Seder 149: Deuteronomy 18---The Prophet(s) Like Moses

 Moses for forty years had been Israel's teacher, bringing revelation from God.  But what would happen after Moses died?  Moses addressed this subject in Deuteronomy 18:9-22.  

First, Moses made clear that Israel was not to follow the practices of the nations around them.  Other nations tried to manipulate deities, supernatural forces, or spirits of the dead to act in their favor.  But Israel was not to engage in any divinatory practices (Dt 18:9-14).  

Israel would have no need of such practices.  God cannot be manipulated, and Israel was to obey him, not try to control him.  Instead, Moses said, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers---it is to him you shall listen' (v. 15).  

Thinking about Moses and his role, being a prophet like Moses should include 

• a mediatorial role;
• access to God's presence;
• communication with God;
• being led by the Holy Spirit.

Moses also addressed the question of how to identify a true prophet of God (vv 20-22).  True prophets 

1. were loyal to God, not necessarily to a human leader (see e.g. 1 Ki 22);
2. gave messages consistent with the Torah;
3. spoke at God's initiative;
4. spoke only in God's name'
5. gave prophecies that were fulfilled;
6. had authenticating signs (see Ex 4:1-9);
7. were obedient to God (see Jer 29:12-13).

On the other hand, false prophets would come under divine judgment (Eze 13; 1 Ki 18; 2 Ki 10).

Israel indeed did go on to have a series of inspired prophets, including the anonymous prophets of Judges 6:7-10; 10:11-14; Samuel; Nathan; Elijah; Elisha; and the authors of the Bible's prophetic books.  

In some sense, though, all of them fell short of Moses, who had an especially close relationship with God (Num 12:6-8).  Deuteronomy 18:15-18 came to be understood as a prediction that the line of prophets described there would culminate in one great prophet, the Messiah.  We see this interpretation in Deuteronomy 34:10-12, which was apparently written some centuries after Moses.  The book of Deuteronomy ends with the assertion that the ultimate "prophet like Moses" had not yet arrived.  

Kevin Chen points out that there are hints in Deut 18:15-18 that this is a messianic prophecy.  One is the statement that God would "raise up" this prophet (vv 15, 18).  The same language is used in other prophecies that are clearly messianic, like 2 Samuel 7:22 and Jeremiah 23:5; 30:9.  This language hints at the idea that this special prophet would be "raised up" from the dead.   

During the Second Temple Period, a tradition arose in some Jewish circles that inspired prophecy had ceased in Israel (1 Macc 4:46; 14:41), and that the next inspired prophet would be the Messiah.  In the New Testament there are references to Deuteronomy 18:15-18 as a messianic prophecy (Jn 6:1-14; Ac 3:11-26).  In the first century people were hoping for the fulfillment of this prophecy, and the first Christians believed that it was fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.

Seder 147: Deuteronomy 16:18-17:13---Appointing Judges, Avoiding Paganism

 Deuteronomy 16:18-20 describes the key qualities that Israel's judges and officials were to possess.  They were to be impartial, not corrupt, and righteous in judgment.  Moses urged the Israelites to pursue justice so "that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you" (v 20).  

This phrase from Deut 16:20 is similar to one in Deuteronomy 5:16, where God taught that parents should be honored "that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." The instructions in Dt 16:18-18:22 about priests, kings, judges, and prophets can be associated with the commandment to honor parents, since these institutions of society are, in a sense, extensions of the family.  

There is also material in this section that seems, at least at first, to be unrelated to its main thrust.  In Dt 16:21-22, we read,  "You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God that you shall make.  And you shall not set up a pillar, which the Lord your God hates."

These are instructions more related to the commandment against worshiping other gods.  An Asherah was a sacred pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah, and pillars were associated with the Canaanite god Ba'al (see 2 Ki 3:2; 10:26-27).  Ba'al and Asherah were a "couple" in the Canaanite pantheon (1 Ki 18:19; 2 Ki 23:4).  

We see elsewhere in the Bible that the use of poles and pillars was not wrong in and of itself.  The patriarchs sometimes used these symbols in worship or in making covenants (Gen 21:33; 28:18-22; 31:43-54; 35:14).  But in Canaan, these symbols were part of the worship of Ba'al and Asherah and were therefore to be avoided.  

An important underlying principle here is that the appropriateness of a particular symbol in worship depends upon the context.  In particular, it depends upon the intent of the worshipers.  For the patriarchs a pole or pillar  symbolized the presence of God; but for later Israelites, these were part of syncretistic worship that brought in Canaanite deities (2 Ki 21:1-9). 

Today there are some who condemn the use of Christmas trees, worrying about a possible connection with Nordic paganism.  But the important factor in evaluating this practice is the intent of the worshipers.  Are they trying to worship pagan deities?  If the answer is no, then they are not doing anything wrong.  

Deuteronomy 16:21-17:1 are about honoring God's altar.  People stand before God when they worship, just as judges do when they make rulings.  This may be the connection between Dt 16:18-20 and 16:21-17:1. 

One kind of case that an Israelite judge might have to consider involved someone accused of engaging in and/or promoting idolatry. In such a case, 

• the defendant might be a person of either sex; the law applied equally to all (17:2);
• charges were to be made publicly (v 4);.
• a full investigation was to be carried out and clear proof obtained (v 4);
• there would be a public trial (v 5);
• multiple witnesses were required (v 6);
• those who bring the charges were to take the lead in carrying out the execution (v 7).

For difficult cases there would be a higher court, whose judgments were to be followed carefully (vv 8-13).  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on June 10, 2023, Kyle Kettering explored what it means to "judge righteous judgment" while avoiding the problem of being judgmental or condemning of others.

Seder 143/144: Deuteronomy 12---Worship Central and Local

 In Deuteronomy 12-26, Moses urges the children of Israel to seek righteousness (16:20) in all areas of life.  His instruction shows how the Israelites can carry out the principles of the Decalogue in their time and context.  Roughly speaking, he addresses the points of the Decalogue in order.  

Daniel Block sees Daniel 12 as organized into two sections:

• 12:2-14--an invitation to joy and satisfaction in God's presence.
• 12:15-27--an invitation to joy and satisfaction at home.

The first section begins with a charge to destroy all traces of Canaanite religion, which was pervasive in the land.  Pillars representing Baal and poles representing Asherah were to be destroyed.  Names of towns were to be changed if they had been named after deities.  And pagan worship practices like cult prostitution and child sacrifice were not to be emulated by the Israelites.  

Instead, Israelites were to worship at an as-yet-unidentified place that would be 

• chosen by God.
• located within the tribal allotments of land.
• stamped with God's name. 
• a destination of pilgrimages.

This would be a place for many activities, including

1. seeing the face of God.
2. public reading of Scripture--31:11.
3. learning to fear God.
4. celebrating before God.
5. eating meals hosted by God.
6. presenting sacrifices.
7. keeping the festivals of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.
8. settling legal disputes--17:8-13.
9. service of the Levites
10. presenting firstfruits and thanking God--26:1-11.
11. giving charity to the needy.
12. demonstrating community solidarity by including everyone.

God would choose the place once the nation is established in the land (vv 10-11).  The fact that Moses issues a double invitation in verses 5-12 is indicative of God's great desire to fellowship with his people.

Block notes that our English translations tend to use language connoting a law or command in these verses.  But Deuteronomy 12 actually gives an invitation to exciting opportunities to celebrate in God's presence, worshiping as he authorizes.  

We know that the place ultimately chosen for Israel's worship was Jerusalem (2 Sam 7).  

The central sanctuary was intended to unite Israel as God's people, rehearsing their history and God's mighty deeds on their behalf.  From this place God's rule and blessing would extend throughout the land and, ultimately, throughout the earth.  The central sanctuary would also highlight the king's role as patron of national worship.

The establishment of this central worship location did not preclude worship at other locations.  After all, Levites would live throughout the land and were to fulfill a pastoral role. Any consumption of meat was an occasion to thank God, in a broad sense a form of sacrifice.  There was local worship as well as national worship.  

Moses in Deuteronomy 16:21  seems to be assuming that other altars would be built.  The altar at Mt Ebal in Deuteronomy 27:5-7 is one example of a legitimate altar not connected with the tabernacle.  A number of others are mentioned:

• Judges 6:24-27--Gideon was told to pull down an altar of Ba'al and build one to Yahweh at Ophrah.
• 1 Sam 7:17---Samuel built an altar at Ramah.
• 1 Sam 16:5--Samuel celebrated a religious festival at Bethlehem.
• 2 Sam 24:18-25---David built an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah.
• 1 Kings 18:30---Elijah rebuilt "the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down."

There are also, of course, references to illegitimate altars in the historical books, like the ones Jeroboam had built at Bethel and Dan (I Kings 12-13), and the ones used to Ahaz (2 Kings 16:4) and Manasseh.

Another thing that would not occur exclusively at the central sanctuary was consumption of meat--Dt 12:15, 20-21.  Block notes that the word for "slaughter" in Dt 12:15 is zabach, a word that usually means "to sacrifice."  (Some exceptions are 1 Sam 28:24-25; 2 Chron 18:1-2; Ezek 34:2-3.)  In some sense, Block says, any meal at which meat was consumed was a sacred event, a sacrificial moment.  The modern division of life into sacred and secular components is artificial.  

Moses gave lots of leeway to the Israelites in the matter of eating meat at home.  The major restrictrion was the familiar command to not eat blood (Dt 12:23-25; Lev 17:10-15).  This is a universal taboo (Gen 9:3-4), upheld in the New Testament (Acts 15:19-20).