Deuteronomy 19:1

Deuteronomy 19:1 says, When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;   Verse two adds, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.  Moses said after the LORD their God had removed the people from the Promised Land and the people of Israel possessed it, they were to set aside three cities in the midst of the land.  They may have gone in and fought against the people there, but it was God Who gave them the victory, just as He gives us victory over the world today.  Verse three continues, Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.  Moses said they were to prepare a way and divide the country into three parts, with one of these three sanctuary cities located in each part with easy access to it so that anyone who accidentally killed another person could flee there for safety.  We today, if we have accidentally killed someone, usually have the law to protect us, but even if it doesn't, we have the everlasting sanctuary of our relationship with Jesus Christ to protect us spiritually if we are a Christian.  Verse four states, And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;  Moses said that those who had killed someone accidentally without any anger toward them could flee to one of these sanctuary cities and live.  Verse five adds, As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:  Moses gave the example of a man accidentally hitting his neighbor with an ax when cutting wood and the neighbor dying.  In this case, the man could flee to the sanctuary city and his neighbors family could not seek revenge against him.  Of course, we are not to seek revenge against our neighbors anyway as followers of Christ, nor should they seek revenge against us.  Verse six continues, Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.  Moses said these cities were to be set in three places so that anyone could get to one of them before he could be overtaken by the avenger while his anger was still hot. This would protect both the one who had accidentally killed the man, and also the avenger who would have killed the man unjustly if he killed him in anger out of revenge.  God's law often protects us when we don't even realize it when we are acting out of anger.  Verse seven concludes,  Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.  Moses said that he, under God's direction and authority, commanded them to separate these three sanctuary cities.  Verse eight declares, And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;  Though Moses said if God should enlarge their coast, or land, then it was dependent on the obedience of the people and not on God's faithfulness to fulfill His promise.  God's blessings on us today are never based on God failing to keep His promises, but are based on our obedience to Him after we accept  Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse nine adds, If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:  Moses then said that if they obeyed God and kept His commandments and He enlarged their land, then they were to separate three additional sanctuary cities.  Verse ten continues, That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.  This was to be done so that innocent blood would not be shed in the Promised Land.  As Christians, we should never be guilty of seeking the harm of others because we feel that they have done us wrong.  Verse eleven states, But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:  Verse twelve adds, Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.  Moses said that if someone deliberately killed someone else and fled to a sanctuary city that the elders were to turn him over to the avenger.  We cannot expect God to deliver us from the consequences of deliberate sin, even if we are a Christian, even though we are delivered from the everlasting punishment of that sin.  Verse thirteen continues, Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.  Moses said they were not to have pity on the murderer, but should put away the guilt of innocent blood that he had shed by delivering him to the avenger to face the penalty of his sin.  If they did, then it would go well with them.  We cannot act out of pity for the willful sinner, but even if we empathize with them, we must not try to release them from facing the worldly penalty for their sin.  Again, if we have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, the everlasting penalty of sin has already been paid spiritually, but that does not release us from facing the law of man when we break it.

Deuteronomy 18:17

Deuteronomy 18:17 says, And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.  Moses said God told him that he had spoken well that which he had spoken.  We need God to say the same thing about our speech today, especially when it comes to what we say about Him.  Verse eighteen adds, I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.  God told Moses that He would raise up a Prophet from among the people of Israel.  We know that many prophets followed Moses, but the Prophet referred to is Jesus Christ.  Verse nineteen continues, And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.  God also said that anyone who did not listen to Jesus Christ would be held accountable for their sins.  Verse twenty states, But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.  Now, God was once again speaking of those prophets other than Jesus Christ.  God said that if they presumed to speak in His name things that He had not said or to speak in the name of other gods that they would die.  We cannot follow Christ and claim that anything other than what the Bible says is God's word, nor can we add anything that is taught by false gods to God's word.   Verse twenty-one adds, And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?  Moses said that they might ask how they could know what God had spoken when they heard it.  This is still a valid question today.  Verse twenty-two answers, When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.  Moses said that when a prophet spoke and what he spoke did not come to pass that the prophet had spoken presumptuously, and the people should not listen to him.  We know that everything that the Prophet, Jesus Christ spoke came to pass because He was the true Prophet.  If anyone today claims to be a prophet of God, which I really don't believe there have been any since Jesus Christ came, even if certain things this professed prophet claims were to come to pass, we have the Bible and the Holy Spirit to show us the truth.  Since the Holy Spirit indwells each follwer of Christ, we have no need of prophets to show us God's truth.

Deuteronomy 18:9

Deuteronomy 18:9 says, When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.  Moses said that when the people of Israel came into the Promised Land that they were not to learn to follow after the abominations of the people there.  When we accept Jseus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we should not follow the abominations of the world either.  Verse ten adds, There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,  Verse eleven adds, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.  Moses then listed several practices that they were not to follow, and many of these are still around today.  Some Christians at times get caught up in them.  We don't need to follow horoscopes or Zodiac signs for example.  Verse twelve concludes, For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.  Just as Moses told the people of Israel then, these things are an abomination to God, and because of these abominations He drove the people out of the land before them.  When we enter the kingdom of God, He has already driven all these things out of His kingdom, and we don't need to bring them back in.  Verse thirteen declares, Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.  I believe this means to be perfect in their faith, just as we should be, because we cannot be perfect by our own ability.  Verse fourteen adds, For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.  Moses said that the nations that had been in the land had observed times and diviners, but God had not allowed the people of Israel to do so.  He still doesn't allow us a followers of Christ to do so today.  Verse fifteen continues, The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;  Moses said God would raise up a Prophet like Him, and the people were to listen to him.  We know that God raised up many prophets after Moses, but the one Prophet that this refers to ultimately is Jesus Christ.  He is the only One Who can restore us to right relationship with God, and we must listen to and obey Him.  Verse sixteen concludes, According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.  Moses said this Prophet would not speak with a booming voice out of the fire, as they had requested at Mt. Horeb, or Sinai, because they said they could not stand before this powerful display.  The Prophet, Jesus Christ, came as a humble Servant, and it is up to us to acknowledge Him as the all powerful God. 

Deuteronomy 18:1

Deuteronomy 18:1 says, The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance.  Moses said the priests and Levites were to have no inheritance in the land, but were to eat the offerings made by fire to God and live by His inheritance.  We might think they were cheated, but they really were the closest to God.  This does not mean that we are to not support ministers today, but it also means that they are not to look to grow rich materially either.  Verse two adds, Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.  Moses repeated this speaking to the priests and Levites.  They needed to acknowledge that their inheritance was in God, just as any Christian is in their relationship with Jesus Christ.  The things of this world are not our inheritance, but the kingdom of God is.  Verse three continues, And this shall be the priest’s due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.  Moses again told the people that whatever they sacrificed was the priests to use after it had met the requirement of the sacrifice in God's eyes.  They could not just claim it as their own, and neither can we claim the sacrifices, tithes and offerings made to God as our own.  Verse four concludes, The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.  Moses said that the people were to give first to God and part of that would be the inheritance of the priests and Levites.  We should give first to God to support His work in the world today.  Verse five states, For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.  Moses said that God had chosen the Levites first out of all the tribes to stand and minister in His name.  We should be honored if God chooses us to minister in His name today, but we should never feel superior to others if we are.  Verse six adds, And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose;  Verse seven continues, Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD.  Moses said if a Levite came to any place in the Promised Land because he knew that God had sent him there that they he was to minister there and the people were to accept him. Ministers today should still go where God sends them and people should accept them.  Verse eight concludes, They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.  Moses said that the Levite should have like portions to eat, as others did.

Deuteronomy 17:12

Deuteronomy 17:12 says, And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.  Moses said that anyone who would not listen to the priest that represented God should be put to death.  If we will not listen to God's ministers today when they are truly speaking His word and were put to death because of it, we might have fewer people in the church.  Of course not all who claim to be ministers speak God's word.  Verse thirteen adds, And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.  Moses said that if the people heard what had happened to the person who refused to obey that they would no longer act presumptuously.  Verse fourteen states, When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;  Verse fifteen adds, Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.  Moses said when they got into the land of promise, if they wanted a king, it should be one of the Israelites that God appointed.  If we want people over us in the church today, it should be the person that God appoints, and then we should listen to them.  Verse sixteen adds, But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.  Moses said that whoever was over the people of Israel should not grow rich and then want to return to Egypt that they were not to follow Him, because God had said that they were never return that way.  As Christians, Jesus is our king, and we should never want to return to were where we were or what we were before we accepted Him as our Savior and Lord.  Verse seventeen continues, Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.  Moses warned against the one appointed king having multiple wives that would lead him away from God, nor was he to have lots of silver and gold.  These things can still lead us away from God today.  Verse eighteen declares, And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:  Moses said that the king should write himself copies of God's laws to guide him, and ministers today follow the teachings of the Bible.  They are not to write their own laws, just as the people then were to simply write the Law God gave them in a book. Though I believe that we should elect moral leaders to govern today, we as Christians are not always the majority to do so.  Verse nineteen adds, And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:  Moses said that the king was to read and obey God's word all the days of his life.  We as Christians need to daily read and apply the word of God in our life, whether we are a leader or a follower of those that God puts in a position of ministry today.  Verse twenty continues, That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.  Moses said that the king appointed over the people of Israel should not believe that he was superior to any other Israelite, and neither should God's ministers today.

Deuteronomy 17:1

Deuteronomy 17:1 says, Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God.  Moses said that they were not to sacrifice any animal with a blemish to God.  Of course, this was God's law conveyed to them through Moses, and not just something Moses decided on His own.  God's word to us today is still that we need to bring our best to Him, and not just the things that are of less value.  Verse two states, If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant,  Moses begins to tell them God's law concerning those, either a man or a woman, within Israel who committed wickedness in the sight of the LORD.  What we need to understand is that everything we do is in the sight of God.  Verse three adds, And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;  Moses then began to specify what some of this wickedness was, and that was serving and worshipping other false gods, like the sun, moon and stars, which God had not commanded them to do.  We as followers of Christ can never believe that the heavenly bodies determine anything about our life, but must acknowledge that only God does.  Verse four continues, And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and inquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel:  Moses said that they were to diligently seek the truth if they heard someone was doing this, as we should if we hear that a fellow Christian is doing something wrong today.  Verse five concludes, Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.  Moses said that once it was determined a man or woman had committed an abomination in Israel, they were to be brought forth and stoned.  We today are called on to call them forth and try to correct them, and if they won't be corrected, then we are to not fellowship with them.  Verse six says, At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.  Moses said that it would take the word of two or three witnesses to put the accused to death, and not just one witness.  One person today can start a rumor about another concerning their relationship with God, but we should never take the word of just one person.  Verse seven adds, The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.  Moses said that the witnesses were to cast the first stones, and then the others were to join in.  Verse eight states, If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;  Moses then spoke of disputes that arose in Israel, and said if they did arise, that the people involved were to go the the place of worship that God had designated.  We as followers of Christ, if we have a dispute with another Christian, that we cannot resolve ourselves, need to bring the matter before the church, then accept their ruling.  If we don't believe God's people can resolve our disputes, then we should not look to the world to do so.  Verse nine adds, And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and inquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment:  Moses said that when they brought their disputes to the priests, the Levites, and to God's judges that would be appointed later, that they would determine the judgment in the matter.  If we bring a matter before the church today, we need to have faith in their decision.  Verse ten continues, And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee:  Moses said that they were to obey the decision of those who judged in the place He appointed, according to all that they said.  If we bring a matter of dispute between a fellow believer and us before the church today, we must accept their decision and abide by it.  Verse eleven concludes, According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.  Moses said that they were to obey the ruling of the priests and judges.   We need to obey the ruling of the church when we bring our disputes before them.  

Deuteronomy 16:16

Deuteronomy 16:16 says, Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:  Moses said that the males of the people of Israel were to appear before God three times a year in the place that He would choose.  This was the feast of unleavened bread, the feast weeks, and the feast of tabernacles.  Moses also said that they were not to appear empty handed.  Though I believe this meant without their tithes and offerings, we should never appear before God empty of faith, and as followers of Christ we are constantly before Him because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Verse seventeen adds, Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.  In addition to their tithes, they were to bring offerings as they were able, according to how much God had blessed them.  We should also give according to how God has blessed us and not to satisfy some legalistic requirement.  Verse eighteen states, Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.  Moses said they were to appoint judges to judge the people in disputes between the people, and they were to judge them with just judgements.  We also need to appoint judges today who will judge fairly, and pray for them as they do so.  We should never seek nor want special favors in judgment between others and us, but should always want fair judgment.  Verse nineteen adds,  Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.  Moses said that the judges should not pass judgment based on who the person was, and that judges should never take gifts, because gifts blinded the eye of the wise and perverted the words of the righteous, We need judges today who are not influenced by who a person is, and we certainly need judges who aren't influenced by gifts.  Verse twenty declares, That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.  Moses said that the people of Israel were to altogether follow that which was just, so that they might inherit the land which God gave them.  Though the land was a free gift from God, their keeping it was based on their keeping their covenant relationship with Him.  Though as Christians, our inheriting our home in heaven is a free gift from God, and we will never lose it, it is still based on putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and we should always do our best to live in accordance with our covenant relationship with Him.  Verse twenty-one adds, Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.  Moses said that they were not to plant groves of trees near the altar of the Lord their God.  This was sacred ground and not to be used for material purposes.  We should never allow commercial things to enter into the areas that we set aside to worship God today, namely the church building.   Verse twenty-two continues, Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.  Moses also said they were not to set up any images or idols, which God hated.  This is still true today, and I believe this means even images attempting to represent God.