A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Deuteronomy · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
Verſ. 3. ANd this …hall be the priests due from the people, from th…m that offer a ſacri…ice, &c.]
Beſides all other things, which being the Lords right by his Law he hath given to the prieſts and Levites.
They ſhall give unto the priest the ſhoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.]
The wave-breaſt, mentioned elſewhere, is here left out, and that, as I conceive, becauſe it is comprehended under the ſhoulder, to which it is joyned in the ſheep, both being parts of the fore-quarter. But withall the maw and the two …heeks, added here, are no where elſe mentioned; the reaſon whereof may well be conceived to be this, becauſe elſewhere the Lord onelyonly preſcribes what part the prieſts ſhould have of the ſacrifice, and the two cheeks and maw were no pa…t of the ſacrifice, or holy things, but cut off before and given to the prieſts, and not ſo much as waved or heaved before the Lord.
Verſ. 5▪ For the Lord thy God hath choſen him out of all thy tribes, to sta… to minister in the name of the Lord▪ &c.]
It is ſaid of the p…ieſts here that they did miniſter in the name of the Lord, either becauſe they performed the ſervice of the prieſthood by command and a…thority received from the Lord▪ or rather becauſe they performed it to the Lord, as the duties of his worſhip and ſervice which he required of them.
Verſ. 6. And if a L…vit e come from any of thy gates out of all Iſrael▪ &c.]
The ſumme of this Law is this that w…enever any of the tribe of Levihad a deſire to come and ſerve in the tabe…nacle or temple, they ſhould be admitted to live of the holy things there▪ …v…n …s the reſt that did at times ſerve in that place. The prieſts and Levites, we know, had ſeverall cities given them throughout the land of Iſrael▪ where th…y had …ir conſtant abode, and did there inſtruct the people▪ and performed ſuch other duties as belonged to their places; and ſo the ſervice of the tabernacle and temple was performed by thoſe that from th…ir ſſverall cities went up in their tu…ns to do the ſervice of that place (for from the firſt I conceive there was ſome order obſerved for thi…, though by David afterward this was mor… …xactly co…trived, when they were divided into foure and twenty courſes, 1. Chron. 23.) Now therefore here order is taken that if any of that tribe, whether prieſt or ordinary Levite, had a deſire to go …p and ſerve in the houſe of God voluntarily, when it wa… not his courſe, or happely to ſpend the whole remainder of his life in that ſervice, … ſhould then be admitted to do the ſervice of the houſe, and ſhould have his ſhare of the holy things even as other his brethren had, whoſe courſe it was at that time to attend upon that ſervice.
Verſ. 8. They …hall have like portions to cat, beſide that which come…h of the ſale of his patrimony.]
That i…, though he have ſomething whereon to live which cometh in of the ſale of his patrimonie, he ſhall for all that have a like portion to eat of the holy things as other his brethren have that do the ſervice there in their ſeverall courſes. But what is meant here by that which cometh of the ſale of his patrimonie? I anſwer, ſome hereby mean the money which the Iſraelites, which dwelt far off from the tabernacle or temple, brought with them when they came thither, and was raiſed of their holy thi…gs which they ſold at home, according to that Law, Deut. 14. …4. 25. and …hat it is enjoyned here, that of this theſe that thus went up to the tabernacle or temple ſhould have their ſhare as well as of other the holy things: others again hereby underſtand that which was raiſed of his portion of the tithes paid to the Levites, in the place where he had his dwelling, which they ſay he was to enjoy, and yet was to have no leſſe ſhare in the holy things of the temple when he went up to ſerve there. But neither of theſe I conceive can be meant here, becauſe this place ſpeaks not of ſuch things as were the patrimony of the Prieſts and Levites in generall, but of that mans peculiar patrimony which ſhould thus voluntarily go up to ſerve at the altar; which therefore doubtleſſe was ſuch moneys as came in of the ſale either of thoſe houſes which were his portion and patrimony in the cities of the Levites, or of any other eſtate that was left him by his father: and ſo the meaning of this place is, that notwithſtanding any ſuch private eſtate that the Levite had, yet if he went up to ſerve in the temple he muſt live of the holy things of the temple, as others did. Indeed conſidering that the Levite might redeem his houſe, which he had ſold, at any time, Levit. 25. 32. it was not fit that he ſhould be diſabled to do this by ſpending his money upon his own maintenance. But however if of ſingular devotion to the ſervice of the Sanctuary he ſhould go up extraordinarily to ſerve there, God would have ſuch an one live of the altar and not be put thereby to ſpend his own private eſtate whatever it were.
Verſ. 10. There ſhall not be found among you any one that maketh his ſonne, or his daughter to paſſe through the fire.]
See the note upon Lev. 18. 21.
Or that uſeth divination, or an obſerver of times, &c.]
By one that uſeth divination, is meant one that foretelleth things to come, Mich. 3. 11. The prophets thereof divine for money▪ and by an obſerver of times is meant ſuch as by obſerving conſtellations, &c. …id pronounce ſome dayes lucky and ſome unlucky, and undertake to tell men their fortune. The diviners were carried much by inward motions, theſe laſt by outward obſervations in the creatures. So alſo by a Necromancer, verſ. 11. is meant ſuch as by raiſing the dead did enquire after ſecret things.
Verſ. 13. Thou ſhalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.]
That is, tho… ſhalt keep thy ſelf intirely to him, and not ſeek unto any other for help; thou ſhalt in theſe things before ſpoken of, as in all other things, keep thy ſelf exactly to what thy God hath enjoyned thee, and not defile thy ſelf with any of theſe abominations practiſed amongſt other n…tions.
Verſ. 15. The Lord thy God will raiſe up unto thee a prophet from the midſt of thee, &c.]
The heathens, that uſed theſe unlawfull arts, made account that God did by theſe means reveal himſelf to them, and deemed ſuch high knowledge a high degree of their happineſſe: leſt therefore the Iſraelites ſhould think much that they were debarred of this, the Lord tells them here that he would by prophets raiſed up to them from amongſt their brethren as fully inform them concerning all things neceſſary for them to know, as if God ſhould come down to them out of heaven. I doubt not indeed but this which is here ſpoken is meant firſt and principally of Chriſt; for the Apoſtle Peter ſaith expreſſely that this was fulfilled in Chriſt, Acts 3. 22. For Moſes truly ſaid unto the fathers, A Prophet ſhall the Lord your God raiſe up unto you, of your brethren like unto me; him ſhall ye hear in all things whatſoever he ſhall ſay unto you; and with reſpect to this place that ſeems …o have been ſpoken by Philip, John 1. 45. Philip findeth Nathanael, and ſaith unto him, We have found him of whom Moſes in the law, and the prophets did write, Jeſus of Nazareth the ſonne of Joſeph; and that by Chriſt, John 5. 46. Had ye believed Moſes, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But withall I ſee not how we can exclude the other Prophets between Moſes and Chriſt, the drift of theſe words being manifeſtly this, to ſhew that they ſhould have no cauſe to ſeek to enchanters and diviners, becauſe God would ſtill raiſe them up Prophets to reveal his will unto them: and how could this be a ſtay to them, if it were meant onelyonly of Chriſt, who was not ſent unto them above one thouſand and foure hundred years after this? therefore I think it muſt be underſtood principally of Chriſt, as the onelyonly Prophet of his Church, but withall inde…initely of all the Prophets as ſubordinate to Chriſt, ſent from him and inſpired by him. The Jews indeed underſtand it not commonly of the Meſſiah, but of another notable Prophet beſides, like unto Moſes, which was to be ſent to them, John 1. 25. But herein they were groſſely deceived: for it is evident by thoſe places, Acts 3. 22. and 7. 37. that Chriſt was the Prophet here principally meant, though other Prophets are al…o comprehended, as is before ſaid. As for that clauſe, a Prophet like unto me, though the Prophets afterwards ſent to Iſrael were not equall to Moſes, Deut. 34. 10. And there aroſe not a Prophet ſince in Iſrael like unto Moſes, whom the Lord knew face to face; yet they were like him, men ſent from God as he was, raiſed up from amongſt their brethren as he was, and this is here chiefly intended, (ſee verſ. 16. According to all that thou deſiredſt of the Lord thy God in Horeb, in the day of the aſſembly, ſaying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither▪ let me ſee this great fire any more, that I die not) and ſo was Chriſt, a high prieſt taken from among men, Hebr. 5. 1. yea like him and above him: for firſt, as Moſes was as a Mediatour betwixt God and the people, Deut. 5. 5. I ſtood between the Lord and you at that time, to ſhew you the word of the Lord; for ye were afraid by reaſon of the fire, and went not up into the mount; ſo was Chriſt, Heb. 8. 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent miniſtrie, by how much alſo he is the mediatour of a better covenant, which was eſtabliſhed upon better promiſes: ſecondly, in excellen…y: of Moſes it is ſaid, Numb. 12. 6, 7. And he ſaid, Hear now my words: If there be a Prophet among you, I the Lord will make my ſelf known unto him in a viſion, and will speak unto him in a dream; My ſervant Moſes is not ſo, who is faithfull in all mine houſe; and ſo of Chriſt, John 1. 17, 18. For the law was given by Moſes, but grace and truth came by Jeſus Christ. No man hath ſeen God at any time, the onelyonly begotten ſonne, which is in the boſome of the Father, he hath declared him. Thirdly, in faithfulneſſe: for ſo it is ſaid of Chriſt, Heb. 3. 2. Who was faithfull to him that appointed him, as alſo Moſes was faithfull in all his houſe; yea and above Moſes, verſ. 5, 6. And Moſes verily was faithfull in all his houſe as a ſervant, but Chriſt as a ſonne over his own houſe. Fourthly, in that as Moſes brought them the law from God, ſo Chriſt the Goſpel out of his Fathers boſome. Fifthly, in ſignes and wonders: for Chriſt was a prophet mightie in deed and word, Luke 24. 19. as Moſes alſo was; yea more mightie, John 15. 24. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had ſinne. And ſixthly, as Moſes carried the Iſraelites from their bondage in Egypt to the land of Canaan, ſo Chriſt delivered his people from their ſpirituall bondage, and opened heaven for them, John 6. 40. And this is the will of him that ſent me, that every one which ſeeth the ſonne and believeth on him, may have everlaſting life.
Verſ. 18. And will put my words in his mouth, and he ſhall ſpeak unto them all that I ſhall command him.]
This is meant of the faithfulneſſe of thoſe Prophets which God would ſend unto them▪ to wit, that they ſhould deliver whatever God gave them in cha…ge, and nothing but that which he ſhould put into their mouthes. But moſt eminently was this verified in Chri…t, when he came to preach the Goſpel unto men; for thoſe words of eternall life were the words which God here ſaith he would put into his mouth, and which accordingly he faithfully delivered to the people, All things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you, John 15. 15.
Verſ. 19. Whoſoever will not hearken unto my words which he ſhall speak in my name, I will require it of him.]
That is, I will puniſh him for it: and ſo indeed God did alwayes ſeverely puniſh thoſe that would not hear his Prophets. But principally this was fulfilled upon the Jews, who would not hearken to the words of Chriſt, when God deſtroyed the city and the Sanctuary, as was prophecyed, Dan. 9. 26. and poured upon the people his uttermoſt wrath, 1. Theſſ. 2. 16.
Verſ. 22. When a Prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to paſſe, that is the thing which the Lord hath not ſpoken.]
That we may rightly underſtand the rule here given for the diſcovery o… falſe p…ophets, we muſt note two things: firſt, that it muſt be underſtood onelyonly of ſuch …redictions of prophets wherein they foretold ſome ſtrange and miraculous thing tha… ſhould come to paſſe, as a proof that they were truly ſent from God; for if theſe indeed cam… not accordingly to paſſe, the people might be ſure that they were falſe prophets▪ and that God had no… ſent them. But now in other predictions, as in foretelling ſome judgement or bleſſing that ſhould befall men, that which they foretold mig…t not come to paſſe, and yet they that foretold theſe thi…gs might be the true Prophets of God for …ll that; for thus we know it was with the Prophet Iſaiah, when he told Hezekiah that he ſhould die of his ſick…ſſe, 2. Kings 20. 1. and with Jonah, when he prophecyed that after fourty dayes Niniveh ſhould be deſtroyed, Jonah 3. 4. and the reaſon of this is, becauſe in all ſuch predictions the people migh… know, judging thereof by the known rule of Gods word, that theſe were conditionally foretold, though the condition were not expreſſed, and therefore that in caſe they repented God would not inflict the evil denounced againſt them, and in caſe they were not obedient unto God, he would hold back the bleſſings promiſed: and ſecondly, that though the not accompliſhing of ſignes foretold be made here a ſure mark of falſe prophets, yet we muſt not hence in…erre that on the contrary when ſignes foretold did accordingly come to paſſe, that was an infallible proof of true prophets: for if they taught any thing contrary to the written word touching matters of faith and of the worſhip of God, the people were to hold to the written word, and not to believe them, but to puniſh them as falſe prophets, though they did confirm their ſayings, that did indeed come to paſſe, as they were before taught, Deut. 13. 1, 2. &c.
But the prophet hath spoken it preſumptuouſly.]
To wit, becauſe he did ſo boldly foretell that ſuch a thing ſhould come to paſſe having no warrant for it from God, & withall becauſe it was indeed a high degree of arrogancie to father his fancies & lies upon the God of truth, ſaying that God had ſaid that which he had not ſpoken.
Thou ſhalt not be afraid of him.]
That is, though he boaſt never ſo much of the certainty of that which he ſaith, and that indeed God hath ſent him; and though he threaten in never ſo horrible a manner all the curſes he can deviſe if you do not believe him, yet thou ſhalt not be afraid of his brags and threatnings, nor fear to put him to death, as God hath appointed.