Deuteronomy 16


Celebrating the Passover


They should celebrate Passover in the month of Abib (later, the month is called Nisan). It is the first month.  God brought the Israelites out of Egypt one night in the first month. 
[1] Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.


They should take an offering to God's special place. Their offering can be a goat, sheep, or cow. 
[2] Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there.


For 7 days, they should not eat any leavened bread (bread that has yeast in it).  They should eat only unleavened bread that is flat. In the 1st Passover, the Israelites ate flat bread. They left Egypt fast. They did not have time for the bread to rise and be fluffy. If they eat flat bread now, they will remember how they suffered in Egypt. They will also remember how God brought them out of Egypt on the 1st Passover.  
[3] Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.


For the 7 days of Passover, there should not be any leavened bread anywhere in Canaan. When they sacrifice an animal on the 1st night of Passover, they should eat all of it.  There should not be anything leftover in the morning. 
[4] And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there anything of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning.


They should not make the Passover sacrifices in their own towns. They must travel to God's special place. They should make the Passover sacrifices in the evening. Then they should eat the meat. Then next day, they should go home.
[5] Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee:
[6] But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.
[7] And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.


They should eat the unleavened bread for 6 days.  On Day 7, they should have a worship ceremony.  They should not work on that day. 
[8] Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.

Celebrating the Feast of Weeks


When they start to cut down the corn on their farms, they should start counting the weeks. 7 weeks later, they should celebrate the Feast of Weeks (another name is the Feast of Pentecost).  They should bring a special offering to God to honor Him. They should bring things that grew on their farms. If many things grew well on their farms, they should bring a big offering.  If just a few things grew on their farms, they should bring a smaller offering. 
[9] Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.
[10] And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:


They should celebrate in God's special place. They should celebrate with their children, their male and female servants (workers), the Levites who live in their lands, people who are from other countries, orphans, and widows. 
[11] And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there.


They should remember that in the past, the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. They should always obey these laws.
[12] And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.

Celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles


They will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles 7 days after their corn and grape harvest. After they pick all of their corn and all of their grapes, they should wait 7 days.  Then they should have the special celebration.  They will celebrate with their children, their male and female servants, the Levites who live in their lands, people from other countries, and the orphans and widows who live in their lands.  
[13] Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:
[14] And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.


God will bless the Israelites in Canaan. Their work will do well. Many things will grow on their farms. They should rejoice and be happy. They should go to God's special place for the Feast of Tabernacles celebration.  They should celebrate for 7 days. 
[15] Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.


There are 3 times in the year when the men must go to God's special place. The 3 times are:  Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles.  When they go there, they should take an offering.  If they own many things, they should take a big offering.  If they own just a few things, they should take a smaller offering. 
[16] Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
[17] Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.


To read more about the special celebration days, click here.

Judges

After God gives them land in Canaan, they should pick people to be judges.  The judges should always be fair and impartial (judge everyone the same with no favorites). A judge should not accept a bribe (a gift to make the judge be unfair).  If a judge accepts a bribe, he may not be honest anymore. 
[18] Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
[19] Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

Everyone should be treated the same.

If they are always fair and treat everyone the same, they will live in the land that God gives them.  
[20] That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

God hates when people worship false gods.

They should never plant a grove of trees near God's altar.  Groves means a group of trees. Some of the people used these groves of trees to worship a false god named Asherah. They cut off the tree branches. Then they cut in the tree trunks and made statues.  They should never make statues and worship them. God hates when people worship false gods. 
[21] Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
[22] Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.

Deuteronomy 17


Sacrifices must be perfect.


They should never sacrifice a cow or sheep that has something wrong with it.  God hates a sacrifice that is not perfect.
[1] Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

Israelites who worship false gods must die.


After they are living in their cities in Canaan, they may hear a rumor that a man or woman has broken the promise with God. The person is worshiping false gods or is worshiping the sun, the moon, or the stars. They should check to see if the rumor is true. If it is true, they should stone the person (throw rocks at him until he dies). 
[2] If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant,
[3] And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;
[4] And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and inquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel:
[5] Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.


There must be 2 witnesses (other people who saw the person worshiping false gods). If there is only 1 witness, they should not stone the person.  
[6] At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.


The 2 witnesses should throw rocks first. Then the other Israelites will throw rocks, too.
[7] The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.

The Israelites will ask the judge about legal situations. 


Some legal situations will happen that will not be clear. For example,  someone may be killed, someone might get hurt, or some property might be damaged. But it is not clear if these were accidents or done on purpose.  They should go to God's special place.  They should tell the priests, the Levites, and the judge about the situation. Then the judge will tell them what to do about the unclear situation.
[8] If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;
[9] And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and inquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment:


They should do exactly what the judge tells them to do.  If a person does not obey the judge, the person should be killed. Other people will hear about it, and they will obey the judge. That is the way they get the evil (bad) out of their land. 
[10] And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee:
[11] According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.
[12] And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.
[13] And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.

In the future, the Israelites will have a king.


After the Israelites move into Canaan, they will want to have a king. The other countries have kings, so the Israelites will think they should have the same.  God will choose the king.  The king should be wise (smart).  The king should be an Israelite. A person from another country should not be the king. 
[14] When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
[15] Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.


The king should not have a lot of horses for his army.  He should not send people to Egypt to buy more horses.  God said that no Israelites should ever go back to Egypt. 
[16] But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.

The king should not have a lot of wives. This might make him turn away from God. He should not have a lot of money.
[17] Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.



The Levites have the original book of laws.  When a person becomes king, he should copy the laws and make a book.  He should keep the book with him. He should read the laws and study them for the rest of his life. The laws teach him to honor and respect God.  He should obey the laws for his whole life. 
[18] And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
[19] And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:



The king should not think that he is better than anyone else. He should always obey the laws.  If he obeys the laws, he will be king for a long time. Then his children, grandchildren, and his descendants will also be kings. 
[20] That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

Deuteronomy 18


The Levites will live in the land owned by the other tribes. 


The Levites will have no family land in Canaan.  They will eat the food and animals that other Israelites sacrifice for their offerings.  
[1] The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance.



The Levites will not inherit land, but they will be special to God. They will do God's work, and their descendants will do God's work. 
[2] Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.


When the other Israelites bring animals for sacrifices, the Levites will be able to eat some of the meat. The Levites may eat the shoulder. the jaw, and the stomach. 
[3] And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.


The Levites may also keep the first part of the corn, the first part of the wine, the first part of the oil, and the first part of the wool from the sheep.
[4] The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.


God chose the Levites to do his work now and in the future.
[5] For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.

If one of the Levites wants to leave his city in Canaan and go to work in God's special place, he can do that.  Maybe he owned things in his other city. He or his family may have sold the things. Even if he has the money from selling his things, he should still get the same amount of food as the other Levites. 
[6] And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose;
[7] Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD.
[8] They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.

The Canaanites are bad and worship false gods.

The people who live in Canaan now worship false gods.  They do bad things when they worship.  The Israelites should not copy them. They should not worship the same way. 
[9] When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.


These are some of the bad things that the people in Canaan do when they worship false gods.  They sacrifice their children.  They use magic, witchcraft, and fortune tellers.  They have people who try to talk to dead people. 
[10] There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
[11] Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.



God hates the things the Canaanites do when they worship their false gods. That is why he is making them leave Canaan. The Israelites should be perfect. They should not do bad things like the Canaanites. 
[12] For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
[13] Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.


The Canaanites worship with fortune tellers and magicians.  But God told the Israelites not to do the same. 
[14] For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

God will tell a prophet what He says to the Israelites.


Later, God will send a prophet like Moses.  A prophet is a person who can talk to God and tell other people what God says. The prophet will be one of the Israelites. The Israelites should obey the prophet.
[15] The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;


Back at Mt. Sinai (another name for Mt.Horeb), the Israelites were afraid to hear God's voice or see God's fire. They thought if they heard and saw God, they would die.  God said this is right. 
[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.
[17] And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

God will choose a new Israelite prophet. God will tell the prophet what to say to the Israelites. The prophet will tell the Israelites what God wants them to do.
[18] I will raise them up a Prophet 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.


All of the Israelites must obey the prophet. 
[19] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.


A dishonest person (person who lies) might say he is a prophet. He might say that God told him to say something. But really, God did not tell him to say anything. He must die.  Or a person might say that a false god told him to say something. He should die, too.
[20] But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.



How will the Israelites know if a prophet is true?  How will they know if he is saying something really from God?  If the prophet says something from God, it will happen and will be true.  If the prophet says something not from God, it will not happen. It will not be true.  The Israelites should not be afraid of the false prophet.
[21] And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
[22] When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.