Deuteronomy 18:1

This chapter stands at the very center of O.T. prophecy of Jesus Christ the Messiah, but, true to the form of the shotgun type of address that Moses was here giving, there are a number of other things in the chapter. Due to the change of the law instituted here by Moses, which permitted animals to be killed at places other than the central sanctuary, which, of course, resulted in a decrease of the revenue of the Levites and priests, Moses here specified some additional contributions that were to be given to them (Deuteronomy 18:1-5). Next, there is a short paragraph concerning Levites that might wish to sell their patrimony and move to the area of the central sanctuary, in which case thy should receive contributions just the same as the Levites and priests already there (Deuteronomy 18:6-8).

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 lists nine kinds of occult and magic practices as "abominations to God," designating them as absolutely forbidden to the Israelites.

The great passage in the chapter is found in Deuteronomy 18:15-19, where "that Prophet like unto Moses" is promised. (See a special discussion of this subject under the discussion of that paragraph.) The chapter concludes with a short paragraph regarding the question of how one was to tell the difference between true prophets from false prophets (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

"The priests the Levites, even all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, and his inheritance. And they shall have no inheritance among their brethren: Jehovah is their inheritance, as he hath spoken unto them. And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks and the maw. The first-fruits of thy grain, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him. For Jehovah thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of Jehovah, him and his sons forever."

"All priests were Levites, but only the sons of Aaron were priests."[1] Despite this simple truth extensively revealed throughout the O.T., "The RSV renders Deuteronomy 18:1, thus: `Priests, that is, all the tribe of Levi,' foisting off on Deuteronomy the false view that all Levites were priests."[2] This, of course, creates a conflict between Deuteronomy and the other Biblical legislation. And yet it is clear enough, as Kline wrote:

"Deuteronomy itself conveys a distinctly different image distinguishing between priests and Levites. The priests are the ministers at the altar of the central sanctuary, who enjoy a position of supreme honor and authority. The Levites are everywhere functional subordinates and social dependents. Priests and Levites did share the commission of instructing Israel ... The Deuteronomic stipulations assume the validity of the more minute regulations given earlier, unless, of course, the purpose was to alter them (as in the increased revenue called for in this paragraph)."[3]

Another Biblical example of the differences between priests and Levites is seen in that, "Different portions are assigned to priests in Deuteronomy 18:3-5, and to Levites in Deuteronomy 18-6-8. Some priests taught the Law (Deuteronomy 31:9-13), but the Levites had actual custody of the book which was kept near the ark of the covenant."[4]

"The first of the fleece ..." (Deuteronomy 18:4). is supplementary to earlier legislation and amounts to an increase in the revenue of the Levites, an increase that was very appropriate in that under the new rules applicable to the occupation of Canaan, many animals once slain at the central sanctuary would then be slain at home, omitting the chance for any offering at all to the priests. The fact that different parts of sacrificed animals are specified here from those specified in Leviticus 7:19ff could mean: (1) either that the parts here specified are in addition to those, or (2) that they are to be substituted for those. There are many things about the implementation of that whole complicated law that people today simply cannot find out. We may believe, however, that all of the details of it were perfectly understood by those who were expected to abide by its teachings.

"The first-fruits ... the first fleece ... etc." indicated that, "God's servants were to get their share first!"[5] It should be recalled in this connection that when Elijah encountered the woman who was to nourish him through the days of the drought, and found that she was virtually without any food at all, he commanded her, "Make me a little cake first!" (1 Kings 17:13). Those who place their obligations to God above and ahead of everything else will always prosper in their lives, just as did the woman who took care of Elijah.

Cousins pointed out that the critical allegation is that, "`All the Levites were originally priests, and the limitation of the priesthood to the sons of Aaron was a later development,' declaring also that this passage does not support that theory."[6]

We noted above that, whereas earlier legislation had given the "right shoulder" to the priests as their portion, this passage in Deuteronomy does not at all specify "the right shoulder." The discovery of the ruins of a pagan temple at Lachish where they unearthed large numbers of right shoulder bones has led some scholars to suppose that this practice of the pagans may have resulted in the variation of the priests' portion in order to avoid resemblance to pagan sacrifices. Here again, there are many things about all of this that must remain hidden.