Bible In One Year Day 67 (Numbers 18, Deuteronomy 19-20, Psalm 99)

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Day 67: God's Justice and Refuse

Agape Bible Commentary 

Numbers Chapter 18 

Numbers 17:27-18:32 is divided into four parts:

1. Yahweh's response to the people's fears by defining the responsibilities of the priests and Levites in protecting the Sanctuary and the people from encroaching on the Sanctuary (verses 17:27-18:7).
2. The priests' reward for fulfilling their duties (verses 18:8-19).
3. The Levites' reward for fulfilling their duties (verses 18:20-24).
4. Commands concerning the distribution of the tithe (verses 25-32).

Numbers 17:27/12-18:7 Expiation-the Function of the Priesthood
Question: What has happened to cause the Israelites to be so fearful of Yahweh?

Answer: The Israelites have been traumatized by the events of the rebellion and God's divine judgment of death to the rebels.  With the deaths of about five thousand Israelites, including the deaths by holy fire of the two hundred and fifty tribal leaders who brought their minhah and incense offerings within the Sanctuary, the Israelites are now fearful of coming to the Sanctuary to worship Yahweh.

It is not the just the "encroacher" that the Israelites have in mind in Numbers 17:27-28.  It is their fear that anyone who draws near Yahweh in His Sanctuary will die.  It is a fear that could lead to the separation between Israel and Yahweh.  Their fear is that God will not limit His punishment to an unauthorized person and all of them are in danger of dying by His divine agency.  In His mercy, God addresses the people's fear in chapter 18 by graciously reminding the Israelites of the hierarchy of responsibility for encroachment on the Sanctuary.  He also modifies the roles of the priests and Levites so that only they and not the entire community will suffer death for encroachment.

Yahweh instructs Aaron in Numbers 18:1-7 that it is the Levites' duty to guard (samar) the sanctity of the Sanctuary, to serve (abad) the priests who minister/give service (abodah) in the Sanctuary, and to stand as a buffer between the people and the possible violation of the Sanctuary's holiness.   Levites still only function only as servants who assist the chief priests (Num 3:5-10). 

Notice that in this chapter it is only Aaron who receives the divine instructions for the priests and Levites (verses 1-24).  God will give Aaron instructions three times:

1. Verses 1-7: To have the priests and Levites share the responsibility for guarding the Sanctuary.
2. Verses 8-19: Instructing Aaron on the priestly perquisites.
3. Verses 20-24: Denying the Levites (chief priests and the three clans) any portion of the Promised Land and assigning the Levites the gift of the Israelites' tithes as a reward for their dangerous guard duties for the Sanctuary and providing a buffer for the lay Israelites.

However, in the final instructions for Levites' tithe to the chief priests, it is Moses who receives those commands (verses 25-32).

Numbers 18:8-19 The Portion Allotted to Aaron and the Chief Priests

Question: Verse 8 is the general introduction to the list of the priestly portions provided by Yahweh to His priests.  Yahweh makes what two points in this general introduction?

Answer:

1. God has put Aaron in charge of the Sanctuary and he is responsible in the event of a desecration.
2. As His part God will provide the chief priests the assistance of the Levites and an ample reward from the bounty of the Israelites.

Numbers 18:20-24 The Portion Allotted to the Levites

Question: In addition to the instruction to Aaron in verses 1-7, what fourth responsibility for encroachment upon the Sanctuary is included in verses 22-23?

Answer: The Levites are responsibly for encroachment by lay Israelites for the Sanctuary as a whole.

The Hierarchy of Responsibilities for Priests and Levites in Numbers 18
Class	Responsibility	Encroachment by	Scripture
Priests and Kohathite clan	Most sacred objects in transit	Lay Israelites	Num 18:1a
Priests	Most sacred objects of the Sanctuary	Disqualified priests	Num 18:1b, 7a
Priests and Levites	Most sacred objects at rest	Levites	Num 18:3
Levites	The Sanctuary as a whole	Lay Israelites	Num 18:22-23
Michal E. Hunt © 2010 inspired by a list in the JPS Torah Commentary: Numbers, page 424

Numbers 18:25-32 Distribution of the Tithe

The laity will live on the produce of the land, but the Levites are to live on the one-tenth cultic tithe paid by their brother Israelites and the cultic offerings designated for Yahweh's Sanctuary.  The chief priests (who are part of the tribe of Levi) are exempt from the tithe and are to receive the best tenth of the tithe that was given to the Levites and on those parts of the sacrificial offerings which were not consumed on the altar fire that were assigned to Yahweh's priests (i.e., Lev 23:20).

Aaron 

A Summary of the Sanctuary Responsibilities and God's Provisions for the Levites and the Chief priests in Numbers chapter 18

 The reason the gifts and tithes to Yahweh are shared with His priests and Levites is summarized in verses 19-20: the grants to the priests and Levites are to compensate for their exclusion from inheriting the land and as a reward for their service to God and Israel.

1. The priesthood of Aaron bore the primary responsibility for preserving the sanctity of the Sanctuary and its contents and the ritual purity of its own members. The Levites served the chief priests and only had access to the outer areas of the Sanctuary complex and could not approach the sacrificial altar.  
2. God will reward His priests with the following types of revenue for fulfilling their priestly obligations (Num 18:8-20):
   1. Portions of the "most holy offerings" not consigned to the altar fire, including most of the grain offerings, the sin and reparation offerings (see Lev 6:1-7:10).  The portions were to be consumed in a sacred meal by ritually pure priests within the sacred precincts of the Sanctuary (Num 18:8-10).
   2. The breast and foreleg and the right thigh from the peoples' "peace" communion offerings (see Lev 7:11-38).  These portions could be eaten by the priest's family, including daughters, wives and household slaves if they were in a ritually clean state.  For additional legislation on holy food for priests and their households see Lev 22:1-16 (Num 18:11).
   3. All the annual Israelite first fruits of the grain, fruit, olive oil and wine went to the priests to be shared with his household.  These various laws appear in Ex 23:16-19; Lev 2:14; 23:17-18; Dt 18:4; and 26:1-11 (Num 18:12-13).
   4. All that was proscribed under the provisions of the herem (curse of destruction/consecration) went to the priests.  Leviticus 27:21 and 28-29 records that ancestral fields that were not claimed in the Jubilee year and became Temple property under the law of herem were at the priests' disposal.  This legislation will also relate to the entire topic of herem as it is expressed in Dt 7:28 and 13:18, and during the conquest of Canaan in Joshua Chapters 6-7 (Num 18:14).
   5. All the first born males of man and beast went to the priests.  First born human males were redeemed by a redemption tax and their value, plus a surcharge that was remitted to the priests.  The firstlings of "unclean" animals not suitable for sacrifice were also redeemed and their value plus a surcharge was remitted to the priests.  See additional passages in Ex 13:2, 11-13; 22:28; 34:19-20; Lev 27:1-13; Dt 12:17; 14:23; 15:19-23 (Num 18:15-18). 
3. When the people occupy the Promised Land, the Levites are to collect from the twelve tribes of Israel one-tenth of the annual produce from their fields, vineyards, and orchards.  Laws governing the national annual tithe are also found in Lev 27:30-32; Dt 12:17-19 and 14:22-29 (Num 18:21-24).
4. Out of the national annual tithe, the Levites are required to contribute to the priests one-tenth of the best of all they have collected.  The chief priests benefited from this tithe as a reward for their ministry and they were exempt for all such tithes.  The requirement of the Levites to support the Aaronic priesthood epitomized the Levites subservience to the chief priests (Num 18:25-32).

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Agape Bible Commentary 

Deuteronomy Chapter  19 - 20 

Chapter 19: Cities of Refuge, Boundaries and Witnesses in Civil Trials

Deuteronomy 19:1-3 Cities of Refuge

The command to establish cities of refuge is also found in Exodus 21:13-14 and in Numbers 35:9-34.  This passage is referring to the cities of refuge only on the west side of the Jordan River.  The cities were to be located in areas that provided easy access for someone seeking refuge.

Question: In Numbers 35:13-15, how many cities of refuge did God command were to be established and where were they to be located?
Answer: God ordered the people to established six cities of refuge: three cities of refuge on the west side of the Jordan River in Canaan and three on the east side of the Jordan River in the Transjordan lands occupied by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the two clans of Manasseh.

Deuteronomy 19:4-13 Examples of Persons Eligible for Refuge

An "avenger of blood" was a male blood relative of the person who was killed who took up the obligation to seek justice for his dead relative.

Question: What determines if a killing is intentional or unintentional?
Answer: The intent and the past conduct of the person who killed another person.

Question: The procedure for seeking refuge is listed in this passage, in Numbers 35:11-15, 22-29 and in Joshua 20:4-6.  What must the killer do and what must the town provide?
Answer: The killer must flee to one of the sanctuary towns and explain his case to the town elders.  The elders will admit him and give him a place to live.  They will protect him until he is brought to trial.  If it is proved by trial that he killed unintentionally, he can continue to live in safety from the family of the victim until the high priest dies.  The high priest's death will atone for his sin and he will be free to go his way.  If someone seeks revenge after this, they will answer for murdering an innocent man.  If a trial proves that the man intentionally killed, then he will be put to death with a member of the family of the victim (the blood avenger) taking part in the execution.

Deuteronomy 19:13 You must show him no pity. 
The presiding judge and the judicial court must show no pity to one who is justly condemned for his sins.

Question: How is Jesus both our High Priest whose death atones for our sins and our blood avenger?
Answer: Jesus is both our High Priest and our blood avenger because His death has atoned for our deadly sins in the family of man, and He crushes the head of the serpent, Satan (Gen 3:15), as our blood avenger for the crimes against humanity in the sin and death Satan brought into the world.

If the Israelites expanded their borders, they were to establish additional cities of refuge. However, they failed to expand to the entire area promised by Yahweh; therefore more cities of refuge were not established.

Deuteronomy 19:14-21 Respect for Boundary Markers, Witnesses in Civil Trials, and the Repeat of the Law of Limited Retaliation
14 'You must not displace your neighbor's boundary mark, positioned by men of old in the heritage soon to be yours, in the country [land] which Yahweh your God is about to give you. 15 'A single witness will not suffice to convict anyone of a crime or offence of any kind; whatever the misdemeanor, the evidence of two witnesses or three is required to sustain the charge.  16 If someone gives false evidence against anyone, laying a charge of apostasy, both parties to this dispute [riv = covenant lawsuit] before Yahweh must appear before the priests and judges then in office.  18 The judges will make a careful enquiry, and if it turns out that the witness is a liar and has made a false accusation against his brother, 19 you must treat the witness as he would have treated his brother.  You must banish this evil from among you.  20 The rest, hearing of this, will be afraid and never again do such an evil thing among you.  21 You must show no pity.

'Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.'

[..] = literal translation (The Interlinear Bible: Hebrew-English, vol. I, page 512-13).

The sacrosanct status of boundary markers was a legal tradition in the ancient Near East (see Job 24:2; Prov 22:28; Is 5:8; Hos 5:10).  Boundaries between properties were usually marked by stones-as will be the ancestral lands given to tribal members in the Promised Land.  It is a moral offence to attempt to claim property that rightfully belongs to another (a violation of the tenth commandment).  Such a person who commits this offense is to be cursed (Dt 27:17).  The laws concerning boundaries in the Bible are similar to those laws found in other law codes of the region, for example the Code of Hammurabi and in the Assyrian law codes (also see Job 24:1-2 and Prov 22:28).

Question: According to Numbers 35:30 and Deuteronomy 17:6, how many witnesses were required to find someone guilty of a capital offense or any offense?
Answer: Two or more; a person could not be put to condemned for any offense on the testimony of only one witness.

The Pharisees brought Jesus a woman accused of adultery (Jn 8:1-11), hoping to trap Jesus into either going beyond His authority in a Roman province by condemning her to death according to Jewish Law (Lev 20:10) or forgiving her and letting her go free, which would be a violation of the Law and something the Messiah could not do.  Jesus asked for the one among them who was guiltless to cast the first stone (Jn 8:7).  Adultery was a death penalty offense by stoning for men and women who were found guilty (Dt 22:22).  In asking for someone to step forward to cast the first stone, He was seeking the witnesses against her.  Under the Law, a witness had to be truthful and without guilt in his testimony.  If the witnesses lied (there had to be at least two), they could be stoned themselves.  The elder members of the crowd, who were most familiar with the implications of the law, were the first to leave, followed by all other men in the crowd.

The prohibition against giving false testimony is one of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:16; Dt 5:20) and is also listed in greater detail among the laws in the Book of the Covenant (Ex 23:1-2).  If there was any suspicion of collusion or false testimony, the judges were to investigate thoroughly. 

Deuteronomy 19:19 ... you must treat the witness as he would have treated his brother. 

This command is addressed to the court.  If the witnesses are found to be false, the court was to give them the same penalty they had planned for the person they accused.  Punishment of a false witness is the only time the punishment phase is carried out by the court as the wronged party, since the purpose of the false witness wasn't just to condemn an innocent person, but the intent was also to subvert the ability of the court to judge correctly.  In Jesus' trial, the witnesses contradicted each other's testimony, but the judges ignored their duty (see Mt 26:59-61; Mk 14:55-56).

Deuteronomy 19:21 You must show no pity. Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.'  Once again (as in verse 13), the judges and the judicial court must base their verdict on the merits of the law and not on sympathy for the accused (also see Dt 16:18-20); nor must they hand down a verdict that was unjust.  The second part of the verse is the command to be just and to not exact vengeance-the punishment must fit the crime.  A man cannot be put to death for knocking out the tooth of another man.  The law of reciprocity, also called the law of limited retaliation, is known in Latin as Lex talionis. The law of reciprocity has already appeared in a similar formula in the Book of the Covenant (Ex 21:25) and in the Holiness Code (Lev 24:17-20).  By imposing a punishment that is just and equal to the crime/damage, the law aims to limit excesses of vengeance.  The same law is found in the Code of Hammurabi and in the Assyrian laws, but what is different in those codes is that the wealth and status of the individual were taken into account, whereas under Yahweh's justice all classes of society were equal under the law. The expressions "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" etc. are not necessarily meant to be taken literally.  In cases of bodily injury, the judges usually imposed monetary fines.  In the Code of Hammurabi, if a nobleman knocked out the tooth of someone of his same rank, his tooth was to be knocked out, but if he knocked out the tooth of a commoner, he paid one-third mina of silver to his victim (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, page 175).  According to Jewish tradition, the punishment for personal injury was a monetary fine (The Jewish Study Bible, page 411; JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy, page 185).

Chapter 20: War and the Rules for Combatants

Chapter 20 consists of three laws about warfare:

1. Preparing the army for battle (verses 1-9).
2. The treatment of conquered populations (verses 10-18).
3. The preservation of fruit trees near besieged cities (verses 19-20).

In these instructions, Moses presents five ways in which God will guide His people during armed conflict:

1. God's promise when faced by danger (verses 1-4).
2. God's provision in emergencies (verses 5-9).
3. God's peace extended to enemies who surrender (verses 10-11).
4. God's power over willful opposition (verses 12-18).
5. God's preservation of what is good in the midst of war and destruction (verses 19-20).

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 The Priestly Address before Battle

Horse drawn chariots were among the most technologically advanced weaponry armies had in this period in history.  War chariots were essentially platforms pulled by horses with a driver and a soldier who launched spears or shot arrows.  The speed and maneuverability of the chariot gave a tremendous advantage.  At the time the Israelites invaded Canaan, the Canaanites had war chariots and the Israelites did not (see Josh 4:11).

Question: What additional duty of a priest is mentioned in this passage?
Answer: The priest(s) must give a spiritually uplifting address to the troops before going into battle, reminding the soldiers of God's presence with His holy warriors and His gracious protection of His people in times of danger in Israel's past history.  The priest's presence makes Israel's battle a holy war.

Deuteronomy 20:5-9 Exemptions from Combat

Priests were to be appointed to accompany the army into battle, but the civilian officials (scribes/elders) are referred to in connection with requirements and responsibilities like determining who was eligible for the four military exemptions that are listed.  After spiritually uplifting the troops and the dismissal of certain men because of approved exemptions, commanders were appointed to lead the army by the priests and civilian officials (scribes/elders).

Question: What were the four conditions that made a man eligible for exemption from battle?
Answer:

1. If a man had built a new house
2. If a man had planted a vineyard that had not yet produced its first harvest*
3. If a man was betrothed and had not yet married the woman
4. If a man suffered from excessive fear and was faint-hearted

* The law stipulated that newly planted fruit bearing trees and vines were only available for common use in the fifth year (Lev 19:23-25).

The first three deferments ensured that young men who had made certain important steps in their adult lives should be able to complete them before risking their lives.  Jeremiah 29:5-6 mentions the same activities and the enjoyment of the fruits of those activities as the blessings of a normal life, while Deuteronomy 28:30 speaks of the failure to complete those activities as curses for failing to be obedient to the covenant.

 The fourth deferment was for cowardly behavior or tender-heartedness.  The cowardly fleeing from the field of battle could cause panic among the troops, and the tender-hearted would be unable to make themselves kill, thus wasting their own lives and perhaps the lives of others.

Deuteronomy 20:10-20 The Treatment of Gentile Captured Towns outside Canaan and Towns within Canaan

Question: How were towns outside of Canaan to be treated differently from Gentile towns within the Promised Land?
Answer: Towns within the Promised Land were to be put under herem-the curse of total destruction.  Other towns were to be offered peace terms.  If those towns refused the peace terms, however, after their were conquered the men were to be put the death but the women and children were to become slaves and the booty was to be divided among the soldiers.

Question: What reason is given in this passage for the towns in Canaan to be put under the curse of herem (total destruction)?
Answer: Their evil practices of pagan worship will seduce the Israelites and pollute God's Holy Land and God's holy people.

Question: Why was the judgment against the people who inhabited Canaan so harsh?
Answer: Maintaining their holiness as a covenant people meant life or death to the Israelites. 

Deuteronomy 20:19-20 The Treatment of Trees near Besieged Towns

In this passage God emphasizes that man has personal responsibility in the wise use of the blessings of the earth that God has given to him (Gen 1:29-30).  Fruit trees that provide food must be preserved at all cost.  Non-fruit bearing trees can be used to make siege equipment (ladders, battering rams, etc.) but cannot be destroyed at will for no reason.

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A Daily Defense

DAY 67  The Sacrament of Confirmation 

CHALLENGE “The sacrament of confirmation is an invention of men with no biblical basis.”

DEFENSE: The sacrament of confirmation is recorded in Scripture. The laying on of hands is used in several Christian rites, including healing (Mark 6:5; Acts 28:8) and ordination for ministry (Acts 6:1–6, 13:2–3). It is also used in Christian initiation. 

The book of Hebrews lists the laying on of hands among the “elementary doctrines of Christ” basic things a convert would need instruction on—alongside repentance, faith, baptism, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment (Heb. 6:1–2).

We see it used in Christian initiation in Acts 8, where Philip the evangelist (cf. Acts 6:5, 21:8–9) converts a number of Samaritans. Although he baptized them (Acts 8:12), he did not have the ability to lay hands on them. Thus two apostles—Peter and John—came from Jerusalem and prayed “that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit” (8:15–17).

We see the same in Acts 19, where Paul administers Christian baptism to a group and then lays his hands upon them, which results in the Holy Spirit coming upon them (19:5–6). The Holy Spirit is associated with and received in baptism (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 2:38; 1 Cor. 12:13), but the passages above show there was also a laying on of hands for further strengthening with the Holy Spirit as part of Christian initiation.

The passages also show this laying on of hands was distinct from baptism and that not all ministers performed it. Philip the evangelist baptized but did not lay on hands, while higher ranking ministers, such as Peter, John, and Paul, both baptized and laid on hands. “Very early, the better to signify the gift of the Holy Spirit, an anointing with perfumed oil (chrism) was added to the laying on of hands” (CCC 1289). This rite is today known in the West as confirmation and in the East as chrismation. 

Today as then, not all ministers are able to celebrate it. Bishops—the successors of the apostle —are able, as are priests under certain conditions, but other ministers are not.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist

Bible In One Year Day 66 (Numbers 17, Deuteronomy 17-18, Psalm 98)

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Day 66: Forbidden Forms of Worship 

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The Book of Numbers continues the story of the journey that began in Exodus and describes the experiences of the Israelites for a period of 38 years from the end of their encampment at Sinai to their arrival at the border of the Promised Land.  
The Book of Deuteronomy is a repetition of the law proclaimed on Mount Sinai.  The events of the book of Deuteronomy take place between the end of the wanderings in the desert and the crossing of the Jordon River, a period of no more than 40 days.  
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Numbers Chapter 17

God did not just punish the challengers, He killed them and their families and followers.  When the people complained, 14,700 more died of the plague.  Only Aaron, the rightful priest, offering incense as only he should, was able to atone and stop the plague.  In the same way that the Levites camped around the Ark to form a buffer between the people and God,  Aaron's sons would stand between them and God to deliver them from judgment.  God's sign that Aaron had God-given priestly authority was unmistakable.  Twelve rods representing the twelve tribes were left overnight in the tent of the testimony.  The next day, Aaron's rod had not only sprouted and budded; it had blossomed and born ripe almonds.  This was kept in the Art of the Covenant as a lasting reminder to all who would rebel against the priestly leadership God had established.  

Numbers Chapters 16-17 contain a single narrative that recounts another Israelite rebellion and its disastrous conclusion.  The narrative is divided into seven parts:

Part I: The announcement of the revolt (16:1-3)

Part II: Moses' response to the rebels (16:4-15)

Part III: The test of divinely appointed leadership (16:16-19)

Part IV: Yahweh's judgment (16:20-35)

Part V: The sign of the bronze censers/firepans (17:1-5/16:36-40)

Part VI: The plague judgment and Aaron's intercession (17:6/16:41-15/16:50)

Part VII: The miracle of Aaron's living branch (17:16-26)

Aaron's Rod Budded and Blossomed (woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld)

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Agape Bible Commentary 

Numbers Chapter 17 

Chapter 17: Aaron's Priestly Authority Confirmed

Numbers 17:1-5/16:36-40 The Firepans of the Dead Rebels

Question: Why was Eleazar commanded to scatter the fire that remained from the destruction of the rebels and to collect the bronze metal firepans?

Answer: The fire was holy because it came from Yahweh. It must be scattered for the flames to die out so that no one will try to collect it and put it to profane use.  Consumed by holy fire, the metal of the firepans have now become consecrated and must be used as holy objects.  To keep the metal from being used in a profane way, the bronze will be applied to a sacred object.

Numbers 17:6-15/16:41-50 Aaron Offers Expiation for the People's Sin

We cannot loose sight of the fact that sin within the covenant community can be judged both individually and collectively.  The entire community, bound to Yahweh as one person, had the obligation to suppress opposition to the Law and to punish those whose intent was to damage Israel's covenant bond with Yahweh.  If the community fails in its covenant obligations, the whole community is at risk in facing divine judgment.  The community of Israel refused to accept God's divine judgment concerning the rebellion of Korah and company. Instead of blaming Korah, they blamed Moses and Aaron for the deaths of their brother Israelites. Blaming God's ordained leaders of the covenant community for just actions in accord with their covenant obligations is the same as blaming God. The pillar of cloud that was over the Tabernacle moved to the center of the Sanctuary courtyard, and it probably changed from a white pillar to a fiery red pillar.

At God's warning, Moses and Aaron obediently got out of the line of holy wrath, but then Moses again took charge and sent Aaron into the breach between the sinful people and God's righteous wrath.  

Question: What is ironic about Aaron's use of incense to stop the plague?
Answer: The same incense that caused the destruction when used by unauthorized persons now averts destruction when it is used by the divinely authorized person.

Question: How does the death judgment in this rebellion compare to the deaths in the rebellion of the Golden Calf?  See Ex 32:25-28.
Answer: In this rebellion, including those who died in the plague, the two hundred and fifty who died offering incense and those on the south side of the camp of Korah and the Reubenites who were swallowed by the earth, five times more people died than those that died in the revolt of the Golden Calf.

Notice that it was Aaron who stood in the breech between life and death. Aaron and the Aaronic priesthood stands before the people as a bridge between the people and God and between life and death, offering expiation for sin and teaching the Law that leads to life.

In the fortieth year after leaving Egypt, when the tribes of Israel are assembled on the Plains of Moab in preparation for the conquest of Canaan, the five daughters of Zelophehad of the tribe of Manasseh will petition Moses, Eleazar (then the high priest) and the leaders of the tribes to inherit their father's portion of the Promised Land since they have no brothers.  They will frame their petition by including that their father had no part in what they call "Korah's revolt".

Numbers 17:16-26/ 17:1-13 The Sign of Aaron's Branch

To end the question of who has authority over the community among the tribal chieftains, Yahweh provided a final, definitive sign.  The test of the chieftain's staffs is intended to settle the issue once and for all.  

Question: Where is Moses commanded to place the twelve staffs of the tribes with Aaron's staff?
Answer: According to verse 25, all the tribal leader's staffs were placed in the Holy of Holies front of the Ark of the Testimony, also called the Ark of the Covenant.  After the miracle, Aaron's staff was to remain in the Holy of Holies with the Ark.

Question: The inspired writer of the New Testament Letter to the Hebrews records that later three sacred objects were kept inside the Ark of the Covenant.  What were those three objects? 

Answer: A golden jar filled with manna (the bread that came from heaven), Aaron's staff /branch that budded, and the tablets of the Ten Commandments.

Question: How do those three objects prefigure Christ and the Virgin Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant?  Hint: "branch" is one of the Messiah's messianic titles in the books of the prophets.
Answer: Jesus is the living bread that came down from heaven; He is the dead branch that came back to life; and He is the living Word of God.  Jesus was all three of these signs present in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

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Agape Bible Commentary 

Deuteronomy 17 - 18 

Deuteronomy 16:18-17:The Appointment of Judges and Other Officials

These commands are in addition to the other commands for judges to act with impartiality and to not subvert justice:

• The Book of the Covenant (Ex 23:3)
• The Holiness Code (Lev 19:15)
• Earlier in Deuteronomy (Dt 1:16-18 and 10:17).

Local courts of law were to be established in each community (verses 18-20), appointing men who are impartial (Dt 16:19), wise and experienced (Dt 1:19).  Difficult cases were to be sent to the high court of Levitical priests over which the High Priest presided (Dt 17:8-13).  Judges were to show no partiality-they were not to sympathize with the poor, nor were they to be impressed by the wealthy.

Next follows three prohibitions concerning worship at God's altar that judges and officials must be vigilant in preventing.

Question: What are the three forbidden practices? Also see Ex 23:24; 34:12-13; Num 33:52; Lev 22:20-25.
Answer:

1. Do not set up a pagan sacred pole or any kind of wood beside Yahweh's altar.
2. Do not set up any pagan standing-stones.
3. Do not offer Yahweh blemished or physically defective for sacrifice.

Chapter 17:2-20: Levitical Courts and the Rules for a King

Deuteronomy 17:2-7

The Prosecution of Apostates

Question: How were witnesses to take personal responsibility for testimony in death penalty cases?

Answer: The witnesses were to cast the first stones in the execution.  If they conspired together to lie and condemned an innocent person, then they were guilty of murder and would be held accountable by God before His judgment throne.

The blood of the apostate was not permitted to pollute the ground of the town of the faithful covenant people, nor was any dead body to be buried within the town limits.

Question: Where were the condemned executed, what restrictions were placed on their burial, and where were all bodies buried? See Dt 21:23; Josh 8:29; 10:26-27; Mt 27:57-60; Mk 15:42-47; Lk 23:50-55; Jn 19:38-42.
Answer: People were executed outside the walls of a town and all graves were to be outside the limits of the town.  The executed had to be buried before sundown.

All death penalty verdicts were carried out outside the limits of the town or outside the city walls, including Jesus' crucifixion in the spring of 30 AD.

Deuteronomy 17:8-13 Levitical Judges

Difficult cases were to be referred to the High Court where the High Priest resides with the Sanctuary.  The High Court's decision is final and defiance of its ruling is a death penalty offense. A case of murder could be referred to the High Court if the local court could not decide if it was a case of manslaughter or homicide.  In some cases, passions might be too enflamed and the community too divided for the local judges to feel they could safely render a decision. In such cases, the High Court took on the responsibility of rendering the final verdict, over which there was no appeal. 

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 Rules for a Limited Monarchy

The choice of Israel to have a king is optional; it is the only office mentioned that is optional.  Yahweh is Israel's king, but God knows that in the future the Israelites will demand to have a human king to represent their nation like their neighbors (see 1 Sam 8:1-9).

Question: What were the laws concerning the selection of a king of Israel and how he was to rule the nation?
Answer:

1. Israel's king had to be chose by God from among the Israelites; a foreigner was not eligible.
2. He must not acquire many horses.
3. He must not send officials back to Egypt to increase his cavalry.
4. He must not acquire many (foreign) wives, which will lead him away from Yahweh.
5. He must not acquire vast amounts of wealth.
6. At the dictation of the Levites, he must write down a copy of the Law.
7. He must read his copy of the Law daily.
8. He must not think himself superior as an excuse to abuse his people.

Scripture records that God personally selected, through His holy prophets, Israel's kings Saul, David, and David's son Solomon as well kings Jeroboam and Jehu who ruled over the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  All other legitimate kings of Israel were to be Solomon's descendants according to the covenant God made with David in 2 Samuel 7:12-16.  A foreigner was not eligible to be a legitimate king of the covenant people.

Rules for a King	Rules Broken by Solomon
He must be an Israelite chosen by God.
He must not have many horses or send people back to Egypt to increase his cavalry (Dt 17:16).	Solomon had 4,000 stalls of horses for his chariots and twelve thousand cavalrymen (1 Kng 5:1-2).  He imported a chariot from Egypt for 600 silver shekels and built up a force of chariots and cavalry with imported horses (1 Kng 10:26-29).
He must not acquire many wives, for that could lead his heart astray (Dt 17:17a).	Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines.  Many of his wives were pagans, including an Egyptian princess.  He allowed them to set up pagan shrines and offered sacrifice to their gods (1 Kng 9:24; 11:1-13; 2 Chr 8:11).
He must not acquire vast quantities of silver and gold (Dt 17:16b).	Solomon acquired vast quantities of wealth, including 666 talents of gold (1 Kng 10:14-25).
He must write a copy of the Deuteronomic Code, dictated by the priests, and must read it every day of his life.
A king must not think he is superior and so abuse his people.	Solomon so heavily taxed his people that they revolted when his son came to power (1 Kng 12:4-5; 12-19).
Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2011 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.

Note the use of the numbers 600 and 666; 6 is a number in Scripture that often symbolizes man's rebellion against God: Goliath was 6 cubits tall and King Nebuchadnezzar's golden statue was sixty cubits high and six cubits wide (Dan 3:1-7).  The only other place in Scripture where the number 666 is found is in the book of Revelation; it is the number of the name of the beast (Rev 13:17-18).  Solomon began his reign as a man of God, but power corrupted him and he fell away from God as his first love.

Question: What is absolutely unique about this section of the Deuteronomic Code?
Answer: It is Yahweh's requirement that the King of Israel to be subject to Law and not above it, as in the case of all other kings in this period of history.

Question: What are the implications concerning God's prophecy that the Israelites would one day ask for a human king?
Answer: God is Israel's great king.  The Israelites were to put their trust in Him and not in any human being.  Their request for a human king would arise from faltering faith and trust in Yahweh. 

Question: When the request came, how did the prophet Samuel interpret the Israelite's request for a human king and what was God's response?  See 1 Sam 8:6-9.
Answer: When their request did come, the prophet Samuel rightly interpreted their request as a rejection of God's divine leadership.  God affirmed Samuel's interpretation, but told Samuel to grant their request after telling the people the burden a human king would place on them.

In Deuteronomy 16:18-18:22, Moses laid out God's historical blueprint for Israel's constitutional government, placing limitations on the absolute authority of political and religious leaders.  Moses addressed the responsibilities and the limits of authority for four kinds of Israel's representatives:

1. Judges (Dt 16:18-17:22)
2. Kings (Dt 17:14-20)
3. Priests (Dt 18:1-8)
4. Prophets (Dt 18:9-22)

Chapter 18: The Levitical Priests, Ministers and Prophets

In this chapter the list continues with the responsibilities of Yahweh's chief priests and lesser ministers of the tribe of Levi and the role of Yahweh's prophet.

Deuteronomy 18:1-8 The Levitical Priesthood of Chief Priests and Lesser Levitical Ministers

Question: Why were the chief priests and the Levites without share or heritage in the Promised Land?  See Num 18:20-24; 35:1-8; Dt 14:22

Answer: They were not to be given plots of ancestral land since their lives were dedicated to God in ministerial service.  Their heritage was God because God promised to provide for them.  The Israelites lived off the blessings of the land and the chief priests and Levites lived off the tithe the Israelites were commanded to give to the ministers of the Sanctuary. The Levites also receive Levitical towns and cities of refuge.

Question: Who were the Levitical priests?  See Ex 6:18-20; 28:1-4, 40-43; 29:1-30; Heb 5:1; Sirach 45:7-22/27.
Answer: They are the chief priests who were the descendants of Moses' brother Aaron of the tribe of Levi and the clan of Kohath. God made a covenant with Aaron and his descendants.  They alone were qualified to minister at Yahweh altar of sacrifice and in the Tabernacle (Tent of Testimony).

Question: Who were the lesser ministers? Num 1:49-53; 3:6-13; 8:5-6, 14-19.
Answer: The lesser ministers were all the other Levites of the three clans that made up the tribe of Levi (Gershon, Kohath and Merari) who were not descendants of Aaron.  They served the chief priests and were responsible for guarding and transporting the Sanctuary.

Question: What limitations were placed on the Levitical lesser ministers that separated them from their brothers in the tribe of Levi who where chief priests descended from Aaron?  See Lev 1:5-6-9, 11-17; 2:16; 3:1-5, 8, 13; 4:7, 20, 26, 31, 35; 5:6, 10, 13, 16, 26; 6:2-6; 6:18, 22; 7:1, 6, 28-36; chapter 8; Num 3:9-10; 18:1-24.
Answer:

1. They were not anointed or ordained and did not wear the priestly garments.
2. They could not serve at the altar or offer the sacrifices.
3. They could not touch the sacred vessels.
4. They could not forgive sins.
5. They could not eat the sacred meal of the sin sacrifices.
6. They were not eligible to receive the priestly portions of sacrifices.
7. Their term of service was limited to age 50.
8. They could not enter the Tabernacle.
9. They served the chief priests as "dedicated" men.
10. They guarded and transported the Sanctuary.

Question: What was the function of the priesthood of Aaron?  See Ex 28:1-4; Lev 3:20, 35; 6:1/6:8-6/13, 17/24-23/30; 7:32/22-36/26; 16:2, 29-34; Dt 33:10; Mal 2:7.
Answer: Prerogatives of the chief priests:

1. It was the duty of the priesthood of Aaron to proclaim the Law.
2. The priests were anointed and ordained to serve at the altar, offering the communal and individual sacrifices of the people.
3. They wore liturgical vestments when ministering in the Sanctuary.
4. The priests served in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle.
5. The High Priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year on the Feast of Atonement.
6. They had the authority to forgive the sins of the people and to eat the sin sacrifices in a sacred meal.
7. The priests restored communion with God by sacrifice and prayer. 

Question: How was the power of the Old Covenant priesthood limited?  What blessing couldn't they offer God's covenant people? See Heb 5:3; 7:27; 10:1-4 and CCC 1540.
Answer: Old Covenant priesthood was powerless to offer the gift of eternal salvation through their sacrifices.  The sin sacrifices had to be repeated over and over again, while the single, perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the altar of the Cross offered atonement for the sins of all of mankind in every age.

Question: What did the Old Covenant ordained priesthood, the lesser ministers and the religious hierarchy prefigure in the New Covenant Church of Jesus Christ?  See CCC 1541; Heb 7:20-27 and 8:1-3.

Answer: The Old Covenant institution of ministry and service prefigures the New Covenant priests and deacons who serve the people and Yahweh in the Church founded by Jesus Christ; like the priests who served God at the altar, our priests represent Christ in the sacrifice of the Mass.  Jesus Christ is our eternal High Priest who continues to offer His one perfect sacrifice in the heavenly Sanctuary for the salvation of mankind; the deacons serve as our lesser ministers of the Sanctuary.

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 The Israelites must reject all Prophets who do not serve Yahweh

Before introducing the office of God's holy prophet, Moses gives a list of other means of attempting to predict the future apart from God, which he emphatically condemns.  The warning against false prophets has already been given (i.e., Dt 13:2-6/1-5), but in this section Moses begins by identifying false prophets before he defines what it means to be a true prophet.

Deuteronomy 18:13-22 The True Prophet

Question: Who is the first man to be called a prophet of Yahweh in the Pentateuch?  See Gen 20:7. 

Answer: Abraham is called a prophet by King Abimelech, meaning that the king considered Abraham to have a privileged standing before his God and was therefore a powerful intercessor.

Question: For Christians, what single event in the Gospels unquestionably reveals that Jesus isn't just "a prophet" but that He is the promised prophet in Deuteronomy 18:18-19?  See Mt 17:5; Mk 9:7; Lk 9:35).  What did Jesus say about the origin of the words He spoke?  See Jn 14:24.

Answer: God's command in Deuteronomy is that the people must listen to the prophet like Moses that He will send to speak His words.  On the Mt. of Transfiguration, when Jesus revealed Himself in His glory to the Apostles Peter, James and John in the presence of Moses and Elijah, the Apostles heard a voice from heaven commanding: "This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favor.  Listen to him" (Mt 17:5; emphasis added).  The command to "listen," found in all three Synoptic Gospel accounts of the Transfiguration, is the same command as in Dt 18:19.  And, in fulfillment of Moses' prophecy that the future prophet like him would speak the word of God, Jesus testified ...  And the word that you hear is not my own: it is the word of the Father who sent me.

Jesus may have also revealed to the Jewish crowd that He is the prophet Moses prophesied to the people and who Moses wrote about for future generations in Deuteronomy 18:18-19, when Jesus said: Do not imagine that I am going to accuse you before the Father: you have placed your hopes on Moses, and Moses will be the one who accuses you.  If you really believed him you would believe me too, since it was about me that he was writing; but if you will not believe what he wrote, how can you believe what I say? (Jn 5:45-47). And, in his teaching at the Temple after Pentecost, St. Peter spoke of the promise of Christ's Second Coming and referred to the prophecy of a prophet like Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15 and 19: Then he will send you the Christ he has predestined, that is Jesus, whom heaven must deep till the universal restoration comes which God proclaimed, speaking through his holy prophets. Moses, for example, said, "From among your brothers the Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me; you will listen to whatever he tells you. Anyone who refuses to listen to that prophet shall be cut off from the people." In fact, all the prophets that have ever spoken, from Samuel onwards, have predicted these days (Acts 3:20-24). Later, addressing the Sanhedrin and giving his witness of Jesus as the Christ, St. Stephen will refer to the same prophecy (Acts 7:37).

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A Daily Defense 
Day 66 
An Eye for an Eye

CHALLENGE: “The Old Testament laws stating that people should be punished in an ‘eye for an eye’ fashion are cruel.”

DEFENSE: Properly understood, these passages expressed a principle of justice and sought to promote the common good. Three passages mention the “eye for an eye” principle: Exodus 21:22–25, Leviticus 24:17–21, and Deuteronomy 19:16–21. 

The first deals with the case of men who are fighting and accidentally injure a pregnant woman, causing miscarriage. The second deals with a man who attacks and maims another. The third deals with a witness who lies in court to harm an innocent person. 

In each passage a similar formula occurs: “you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe” (Exod. 21:23–25). 

Note that these passages are intended to be used by a court when a crime has been committed. They aren’t instructions telling people to take personal revenge. 

The point of having a court system is to prevent people from doing that by seeing that justice is done when an innocent party is harmed. If people take their own revenge, they often do so excessively. A person who has been wounded or has seen a loved one wounded may kill the perpetrator. Courts exist to keep this from happening. To do their job properly, courts need to be seen as administering justice fairly. If they are seen as being too lenient, people may take matters into their own hands.

Thus the “eye for an eye” passages. They direct courts to let the punishment fit the crime, which is a fundamental principle of justice. This promoted the common good and order of society by discouraging people from taking their own revenge. 

In a world without an extensive prison system, this may have literally meant “an eye for an eye,” though not always. Numbers 35:31 specifies that no ransom can be accepted in a case of murder, suggesting that in lesser cases the guilty party could pay compensation. A person thus might avoid “an eye for an eye” if he provided appropriate compensation to the injured party.

Justice can also be tempered by mercy in other ways. Thus Jesus counseled individuals to “turn the other cheek” rather than pressing for “eye for an eye” justice (Matt. 5:38–39).

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist