

The verb is used intransitively, and the Hebrew is more expressive, saying: v’nashal ha’barzel min ha’ets – “and slips the iron from the wood.” The intent of hitting with an ax is that you will cut the wood. The iron part slipping off the wood is purely accidental, but the effects of it are catastrophic, killing the neighbor.

What is interesting about this verse is that, like in Numbers 35 and even before entering the land, Moses speaks of the use of iron implements as if it is an everyday thing. Common teaching says that the Egyptians began their iron age about 1200 BC. The same is the case with Canaan, which would have been during the time of the judges.

And yet, Moses speaks of things being this way in the year 1405 BC. Even if iron implements were rare at this time, it is obvious that they were the preferred instruments for cutting wood at this early date. Also, throughout Joshua and the early Judges, iron is explicitly mentioned as being in use.

Despite the matter, it is certain, as it always becomes, that Moses is – indeed – the one who penned these words. Deuteronomy was written at the time indicated, as will be seen once again in a few verses.

In the comparable verses to this clause in Numbers 35, the Lord gave different examples of what might cause unintentional, but unsanctioned death, saying –

“However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait, ²³ or uses a stone, by which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm.” Numbers 35:22, 23

It is of note that Moses chose a different example, showing that the judges were to carefully heed the details of whatever matter was brought forth. It is a way of saying, “The Lord has given you several examples, I have given you another. Be wise and discerning and judge the matters according to their circumstances.”

In the meantime, and until a judgment is rendered…

^5 (con’t) he shall flee to one of these cities and live;

This is the purpose of the city – refuge. But without knowing the details of Numbers 35, it doesn’t really make sense to us now. Instead, what Moses says is simply taken as an axiom that the man needs to flee to one of the designated cities. This is because of a particular relationship that existed in the society …

⁶ lest the avenger of blood,

The parenthetical thought is ended, and the narrative picks up here. One can see this by putting verse 3 before verse 6 –

“You shall prepare roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, that any manslayer may flee there. … lest the avenger of blood, while his anger is hot, pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and kill him, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated the victim in time past.”

The goel ha’dam, or “avenger the blood,” is a near or nearest kinsman. The same word is used to speak of a redeemer, an avenger, and a kinsman. In this case, it refers to a kinsman who is the redeemer of blood through avenging the death of his close relative.

If this goel was to catch the slayer and kill him, no guilt of blood could be imputed to him, even if the slaying was by accident. He possessed the full right to avenge the blood that was shed without sanction. This is the entire purpose of having these sanctuary cities. It is a means of protection for the slayer until he could get a fair trial. As it next says, and speaking of the goel…

^6 (con’t) while his anger is hot, pursue the manslayer and overtake him,

The law understands the passion of such matters. A person has a right to take the life of the slayer, and he has a right to do so at any time or place except as forbidden by the law. His anger may subside, and he may (though not necessarily) forego his right as a goel, but when his anger is up, it is not likely.

Even if presented with a convincing argument, the chances are he will still take vengeance. As this is so, the cities of refuge have been provided, with a special note of their centrality within the land. Otherwise…

^6 (con’t) because the way is long, and kill him,

ki yirbeh ha’derek v’hikahu naphesh – “For great the way and strike him – soul.” It is a descriptive way of saying that he has avenged the blood. As the blood is the soul (Deuteronomy 12:23), the avenger has struck the person and his soul is poured out.

If the only place of refuge was where the tabernacle/temple was located, it might be a long and tiring journey. The longer the distance, the more likely the avenger could catch up to the slayer. In such a case, his life could legally be taken…

^6 (con’t) though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated the victim in time past.

The matter of avenging blood is one that covers any shedding of blood of a near kinsman. This is a right that will not be denied apart from the exception of being in a city of refuge, or at anytime and anywhere after the death of the high priest. Other than those two instances, the right exists.

However, there is the truth that the killing was unintentional. There was no enmity, and it was unavoidable. In this, the Hebrew essentially reads, “though he is without a judgment of death.” There is nothing in him that calls out for capital punishment.

It is for this reason that the cities of refuge were given. It is a merciful exception provided for the manslayer. As Moses says…

⁷ Therefore I command you, saying,

The Hebrew reads, “Upon thus I command you.” It is the same phrase that was used in Deuteronomy 15:11. There is a state that exists, whether it is right or not. It is simply something that is a part of the human condition. It is upon such a matter that an act of mercy is to be extended.

In Deuteronomy 15, it referred to attending to the needy, meaning the poor in the land. Here, it refers to taking care of the needy, meaning those desperate of life itself. Because this condition exists, and because it can be remedied through an act of mercy…

^7 (con’t) ‘You shall separate three cities for yourself.’

Moses repeats the original precept from verse 2. It is for the sake of those who are under the culturally accepted sentence of the avenger’s hand, despite having no judgment of death hanging over them, that Moses instructs them to accomplish the words of this command.

Do not defile the land in which you live
For among the midst of you, there I dwell
To you the blessings of heaven, I will give
Or, from Me will come the tortures of eternal hell

For I dwell among you; even I, the Lord
Therefore, be holy as I am holy – this you must be
In this, you will receive my promised reward
And there shall be peace between you and Me

Do not profane the land, but keep it pure and undefiled
And between us there will be a state of harmony
In this, upon you I shall have smiled
And together we shall dwell for all eternity

III. Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed (Verses 8-13)

⁸ “Now if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you the land which He promised to give to your fathers,

The words here now refer to neither Canaan, nor to the land already possessed east of the Jordan. Rather, they refer to the extension of land promised before to Abraham –

“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— ¹⁹ the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, ²⁰ the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, ²¹ the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” Genesis 15:18-20

It was a command repeated to the people before leaving Sinai (Exodus 23:31) and also repeated to them when they left Egypt –

“Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates. ⁸ See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.” Deuteronomy 1:7-8

Of these words, the Bible Commentary (via John Lange) states –

“It is obvious that such a passage as this could not have been penned in the times to which rationalist critics assign Deut. No one living in those times would think of treating as a future contingency (“If the Lord thy God enlarge, sq.) an extension of territory which at the date in question had in fact taken place long ago, and been subsequently forfeited.”

The analysis is correct. As has been seen numerous times, those who argue for various reasons that Deuteronomy must have been penned many, many centuries later fail to consider how ridiculous their claims actually are.

For now, the word “if” is a conditional one. The promise was made to the fathers, but it is conditional towards the people. This conditional aspect is again seen in the next verse…

⁹ and if you keep all these commandments and do them, which I command you today,

Following hard after the errors of the KJV, the words here are incorrectly translated. The previous verse began with, “And if.” Here, it begins with “For,” or “When.” Secondly, the word “commandment” is singular. The clause should read, “When you keep all the commandment and do it.” It is time conditional. Until that day, the event will not come about. And that is…

^9 (con’t) to love the Lord your God and to walk always in His ways,

The clause is close in thought to 10:12 and 11:22. Moses ties in the love of the Lord and walking in His ways as being obedient to the commandment. These words define what it means to be obedient. It goes beyond rote observance to the very heart of the man.

David loved the Lord and strove to walk in His ways, even if – at times – he failed in observing a statute or precept of the law. The Pharisees meticulously kept every explicit precept of the law, but they failed in the greater and more important precepts implicitly laid down here. David found joy in the presence of the Lord; the Pharisees will find eternal condemnation.

It is only if Israel is united to the Lord in heartfelt love, and in obedience to the command, that the next words would take effect…

^9 (con’t) then you shall add three more cities for yourself besides these three,

Scholars err when they say this was fulfilled in Joshua 21 when the six cities of refuge are named. This is not referring to those east of the Jordan that were already assigned, and which are repeated in Joshua.

Rather, this is a reference to three additional cities in borders extending to the Euphrates. It is a hopeful and conditional event that was never realized in Israel’s history. However, if it was needed due to expansion of the borders, the reason is obvious…

¹⁰ lest innocent blood be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and thus guilt of bloodshed be upon you.

The words here have to be considered with care. It has already been seen in Numbers 35:27 that the goel had the right (and, indeed, the responsibility) to kill the manslayer if he left the city of refuge. As this is so, it cannot be that he would be guilty of bloodshed for taking the life of the manslayer in this passage.

Further, in that verse, it speaks in the singular: en lo dam – “without to him blood,” meaning the guilt of blood. However, it says here while speaking to Israel the people v’hayah alekha damim – “and it shall be upon you bloods.”

The blood guilt is not because the avenger avenged his kin, but because Israel failed to build a city to protect the manslayer who killed unintentionally. The failure is one that incurs collective guilt upon the people.

It is their responsibility to protect innocent blood, even if it is the individual avenger’s responsibility to avenge the blood of his kin. This is why the plural “bloods” is used. It goes beyond a single incident to any and every incident that would arise.

This is why Joshua 11 ends with the note that the land rested from war. After that, an accounting of the kings conquered in battle is noted in Chapter 12 and then a short note of what still needed to be conquered is seen in the opening of Chapter 13.

From there, the land is divided among the tribes, comprising all of the next passages until Joshua 20 where the very first thing recorded is the designation of the cities of refuge. In other words, the designation of these cities is of paramount importance to the overall narrative.

However, this bloodguilt only applies to those who are innocent…

¹¹ “But if anyone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises against him and strikes him mortally, so that he dies,

The words here correspond to Numbers 35:16-21. This person’s ratsakh, or unsanctioned killing, is intentional. The obvious verdict then is that he is a murderer. The tenor of these words anticipates the words of John, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

The hatred leads to the act, but it is actually the hatred that God sees and judges. The act is simply an outgrowth of what is already in the heart. If such a person followed through with his hatred and committed the act…

^{11 (con’t)} and he flees to one of these cities,

The city of refuge is to protect the innocent manslayer. If the manslayer is deemed to be a murderer, then it is a completely different situation, and it calls for a completely different outcome…

¹² then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and deliver him over to the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

The words here further refine what is said about such a person in Numbers 35. There, it simply notes that the person shall be put to death when the avenger meets him.

Here, it is assumed that the person made it to a city of refuge, made a false claim, and is now being returned for his trip to the afterlife which is to be at the hand of the avenger. Not only is this the right of the avenger, but it is also the responsibility of the people. No murderer was to be allowed to live. Rather…

¹³ Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel,

There was to be no leniency. Rather, the word translated as “put away” comes from a root meaning “to kindle.” It is as if he is to be purged away in fire. And there is a reason for this…

*^13 (fin) that it may go well with you.

The implication is that if this is not done, it will not go well with them. The innocent is to be protected, and the guilty is to be purged from the land. Otherwise, guilt would be imputed to the nation for failing to uphold the precepts of the law.

The passage that has been looked at today actually has incredible Christological significance which is explained, in detail, in the three sermons from Numbers 35. The words are amazing to consider and moving, even to the stirring of the soul.

If you haven’t seen or heard those sermons, it is well worth your time to go back and take them in. Everything about what is stated there is reflective of the work of Christ, all of which is summed up in the third sermon where it discusses the role of the high priest in relation to those who remain within the city of refuge.

In short, Christ is our place of refuge. In Him is found protection from the guilt we bear. And, in His death, we have been set free from that guilt. It can never be recalled to us again, if we simply reach out to Him in faith, believing that He is God’s offer of pardon and peace for the things we have done wrong.

It is this wonderful offer of peace, meaning our Lord Jesus Christ –the gift of God for those who will believe – who ushers in that state of pardon. And that, in turn, results in the peace – even the peace of God which surpasses all understanding.

I would pray that you would be wise, call out to God through Christ the Lord, and be cleansed of your life of sin. In this, you will move from a state of enmity with God, to one of eternal felicity. The place of refuge is offered, and the sentence is – if you will receive it – not guilty. Christ has paid the price for you to be set free. Enter into the City of Refuge. Christ awaits.

Closing Verse: “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
¹⁰ And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Psalm 9:9, 10

Next Week: Deuteronomy 19:14-21 This guy really is a mess… (The False Witness) (58^th Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

You Shall Prepare to You the Way

“When the LORD your God has cut off
The nations whose land the LORD your God is giving you
And you dispossess them and dwell in their cities
And in their houses, as you will do

You shall separate three cities for yourself
In the midst of your land, as to you I now address
Which the LORD your God
Is giving you to possess

You shall prepare roads for yourself
And divide into three parts the territory of your land
Which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit
That any manslayer may flee there, from the avenger’s hand

“And this is the case of the manslayer who flees there
That he may live and not be harassed
Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally
Not having hated him in time past

As when a man goes to the woods
With his neighbor to cut timber, not just to sightsee
And his hand swings a stroke with the ax
To cut down the tree

And the head slips from the handle
And strikes his neighbor so that he dies
He shall flee to one of these cities and live
As to you I apprise

Lest the avenger of blood, while his anger is hot
Pursue the manslayer and overtake him as he is tasked
Because the way is long, and kill him
Though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated
———-the victim in time past

Therefore I command you, saying for these pities
‘You shall separate for yourself three cities

“Now if the LORD your God enlarges your territory
As to your fathers He swore
And gives you the land which He promised
To give to your fathers, this and more

And if you keep all these commandments and do them
Which I command you today
To love the LORD your God and to walk always in His ways
Then you shall add three more cities for yourself
———-besides these three, as to you I now say

Lest innocent blood be shed in the midst of your land
Which the LORD your God, just as He said
Is giving you as an inheritance
And thus upon you be guilt of bloodshed

“But if anyone hates his neighbor
Lies in wait for him, rises against him and strikes him mortally
So that he dies
And he flees to one of these cities, if such should be…

Then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there
And deliver him over to the hand
Of the avenger of blood, that he may die
That guy shall be purged from the land

Your eye shall not pity him
But you shall put away the guilt
Of innocent blood from Israel
That it may go well with you – because of the blood that was spilt

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“When the Lord your God has cut off the nations whose land the Lord your God is giving you, and you dispossess them and dwell in their cities and in their houses, ² you shall separate three cities for yourself in the midst of your land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess. ³ You shall prepare roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, that any manslayer may flee there.

⁴ “And this is the case of the manslayer who flees there, that he may live: Whoever kills his neighbor ^[a]unintentionally, not having hated him in time past— ⁵ as when a man goes to the woods with his neighbor to cut timber, and his hand swings a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live; ⁶ lest the avenger of blood, while his anger is hot, pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and kill him, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated the victim in time past. ⁷ Therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall separate three cities for yourself.’

⁸ “Now if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you the land which He promised to give to your fathers, ⁹ and if you keep all these commandments and do them, which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and to walk always in His ways, then you shall add three more cities for yourself besides these three, ¹⁰ lest innocent blood be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and thus guilt of bloodshed be upon you.

¹¹ “But if anyone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises against him and strikes him mortally, so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities, ¹² then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and deliver him over to the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. ¹³ Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall ^[b]put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.

 

 

Deuteronomy 18:15-22
A Prophet Like Moses

The words of the previous verses of Deuteronomy 18 dealt first with the priests, the Levites, who minister in the name of the Lord, and the responsibility of tending to those who would officiate in this capacity at the place the Lord chose for His name to dwell.

After that, came the warning against allowing any who would employ means of seeking out spiritual revelation in any other way than that authorized by the Lord. There were to be none who made their children pass through the fire, none who practiced witchcraft, no soothsayers, and so on.

From this point, Moses next turns to the office of the prophet. It is this office which will actually build upon the word of God. Although priests or Levites might be prophets, they might not be as well. The priest or Levite who was not a prophet was to get his evaluation of the word of the Lord solely from the recorded word of the Lord or those who were known to be true prophets.

However, the prophet (if a true prophet) – whether from Levi or from another tribe – would continue to speak forth the word of the Lord. From there, the record of his words was – at times – to be added to Israel’s canon of Scripture and evaluated as such.

In other words, what they spoke forth was to carry the same weight and authority as the Law of Moses because their words are derived from the same Source – the True and Living God.

Text Verse: “And when they say to you, ‘Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? ²⁰ To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:19, 20

Isaiah looked back to the words of Moses and referred to them. Instead of going to what the law had forbidden, they were to seek God as He had authorized – to the law and to the testimony! God had given them the words of life (see Leviticus 18:5) and in rejecting them, they would find only darkness.

Among these words of life is the idea of the Lord raising up for the people a prophet like Moses. That verse will open our passage today. Of that idea, the scholar Keil states the following. Is he right, or is he wrong in his analysis? Listen and decide –

“‘A prophet out of the midst of thee, out of thy brethren, as I am, will Jehovah thy God raise up to thee; to him shall ye hearken.’ When Moses thus attaches to the prohibition against hearkening to soothsayers and practising soothsaying, the promise that Jehovah would raise up a prophet, etc., and contrasts what the Lord would do for His people with what He did not allow, it is perfectly evident from this simple connection alone, apart from the further context of the passage, in which Moses treats of the temporal and spiritual rulers of Israel (ch. 17 and 18), that the promise neither relates to one particular prophet, nor directly and exclusively to the Messiah, but treats of the sending of prophets generally. And this is also confirmed by what follows with reference to true and false prophets, which presupposes the rise of a plurality of prophets, and shows most incontrovertibly that it is not one prophet only, nor the Messiah exclusively, who is promised here. It by no means follows from the use of the singular, ‘a prophet,’ that Moses is speaking of one particular prophet only; but the idea expressed is this, that at any time when the people stood in need of a mediator with God like Moses, God would invariably send a prophet.” Keil

Is this correct? When Moses refers to “A Prophet like me,” is he merely referring to the line of prophets who would come under the Mosaic covenant to speak forth the word of the Lord? Or is he referring first to a single Prophet, who will come in a special class and category, and then only later is he speaking in a secondary sense of Mosaic Covenant prophets in general?

Can we know? If so, how? It can be done, and it is the way we should determine all such things – by taking in the whole counsel of God, meaning the entire canon of Scripture. Keil is wrong as we will see in our evaluation of Moses’ words.

But more, it is wholly unreasonable to assume (as Keil does) that God would “invariably send a prophet” when they “stood in need of a mediator with God like Moses.” In fact, that would be considered the exception and not the rule.

This was the purpose of Moses – to lay out the law for the people to live by. God was under no obligation to send them even a single prophet. They had the law, they had the Levitical priesthood to mediate the law, and anything beyond that should be considered as a completely unexpected mark of grace.

The fact that a Prophet like Moses is prophesied demonstrates an unusual occurrence, not something to be expected in times of need. Rather, it is the false prophet that should, unfortunately, be the expected and inevitable outcome of having a theocracy formed under the true God.

The Lord did send prophets among His people, and they carried on in the steps of Moses, but they were not prophets like Moses. This will be seen as we review the passage today.

Great things, such as a Prophet like Moses, are revealed in God’s superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Him You Shall Hear (verses 15 & 16)

¹⁵ “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren.

There is an emphatic structure to the words that is entirely missed in this and many other translations. It reads: navi miqirbekha meakhekha kamoni – “Prophet, from your midst, from your brothers, like me.” The stress is placed on each thought concerning this Prophet.

Like Keil who was cited in the introduction, other scholars claim this is referring to a collective group, not an individual. Cambridge says –

“A prophet—not individual but collective1[143], i.e. a succession of prophets, for the whole spirit of the passage is that God shall never fail to speak directly to His people—is placed at the head of the sentence in forcible contrast to the diviners and necromancers just described.”

They say the singular navi, or “prophet,” refers to a collective whole that would henceforth come to speak to the people on behalf of the Lord. But this is incorrect for several reasons.

Though it is true that Moses is a prophet, it is untrue that those who followed would be like him. They would simply be prophets continuing on what he had established, meaning the Law of Moses.

No other prophet was like Moses in that his words formed the basis of the law. He was the one who initiated the covenant –

“So Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, ‘All the words which the Lord has said we will do.’ ⁴ And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵ Then he sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. ⁶ And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. ⁷ Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, ‘All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.’ ⁸ And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.’” Exodus 24:3-8

But from these words, a second aspect of what made Moses unique is that not only did he initiate the covenant, but he also performed the priestly role in its initiation, serving at the altar and ministering the blood. Though he was not to continue in the role of priest, he did serve in this function initially.

And further, not only did he serve in these ways, but he also served as the legislator of the covenant. That is seen, for example, in his service recorded in Exodus 18 –

“And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. ¹⁴ So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, ‘What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?’
¹⁵ And Moses said to his father-in-law, ‘Because the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶ When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.’” Exodus 18:13-16

No other prophet would be like Moses in all of these ways. Indeed, in various ways, Moses has already referred to prophets, such as in Numbers 12:6 and Deuteronomy 13. Here, he is not merely adding to that thought, but he is now defining a particular Prophet.

As I said in the introduction, we can know this is absolutely certain because this is how the verse is taken by both the leaders of Israel, and also by the apostles who spoke under inspiration of the Lord in the New Testament.

In John 1, the leaders of Israel (called “the Jews”) sent designated representatives to John the Baptist to find out who he was, they specifically asked about this verse Moses is now dealing with –

“Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’
²⁰ He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’
²¹ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’
He said, ‘I am not.’
“Are you the Prophet?”
And he answered, ‘No.’
²² Then they said to him, ‘Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?’
²³ He said: “I am
‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as the prophet Isaiah said.” John 1:19-23

Whether the Jews fully understood what was meant by “a Prophet like me” or not, they understood that one Prophet was coming who would be different than all the others. This was a set and known principle that defined the One Prophet to come like Moses.

This was fully understood by Philip. It is implied that he, along with Andrew, was with John the Baptist at that time. He said, certainly in reference to this passage concerning the Prophet –

“We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” John 1:45

The words, “Moses in the law,” may be vague, but they certainly point back to the question put forth two days earlier by the Jews to John, and that was in direct reference to Moses’ words of the Prophet to come.

Later, after the coming of Christ Jesus, the Jews tried to obscure this obvious fact among their people. Ibn Ezra (1089-1164) claimed this prophet was Joshua. Baal Haturim aka Jacob Ben Asher (1269-1343) claimed it was Jeremiah. Others said it was David. Rashi, like Keil and others, said it refers to a succession of prophets.

But these all ignore the testimony of the Jews recorded at Jesus’ time and by that of the apostles who followed in their writings. In fact, all of the prophets continually spoke – explicitly – of One who was coming in a completely different capacity than any of them, with Jeremiah going so far as to explicitly state that a New Covenant would be introduced by the Lord –

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— ³² not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 31:31, 32

Therefore, it could not be Jeremiah, as Baal Haturim knew very well. From the time of Moses, right until the coming of Christ, it was always assumed by the Jewish people that this Prophet to come would be a single person. The fact that He was still anticipated at the time of Jesus proves that it was none of the previous prophets of Israel.

This will continue to be seen in the next four verses. It is true that a succession of prophets was coming, but only in looking back on Moses’ words now could someone come to the conclusion that this is what he is referring to.

Rather, it is evident from his words as looking forward, and of the words of the leaders of Israel at the time of John the Baptist (as looking from that same perspective), that a single Prophet is to be understood. With this in mind, there could be no excuse for the rejection of this Prophet when He came. Of this coming Prophet…

^{15 (con’t)} Him you shall hear,

There is an added stress in the word translated as “you shall hear,” indicated by the structure,” saying: elav tishmaun – “Him you shall certainly hear.” As I said, there will be no excuse for the rejecting of this Prophet.

Looking back now, and in knowing what we know concerning these words as being fulfilled in Christ Jesus, it shows us the deserved punishment of Israel who rejected Him.

To fail to hear (meaning hearken unto the words of) this Prophet is to reject Moses who spoke of this Prophet. And to reject Moses is to reject the word of the Lord transmitted through Moses which established the covenant in the first place.

In other words, no person of Israel – to whom the Law of Moses was given – can say they are being obedient to Moses if they reject this Prophet that he now refers to. To reject Jesus is to reject Moses. Jesus said this explicitly to them –

“Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. ⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. ⁴⁷ But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:45-47

In rejecting Moses, the people thus rejected the Lord who commissioned Moses. The logical progression of thought is that only condemnation results from a rejection of Jesus. To ensure this is understood, Moses next brings in the giving of the law itself as a basis for this…

¹⁶ according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly,

Moses reminds the people of what occurred after hearing the speaking out of the Ten Commandants at Horeb (which is Sinai). They saw the terrifying display, they heard the sounds, and they were terrified. In this, the people came as one to Moses…

^{16 (con’t)} saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’

Moses now cites in the singular what the people together said to him, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die” (Exodus 10:19).

This is what the people desired, and so Moses became the one to receive the word of the Lord and to then communicate it to the people. This then forms a second way that the Prophet would be like Moses. Not only was Moses the one to establish the covenant, but he was the mediator of it as it was received –

“Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream.
⁷ Not so with My servant Moses;
He is faithful in all My house.
⁸ I speak with him face to face,
Even plainly, and not in dark sayings;
And he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant Moses?” Numbers 12:6-8

All other prophets would receive the word of the Lord in an obscure and deliberately dark way. But Moses received the word with an intimacy not otherwise seen. Only at the coming of the Prophet now referred to by Moses would this again occur. Jeremiah prophesied of this coming One –

“‘And it shall be their Majestic One from among them,
And their Governor from their midst shall come,
And I will cause Him to draw near,
And He shall approach Me.
For who is He, this who pledged His heart to approach Me?’
Says Yehovah.” Jeremiah 30:21 (my translation)

In fact, the author of Hebrews uses the words of Numbers 12 and builds upon them to show that Christ Jesus is the fulfillment of what is spoken of now.

Let me not hear the voice of the Lord
Lest I die when He speaks His words to me
There is terror in every uttered word
I will perish if I hear more; I know this with certainty

But if He speaks His word through you, as I have heard
Isn’t it the same word as if He spoke it to me?
Surely there is terror in every uttered word
This is a law of death; I know this with certainty

Who will speak forth a New Word from the Lord?
One that will not surely condemn any who hear
Who will bring grace and not a sword?
Who will take away the death and remove all fear?

II. I Will Require It of Him (verses 17-19)

¹⁷ “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good.

These words are a general repeat of Deuteronomy 5:28 –

“Then the Lord heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken.”

With that, Moses now continues with words already known to him, but not yet introduced into the narrative. The word is being slowly and progressively revealed to us so that we can more fully appreciate the plan as it has been developed by the Lord…

¹⁸ I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren,

navi aqim lahem miqerev akhikhem kamokha – “Prophet I will raise up to them from midst their brothers like you.” If the Lord had meant any given prophet at any given time, he would have said, “I will raise up for them prophets.” This is especially so because there were times where more than one prophet of the Lord spoke forth His word.

Further, there would be no reason at all to say, “a prophet like you.” As seen earlier, the Lord has referred to the prophet already in Numbers 12:6, acknowledging the office. Therefore, a distinction is made between the prophetic office of Moses and that of other prophets.

It is this precept that Peter also used when addressing the people of Israel, showing that this was a universally known precept among them, to demonstrate that Moses is now referring to a single Prophet who would come in the same capacity as him –

“For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. ²³ And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ ²⁴ Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. ²⁵ You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ ²⁶ To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” Acts 3:22-26

And more, this is then repeated by Stephen in Acts 7:37 where Stephen directly quotes Deuteronomy 18:15 to the high priest and leaders of Israel. But more than this is what is stated in John 6. When Jesus fed the five thousand with five barley loaves and two small fish, it says –

“Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, ‘This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.’” John 6:14

In other words, the people clearly associated this Prophet to come with more than just verbal prophesying. They anticipated that He would do those things that Moses did, such as giving them manna. The people certainly understood this and another crowd, on the next day came to Him –

“Therefore they said to Him, ‘What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? ³¹ Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’
³² Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’” John 6:30-33

Knowing these things, it would be otherwise incomprehensible for the Lord to use the singular here. Therefore, the following words say…

^{18 (con’t)} and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.

Although this statement is true of other prophets, it is also just what Christ said of Himself. In fact, but without saying it directly, Jesus is clearly referring to this verse in Deuteronomy, saying –

“For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.” John 12:49

He again repeats the same basic thought in John 14:10 and John 14:24. The case is being built, in advance by the Lord through Moses, so that when the One spoken of now was to come, there would be eternity changing consequences for not listening to Him…

¹⁹ And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.

The Hebrew is personal, saying, ha’ish – “‘the man’ who will not hear My words, which He speaks.” Whatever individual will not listen to the Prophet will face the judgment of the Lord because of it. There is no exception to this.

It should be a sobering lesson for the false teachers in the Roman Catholic Church, John Hagee, and others who teach the doctrine of Dual Covenant theology. Any person, including (and especially) the Jew, who rejects the words of Jesus will be cast into hell. The author of Hebrews, referring to his own brethren, says –

“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.” Hebrews 12:25 (NASB 1995)

The words “him who warned them on earth” refer to Moses. As Moses spoke of the coming Christ in his own warning, then there is a double terror waiting for those Jews who have rejected Him. There is the terror of having ignored Moses, and there is the terror of having ignored the words of the Son of God, the coming Prophet, spoken of by Moses.

And this is true collectively as well. As a nation, this was understood all along. In the 1600s, Matthew Poole said –

“The sad effect of this threatening the Jews have felt for above sixteen hundred years together.” Matthew Poole

Two hundred years later, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown continued to acknowledge this –

“The direful consequences of unbelief in Christ, and disregard of His mission, the Jewish people have been experiencing during eighteen hundred years.” Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Here we are, now almost two thousand years later, and the same thought continues today. Though returned to the land in preparation for the end times, the nation of Israel will suffer two-thirds extermination for failing to hearken to the word of the Lord spoken by Christ Jesus.

With the thought of the Prophet to come stated, the Lord – through Moses – now speaks of the false prophet…

This is truly the Prophet of whom Moses foretold
He is the Prophet to come into the world
His words are purer than the finest gold
Through them, the mysteries are unfurled

This is He of whom Moses spoke
It is He who has lifted the burden from us
No more is the pall dark like smoke
Since the coming of this Man, Jesus

A Prophet is He like none other
One who even is greater than Moses, so we see
This One rose among us, He is our brother
And yet He is higher than Moses – even infinitely

III. You Shall Not Be Afraid of Him (verses 20-22)

²⁰ But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’

Of the words here, Cambridge says, “These special cases prove that throughout this passage no single prophet but a succession of prophets is meant.” This is incorrect.

Unlike the previous verses where no definite article was used in the Hebrew before the word “prophet,” the Lord includes an article before the word in all four instances between now and the end of the chapter.

In essence, “The prophet, whoever he may be, is who I am referring to now.” Such a person is being set in contrast to the Prophet like Moses, not the prophet in general. This is certainly being presented in this manner because not everything a prophet spoke was in the name of the Lord.

And some who prophesied at one time (such as Saul), would be out of favor with the Lord at another time. Hence, the false prophet now being mentioned is set in contrast to the Prophet like Moses, because the Prophet like Moses is the Lord. Thus, everything Christ said was of the Lord.

The Lord is, for this reason, now only dealing with the prophet who spoke presumptuously, or who spoke in the name of other gods.

Though this is a part of the Law of Moses, the words must be considered from this standpoint even for those today. In other words, regardless as to whether this is a precept of the law or not, it must still apply today.

It is obvious that those who speak in the name of other gods are acting in defiance of the Lord. But because the contrast is to the Prophet like Moses, meaning the Lord, anyone who speaks presumptuously in the name of the Lord today must still bear the same guilt.

The word is zud. It means to boil or seethe, and thus to act rebelliously or presumptuously. It is an onomatopoetic expression where the word represents the sound. In this case, it is the sound of boiling. Just as a pot boils, so a false prophet boils up with his false words.

And how common this is in the church today where people flippantly prophesy from the pulpit and from the pew, speaking falsely in the name of the Lord, and boiling over with arrogance as they do.

The Lord will require it of them. As we are not under the law, there is no provision for us to take them out and stone them, but we should be well versed enough in the word to turn from them and ignore what they falsely claim.

Hebrews 1 tells us that since the coming of Christ, there are no more prophets, meaning that the only prophets there are today are false prophets. Be warned, be wise, and ignore all who claim such a word from the Lord. We have the Bible as the full and complete canon of Scripture from God. What more do we need? As for the false prophet of Israel…

^{20 (con’t)} that prophet shall die.’

The words are emphatic: u-met ha’navi hahu – “and shall die the prophet the he.” This certainly means that the people should stone him as is indicated in Chapter 13, but there is instance in the Bible where the Lord would speak to a false prophet by a true prophet concerning his impending doom –

“Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, ‘Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. ¹⁶ Therefore thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the Lord.”’
¹⁷ So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.” Jeremiah 28:15-17

²¹ And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’—

The words now go from those of the Lord directly to those of Moses. It is an obvious statement to make, and it is one which is necessary to determine if the Lord’s word is truly in the prophet or not.

But the question is not phrased by Moses in the positive – “How shall we know the word which the Lord has spoken?” Rather, it is in the negative, “How shall we know the word which the Lord has NOT spoken?”

In Chapter 13, it noted that a false prophet may produce a sign or wonder and then try to lead the people away from the Lord. Thus, signs and wonders were not to be the only proof that a person was a true prophet.

Further, a person could speak in the name of the Lord, and what he says may be for a time in the future, be it near or distant. In whatever timeframe is involved, the way to know if it is the word the Lord has not spoken is…

²² when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken;

As noted, it has already been seen in Chapter 13 that a false prophet may prophesy a sign or wonder that does come to pass. Thus, that cannot be the sole criteria for determining if the words of the prophet are from the Lord.

However, the opposite is stated here. If something does not come to pass that was prophesied in the name of the Lord, it is 100% sure that the thing was not given to him by the Lord. When the true prophet of the Lord speaks, that something will happen, it will come to pass, or a reason for it being withheld will be given.

As for future prophecy, the words of those considered true prophets still rely on the actions of the Lord for them to be fulfilled. In other words, it is already accepted that Isaiah, Daniel, Zechariah, and etc., are true prophets. But some of their prophecies extend even beyond our time now.

For Israel, and for us, even though some of their prophecies have not yet been fulfilled, they have been established as true prophets, and so it is assumed, and we are assured, that their words will come to pass.

However, Israel denied that Jesus is the Prophet like Moses even though He met all of the requirements of the law in order to prove that He is, in fact, the Messiah. Despite this, He spoke out numerous future prophecies as well.

And so, I would suggest that this verse, as much as any other in Scripture, will be a determining factor for collective Israel to use in order to definitively establish that Jesus is the Messiah.

When those future prophecies come to pass, just as the future prophecies of the other prophets will eventually come to pass, Israel will no longer be able to deny the evident nature of who He is. For now, they will be held to account for rejecting Him, but eventually this will no longer be the case.

As a nation, they will no longer be able to use the negative tone of this verse to deny Him. The Lord has spoken, and the prophecies will be fulfilled in their appropriate time. As for the prophet who speaks, and his words do not come to pass…

*^22 (fin) the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

Moses uses the noun form of the verb, zud, that he just used. It reads, “the prophet has spoken arrogance; you shall not be afraid of him.” For the living, this obviously requires a short span of time for the prophecy to fail. In such a case, the other requirements of proving whether a prophet is true or not must be applied.

In the end, any word that is spoken by a prophet must be in accord with the rest of Scripture and in accord with the nature of the Lord. This is because, at times, prophecies were made that did not come to pass. Jonah called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And yet, that did not happen.

The moral nature of the Lord towards repentant Nineveh overrode the prophecy of Jonah. Despite his supposedly failed utterance (which was actually a success in Scripture) Jonah was and is considered a true prophet of the Lord.

Therefore, all prophecy must be in accord with Scripture, in accord with the character of the Lord, and ultimately bring glory to Him. As far as the Prophet like Moses, meaning Christ Jesus, He meets the qualifications in all ways:

He is a prophet who speaks forth the word of the Lord. He is a prophet in intimate communion with the Lord. He, like Moses, is faithful in His house. In His humanity, He is the Initiator of the New Covenant. In this New Covenant, He fulfills the priestly (sacrificial) role, just as Moses temporarily did.

He is, like Moses was, the Mediator of the covenant. He is the Legislator of the covenant, speaking forth the stipulations of it in the name of the Lord. He is the Leader of His people just as Moses led those under him. And He, like Moses on behalf of the Lord, performed signs and wonders to validate His position.

But more than Moses, He is the One to bring the Law of Moses to an end, and then it is He who bestowed upon His people the grace of God. As John says –

“And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:16-18

Not only is Jesus Christ a Prophet like Moses, but He also infinitely exceeds Moses in all ways. He is Moses’ Creator, He is the One who spoke forth the law to and through Moses, He is the Subject of Moses’ words, He is the Object of Moses’ affection, and He is the Finisher of all that Moses began.

In Christ Jesus, we find the embodiment of every type, picture, shadow, and word that issued forth in the giving of the law. Whereas Moses died east of Jordan because he could not lead his people to the promise, Christ Jesus rose again to do just that. Nothing is lacking in Him, and all goodness and blessing flow from Him.

The eternal God set His seal of approval on the Son, and it is He who has restored us to our heavenly Father. A Prophet like Moses? Yes, but a Prophet far above and beyond Moses. He is JESUS.

Closing Verse: “For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, ¹⁹ and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. ²⁰ (For they could not endure what was commanded: ‘And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.’ ²¹ And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.’)
²² But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, ²³ to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, ²⁴ to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” Hebrews 12:18-24

Next Week: Deuteronomy 19:1-13 Which way should we go? What do you say? (You Shall Prepare to You the Way) (57^th Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

A Prophet Like Moses

“The LORD your God will raise up for you
A Prophet like me from your midst, so He shall appear
From your brethren
Him you shall hear

According to all you desired of the LORD your God
In Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying
‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God
Nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die
———-as you were relaying

“And the LORD said to me, and so I understood:
‘What they have spoken is good

I will raise up for them a Prophet like you
From among their brethren He will arise and stand
And will put My words in His mouth
And He shall speak to them all that I Him command

And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words
Which He speaks in My name
I will require it of him
So to you I vow; so to you I exclaim

But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name
Which I have not commanded him to speak
Or who speaks in the name of other gods
That prophet shall die; his future looks grim and bleak

And if you say in your heart
‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’
When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD
If the thing does not happen or come to pass; such will be the token

That is the thing which the LORD has not spoken
The prophet has spoken it presumptuously
You shall not be afraid of him
You are to ignore him; so shall it be

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

¹⁵ “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, ¹⁶ according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’

¹⁷ “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. ¹⁸ I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. ¹⁹ And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. ²⁰ But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ ²¹ And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’— ²² when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

 

 

Deuteronomy 18:9-14
An Abomination to the Lord

You’ve heard the verses read, you surely have an idea of what most of the categories Moses spoke forth mean, and we will go through them methodically so that you have all the relevant details as well. But, in a general sense, would you agree that any or all of the following would fall into the overall list of what Moses said –

Chiromancy, or hand (palm) reading.
Tarot card reading.
Tasseography, or tea leaves (or coffee) reading.
Sorcery.
Divination (Fortune telling).
Astrology (Horoscope).
Witches and witchcraft.
Mysticism.
Numerology to predict the future.
Interpreting omens.

Obviously, several of these are right out of the passage we read. Others certainly fall into the same categories but are simply given a different name than that found in the NKJV.

This is just a list of ten various things that most of you seemed to agree are exactly the type of thing that Moses is referring to. And the list is not all-inclusive of the variety of such things to be found in… anyone? In Israel today.

Although some of these are not legal there, one can find any and all of them through a general search on the internet. It only took me a couple minutes to do so. There are websites, Facebook pages, and even articles on news sites such as the Jerusalem Post to be found.

And more, just a couple weeks after typing this sermon, a video came online via an Israel publisher with the title, ‘WITCH HARLOTS’ HOLD RALLY IN JERUSALEM.” The identification of the participants with witchcraft was, ostensibly, in name only, but that is only because being a witch is a punishable offense in Israel.

And the list of them conducted by Jews here in the US and around the world is even greater in both scope and type. If one wants a confirmation of Ezekiel 36:22, all he needs to do is to compare what the book of Deuteronomy says, and what continues on in both the Jews and in the nation of Israel…

Text Verse: “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.” Ezekiel 36:22

This is not intended as a slam on the Jews. It just makes the point more relevant to see that even Jews participate in such things. They are the ones who bear the name of the Lord – His holy name. And yet, they have gone out into the world and done all of those things forbidden by the law, thus profaning the name of the Lord.

If one picks up and reads the Law of Moses, he can come to no other conclusion than that Israel was exiled because of these things. And more, the calamities they have suffered are a result of this as well. What this means for them, meaning those who practice such things, is that they either don’t know what the word says, they don’t believe the word is true, or they simply just don’t care.

Either way, it is a scary place to be because that same word continues to tell of many great woes to come upon them for continuing on in this same walk.

But we have to also remember that the passage we just read said that the Lord was going to dispossess the inhabitants of the land for exactly the same things. If that is true, and it is, then no nation today should feel any more smug at the thought of Israel’s continued judgment.

America is so filled with the crimes against the Lord mentioned here that it is hard to believe we are still operating as a nation. And the worst part of it of all is that churches actively participate in many of these practices. Is there hope? Well, one thing is for sure – with the Lord, there is abundant mercy for those who will simply humble themselves.

But that is the hard part for stubborn humans, isn’t it? Bad times lay ahead before things get better. Such truths as this are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. You Shall Be Blameless (verses 9-14)

⁹ “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you,

Words similar to this have been repeated again and again throughout Deuteronomy. The most recent time was in verse 17:14 where the words are almost identical.

And this is not the last time Moses will say this. He is speaking to the people who are right on the banks of the Jordan, just about to enter into the land of promise. And yet, the words are referring to a possibility that may be years away, or that – ostensibly – may never come to pass.

But they are spoken out with the assumption that what will be discussed is something the people will face. This is because of several reasons. The first is that the inhabitants in the land already do these things.

A second, and more important reason, is that the Lord knows the human heart. He knows the kind of people He is dealing with, and He knows the propensities of them.

And then, based on those failings and weaknesses, He knows that once one person follows this path, unless it is handled according to the set law now being spoken forth, it will blossom into a fashion where disobedience to the precept becomes an accepted and established norm.

This is absolutely evident in the world today. Even if the world doesn’t have the law as its guide, the practices to be referred to in the verses ahead enter into a society, and they become so ingrained in it that they become a standard means of pursuing spirituality, that anyone who speaks against them is thought of as a spiritual prude or unenlightened.

Instead, it is those who practice these things that are supposedly the true connection to the divine. They are the trendsetters, they are the ones to be sought after, and simple faith without demonstrative predictions and explanations of the future is thought to be a ridiculous waste of time.

Right now, at the beginning of the thought, Moses reminds them that it is the Lord who is giving them the land, and that they will, in fact, go in to possess it. As this is so, and if they can remember this, then it is He to whom their allegiance is due.

And more, it is He to whom they are to look to for their spiritual life, thus demonstrating that they have faith in the word that has been given, and in the promises and warnings that are set forth in it. Despite the law being of works, it does not negate that faith in the Source of the law is still necessary – even before one can work out the requirements of the law.

With this understood, the immediate context of these next few verses needs to be considered. Verses 1-8 (our last passage) dealt with the priests and Levites – the tribe who ministers to the people on behalf of the Lord.

It spoke of what was due to them from the sacrifices. As it is due to them, and because that is a requirement of the law, it is as if what is rendered is being given to the Lord. They are the intermediaries representing the Lord.

But under the law, there are others who will act in an intermediary manner as well, the prophets. They, and one in particular, will be referred to in verses 15-22. With this in mind, Moses’ words now – being placed between these two thoughts – will deal with those who are not to be considered as intermediaries for spiritual matters.

The placement of these six verses is purposeful and orderly. The people are to go to those who serve in the name of the Lord, but…

^9 (con’t) you shall not learn to follow

lo tilmad laasot – “No you shall learn to follow.” It is the word lamad that was introduced in verse 4:1 and is now being given for the twelfth time, showing it is a favorite of Moses. It comes from a root signifying “to goad.”

Moses is saying that the people are not to be goaded into conduct that is inappropriate for them as a people. There is the sanctuary, there are those who serve the Lord there, and there is to be adherence to the law of which they are the ministers. That is where their spiritual guidance is to be sought out, rather than…

^9 (con’t) the abominations of those nations.

k’toavot ha’goyim ha’hem – “according to abominations the nations the those.” The word toevah, or abomination, is something deplorable to the Lord. It has been used quite a few times already from Genesis through Deuteronomy.

One of those instances was in Deuteronomy when referring to the dietary laws set forth before the people. It then went on to name the clean and unclean animals for the people.

As seen there, and as is understood throughout Scripture apart from the Law of Moses, those things that are an abomination under the law are not an abomination for those not under law. This is because the animals anticipated Christ and believers’ conduct in Christ. Those considered unclean were typical of inappropriate conduct for believers.

The unclean animals were only unclean because of this, not because of some inherent uncleanness in them. The issue comes back to what is typical of life in Christ. In Christ, those distinctions between the animals are now no longer considered.

On the other hand, that cannot be said of what will be presented in the next few verses. The reason, in relation to the clean or unclean animals, is explained by Paul –

“But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.” 1 Corinthians 8:8

As seen from after the flood of Noah, and as is seen in the words of Jesus (Matthew 15:17 & Mark 7:19) and elsewhere in the New Testament epistles, foods are neutral.

It is the law (because the dietary laws anticipated Christ) that makes the foods acceptable or not. As “every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4), then those precepts of the law only applied while the law was in effect.

On the other hand, the precepts Moses will next speak out will still apply even after the law is set aside. They are not commandments which if disobeyed will bring about the imputation of sin, but they are matters which are inherently abominable to the Lord.

Why is this so? It is because unlike foods which do not commend us to God nor draw us away from Him, these precepts will – in fact – draw us away from God. They directly pertain to a right relationship with the Lord, or its lack thereof. That type of precept is found again in the words of Paul –

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

‘I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.’
¹⁷ Therefore
‘Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.’
¹⁸ ‘I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.’” 1 Corinthians 6:14-18

The type of people to be presented in the coming verses practice that which belongs to unbelievers. Further, they present that which is contrary to the message of God in Christ. God has appointed Christ as the one and only mediator between God and men.

As this is so, those who follow after the type of people to next be presented are abandoning that which is right and proper. Again, simply looking at the context of what is presented shows us this. Moses spoke of the priests and Levites, and then after this, he will speak of the prophets of the Lord.

As has been seen of the priests and Levites, and as will be seen of the prophet, these all anticipate Christ in His various roles. He is our High Priest. He is the Firstborn among the church. He is our Prophet like Moses.

These people now to be presented, whether under law or under grace, only separate us from intimacy with the Lord. They are to be rejected.

The reason for all of this explanation is so that when someone comes to you and asks about going to a palm reader, you can feel secure in the notion that even though you tell them “No, you should not go,” you are at the same time not somehow reintroducing the Law of Moses.

Rather, you are properly instructing them that at any time, and in any circumstance, we are to come to the Lord solely through Christ. Foods do not commend us to God, but Jesus does.

If something inhibits, or interferes with, our connection to God because it is not of Christ, then we are to refrain from joining ourselves to it. It is not a matter of law, but it is rather a matter of relationship.

¹⁰ There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire,

In Leviticus 18:21, it said –

“And of thy seed thou dost not give to pass over to the Molech; nor dost thou pollute the name of thy God; I am Jehovah.” Leviticus 18:21 (YLT)

Again, in Leviticus 20:2 it says –

“And unto the sons of Israel thou dost say, Any man of the sons of Israel, and of the sojourners who is sojourning in Israel, who giveth of his seed to the Molech, is certainly put to death; the people of the land do stone him with stones;” Leviticus 20:2 (YLT)

What Moses is referring to now, may or may not be the same thing spoken of in those verses. There, it referred to the seed of the person. Therefore, that may have been speaking of something sexual in nature, or “seed” could have referred to children.

Either way, here, it is definitely referring to children – “his son or his daughter.” Further, where those verses in Leviticus said nothing of fire, here that is explicit. It may or it may not be referring to the same thing in both accounts, but Moses’ words now are something understood by the people.

As all of the other offenses listed in these verses are referring to accessing spiritual insights from another realm, it is certain that this is the intent of this practice as well. A literal translation would be, “No shall be found in you who makes pass through his son and his daughter in the fire.”

It is something that actually came into practice during the time of the kings. It is noted in 2 Kings 16 at the time of Ahaz. Again, it says this of Manasseh in 2 Kings 21 –

“Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.” 2 Kings 21:6

In whatever manner the practice of burning the children was accomplished, it wasn’t just done in order to appease the god, but it was accomplished in order to obtain revelation from this supposed god.

And more, this wasn’t only performed to Molech, but to Adrammelech, Anammelech, and Baal, and maybe others. This is what the nations did before Israel entered the land, and it is a practice that, unfortunately, was picked up by Israel.

^{10 (con’t)} or one who practices witchcraft,

qosem qesamim – “divining divinations.” It is a verb followed by its cognate noun, coming from a primitive root meaning “to distribute. In other words, it is a means of determining the future by lot or by a magical scroll.

While emailing Sergio about a technical issue in the Hebrew, he came back with his own paraphrases –

Magicifying magics
Witchcrafting witchcrafts

His are more sensational and fun than my “divining divinations,” but his videos are more sensational and fun than my sermons, so that is not at all surprising.

Along with the previous sin of making children pass through the fire, this was one of the sins of Israel –

“And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. ¹⁸ Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone.” 2 Kings 17:17, 18

It is also what King Saul asked for of the witch of En Dor –

“Please conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.” 1 Samuel 28:8

What the law forbid, Israel was willing to participate in. This includes the next offense…

^{10 (con’t)} or a soothsayer,

The anan, or soothsayer, comes from a primitive root meaning “to cover.” It is the verb form of anan, meaning “a cloud.” The idea then is that person acts covertly, searching out dark and hidden things. It is used in the same verse cited earlier concerning Manasseh –

“Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.” 2 Kings 21:6

^{10 (con’t)} or one who interprets omens,

The word is nakhash. It comes from a primitive root meaning to hiss. Thus, it signifies to whisper a spell, observe signs, or prognosticate.

Adam Clarke ties it to the word nikhish, meaning to view attentively. Thus, it would be one who inspects the entrails of animals, determines signs from the flight of birds or the movement of snakes, and so on. This is what the king of Babylon did when deciding which city he would wage war against –

“For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the images, he looks at the liver. ²² In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to lift the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, and to build a wall. ²³ And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.” Ezekiel 21:21-23

This sort of interpretation was also sought out by Manasseh as noted in the same verse just mentioned where it said he “consulted spiritists.” Moses next says…

^{10 (con’t)} or a sorcerer,

It is the verb kashaph, coming from the noun kesheph. The root signifies “to whisper a spell,” and so it means to enchant or practice magic. In a comparable verse to those in 2 Kings 21, this word is used of Manasseh as well –

“Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.” 2 Chronicles 33:6

Manasseh was a very bad person. He seemed to revel in his disobedience of the law and in his complete defiance of the Lord. And yet, the list for him is not exhausted yet. Moses continues…

¹¹ or one who conjures spells,

v’khover khaver – “and enchanter of enchantment.” It is the verb and noun form of the same root. The root of the words means “to join.” In Exodus 26:3, it is used when referring to the coupling together of the curtains in the tabernacle.

A paraphrase of this, then, might be a “knot-tier who ties knots.” One can see that in calling forth with a spell, one is then attempting to join to the entity being called forth.

If you ever saw the movie Blackbeard’s Ghost, this is what the wife of Blackbeard, Aldetha Teach, was. She wrote out spells to call forth whatever spirit was adjoined to it. Steve Walker (played by Dean Jones) read her spell and Blackbeard, played by Peter Ustinov, came forth. In this, the knot between them was tied.

Like here in Deuteronomy, both words are used together in Psalm 58 as well –

“The wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
⁴ Their poison is like the poison of a serpent;
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
⁵ Which will not heed the voice of charmers,
Charming ever so skillfully.” Psalm 58:3-5

David, being a king familiar with the law, may have used this verse in Deuteronomy to weave together his words of the Psalm. Next…

^{11 (con’t)} or a medium,

v’shoel ov – “and inquirer wineskins.” That would be a literal translation, but it requires explanation. The first word is the noun shaal. It means to inquire or ask for. Thus, one can think of “to consult.” The second word, ov, literally means wineskin.

But when one blows into something hollow like a wineskin or a bottle, it makes that ooky spooky sound – whooooo. From that, one can then imagine a ghost, familiar spirit, or the like.

With that understood, you can then think of the medium who calls forth spirits with long hollow utterances – “whoooooooooo, we caaaaallll youuuuuu to coooooomme….” In Blackbeard’s Ghost, this would be comparable to the woman in the tent who pretended to be a medium at the fundraiser.

The word ov is used five times in the account of the witch at En Dor in 1 Samuel 28. She is expressly called this in verse 7 –

“Then Saul said to his servants, ‘Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.’
And his servants said to him, ‘In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.’” 2 Samuel 28:7

In an ironic twist, she literally let out a loud cry when Samuel actually came forth. It appears from the account that she wasn’t actually expecting him to appear. For now, Moses says…

^{11 (con’t)} or a spiritist,

The word is yideoni. It is derived from yada, “to know.” Thus, it signifies a spiritist or a wizard. It is someone who is in the know concerning matters of the spirit world. As before, Manasseh sought out these as is recorded in both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles.

^{11 (con’t)} or one who calls up the dead.

v’doresh el ha’methim – “And seeker unto the dead.” The words are self-explanatory. Any attempt to call to the dead for counsel, guidance, comfort, and so on would be a violation of this. The KJV uses the term necromancer. That can mean either a person who calls to the dead or one who raises the dead. This is only referring to the former, calling the dead.

If one thinks this through to its logical end, the Roman Catholic doctrine of praying to Mary or the saints is exactly this. There is nothing in the Bible to justify the idea that they are anything but dead. Therefore, to call to them for prayer or protection would qualify as doing exactly this. Thus…

¹² For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord,

ki toavath Yehovah – “For abomination of Yehovah.” In other words, the people make themselves an abomination by doing these things.

As noted earlier, there are abominations and then there are abominations. Those things of the law that were only anticipatory of Christ, meaning the conduct of His people, such as the dietary laws, cannot be considered as truly abominable to the Lord. Only what they typify, such as perverse conduct, is.

The law was being used as a tutor to reveal spiritual truths in those things. However, because the things in the passage we are looking at now will detract a person’s thoughts, actions, and attention away from the Lord, they must be considered abominable in any dispensation of time.

Telling someone to stay away from witchcraft or necromancy isn’t placing a person back under the law of Moses. Rather, it is conveying a timeless truth. Our mediation is to be through those whom the Lord has appointed. For Israel, it was the priest and prophet. For the church, it is Christ Jesus. Anything else is an abomination before Him.

^{12 (con’t)} and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.

u-biglal ha’toevoth he’elleh – “and on account of the abominations the these.” The word is galal, it signifies to roll around. In other words, their actions will cause the consequences which then roll around, right back to them.

The note of driving them out because of their conduct was actually first stated to Abraham over four hundred years earlier –

“Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. ¹⁴ And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. ¹⁵ Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. ¹⁶ But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” Genesis 15:13-16

The iniquity of the Amorites included these detestable practices. Eventually, the cup of their iniquity, came to measure with the cup of God’s wrath. In this, there could be no remedy for them. Because of this, Israel was to become the rod of God’s judgment upon them.

As this is so, Israel could expect no less should they act in the same manner. That is implicitly understood from the next words…

¹³ You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.

It does not say “before.” Rather, it reads: tamim tihyeh im Yehovah elohekha – “Perfect you shall be with Yehovah your God.” The words certainly must be considered based on the context. If Moses had said this in a talk about sexual purity, then it would mean, “You shall not commit sexual acts which defile you, but you shall accept the constraints of the Lord.”

If he had said this in matters of sacrifices and offerings, then it would mean, “The sacrifices that you make and the offerings you give shall be perfect, without spot or blemish. Rather, you shall offer according to His glory.”

Because Moses is speaking about matters related to the forbidden spiritual realm, it then means, “You shall not attempt to pry into either matters of fortune or future that belong to the Lord alone. You shall walk in this life as it comes to you, and you shall be content with how it unfolds before you, because it is the Lord who has ordained your portion, your state, and your days.”

Understanding this, it makes supposed “prophets” in the church today all the more abominable. They claim to be speaking for the Lord and giving insights into the future of their parishioners when they are either making it up out of their heads, or they are actually under the influence of demons.

Not pursuing such things is what it means to be perfect “with” the Lord God. With this understood, Moses will finish with a contrast between those not of Israel, and those of Israel…

¹⁴ For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners;

It is the same implied warning that Moses has made elsewhere. In other words, and without directly saying it, “These nations are being dispossessed by you because they are doing these things. They listen to soothsayers, and they listen to diviners. If you do such things, you too will be dispossessed.”

And again, without saying it directly, Moses emphasizes the notion in the final words of the passage…

*^14 (fin) but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.

v’atah lo ken nathan lekha Yehovah elohekha – “And you not so has given for you Yehovah your God.” The beginning word, v’atah, is placed there as a nominative absolute. Thus, it forms a strong emphasis – “but you, concerning you, not so!”

Without directly saying it, as he will later, he could not be firmer in his warning. You have no authorization to go outside of the lines of spiritual authority granted for Israel.

What will you gain by calling up the dead?
Or what good can a witch be to you?
Will you accept everything they have said?
Or will you to the Lord and His word stay true?

There is no profit in searching out a soothsayer
The one who will surely get scammed is you
Such a person is a loose and fast player
Nothing he presents is honest or true

But the Lord is always faithful through His word
And He has a marvelous future mapped out for you
If you accept the message of Christ, you have heard
For You, great things the Lord God will do

Put away your abominations from before Lord
And hold fast to the truth of His magnificent word

II. A Lesson in Mercy

Although many of the kings of Israel, from Saul on, involved themselves in these forbidden things, King Manasseh was especially highlighted for having done so. The word used in verse 11, darash, is often translated as to search or seek after.

At times, the word is used when seeking after the Lord – either in exhortation to do so, or in someone (or some group) who did so. In Deuteronomy 4, when referring to Israel in exile, Moses uses the word –

“But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29

There were kings that sought after the Lord, like David, Josiah, and others, but there were kings who either partly sought after the Lord, or who completely rejected that avenue. Manasseh pretty much sought after every wicked entity, and every false god, he could find.

As the king, and as the representative of Israel, his actions in not seeking after the Lord, but instead seeking after all of these abominations, brought judgment on the land. A summary of this is found in 2 Chronicles 33 –

“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. ² But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. ³ For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden images; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. ⁴ He also built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.” ⁵ And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. ⁶ Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. ⁷ He even set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; ⁸ and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers—only if they are careful to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.” ⁹ So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.” 2 Chronicles 33:1-9

Because of his actions, we read the Lord’s decided judgment upon the people –

“And the Lord spoke by His servants the prophets, saying, ¹¹ ‘Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations (he has acted more wickedly than all the Amorites who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols), ¹² therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle. ¹³ And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. ¹⁴ So I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies, ¹⁵ because they have done evil in My sight, and have provoked Me to anger since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.’” 1 Kings 21:10-15

Several kings, and many years later, while the land was facing its final destruction before exile, the word again says –

“Surely at the commandment of the Lord this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, ⁴ and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon.” 2 Kings 24:3, 4

Israel was the rod of the Lord’s judgment against the Amorites. Eventually, the Lord brought Babylon against Israel as His rod of judgment against them. But in their exile, He remembered them and had mercy on them, according to the covenant He made with them.

The Lord had to judge Israel because of the actions of this most wicked king. Under his leadership, the people also turned to the same vile conduct. But in the same chapter of 2 Chronicles where the Lord said he would judge the king, we also learn there of the mercy of the Lord –

“And the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen. ¹¹ Therefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon. ¹² Now when he was in affliction, he implored the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, ¹³ and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.” 2 Chronicles 33:10-13

Though the Lord remembered the sins of Manasseh as the principal cause of the eventual exile of Judah, he also faithfully forgave Manasseh of his own personal sins. This is a true demonstration of the greatness of the Lord.

As we saw at the beginning of the sermon, the things that have been forbidden here are commonly practiced in some measure, whether in Israel, in societies in general, and even within the church at times. Because of this, societies will be judged, and people will be condemned.

But, as we just saw with Manasseh, the Lord is willing to forgive even the worst of offenders. What would be good for any who hear and care about the matter, is to forego reliance on such things, forget tuning into the nonsense that can’t profit anything, and hold fast to the Lord instead.

There is nothing that we need to know about tomorrow, about our futures or our fortunes, or about anything else around us, that won’t be made known in due time. The Lord has made sure promises to us, and what happens in the meantime is really not that important.

Get up, live out your day while accepting it as being exactly what the Lord intended for you, while at the same time striving to do your best at it. The day will end as it will end, and there is no need to pry into those things that the Lord has told us to leave alone.

This isn’t a matter of law versus grace. Rather, it is a matter of allowing the Lord to be the Lord while living in His glorious presence as such.

Closing Verse: “For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. ⁵ Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.” Hosea 3:4, 5

Next Week: Deuteronomy 18:15-22 What is it about him that the word shows us? (A Prophet Like Moses) (56^th Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

 

An Abomination to the Lord

“When you come into the land
Which the LORD your God is giving you
You shall not learn to follow
The abominations of those nations, such you shall not do

There shall not be found among you
Anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire
Or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer
Or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer – raising the Lord’s ire

Or one who conjures spells, or a medium, just as I have said
Or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead

For all who do these things
Are an abomination to the LORD for what they do
And because of these abominations
The LORD your God drives them out from before you

You shall be blameless before the LORD your God
For these nations which you will dispossess, as you shall do
Listened to soothsayers and diviners
But as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

⁹ “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. ¹⁰ There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, ¹¹ or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. ¹² For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. ¹³ You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. ¹⁴ For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.