Archives

Chapter Introduction

This begins the main legal code.  It is in three sections.

• Worship & religious practices (Ch. 12-16)
• Leadership & Community
• Miscellaneous laws

Deuteronomy 12:1-4

The command to keep these statutes and judgments comes by many different means.  In this case, they are to be kept with great care in the land.  Blessings and life in the land is directly tied to the commandments.  Love equals obedience equals relationship, all of which are covenant life.

In the land, they would see other gods and be tempted by them.  Part of their relationship and obedience to the Lord was the total dedication which would result in the destruction of all the other altars, gods, images, pillars, and everything else.  They were to never serve other gods. They were never to attempt worship of Yahweh by the same means these other gods were worshiped. 

Deuteronomy 12:5-7

God had already provided the tabernacle, altar, and all the other articles of worship.  In addition, He provided priests to serve before Him and teach the people of purity and holiness.  God would specify the place where this was to be done.  They were to seek the place where the Lord put His name.  They should only desire to worship Yahweh where He would choose to interact with His people.  It is there that they would sacrifice, tithe and make their offerings.

Deuteronomy 12:8-14

After they entered the land and the Lord identified the place of worship, they would be expected to follow the commands of Yahweh.  The Lord had determined how and when sacrifices were made.  He allowed their current practice because they had not yet entered the land.  When they enter their inheritance and rest, they would be expected to follow the prescribed worship practices.

Normal worship would be rejoicing before the Lord.

Moses added a warning.  They were to take heed not to be lured into using the pagan places of worship or Canaanite sacred sites.

Deuteronomy 12:15-19

This was a modification of the previous law.  In Leviticus 17 all animals were to be slaughtered as sacrifices at the Tabernacle.  This was possible when living near each other.  It ensured they properly bled out the animal.  This wasn’t practical in the land.  They could slaughter an animal and eat it as long as the blood was properly drained out.  Blood is life, life belongs to God, the giver of life. 

In addition, they were not to eat the tithes of any of the animals for sacrifice or the firstborn.  Tithes, offerings, and sacrifices still needed to be taken to the Tabernacle.  Moses added another warning.  They were to take heed not to forget about the Levites.  Their provision came from the tithes of the people. 

Deuteronomy 12:20-28

Once they were in the land, they would conquer the land slowly (7:22).  When these days of the gradual enlarging of the borders came, they were free to eat meat to their heart’s desire.  They would manage that from their flocks and herds.  Their herds had never been large enough to eat meat indiscriminately.  The meat of the sacrifice was often the only meat eaten for weeks or months.  Their herds would be larger in the land, but they would need to manage them being careful not to disregard their commitments.  They are again warned about having respect for the blood and not becoming slack about the holy things and vowed offerings.  These were still required to be brought to the tabernacle and presented and eaten before the Lord. 

The observance and obedience are once again linked to life going well in the land for the children and those after them.

Deuteronomy 12:29-32

The Lord would work through them to cut off the nations in the land.  Israel would displace them and dwell in the land.  When that was done, they were to take heed.  Moses presented two precepts they were not to forget:

1. They were not to worship Yahweh as the Canaanites worshiped.
2. Israel must not add or subtract from Yahweh’s commandments.

It would be so easy to get curious of these other gods and pursue them.  Their worship involved every abomination to the Lord, even to the point of burning their children in the fire.  In latter times, some kings committed this crime (2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chronicles 28:3).  God judged the northern kingdom for these heinous crimes by the hand of the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:17-18).

Similarly, it would be easy to begin to justify blending other things into the worship of the Lord, or taking away things that they didn’t like.  The whole counsel of God is critical to the blessing God wants to provide.

©2007, 2023 Doug Ford, Calvary Chapel Sweetwater