SCRIPTURE: DEUTERONOMY 18
BIBLE VERSES:
“The Levitical priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance. 2 They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them.” (Deuteronomy 18:1-2)
“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-13)
“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.” (Deuteronomy 18:18-20)
OFFERINGS FOR PRIEST AND LIVITES (vs. 1-5)
The whole tribe of Levi has no allotment or inheritance with Israel because the Lord is their inheritance. But the people had to share due the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulders, the jowls and the inner parts. They were also entitled to the first fruits of grain, new wine and oil and the first wool from the shearing of the sheep.
DESTESTABLE PRACTICES (vs. 9-13)
The pagan of other nations sacrificed his son or daughter in the fire. They also practised divination, sorcery, interpret omens, engaged in witchcraft, cast spells, consulted the medium, spiritists and the dead. God warned the Israel not to imitate their detestable practices.
THE PROPHETS (vs. 14-22)
The pagan nations listened to those who practice sorcery and divination. But the Lord will raise up a prophet, put His word in his mouth and the everything that God had commanded him. Any prophet who spoke in the name of other gods or spoke in name anything that I have not commanded him must b eput to death. If a prophet who proclaimed in the name of the Lord and does not take place or come true, he is a false prophet. Do not be afraid of him.
THOUGHTS:
As the Israelites were commanded to give offerings to priest and Levites for their sustenance, we Christians must not neglect those who serve the Lord. We must support and share what we have.
The Scripture warned against occult practices. This must also be heeded today. God’s people mut be a separated people to obey God’s command only.
The mark of a true prophet is that everything phe predicted must come to pass. How can we tell when people are speaking for the Lord? We can check their words against the Bible. If someone says anything contrary to the Bile, we know that he is not speaking God’s Word.