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We are still in the thick of the specific commands by which Israel will set themselves apart as fully devoted to the LORD their God. Remember that this is all delivered by Moses at the borders of the Promised Land – his final appeal to Israel to keep all that the LORD has commanded.

Yesterday’s reading followed a theme of civil and economic justice, and today’s text bounces through a variety of instructions that hint at the role of the priests in Israelite life. The first of these is a reminder of how the Levites will be provided for, since they will serve as the LORD’s priests and have no inheritance of land.

Following a brief warning about the practices of the people of Canaan, Moses returns to the question of how to discern between false prophets and those whom the LORD has sent. It begins with a promise: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from you brothers…”

The LORD warns that a prophet can neither “speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him,” nor speak “in the name of other gods.” Since the first stipulation is hard to gauge, a test is given: “If the [prophet’s] word does not come to pass or come true,” then “that is not a word the LORD has spoken.” It sounds like a violation of the third commandment, and consequently “You do not need to be afraid of him.”

In chapter 19 Moses revisits the six cities of refuge that were designated in Numbers 35. These cities were safe spaces for those who unintentionally and without malice killed someone. The remainder of this chapter focuses on other issues of justice, such as property boundaries and determining the credibility of an accusation. Listen as the priests play a role in the justice system alongside the local judges.

Our reading today ends with the manner of making war against Israel’s enemies. Notice the call to courage; the role of the priest; and the type of soldier who is to fight in Israel’s army. Watch also as a distinction is made between battle against ordinary enemies and those whom “the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.” These are to be completely destroyed, devoted to the LORD.

Our verse for this week is Matthew 22:39: And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Deuteronomy 18 through 20. Now let’s read it!

Deuteronomy 18 - 20

The priests and the Levites--all the tribe of Levi--shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of Jehovah made by fire and his portion. They shall have no inheritance among their brothers. Jehovah is their inheritance, as he has spoken to them. This shall be the priests' due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give to the priest: the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the inner parts. You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep. For Jehovah your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in Jehovah's name, him and his sons forever. If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel where he lives, and comes with all the desire of his soul to the place which Jehovah shall choose, then he shall minister in the name of Jehovah his God, as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before Jehovah. They shall have like portions to eat, in addition to that which comes from the sale of his family possessions. When you have come into the land which Jehovah your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or someone who consults with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is an abomination to Jehovah. Because of these abominations, Jehovah your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless with Jehovah your God. For these nations that you shall dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery and to diviners; but as for you, Jehovah your God has not allowed you so to do. Jehovah your God will raise up to you a prophet from among you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him. This is according to all that you desired of Jehovah your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, "Let me not hear again Jehovah my God's voice, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I not die." Jehovah said to me, "They have well said that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die." You may say in your heart, "How shall we know the word which Jehovah has not spoken?" When a prophet speaks in Jehovah's name, if the thing doesn't follow, nor happen, that is the thing which Jehovah has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him. When Jehovah your God cuts off the nations whose land Jehovah your God gives you, and you succeed them and dwell in their cities and in their houses, you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which Jehovah your God gives you to possess. You shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land which Jehovah your God causes you to inherit into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there. This is the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, and didn't hate him in time past-- as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood and his hand swings the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and hits his neighbor so that he dies--he shall flee to one of these cities and live. Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the man slayer while hot anger is in his heart and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally, even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn't hate him in time past. Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves. If Jehovah your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers; and if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you today, to love Jehovah your God, and to walk ever in his ways, then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, in addition to these three. This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the middle of your land which Jehovah your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on you. But if any man hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities; then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with you. You shall not remove your neighbor's landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that Jehovah your God gives you to possess. One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established. If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days; and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother, then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you. Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil among you. Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, chariots, and a people more numerous than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for Jehovah your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you. It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people, and shall tell them, "Hear, Israel, you draw near today to battle against your enemies. Don't let your heart faint! Don't be afraid, nor tremble, neither be scared of them; for Jehovah your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." The officers shall speak to the people, saying, "What man is there who has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. What man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not used its fruit? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use its fruit. What man is there who has pledged to be married to a wife, and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her." The officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, "What man is there who is fearful and faint-hearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest his brother's heart melt as his heart." It shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall appoint captains of armies at the head of the people. When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it. It shall be, if it gives you answer of peace and opens to you, then it shall be that all the people who are found therein shall become forced laborers to you, and shall serve you. If it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it. When Jehovah your God delivers it into your hand, you shall strike every male of it with the edge of the sword; but the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, even all its plunder, you shall take for plunder for yourself. You may use the plunder of your enemies, which Jehovah your God has given you. Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations. But of the cities of these peoples that Jehovah your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes; but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Jehovah your God has commanded you; that they not teach you to follow all their abominations, which they have done for their gods; so would you sin against Jehovah your God. When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; for you may eat of them. You shall not cut them down, for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged by you? Only the trees that you know are not trees for food, you shall destroy and cut them down. You shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.

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