Deuteronomy 12

CHAPTER 12THEME: Israel permitted only one place to worshipLater in the history of Israel, God chose Jerusalem as the place where the temple was to be built. They were to go there to worship God. Why didn’t God permit the worship in every other place? I think the reason is obvious. There was idolatry in the land, and they were commanded to destroy it. Because they did not destroy it, they were commanded to assemble in one place for worship. This unified their worship and brought them closer together as a nation. They were one when they went up to Jerusalem for the feasts. Today we do not need to meet in one place to worship God. The Lord Jesus told the Samaritan woman the reason why this is true. “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (Joh_4:21-24). Believers do not meet in one place to worship God today; we meet around One Person and that Person is the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the important thing to keep in mind today. The name of your church doesn’t make the difference. The denomination or lack of denomination of your church doesn’t make the difference. The all-important question is this: do you meet around the person of Jesus Christ? Now, friends, if you don’t, that is idolatry, because then you are meeting around something that is replacing Christ. If you are meeting to socialize or be entertained, that is idolatry. The thing that is to draw us together into a oneness is the person of Jesus Christ. How important that is!

Deuteronomy 12:1

The reason the judgments of God came upon Israel, one after the other in the times of the judges, was because the people had lapsed into idolatry. Then that great prophet Elijah leveled his message against idolatry in the land. The reason Israel went into the Babylonian captivity was idolatry. The warning in the last book of the Old Testament is about the danger of idolatry. We should not think we are immune to idolatry today. We tend to think we are such enlightened folk that we would not fall down and worship an idol. Can we be so sure about that, friends? Anything, anything that comes between our souls and God becomes an idol. I know a young man whom I saw grow up in the church and seemingly become a sweet Christian. Later he became a member of a large corporation.

Because he had wonderful ability, he began to move up in the organization. The farther he moved up in the corporation, the farther he moved away from God. Today his job comes first. I was holding meetings in a distant city where he lives, and he invited Mrs. McGee and me for dinner, for old time’s sake. He made it very clear to me that he would not be able to come to any of the meetings because of his business.

Business, his position, his advancementsthey had become his idol, his god. Talk about worship! He fell down before that idol seven days a week! Anything that comes between your soul and your God is your idol.

Deuteronomy 12:5

Eventually, the designated place was Jerusalem. But even before that, Israel was to worship in one place only. There was to be one place for their burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, and vows. The tithes of food which they brought before the Lord had to be eaten in this one place.

Deuteronomy 12:15

There was also food which they ate at home. This was not a part of their worship, but this, too, was regulated by dietary laws. In Chapter 14 we will find an extensive list of clean and unclean animals. A person did not need to be ceremonially clean to be able to eat at home. Also, in addition to the animals which were sacrificial animals, he could eat wild game so long as it was a clean animal. The stipulation given was that the blood was not to be eaten. In contrast, anything that was an offering to the Lord had to be eaten before the Lord in the one place which God would designate.

Deuteronomy 12:21

In Leviticus 17, while Israel was in the wilderness camp, they were told that every time an ox, or lamb, or goat was killed, it had to be brought to the door of the tabernacle and the priest would sprinkle the blood upon the altar and would offer the fat as a sweet savor to God. This was to prevent them from making any offering to devils. After they settle in the land, it is obvious that many people will live too far away from Jerusalem to bring every animal there before they kill it for food. So the Lord tells them again that an animal may be killed for food, but they shall not eat the blood of the animal. The blood represents the life, which is the reason that Scripture puts such an emphasis on the blood of Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 12:29

They are told over and over again that they are to destroy the nations which are in the land so that they do not become ensnared by them. These nations were idolatrous. In the worship of Baal, as in the worship of many pagan religions, they had that most cruel practice of offering their own children. They would heat an idol red-hot and then drop their babies into the arms of this red-hot idol. I can’t think of anything more horrible than that. God says He hates such a practice. It is an abomination to Him. I find that God hates many things that I hate. I hope that I can learn more and more to hate what He hates and love what He loves.

Deuteronomy 12:32

They are to give heed to these commandments which the Lord gives them. If they disobey God, God will treat them as He treats the other nations. God doesn’t watch the actions of some people and disregard others. I have never understood why some Christians think they can get by with certain things that other people do not get by with. Sin is sin. If Israel does not obey the Lord, she will not be spared. So the encouragement for them is to observe to do what the Lord commands them.