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| 1 The priests, the Levites, and the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel: Jehovah's offerings by fire, and his inheritance shall they eat, |
No part nor inheritance – This shows that the Great Company will have no inheritance in the earthly promises. Their inheritance will be on the spirit plane. R4655:2
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| 2 but they shall have no inheritance among their brethren: Jehovah, he is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them. |
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| 3 And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that sacrifice a sacrifice, whether ox, or sheep: they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the jawbones, and the maw. |
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| 4 The firstfruits also of thy corn, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the firstfruits of the shearing of thy sheep, shalt thou give him; |
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| 5 for Jehovah thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, that he may stand to serve in the name of Jehovah, he and his sons continually. |
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| 6 And if the Levite shall come from one of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and shall come according to all the desire of his soul unto the place which Jehovah will choose, |
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| 7 and shall serve in the name of Jehovah his God, as all his brethren the Levites that stand there before Jehovah, |
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| 8 --they shall have like portions to eat, besides that which he hath sold of his patrimony. |
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| 9 When thou art come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations. |
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| 10 There shall not be found among you he that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, that useth divination, that useth auguries, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, |
Pass through the fire – The people of Canaan first established the valley of Hinnom (Greek, Gehenna) as a place of torture, offering their children in sacrifice to the god Moloch. R3069:1
We have today, in nominal Christendom, a Moloch on a much larger scale. They have come to think of the Almighty as a ferocious deity who would take pleasure in the everlasting torture of mankind. R3464:6, R2360:1
That useth divination – The receiving of information from the fallen angels by means of omens, oracles, etc. R3068:3; PD42/52
An observer of times – Augury, the fixing of lucky or unlucky days. R3068:3
Or an enchanter – A hypnotist. R3068:3
Or a witch – A medium or mouthpiece of the fallen angels. R2172:1; Q840:T
One claiming to exercise power over the affairs of others. R3068:3
Spirit mediums, clairvoyants, clairaudients and the like are the modern wizards and witches. Q840:T
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| 11 or a charmer, or one that inquireth of a spirit of Python, or a soothsayer, or one that consulteth the dead. |
Or a charmer – Serpent-charmer, including those who claim to be able to put spells on people and animals. R3068:4
Consulter with familiar spirits – Or were familiar with the spirits who were disobedient in the days of Noah. PD42/52
Some mediums claim to have their special familiar spirit, while others claim a general intercourse with the spirits. R3068:4
Not to be visited, even "just to see how it is done." R3240:5
Or a wizard – One who claims to be wise in hidden or occult wisdom. R3068:4
Spirit mediums, clairaudients, clairvoyants and the like are the modern wizards and witches. Q840:T
Or a necromancer – One who professes to hold communion with the dead. R3068:5
Those who claim to speak for the dead--spirit mediums. HG726:1
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| 12 For every one that doeth these things is an abomination to Jehovah, and because of these abominations Jehovah thy God doth dispossess them from before thee. |
An abomination – God forewarned against the evil spirits and their mediums. He said that they should not be permitted to live in Israel. PD42/52; R5910:2
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| 13 Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God. |
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| 14 For these nations, which thou shalt dispossess, hearkened unto those that use auguries, and that use divination; but as for thee, Jehovah thy God hath not suffered thee to do so. |
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| 15 Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him shall ye hearken; |
Will raise up – The entire Gospel age has been the period of The Christ's (Head and Body) raising up. D629; CR485:4
Now being prepared, educated, disciplined and instructed for a missionary work. R715:5*
Raised above the condition of the world by being called with a high calling. R2859:5
Also raised up in the sense of being transformed, walking in newness of life. R2859:6
A Prophet – A teacher. R4058:1, R2859:4
United with the offices of Priest and King. D637; OV89:4
The Christ--Jesus is the Head, and all now received into God's family by the begetting of the holy Spirit are members of the Body. R5839:4; D629, D637; F434; R5334:1, R2611:6; Q193:3
Moses was the type of this greater Prophet, Messiah; and the Law covenant was a type of the greater Law covenant of the Millennial age. OV118:3
The Man Christ Jesus, by full obedience to the Law covenant, attained the right to "Moses' seat," to supersede Moses as Mediator. R5046:6
Believed in 1887 by the Samaritans as "one who will teach the nations the good way ... so that the whole world will repent of its sins." R906:2, 5*
Of thy brethren – Not enough "Israelites indeed" being found, divine wisdom has been selecting others from amongst the Gentiles. R5334:1
Like unto me – A diminutive representation of that great Mediator, Teacher, Leader and King--the real Deliverer of Israel and the world from bondage. R5333:2; A58, A78; B177; R4595:5
Anti-typical. R2858:2
To whom every "Israelite indeed" must transfer his pledges made under the Law to Moses, accepting Christ in Moses' stead. F434
The likeness is not of a personal kind; but found rather in position and work. R1321:3
As "our Passover," as "the Resurrection," as "the Life," Christ is the Prophet like unto Moses. R1321:3
The humbler title of prophet, teacher, or representative of God, represented also in Moses' case the kingly and priestly functions. R3068:2
Ye shall hearken – When the antitypical Moses, the Great Mediator, shall have been completed he will lead the people unto rest. R5388:2; CR485:4
Since Moses referred to Jesus as greater it was not disloyal to Moses for people thus to accept Jesus. R5858:3
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| 16 according to all that thou desiredst of Jehovah thy God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Jehovah my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. |
In Horeb – Showing that the point of the illustration was Moses' work at Sinai. R2858:5
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| 17 And Jehovah said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. |
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| 18 A prophet will I raise up unto them 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. |
Raise them up – The entire Gospel age has been the period of Christ's raising up. D629
A Prophet – See comments on Deut. 18:15.
Speak unto them all – The hidden truths of ancient prophecy as well as new revelations of truth. F233; R1525:1
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| 19 And it shall come to pass that the man who hearkeneth not unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. |
Shall come to pass – In the Millennial age. F709; A243
That whosoever – Every being, including the fallen angels. R1679:3, R2612:1
Will not – Will not submit to the rewriting of the divine law in his character. F360
Would fight against the Kingdom and oppose its rule in any particular after a reasonable trial. F709
In the Millennial age there will be upon man a different test, not of faith, but of works, of obedience. F113
Hearken – Perfect obedience will be required. T50; E219; F113; R2611:6, R892:5
Learn to love righteousness and hate iniquity. A303
Gradually, line upon line, precept upon precept. F709
All the willing shall reach perfection; all the unwilling shall be destroyed. D654; R5247:3 R2612:4, R892:5
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| 20 But the prophet who shall presume to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. |
That prophet shall die – The law (of blasphemy) under which Jesus was tried. R1809:5
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| 21 And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word that Jehovah hath not spoken? |
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| 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, and the thing followeth not, nor cometh to pass, that is the word which Jehovah hath not spoken; the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: be not afraid of him. |
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