Deuteronomy, Thoughts on Deut. 17-18

Good leadership is critical in any endeavor.  The Bible affirms this.  In the NT there is a strong emphasis on the character required of Elders and Deacons.  So in these chapters sound, righteous leaders are essential for prospering in the land. 

·       17:1: A blemished sacrifice totally belittles God.  This was a major issue addressed by the prophet Malachi (Mal. 1:6-2:9).  The prophet challenged the priests to offer the blemished sacrifices to the governor and see if it pleased him (Mal. 1:8).  How can they treat the LORD with such contempt, since “I am a great King,” says the LORD of hosts, “and My name is to be feared among the nations.”  We need to take the same care when we approach the Lord’s Table, not to come in the form of a “blemished sacrifice” (1 Cor. 11:27-34).  In addition, a blemished sacrifice missed the essence of the sacrificial system which was to point to the unblemished “seed of the woman” Savior.

·       17:2-7: Kill idolators.  Do it on the basis of justice (two witnesses, v6-7); but do it!  Idolatry was a constant problem for Israel until Assyria and Babylon were used of God to chasten them by removing them from the land.  So you shall put away evil from among you (17:7).

·       17:8-13: Honor your judges.  Priests and Levites were involved in some of the work of judgment (e.g. in declaring a person clean or unclean).  And as we saw in Dt. 16 righteous judges were to be chosen as well.  The point here is that the people were to honor them by accepting their decisions.  So you shall put away the evil from Israel (17:13).

·       v14-20: The king must also be just.  The scenario described in 17:14 was exactly what happened (1 Sam. 8).  As you read through this list you might be reminded of some of Israel’s kings (e.g. v17 and Solomon).  You might also remember how King Jehoiakim burned the scroll of Jeremiah column by column (Jer. 36:20-26).  In other words, there was not always the love of God’s word called for here.

·       18:1-8: The Priests and Levites.  This passage deals with the “portion” of sacrifices that was set aside for the priests and Levites.  The one thing I note, which might make the priesthood difficult, is that apparently they ate “haggis” (the Scottish delicacy, the sheep’s stomach; cf. 18:3). 

·       18:9-14: Warning against Canaanite religion.  Again, we have this warning.  The Canaanites were not going to be driven out immediately, and their practices would be a constant temptation. To make one’s child pass through the fire referred to the worship of the god Molech (Lev. 18:21; Dt. 12:31). 
A bronze statue of the god, with outstretched arms, was heated to an intense heat, and then a child placed in its arms, dying an agonizing death in an attempt to appease the god.  This abomination was practiced in Israel on several occasions (e.g.  2 Ki. 16:3, Ahaz; 2 Ki. 21:6, Manasseh).  This was carried out in the Valley of Hinnom, on the south side of Jerusalem (2 Chron. 28:3); by Jesus’ time that valley had become the trash heap for Jerusalem.

·       18:15-22: A Prophet like Moses.  In terms of leadership, the greatest at the time of the writing of Deuteronomy was Moses.  This passage promises the coming of the Messiah, who would be a Prophet like Moses, who would speak God’s words.  Because there would be imposters, the LORD gave Israel a means to differentiate (v20-22).  Jesus, among many other things, predicted the destruction of Jerusalem that occurred in 70AD (e.g. Luke 19:40-44).  Sadly, to this day, for the most part the Jews reject Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah.