HE will set you in praise, fame, and honor high above all the nations (Deu 12-18: Covenant stipulations I)

Deut 12:1-18:22

Key Verses 18:18-19:  18 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. ¹⁹ I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.

26: 18-19 And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised and that you are to keep all his commands. 19 He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame, and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.

The passages that we are covering in the next two studies are the specific stipulations of the Covenant. In the first study, we will go over the laws concerning the central figures of the kingdom, i.e. the Lord and worship, and the kingdom officials (ch12-18). The next study comprises all the laws on societal matters (ch19-26).

More often than not, these stipulations of the Covenant are so ‘out of date’ that these teachings are not worthy to know or considered obsolete. But before making such hurried assumptions, we are to look at things in God’s perspective. These stipulations were given to a nation Israel chose to meet His purpose as a priesthood and holy nation. In this perspective, we will discuss each stipulation.

1.       Laws for worshiping the Lord (12:1–16:17)

a.       The Central Sanctuary (12:1–14)

They were to destroy all other pagan sanctuaries (12:1-3) and they must not adopt any of their way of seeking God. All those pagan gods are of man-made and are not true gods. All the sanctuary and their associated cultic procedures are created out of men’s ideas. So all of these cultic processes reflect what men think and understand about deities of this world. They neither acknowledge the LORD as He is worthy of nor have known the holiness of the only God Almighty. The true God found nothing good in men and whatever comes out of men or men’s idea cannot please Him. So God commanded them to demolish and destroy all pagan cultic sites.

They were to seek the place the Lord God will choose from among the tribes (12:4-7) to put His name there for His dwelling. In this command, three things are to note; first, the place will be within the land that God would give as their inheritance, and it will be the place to put His name for His dwelling, and it will be one and a particular place. This means that the place to meet the Lord will be only one place and must be among them and within the perimeters of the land of God’s blessing. This is a centripetal setup where God is the Lord and the life of His people must be centered on the Lord. This is an implicit allusion to God’s absolute authority over His people as the King or spatial set up for that authority. For their meaning, purpose, and livelihood are in their undivided effort toward this Lord of the Land.

As we know, God told them to build a tabernacle and this tabernacle was converted to the temple in Jerusalem. At the dedication ceremony, God came down in His holiness upon the temple. Also, God never said that he would reside in it. Instead, He said that I would meet them in between the cherubim and the atonement cover. This is the place where God put His name for his dwelling.  Here one thing we must be aware of is that there is no form or statue of the LORD. It is simply space where God’s name will be and it is in between the two objects, the one (Cherub) that represents the angels who protect and honor God’s holiness and the other represent God’s mercy (mercy seat covering the Ark of the Law).  To meet him, they must go with burnt offerings and sacrifices, tithe, special gifts on special occasions. This will be the meeting place where they all rejoice for God has blessed them. So the ultimate purpose of the sanctuary is to meet the Lord and in that meeting, they might find the ultimate joy in this relationship.

How were they to worship the Lord?  Since Israel left Egypt, they have followed the Lord as they saw fit. The way how they worshipped the Lord was out of their way of understanding, though most of those ideas came out from reverence and fear.  These ways of worship must not be adopted and must be rejected when they enter the land of God’s blessing. The reason is clear because the way God demands them to worship the Lord is not in the faculty of their minds and never found in any other types of worships in many other religions. Then how?

; 6 there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.
11 Then to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name-- there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the LORD.

First, the way to worship the Lord is to bring sacrifices and offerings. The top on the list of these offerings is the burnt offering.

24 "'Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. (Exo 20)

Meeting God starts with giving a burnt offering and ends with the fellowship offering. Many other pagan religions require sacrifices and offerings. But the way how they offer is totally different from what God instructed Israel to do. Though it is not the place to discuss the details of the uniqueness of God-instructed offerings,  it is worthy to mention two; first is the burnt offering of the entire animal after the ritual of transference of one’s life to that burnt offering. Second is the way how to handle the blood of the sacrifices. This is the most important cultic procedure. The blood shall not be in the burnt offering and must be shed out before the Lord—indicating that the Lord has the sole ownership of life.  This is because blood belongs exclusively to the LORD since by it is the life is sustained. To this end, life tainted by sin must be atoned by the blood of animals. They may kill animals for food in any places. But any animals dedicated to the Lord cannot be killed outside of the sanctuary. Also, they must spill the blood on the ground and blood must not be included in the burnt offering; they shall not eat the blood. The only place where the blood must be received in the sanctuary of the Lord. In this two uniqueness of worship, God asserts Himself as the sole owner of life and all lives must derive its strength in and from the Lord.  The uniqueness and the purpose of such worship are to appease Him through life-giving sacrifice and to impart God’s redemption to his people. These details have already been taught during their stay at the Mt Horeb, the initial covenant ceremony (Leviticus). 

God does not want his people to know or find out how the pagan serve their gods (29-31). This will stand in contrast to the way God taught. In many ways, their way of serving their gods are devised for their needs and their purposes. I saw the remains of a virgin girl under a pagan altar when I visited a country in South America. This seems to give me an evidence that in the old times, people sacrificed other human beings. This is an effort to evade God’s judgment on those who sin. A sinner must pay the cost, not others. God detests such thing. God calls for a repentance of the person who committed a sin so that they might be saved; Pagan theology is built on their inclination to escape God’s judgment at the expense of others. But Jesus came to save the people, not to punish or to destroy by giving himself as a sacrifice for sinners.

b.      Israel must discern and choose God willingly over all other gods and the clean over the unclean

There are three different kinds of people who might steer away people to the pagan gods (12:32–13:18). It could be prophets, or close members of a family or even a whole tribe. What if one prophet with good credentials turns hearts of people to serve other gods? The answer is clear, no matter how good a credential one has as a prophet, he must be rejected. Likewise, even if a family member, such as brothers or even wife calls other members to pagan gods, they must be witnessed and stoned to death. God is more important than all other human relationships.  In the case of a tribe turning away from the Lord, they were to be destroyed as well when it is confirmed with good witnesses. This tells us one thing; though we tend to trust those who have a good rapport with us, anyone or any people who lead us to go away from the Lord must be rejected. Jesus said that he is the gate, and the shepherd (John 10). God’s people must choose God and reject all other gods even if they come through a recognized authority, most loved ones and trusted people.

God told them that there are clean animals and unclean animals (14:1–21) They are allowed to eat clean animals. But they were not allowed unclean animals. Also, there are clean birds and unclean birds; clean fishes and unclean fished. There are edible insects and not edible insects. This tells that there are two classes of the animal kingdom; clean and unclean. As much clean they are, they should not consume unclean animals. In this way, they are clearly set apart from the rest of the world that could not discern the clean from the unclean. In other words, they belong to God who is holy. When they are chosen to be holy, their entire life, including what to eat and what to deal with, must be holy as well. It is a clear recognition that many of these things of this world are not acceptable to the Lord and they must be rejected.

This people of God must be keenly aware of these two realms, one godly and clean, and the other ungodly and unclean. This needs discernment and will to choose godly and clean. 

c.       Life must reflect God’s sovereign grace  (14:22–16:17)

In response to God’s grace, they are to do four things; bringing the tithe to the Lord, canceling debts to his people on the seventh year, freeing slaves on the seventh year with a generous supply of their need, and offering of the firstborns to the Lord.  Through this, their thankfulness for the Lord must be expressed not only to the Lord but also to people, even debtors, and slaves. For God gracious to them in order to care for the weak and the powerless as well.  

A tithe is one-tenth of all harvests set apart for the Lord. Since it is the Lord’s, they must bring it to the Lord even if they live far away.  If the tithe is too much to carry for a long distance, they are to turn it into money and to buy the same amount of tithe back to the Lord.   Though it is God’s, God wanted it to be used to care for the weak and helpless with every third-year tithe.  one is bringing the tithe every year to the Lord in thankfulness to the Lord.. In this way, God made sure that they give thanks to the Lord in form of tithe. The other is to give the third year tithes to the weak and helpless. This is again mentioned at the end of the law again (26:12-19)

The last of this list is giving the firstborns of all herds and flocks to the Lord and eat them before the Lord. This is also mentioned again (26:1-11).

Three festivals to the Lord (16:1-17): Israel is to celebrate three festivals. The Passover on the first month(Aviv) followed by the Feast of Unleavened bread for 7 days, the Festival of Weeks in the seventh week from the Passover, and the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after harvesting. These three Festivals are to remember what God has done for them and to celebrate the works of God that ultimately brought them to the blessing in the Land of Promise. God’s mighty works and His grace in those works must be lived alive in their present life as long as they live in the land of God’s blessing.

2.       Laws for Kingdom Officials (16:18–18:22)

The covenant mentions four officials of the kingdom. They are judges, kings, priests/Levites, and prophets. Most likely it is listed in ascending order of importance in regard to keeping them as God’s blessed people. If that is so, then, priests/Levites are more important than kings and prophets are the most important.

a.       Judges and Other Officials (16:18–17:13)

Judges are told not to pervert justice, not to show partiality, and not to accept a bribe.  Justice is not on their hand but on the Law of God. i.e. having the position of the authority does not authorize them to deliver their own purpose or will. They are to do justice to God. Judges and leaders are the most primary leaders of the nation. What is done by this lowest rank of authority must be done in the fear of the Law; that is that they shall not pervert justice, no partiality, and no bribes. I consider that these three are the most basic duties of an office.

When they deliver justice, they must investigate thoroughly and factually by at least two testimonies. Anything difficult must be handed over to the priests.  When things are difficult to discern, they must refer it to the priests for the priests are the expert of the Law and their minds are keener on God’s justice and honor to Him. This also implies that ultimate decisions have to do with a spiritual matter, i.e. how God’s law and his glory can be honored. To this end, the vilest action is a contempt to the judge, a contempt to the Lord who set the judge.

Now, the government officials decide from the beginning to the end. But for us believers, the ultimate adjudication is not on what the judges of the world do but on what the church or church leaders do.  There are occasions when the world does not concern or is not willing to judge. But church and its leadership concern more because it involves the matters of spiritual discernment. 

b.      Kings (17:14–20)

Soon after the conquest of the land of God’s blessing, there was no king and God raised judges to lead Israel. Israel could not endure unstructured leadership as judges and ask for a king to the last judge, Samuel. God listened to them and allowed Saul. Saul was succeeded by King David, who solidified the nation. Though God is the ultimate LORD of the nation or the King of the nation, God allowed them to have an earthly king. Then what is the role of the king of God’s chosen nation? God gave five directives: a) Must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself b) ¹⁷ He must not take many wives c)¹⁸ he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. d) ¹⁹to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD e)²⁰ not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. In His warning to Israel, when she asked for a king, God said of what kings of the world would do.(1 Sam 8:10-17) King is the highest authority of a nation and with the authority, a king may do many things for himself. But through these five directives, God clearly put the king in his role in God’s kingdom.

First, he is not to follow the kings of the world. They do many things to enforce his power and authority—by acquiring a great number of horses; they will give themselves to untethered desires of the flesh, sexual immorality.   God strictly wanted the kings of Israel of these two. King is a prime example of the position of authority and power. A king is a king of a nation. A president is a king of a company. Father is a king of his family. All positions of authority and power will be vulnerable to these two temptations. If we want to know what kind of a person one is, we can find easily by putting him in two different conditions; first, put him in the highest authority and power; second, put him in a situation where he has no authority and no power whatsoever, like a beggar, or totally crippled.  

Instead of following the kings of the world, he is to write a copy of the Law for himself and then to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord. He must honor the Lord as his Lord and King and must live to revere and to honor Him throughout his life. If this is what the king of Israel is to do, then, all the kings of the world are to do the similar things. If God did not sustain the kings of Israel because they did not honor the Lord as their King, so will God depose the kings of the world if they do not honor the Lord as the only Supreme LORD of heaven and earth. Such an attempt have been made by many presidents of the United State of America and few leaders of the western countries. The last directive is not to count himself better than any other men. He is as much a sinner as any other men on whom he rules. He has an authority to govern but has no authority to judge and to determine the fate of his people. It is God’s law or actually God Himself.

Pilate asked Jesus a question when he was so much intrigued by Jesus’ un-kingly response after affirmation to be the king of the Jews (Mark 15:5). In Jesus is a picture of a genuine king. He counted himself one among sinners though he was genuinely holy and righteous.  Because of this, Jesus is the king for His people forever.

c.       Priests/Levites and kings(18:1–8)

Priests and Levites are set apart for the Lord and they have no inheritance of land. The Lord and what belongs to Him, food offerings presented to the Lord, is their inheritance. Mainly the Firstfruits and tithes are the sources of living.  This means that their hearts are focused on how to stand and minister in the LORD's name always.

In this regard, they are different from the judges/leaders and kings. So among the officials of the nation, there are two groups of people; one, the judges/leaders whose inheritance is in the land, and the inheritance of priests/Levites is in God’s (Firstfruits).  Kings are the ultimate decision-makers to govern the nation and he is to be closer to the priests/Levites than to the judges and leaders in terms of relationship and power.  If we consider that these officials of the kingdom are listed in the order of importance (?), then priests are more important than kings.  All of these officials are to abide by the Law, especially a king is to have a copy of the law for himself so that he may govern the land according to the Law of Covenant. If theocratic kingdom, Israel, is to be the model for all kingdoms of the world, then how much the judges/leaders of a nation or the priests/Levites of the nation will abide by the Law of God will determine the very survival of the kingdom.  Eventually, the first son Israel failed to keep up with the Law of God’s Covenant and lost the autonomous rule of her nation, then all the kingdoms of the world will surely face the same predicament because God the Lord of all nations set a clear rule in His first son as such. To this end, we cannot measure the importance of the role of God’s chosen people, the believers. This is so because some sense we are the ones who live off of God’s grace, the firstfruits of the land and are to stand and minister in the LORD's name always. (1 Pet 2:5, 9)

d.      Prophets (18:9–22)

Prophets is the last in the list of the officials of the kingdom. Prophets are the most important among them all for being the last of the list, they are to give the final message to determine the kingdom’s fate/future.  The foundation of the rule for the judges, leaders, kings, and priests is the Law. But prophets are unique in Israel because the office of prophecy is not a fixed office of the kingdom but an office that would be set up in particular occasions by the Lord for a special message for their time. But before teaching on prophets, Moses teaches heavily about the pagan practice of sorcery or divination. This serves to set the situations/occasions when people of Israel might seek pagan sorcery or divination.

First, what are the particular occasions whereby prophets are needed?  It would be the times when they would feel a great need for a direct revelation of God. They could not discern what is right and good through the laws because of their spiritual blindness. According to the Covenant curses (Deut 28), they would face such an intolerable crisis of life that would be too horrible to bear with. In such a crisis in life, they could not find the answers to many questions in life. As an example, when God shut off His revelation to Saul, he sought a help from a medium(or spiritist). Likewise coming of a similar situation is anticipated in Israel because all these kingdom officials would surely fail to keep up with the law of God, leading to the situation whereby God’s covenant curse would take effect and He would not be with them at all (Num 14:43). Even in such a dire situation, God says that Israel must not seek mediums, spiritists, sorceries, or divination.  God does not permit his people to do such a thing. Mediums, spiritists, sorceries, and divinations belong to pagans, who reject God and lives in the sphere of the evil world.  Then, when they face such a helpless and hopeless situation, what are they to do?

¹⁵ The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. (Deut 18)

In the pagan world, mediums, spiritists, divinations, and sorceries are common and form the major spiritual activities. But in the land of God’s blessing. God forbid such evil influence.  Israel should not seek out such help either from the neighboring land or people. In God’s domain and for the people of God, they must wait and seek a prophet from the Lord. When they do so, then they will surely receive the message directly from the Lord.  Even in such time as this, God’s people must trust Him and wait on Him believing His grace.

It is not uncommon among believers, who thinks Jesus or the Christianity as a whole like one of the pagan medium or spiritists, or divination—this is a paganism in Christianity in the sense that on the cue of one’s need, he or she wants to get a spiritual revelation for that particular occasion. For us, in Christ’s work, we have a revelation from the Lord through the Holy Spirit.

Second, what is God’s direction? God will raise up a prophet among his people. God’s revelation comes through one among His people not from pagan divinators and God is the initiator of the message according to His will in His time, not on the cue of one’s immediate need. In other words, sending of a prophet is to make a breakthrough in such ‘hopelessness in darkness’ and waiting for a prophet from the Lord is the way, or must be the way to find answers for such darkness. Also sending a prophet is an indirect allusion that this is not only a part of promise-fulfillment but also a final or ultimate solution for the Promise of God in lieu of surety of the failure of Israel in keeping the Covenant.  In this regard, waiting in patience and perseverance with committed spirit and heart to the Lord is an enormous importance. , they are to wait on a prophet for sending or opening of an office of prophecy is totally God’s prerogative and in His time He will surely send one to save His people.

 [In a scurry look, “a prophet” seems to mean the only a prophet; as we know God sent many prophets and it is possible to mean that one prophet at a particular time and occasion to whom they are to listen to, indicating that on a specific time and occasion, there will be only one prophet that God will send and they are to listen to. But also, it is clearly pointing to Jesus (Acts 3:22; 7:37), for he is the only one like Moses, who has been with God seen Him closely than any other.] 

Prophet John described his time as a time of impending judgment (Matt 3); Apostle John saw his time to be the time of utter darkness (John 1). Both marked their time to be near the end of God’s Covenant. At this time God sent the Prophet Jesus to rescue the nation from being cut off from the Lord. He is truly a prophet like Moses.  Moses conveyed the full message of the Lord to Israel after receiving the word directly from Him.  Jesus himself came as the WORD of the Lord.  He was truly a spoke person of the Lord. So he is the best example of a prophet.   They must listen to him.

Third, God put His word in the mouth of the prophet. God is giving Israel the Law of Covenant in its entirety. The entirety of the Law must be lived in the lives of His people for the Law is the reflection of God’s holiness. Yet it is foreseen for them to seek pagan mediums for they could not find the outlet for life in and through the Law.  This tells that Israel would come to the end of the roll of their life in the Law. The solution is to send a prophet. A prophet has a uniqueness;

18 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.

God would put His word in the prophet and he will tell everything the Lord commands him. Her the word ‘everything’ carries an idea of ‘complete’ or ‘full’. Israel would fail to live the Law and the embodiment of the Law of God would not happen. But in this prophet, God would put His word in his mouth and his life embodies the words of God in its entirety. His entire life is of the word of the Lord. The implication is this;

19 I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.

God, Himself will call to account. In other words, when Israel fails, God would use the nations of the world to punish His people (Deut 28:49). But when anyone fails to listen to the prophet, unlikely to how He dealt with the sinners till this time, God Himself will be directly involved in judging such men as He was directly involved in punishing Egypt with the ten plagues (Jos 23:5; Heb 10:29-31).  

In this way, God promised and made an ultimate plan to fulfill the Law of Covenant. The ultimate place is the prophet who fully would embody the word of the Lord.

One of the amazing things for us is that in Jesus God promised His spirit who will be with us. The Holy Spirit is with us from the time of our faith in the Prophet Jesus to the time we reach to the kingdom of God (1 John 1:3). There won’t be any more time of darkness in our lives for God is with us in His spirit.

It is also remarkable that the Covenant conditions regarding the service the Lord ends with God’s promise to send a prophet. Praise God for His unlimited wisdom to care for sinners like us and for his faithfulness in loving us sinners in Christ, the Prophet. It is His zeal to fulfill His promise:

26:18-19:  18 And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised and that you are to keep all his commands. 19 He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame, and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.