Bible in one year 5/7/2022 Deuteronomy Chapter 16-20
By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian
Arts Ministries; Biblical precepts & Gospel Music; Pastoral ministry &
counseling
Chapter 16 Commands Concerning
Festivals and leaders.
These
verses from verse 1 to verse 17 give instructions concerning the three annual
pilgrimages that men were to make to the central sanctuary (Ex.23:14-17); and
celebrate the Passover of the Lord in the month of Abid, for the Lord brought
Israelites out of Egypt by night and eat
the unleavened Bread (Deut..16:1-8, Ex.12); then celebrate the Feast of Weeks (or
Pentecost) (Deut.16:9-12, Lev.23:16-23) to the Lord, by giving a free will
offering and celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Deut.16:13-15, Lev.23:34-43).
Three times a year all the men must appear before the Lord at the place He will
choose and no one should appear before the Lord empty-handed: each one must
bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord has blessed them. (vv.1-17).
Appoint judges and officials for each of tribes. Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bride, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Follow justice and justice alone. If a man or a woman is found doing evil, in violation of His covenant, and contrary to His command, has worshiped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars of the sky, must be stoned to death.(vv.1-3), A minimum of two witnesses was required, and they had to be sure enough of their own testimony to be willing to cast the first stones. In a stoning, the victim was stripped naked and his hands bound; then he was paraded and his hands bound; then he was paraded out of town, where he was placed on a scaffold about nine feet high. The first witness pushed him off the scaffold; the second dropped a large stone on his head or chest. Then by standers pelted the dying man with stones. No mourning was permitted for the dead man.(vv.6-7). Any case (v.8) that proved too difficult for the local court to decide was taken to the priests and judges at the central sanctuary. Their decisions were binding.. Verses 15 -20 the Lord instructs how to elect the king in the future, the king was (1) to be chosen by God, (2) to be an Israelite, do not place a foreigner, (3) not to imitate royal courts of other nations in his desire for horses, wives, and money (1 Kings 10:28-11:4), (4) to have a copy of the law (the original was deposited in the central sanctuary, Deut.31:9) and obey it.
The Lord will raise up for Israelite a prophet like Moses from among their own brothers. This role was ultimately fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth (Acts.3:22) Moses was a type of Christ in his service (Heb.3:2) and in his office as a prophet (Deut.34:10; Luke24:19). The Levitical priests were the special class of qualified ministering priests chosen from among the whole tribe of Levi. Their portion of the offerings is assigned in verses 3-5. IF a Levite decided to serve at the central sanctuary, he had a right to his share of work and remuneration. He could also keep anything received from the sale of property at home (Lev.25:33)(vv.6-8). In the fire (vv.10-11). The worship of Molech sometimes involved human sacrifice in the fire, divination. A general term covering the types of magic that follow.sorcery. Occult magic and use of spells. Interprets omens. Balaam did this (Num.24:1). Engages in witchcraft. Practices hidden arts. Spiritist. One who pretends to know about the unseen world. False prophets had to die (18:20; 13:1-11). They would be exposed by the failure of their prophecies to come to pass (18:22). However, a prophet’s prediction coming to pass did not prove he was of God (13:2).
Chapter 19 Commands concerning Human Relationships; The boundary mark, Witnesses
Three more cities. (v.9).
in addition to the six already designated. These were never added, because
Israel did not occupy all the territory promised to Abraham (Gen.15:18). David
subdued and took tribute from the larger area, and Solomon inherited it
(1Kings4:21), but it remained foreign and was soon lost. Verses 15-21, the
requirements concerning evidence, already given for capital cases (17:6), were
extended to all criminal cases. On the lex talionis(v.21; Lev.24:20).
Chapter 20 Warfare
Moses often used the
deliverance from Egypt to encourage noble purposes in the lives of the
Israelites(4:20;5:15;6:12;8:14;10:19;11:2-3;24:18;22;26:5,8). These exemptions
helped insure that victory would be ascribed to the Lord (v.4) and showed that
military were not paramount. On verse 8 (Judge.7:2-3) verses 10-15, this
procedure applied only to cities outside of Canaan. Verses 16-18 the Lord
instructed that Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and
Jebusites had to be utterly destroyed (7:2).
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Old
Testament (NIV) Deuteronomy Chapter 16-20
Chapter
16 The Passover
16:1 Observe the month of
Abib and celebrate the Passover of the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib
he brought you out of Egypt by night.
16:2 Sacrifice as the
Passover to the LORD your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place
the LORD will choose as a dwelling for his Name.
16:3 Do not eat it with
bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of
affliction, because you left Egypt in haste--so that all the days of your life
you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt.
16:4 Let no yeast be found
in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat
you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain until morning.
16:5 You must not
sacrifice the Passover in any town the LORD your God gives you
16:6 except in the place
he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the
Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary of your
departure from Egypt.
16:7 Roast it and eat it
at the place the LORD your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your
tents.
16:8 For six days eat
unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the LORD your God
and do no work.
The Festival of Weeks
16:9 Count off seven
weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.
16:10 Then celebrate
the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in
proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you.
16:11 And rejoice
before the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his
Name--you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, the
Levites in your towns, and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows living
among you.
16:12 Remember that
you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees.
The Festival of
Tabernacles
16:13 Celebrate the
Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your
threshing floor and your winepress.
16:14 Be joyful at
your Feast--you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants,
and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns.
16:15 For seven days
celebrate the Feast to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For
the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of
your hands, and your joy will be complete.
16:16 Three times a year
all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose:
at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of
Tabernacles. No man should appear before the LORD empty-handed:
16:17 Each of you must
bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you.
Judges
16:18 Appoint judges and
officials for each of your tribes in every town the LORD your God is giving
you, and they shall judge the people fairly.
16:19 Do not pervert
justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes
of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.
16:20 Follow justice and
justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the LORD your God is
giving you.
Worshiping Other Gods
16:21 Do not set up
any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to the LORD your God,
16:22 and do not erect
a sacred stone, for these the LORD your God hates.
Chapter 17 Two or Three Witnesses
17:1 Do not sacrifice
to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect or flaw in it, for that
would be detestable to him.
17:2 If a man or woman
living among you in one of the towns the LORD gives you is found doing evil in
the eyes of the LORD your God in violation of his covenant,
17:3 and contrary to
my command has worshiped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or the
moon or the stars of the sky,
17:4 and this has been
brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is
true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel,
17:5 take the man or
woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to
death.
17:6 On the testimony
of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put
to death on the testimony of only one witness.
17:7 The hands of the
witnesses must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all
the people. You must purge the evil from among you.
Law Courts
17:8 If cases come
before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge--whether bloodshed,
lawsuits or assaults--take them to the place the LORD your God will choose.
17:9 Go to the
priests, who are Levites, and to the judge who is in office at that time.
Inquire of them and they will give you the verdict.
17:10 You must act
according to the decisions they give you at the place the LORD will choose. Be
careful to do everything they direct you to do.
17:11 Act according to
the law they teach you and the decisions they give you. Do not turn aside from
what they tell you, to the right or to the left.
17:12 The man who
shows contempt for the judge or for the priest who stands ministering there to
the LORD your God must be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel.
17:13 All the people
will hear and be afraid, and will not be contemptuous again.
The Election of the King
17:14 When you enter
the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and
settled in it, and you say, "Let us set a king over us like all the
nations around us,"
17:15 be sure to appoint
over you the king the LORD your God chooses. He must be from among your own
brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother
Israelite.
17:16 The king, moreover,
must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return
to Egypt to get more of them, for the LORD has told you, "You are not to
go back that way again."
17:17 He must not take
many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large
amounts of silver and gold.
17:18 When he takes the
throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this
law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites.
17:19 It is to be with
him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to
revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and
these decrees
17:20 and not consider
himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the
left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in
Israel.
Chapter 18 Offerings for Priests and Levites
18:1 The priests, who
are Levites--indeed the whole tribe of Levi--are to have no allotment or
inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the offerings made to the LORD by
fire, for that is their inheritance.
18:2 They shall have
no inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as he
promised them.
18:3 This is the share
due the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulder,
the jowls and the inner parts.
18:4 You are to give
them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and oil, and the first wool from
the shearing of your sheep,
18:5 for the LORD your
God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and
minister in the LORD'S name always.
18:6 If a Levite moves
from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all
earnestness to the place the LORD will choose,
18:7 he may minister
in the name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in
the presence of the LORD.
18:8 He is to share
equally in their benefits, even though he has received money from the sale of
family possessions.
Occult Practices
18:9 When you enter
the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the
detestable ways of the nations there.
18:10 Let no one be
found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices
divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,
18:11 or casts spells,
or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.
18:12 Anyone who does
these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable
practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.
18:13 You must be
blameless before the LORD your God.
Messiah (The Prophet)
18:14 The nations you
will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for
you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.
18:15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a
prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.
18:16 For this is what you
asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said,
"Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire
anymore, or we will die."
18:17 The LORD said to
me: "What they say is good.
18:18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you
from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell
them everything I command him.
18:19 If anyone does not listen to my words that
the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.
18:20 But a prophet
who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a
prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death."
18:21 You may say to
yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the
LORD?"
18:22 If what a
prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true,
that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken
presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
Chapter 19 Cities of Refuge
19:1 When the LORD
your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you
have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses,
19:2 then set aside
for yourselves three cities centrally located in the land the LORD your God is
giving you to possess.
19:3 Build roads to
them and divide into three parts the land the LORD your God is giving you as an
inheritance, so that anyone who kills a man may flee there.
19:4 This is the rule
concerning the man who kills another and flees there to save his life--one who
kills his neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought.
19:5 For instance, a
man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his
ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That
man may flee to one of these cities and save his life.
19:6 Otherwise, the
avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is
too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did
it to his neighbor without malice aforethought.
19:7 This is why I
command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.
19:8 If the LORD your
God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your forefathers, and
gives you the whole land he promised them,
19:9 because you carefully
follow all these laws I command you today--to love the LORD your God and to
walk always in his ways--then you are to set aside three more cities.
19:10 Do this so that
innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the LORD your God is giving
you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.
19:11 But if a man
hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him, assaults and kills him, and then
flees to one of these cities,
19:12 the elders of
his town shall send for him, bring him back from the city, and hand him over to
the avenger of blood to die.
19:13 Show him no
pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that
it may go well with you.
19:14 Do not move your
neighbor's boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you
receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
Witnesses
19:15 One witness is
not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have
committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three
witnesses.
19:16 If a malicious
witness takes the stand to accuse a man of a crime,
19:17 the two men
involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the
priests and the judges who are in office at the time.
19:18 The judges must
make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving
false testimony against his brother,
19:19 then do to him
as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you.
19:20 The rest of the
people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing
be done among you.
19:21 Show no pity:
life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Chapter 20 Going to War
20:1 When you go to
war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than
yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be
with you.
20:2 When you are
about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army.
20:3 He shall say:
"Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do
not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before
them.
20:4 For the LORD your
God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give
you victory."
20:5 The officers
shall say to the army: "Has anyone built a new house and not dedicated it?
Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may dedicate it.
20:6 Has anyone
planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in
battle and someone else enjoy it.
20:7 Has anyone become
pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in
battle and someone else marry her."
20:8 Then the officers
shall add, "Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his
brothers will not become disheartened too."
20:9 When the officers
have finished speaking to the army, they shall appoint commanders over it.
20:10 When you march up to
attack a city, make its people an offer of peace.
20:11 If they accept and
open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and
shall work for you.
20:12 If they refuse to
make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city.
20:13 When the LORD your
God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it.
20:14 As for the
women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may
take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the LORD your
God gives you from your enemies.
20:15 This is how you
are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong
to the nations nearby.
20:16 However, in the
cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not
leave alive anything that breathes.
20:17 Completely destroy
them--the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites--as
the LORD your God has commanded you.
20:18 Otherwise, they
will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their
gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God.
20:19 When you lay
siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them,
because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees of the
field people, that you should besiege them?
20:20 However, you may cut
down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works
until the city at war with you falls.
Bibliography,
Ryrie, Charles C. The
Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986
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