deuteronomy 17-18

Read Deuteronomy 17-18 at Bible Gateway.

If we divide our chapters into God’ s paragraphs, from the end of the section explaining the 4th Commandment:

Deu 16:18-20 {s} Injustice is detestable to YHVH;
Deu 16:21-22 {s} Idolatrous groves and pillars are detestable to YHVH;
Deu 17:1 {s} A blemished sacrifice is detestable to YHVH;
Deu 17:2-7 {p} Idolaters are detestable to YHVH;
Deu 17:8-13 {s} Authority of the priest and judge;
Deu 17:14-20 {s} Authority of the king;
Deu 18:1-2 {s} Authority of the Levites;
Deu 18:3-5 {s} What is due the Levites;
Deu 18:6-8 {s} Equal shares for Levites;
Deu 18:9-22 {s} Authority of the prophet.

All of these paragraphs are teaching and explaining what it means to Honor the LORD’s authority – the summary of which is the 5th Commandment, Honor your father and mother! Our fathers and mothers are our first authorities who have been established by God, delegated to wield some of His authority! Look at the very first sentence of this section:

“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates …” Deu 16:18

No more mention of sevens, but now, who is in authority on the LORD’s behalf. This is my paragraph summarizing this section by topic sentences:

The judges and officers are to administer justice according to this law. They shall not pervert what the LORD has established as just (Deu 16:18-20). They shall remember that idolatrous pillars (Deu 16:21-22), blemished sacrifices (Deu 17:1), and idolaters are detestable to YHVH, and they shall not turn aside from administering justice in those cases (Deu 17:2-7). If something is too hard for a local judge or officer to decide, they shall go to the higher authority: the national priest, Levites, and judge (as the national leader) who reside before the LORD in the place of His name, and they shall decide according to this law and be obeyed (Deu 17:8-13). The king who has authority over you shall observe all the commandments of this law (Deu 17:14-20). The priests and Levites are in authority (Deu 18:1-2). They shall receive what is due them (Deu 18:3-5) and their portions shall be shared equally (Deu 18:6-8). You shall not listen to the voice of idolaters, witches, soothsayers, diviners, sorcerers, spell casters, mediums, or spiritists, but you shall listen to the voice of the Prophet whom the LORD shall raise up (Deu 18:9-22).

For further study: This reading from Deu 16:18-18:22 is full of chiastic structures! God’s paragraph divisions help identify them! Can you find any of them? What are the central axis’, and why has Scripture placed neon flashing lights around those passages?

Finding Messiah: It is Messiah Yeshua who is the Prophet like Moses whom the LORD will raise up for Israel from among Israel (Deu 18:15, in my Bible, “Prophet” here is capitalized, indicating a prophecy of Messiah). We have previously learned that Messiah will serve in the office of Priest, or mediator between God and men, and King (Melchizedek, a pre-incarnate appearance of Messiah Yeshua, was Priest of God Most High, and King of Salem – peace – and King of Righteousness, Gen 14:18). Now Scripture is teaching us that Messiah will also serve in the office of Prophet. Priest, Prophet, and King are the three national offices in which Messiah serves, wielding the authority of the LORD, and they are likewise the three national offices in which this reading is instructing us.