Deu 18:1-2 | KingComments | STEP | After the law for the king in the last chapter ( ) in this chapter follows the law for the priests and the announcement of the prophet . The three offices of king, priest and prophet, help us envision the Lord Jesus. He is the true King, Priest and Prophet. A notable difference between these three is that a prophet has no succession, whereas the king and the priest do. They also have their meaning for us, believers of the New Testament. As for the position, the New Testament believer is a king (“a kingdom”, ), a priest ( ; ) and a prophet, that is, he or she can do a prophetic service (cf. ). In practice, however, it only applies to those who live up to it. That is what is presented in the service and history of Israel in the Old Testament. There we do not see what we are in principle, but how the principle of the New Testament is lived out in practice. A difference is that in the New Testament all believers who belong to the church are priests, whereas in the Old Testament only the descendants of Aaron are priests. There are two types of inheritance. There is an inheritance that Israel owns and there is an inheritance of God. Israel has received its inheritance as a blessing from God. Of this the people return to Him, as David said: “From Your hand we have given You” ( ). What the people give to God is food for God. He calls it “My food” ( ). That is also the food of the priests. But this food was first given by God as a blessing to His people. The worship we bring to God can only be what we have taken in as food in a former stage. The inheritance we possess is what God has given us in Christ. The inheritance that God possesses is what we give to God in Christ. Our inheritance is the whole of the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, which is summarized: eternal life. We have been introduced to this in the previous chapters. God’s portion is what we in turn give to God in Christ: the offerings by fire, the tithes, the first fruits. The inheritance of LORD is also the inheritance of the Levites. The LORD Himself is their inheritance. What we offer to God is His own Son. We do so in the exercise of our priestly service as ordained by God. In this we also respond to our sonship, for God has “predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself” ( ), to His own joy.

‏ Deuteronomy 18:1-2

Introduction

After the law for the king in the last chapter (Deu 17:17-20) in this chapter follows the law for the priests and the announcement of the prophet. The three offices of king, priest and prophet, help us envision the Lord Jesus. He is the true King, Priest and Prophet. A notable difference between these three is that a prophet has no succession, whereas the king and the priest do.

They also have their meaning for us, believers of the New Testament. As for the position, the New Testament believer is a king (“a kingdom”, Rev 1:6 ; Rev 5:10), a priest (Rev 1:6 ; Rev 5:10; 1Pet 2:5) and a prophet, that is, he or she can do a prophetic service (cf. 1Cor 11:4-5). In practice, however, it only applies to those who live up to it.

That is what is presented in the service and history of Israel in the Old Testament. There we do not see what we are in principle, but how the principle of the New Testament is lived out in practice. A difference is that in the New Testament all believers who belong to the church are priests, whereas in the Old Testament only the descendants of Aaron are priests.

The Inheritance of the Tribe of Levi

There are two types of inheritance. There is an inheritance that Israel owns and there is an inheritance of God. Israel has received its inheritance as a blessing from God. Of this the people return to Him, as David said: “From Your hand we have given You” (1Chr 29:14b). What the people give to God is food for God. He calls it “My food” (Num 28:2). That is also the food of the priests. But this food was first given by God as a blessing to His people. The worship we bring to God can only be what we have taken in as food in a former stage.

The inheritance we possess is what God has given us in Christ. The inheritance that God possesses is what we give to God in Christ. Our inheritance is the whole of the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, which is summarized: eternal life. We have been introduced to this in the previous chapters. God’s portion is what we in turn give to God in Christ: the offerings by fire, the tithes, the first fruits.

The inheritance of LORD is also the inheritance of the Levites. The LORD Himself is their inheritance. What we offer to God is His own Son. We do so in the exercise of our priestly service as ordained by God. In this we also respond to our sonship, for God has “predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself” (Eph 1:5), to His own joy.