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Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9<\/strong><\/span> Deuteronomy chapter 16 verse 18 is of note today: \u201cAppoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in all the towns the LORD your God is giving you. They will judge the people fairly throughout the land.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 After Deuteronomy comes the book of Joshua, which is followed by the book of Judges.\u00a0 And then\u2026 Israel won\u2019t be satisfied with just judges.\u00a0 Israel will want a king\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n Below is an image for Deuteronomy chapter 17 verses 8 and 9 today: \u201c\u201dSuppose a case arises in a local court that is too hard for you to decide\u2013for instance, whether someone is guilty of murder or only of manslaughter, or a difficult lawsuit, or a case involving different kinds of assault. Take such cases to the place the LORD your God will choose, where the Levitical priests and the judge on duty will hear the case and decide what to do.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n In Deuteronomy 18:15 today Moses prophesies about Jesus!\u00a0 \u201cMoses continued, \u201cThe Lord<\/span> your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 These words of Moses\u2019 show that the coming of Jesus was not an afterthought, but part of God\u2019s original plan.\u00a0 In Acts 3:22-23 Peter quoted this verse to show that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah, the prophet referred to here in Deuteronomy.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Bob Deffinbaugh with Bible.org has a great commentary on Deuteronomy chapter 18 titled \u201cFalse Prophets\u201d<\/strong> <\/span>at this link<\/span>.\u00a0 One good quote from this link from Bob is \u2013 \u201cFalse prophets play down the majesty and holiness of God. They try, as it were, to \u2018bring God down\u2019 to our level. They make us feel comfortable around \u201cGod\u201d (or the \u201cgods\u201d), and they even seek to convince us that we can manipulate God to our advantage. The true prophets did just the opposite.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 Think there are false prophets in our world today?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In Deuteronomy chapter 19 we read about the Cities of Refuge today.\u00a0 <\/span>An image is below for verse 11 \u2013 which did not allow one safety in the Cities of Refuge\u2026. \u201c\u201dBut suppose someone hates a neighbor and deliberately ambushes and murders that neighbor\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n An image is below for Deuteronomy chapter 20 verses 1 through 4 \u2013 \u201c\u201cWhen you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The LORD your God, who brought you safely out of Egypt, is with you! Before you go into battle, the priest will come forward to speak with the troops. He will say, `Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight today! Do not lose heart or panic. For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!\u2019\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>This reminds me of a great lyric from Chris Tomlin\u2019s Arriving CD \u2013 \u201cIf God is on our side, who can be against us?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It is interesting to read about the cleansing for an unsolved murder in Deuteronomy chapter 21.\u00a0 I think God makes it crystal clear here that murder is such a horrible crime that affects the entire land and community.\u00a0 The Ten Commandments are obviously clear on \u201cdo not murder.\u201d\u00a0 These verses in Deuteronomy go into a bit of what happens to the land when one is murdered.\u00a0 Interesting to think about these verses on murder \u2013 and then realize that Jesus, whose blood was wholly innocent, was murdered on a cross.\u00a0 Was Jesus\u2019 murder unsolved?\u00a0 Who is guilty for this murder of Jesus?\u00a0 Whose sins put Jesus on the cross?\u00a0 Thankfully, whose sins does Jesus\u2019 blood cover?\u00a0 Who does Jesus rescue and redeem through His innocent blood shed on a cross?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Worship God:<\/strong> Today\u2019s readings in Deuteronomy 18:15 reminded me of Chris August\u2019s song \u201cStarry Night:\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
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