Setting – Moses provided instructions on what the Levi tribe was to have regarding no land inheritance and first of sacrifices. Israel was to not engage in any divination, mediums, and etc. that the dispossessed nations practiced.
Content – The Levi’s had no inheritance among their countrymen, but they were to have the shoulder, two cheeks and the stomach of the ox and sheep sacrificed. They were to have the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil and first shearing of the sheep.
Israel was not to imitate what the dispossessed nations practiced, which included divination, witchcraft, mediums, sorcerers, omen interpretations, spiritualists and calling people from the dead (channeling). These were detestable to the God. God will bring up a prophet among them, like Moses, that God will put His words in his mouth. This was in response to (v. 16), “This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.'” So they didn’t want to hear directly from God.
He also gives instructions on how to identify a false prophet, that being, if what the prophesy doesn’t come about, they were to be killed.
Application – God agreed to Israel’s request to no longer speak directly to them. Instead God sent them a prophet, Christ, to speak for Him. We need to understand what Israel’s experience was with God, basically that it was terrifying, (v. 16) “…or I will die.” Hebrews 10: 31 states, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” We see a great balance in God. God is a terrifying God and Christ is an amazingly loving savior. Both are God. We see a great breath of who God is. On the one hand, we must understand the great and awesome power of our Creator (God is a consuming fire), but for Christians, we are to approach our God with confidence. Our fear is replaced with reverence and awe.
Content – The Levi’s had no inheritance among their countrymen, but they were to have the shoulder, two cheeks and the stomach of the ox and sheep sacrificed. They were to have the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil and first shearing of the sheep.
Israel was not to imitate what the dispossessed nations practiced, which included divination, witchcraft, mediums, sorcerers, omen interpretations, spiritualists and calling people from the dead (channeling). These were detestable to the God. God will bring up a prophet among them, like Moses, that God will put His words in his mouth. This was in response to (v. 16), “This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.'” So they didn’t want to hear directly from God.
He also gives instructions on how to identify a false prophet, that being, if what the prophesy doesn’t come about, they were to be killed.
Application – God agreed to Israel’s request to no longer speak directly to them. Instead God sent them a prophet, Christ, to speak for Him. We need to understand what Israel’s experience was with God, basically that it was terrifying, (v. 16) “…or I will die.” Hebrews 10: 31 states, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” We see a great balance in God. God is a terrifying God and Christ is an amazingly loving savior. Both are God. We see a great breath of who God is. On the one hand, we must understand the great and awesome power of our Creator (God is a consuming fire), but for Christians, we are to approach our God with confidence. Our fear is replaced with reverence and awe.
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