Date: Thu, 26 Jan 1995 18:28:12 +0100
Reply-To: t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
From: Teus Benschop
Subject: Deuteronomy 12
Contents
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1. Introduction
2. Explanation
3. Questions
1. Introduction
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This is an issue of a continuous explanation of the Bible-book Dvarim,
that is Deuteronomy. If something is unclear in the explanation, ask the
editor. The Bible-text is taken from the King James version.
Deuteronomy 12.
Title: The only sanctuary. The eating of meat
Short contents:
Moshe commands to exterminate all idolatry in Kenaan. They have to fit up
the external religion according to God's guidelines, at the place, which
He chooses. Moshe says what they may eat, with whom, and where. He again
says that they must keep the true religion, and not follow the idolatry.
2. Explanation
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1 These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do
in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess
it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.
They shall do these statutes and judgments, all the days. Not only one
day in the week, but all the days. They must not just serve God when they
have got old, but already in their youth. All the days of their life.
This applies also to us.
2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which
ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon
the hills, and under every green tree:
All things, which remind only a little of the idolatry of the heathen,
have to disappear totally. The heathens served their gods on the high
mountains. For there, they were closer to their gods, they meant.
However, Israel did not need this. Their God was near. "For what nation
is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is
in all things that we call upon him for?" Dvariem / Deuteronomy 4:7. Also
we must not think that our prayer will earlier be heard in the place of
the meeting of the assembly, then else. Each prayer, prayed in truth,
will be heard at God's time.
3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and
burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images
of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.
The whole heathen idolatry, including the attributes and the places, had
to be exterminated.
4 Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God.
The LORD is totally different from all the idols. Therefore, also His
serve must be totally different. Like the heathens did, you shall not do
so unto the LORD. There have to be a clearly visible difference between
the heathen idolatry and the service of the LORD. This difference has to
be there always. This will prevent mixture. Also now, a great difference
has to be and to stay visible between the community of God and the world.
This prevents from a mixture, which would merge the community in the
world. The members of the community may not do as the world does. In
later times, the nation Israel has not observed this rule. With all
results of that. They mixed themselves, and became infected with the
idolatry. After that, God made rule the enemies over them, but this
helped at best for a short time. Next, Israel was carried away out their
land, but later, God brought them back into their land, in grace.
5 But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all
your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye
seek, and thither thou shalt come:
The LORD wanted that the people would come to that place, which He would
choose. There had to be one place. This promotes the unity of the
religion. When everyone would offer on his own place, this would lead to
schism in the religion. This is not good. The LORD is One, and also the
true religion is one. To that one place, "thither you shall come". Moshe
also says: "unto His habitation shall you seek". They must not seek
several errors, but they have to be studiously, to know what is the will
of the LORD. With this, also all the self-willed religion is forbidden.
Also the prophet says this. "Thus saith the LORD: Stand ye in the ways,
and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk
therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said: We will
not walk therein," Jirmejah / Jeremiah 6:16. Many erring prophets, also
in present times, want to make us believe several new things. Let we not
listen to that, but walk in the old paths. These old paths, which are the
good ways of God. So you will find rest for your seeking soul. "Seek the
LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore," Thilliem / Psalm 105:4.
6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your
sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and
your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your
herds and of your flocks:
The complete religion must happen on that place, which the LORD has
chosen.
7 And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall
rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households,
wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.
Moshe calls this place a place "before the LORD". This means that God was
present there in special way. Therefore, surely is there a reason to be
glad there. "Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with
singing," Thilliem / Psalm 100:2. It is not pleasantly before the LORD,
when the people come before Him with surly faces. However, a surly face
is totally different from a sad face. God will comfort the sad people,
but He will remove the surly and evil people from His face. The LORD
wants that one is glad about all the work, which He has blessed.
8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every
man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.
9 For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which
the LORD your God giveth you.
In the desert, they always had to go on. There was still not an
established place for the religion. Therefore, they offered everywhere.
Everyone offered there, where he thought it right. But this loose and
free form of religion was allowed only on the journeys. When they would
have come into the rest, then it was over. Then they had to stay at that
place, which God would choose. This lesson is useful also for us. Living
in a place where the religion still not is established is different from
living in a place where it is established. What in the one situation is
allowed, is not allowed in the other case. On the one place, it can be
that there are few or no rules. Then, "every man" does "whatsoever is
right in his own eyes." But in the established place, everyone must go to
the same place, en must do according to the will of the LORD. This
promotes the unity of the religion.
10 But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD
your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all
your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;
Until now, they were still wandering, but they would come in the land,
and there, they would live in safety. This living in safety, that will
happen when they obey God. "But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell
safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil," Mishlee / Proverbs 1:33.
11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to
cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I
command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes,
and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye
vow unto the LORD:
The LORD Himself will choose a place for His Name. However, the ark has
still wandered around through the land during many centuries, until God
chose a definitive place. Which place has the LORD chosen? "Moreover he
refused the tabernacle of Joseef, and chose not the tribe of Efrajim,"
Thilliem / Psalm 78:67. "But chose the tribe of Jehudah, the mount Zion
which he loved," Thilliem / Psalm 78:68. The LORD has chosen Jerusalem to
His place of living. The people had to go up to that place, to practice
the religion there, and to serve God.
12 And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons,
and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and
the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor
inheritance with you.
The whole family will go up to that place, which God has chosen. Also the
menservants and the maidservants will go with them. Also the Levite will
go to that place. He has no inheritance, and therefore no income. For the
Levite has to give all his time in the service of the LORD. He lives on
the gifts of offering.
13 Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in
every place that thou seest:
Here is written: "every place that you see". For the people are inclined
to select the most beautiful place for their religion. They pay more
attention to external beauty then to the truth. This is not right.
14 But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes,
there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do
all that I command thee.
They must not pay attention to the external beauty of the place, but they
must submit themselves to the will of God. They must go there, where God
wants to live. The later king Jarovaam sinned very much against this
rule. "And Jarovaam said in his heart: Now shall the kingdom return to
the house of Davied. If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of
the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again
unto their lord, even unto Rechavaam king of Jehudah, and they shall kill
me, and go again to Rechavaam king of Jehudah. Whereupon the king took
counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them: It is too much
for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, o Israel, which brought
thee up out of the land of Egypt," Mlachiem A / 1 Kings 12:26-28. The
king Jarovaam is very branded by this disobedience, because in seventeen
places in the Bible, he is called that king, "which made Israel sin".
This rule of Moshe applies also to us. Also we may not go to our own
place. We may not do our own liking. We have to go to that place, of
which we see that God wants to live there.
15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates,
whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the
LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may
eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.
May they eat flesh only in the place, which is chosen by God? That would
be very far away for some people. No, the people also may eat flesh in
their own place. Not as an offering, but "as of the roebuck, and as of
the hart". These beasts were never offered. Their flesh was common flesh,
and could simply be eaten.
16 Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as
water.
Only the blood could never be eaten. The LORD had already given this
commandments to Noah. "Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for
you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with
the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat," Bereshit
9:3,4. The LORD wanted that they would spare the animal blood. With this,
the LORD wanted to deter them from cruelty. For, when they had to spare
the blood of an animal, how much the more had they to spare the blood of
a man. God will punish the shedding of innocent human blood, both to
people and animals. "And surely your blood of your lives will I require;
at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at
the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso
sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of
God made he man", Bereshit 9:5,6. To keep the people far away from the
shedding of human blood, they were even not allowed to eat the blood of
animals. This admonishes us to handle carefully with the life. A man is
not an unimportant being, but he is created to God's image.
17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of
thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy
flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill
offerings, or heave offering of thine hand:
18 But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which
the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter,
and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within
thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that
thou puttest thine hands unto.
Here, Moshe again repeats this. The service of God is so important, that
this must be diligently taught to the nation. The offerings may not be
brought in the own place, but only "before the LORD thy God". The whole
family must go up to that place, and the servants. They shall rejoice in
all the good things, before the face of God.
19 Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as
thou livest upon the earth.
The Levite did not get a heritage as land, but as the tenths of the
proceeds. Moshe exhorts the people to give the Levites the needed
livelihood. The future has learned us how necessary this exhortation was.
It happened often that the Levites lacked the things because the people
did not give them the tenths. Also in the time of Nechemjah. "And I
perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for
the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to
his field," Nchemjah / Nehemiah 13:10. Here, this amazes us all the more,
because the people had just returned from the exile. Were they again
disobedient now? In the time of Chaggai / Haggai, the people lived in
splendid houses, but the service of God was neglected. "Is it time for
you, o ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?"
Chaggai / Haggai 1:4. This was not good. That is why Chaggai / Haggai
prophesied against that. God did not bless them, because they did not
give to God. When they would give, voluntarily, then God would pour out
them a blessing from heaven. The spur of Moshe and Chaggai / Haggai is
useful also for us. Also we may not make lie waste the house of God, but
we have to give voluntarily. However, we have to keep in mind that the
service of God not exists in giving much. Important is that God is served
with the whole heart. Therefore, only the giving is not enough, but one
has to give voluntarily, with a whole heart.
20 When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised
thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth
to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth
after.
The LORD had promised that their land will become very great, and He also
will do it.
21 If the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to put his name
there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of
thy flock, which the LORD hath given thee, as I have commanded thee,
and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.
When the land will have become great, the yourney to the place of the
religion could be too great. When they want to eat flesh, they may do
this in their own place. They must not eat it like an offering, but as
common flesh; as is written in the next verse.
22 Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them:
the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike.
Here is written that both the clean and the unclean may eat it, so this
flesh is not an offering. It is not holy flesh, but common flesh.
23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the
life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.
24 Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water.
25 Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy
children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the
sight of the LORD.
Moshe repeats the ban to eat the blood, "for the blood is the life". That
means, the blood is a sign of the life.
26 Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt
take, and go unto the place which the LORD shall choose:
27 And thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood,
upon the altar of the LORD thy God: and the blood of thy sacrifices
shall be poured out upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and thou shalt
eat the flesh.
There had to be only one place of the religion. The LORD wants that there
is unity among the people. The flesh must be offered on that place, if
the blood will be poured out.
28 Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may
go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when
thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy
God.
Here, the LORD commands that we observe and do His words. He promises a
good pay to them who do it. This is very righteous of God. They, who
transgress the law, miss their pay. Who are they, who transgress God's
commandments? These are all the people. We all transgress God's
commandments. We do this by our deeds, in our speaking and thinking. It
is not necessary that somebody says this to us, because we are well
convinced of it by ourselves. There is written that we must do, not what
is well before the people, but "which is good and right in the sight of
the LORD thy God". These eyes see many more than the eyes of the people.
God's eyes go through the whole earth. "For the eyes of the LORD run to
and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf
of them whose heart is perfect toward him," Divre Hajamiem B / 2
Chronicles 16:9. Because we do not what good is in God's eyes, we have
deserved punishment. Nevertheless, God gives pay to some people. This
comes forth from nothing else but His grace. Also Moshe teaches this to
us. "And he said: If now I have found grace in thy sight, o Lord, let my
Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and
pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance,"
Shmot 34:9.
29 When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee,
whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and
dwellest in their land;
30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them,
after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire
not after their gods, saying: How did these nations serve their gods?
Even so will I do likewise.
It is dangerous to meddle with the idolatry. Before we know it, we will
be snared therein. Moshe admonished us even not to enquire after their
idols. We must be satisfied with the simple, clear Word of God. We must
flee from all the idolatrous additions, as from an infectious disease.
All idols are snares, in which we will be caught. However, this applies
not only to the idols as an image. That these images are contrary to
God's laws is more then clear. But the more subtle idols are also
mentioned here. Other things, on which we rely besides God are also
idols. We are full of these idols. One relies on his good job. The other
has much money; he thinks that nothing can happen to him. The wife relies
on her husband, but not on God. Another relies on the medical science.
All these are idols. According to Moshe's words, we will be snared by
these. Therefore, it is necessary that we no longer put our trust on the
vain things, but build only on God. "The LORD is my strength and my
shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart
greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him," Thilliem / Psalm
28:7.
31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination
to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even
their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their
gods.
They may not do as the heathens did. There has to be a clear difference
between God and the idols. "For all the gods of the nations are idols:
but the LORD made the heavens," Thilliem / Psalm 96:5. What have the
heathens done? They did "every abomination to the LORD, which He hates".
As disgusting example, Moshe mentions the burning of the innocent
children. The idolatry leads to these abominations. The idolatry dazzles
the people so much, that they do this. But "you shall not do so".
32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not
add thereto, nor diminish from it.
How is a man protected against the idolatry? When he takes the Word of
God as the only foundation, and when he not only knows this, but also
does it. Here we see how important is a thorough knowledge of God's Word.
Not only the knowledge, but also the doing. Here, Moshe forbids to add
something to the Word. All human writings, no matter how old, when they
not totally agree with the Scriptures, they add something to the Word.
Moshe forbids it. Also, you may not take away something from it. Well,
many people will keep the Word with their mouth. But their deeds? With
their deeds, they take not only a little away from the Word, but they
tear great pieces of it. This admonishes us to carefully watch ourselves,
and to compare our doctrine and our life with the Word. "To the law and
to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because
there is no light in them," Jeshajah / Isaiah 8:20. Everybody, who goes
through himself concerning this point, will find many idols. What has he
to do? He has to pray God for grace. "O remember not against us former
iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are
brought very low. Help us, o God of our salvation, for the glory of thy
name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake,"
Thilliem / Psalm 79:8,9.
3. Questions
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If you want to gain more benefit from the explanation, you could consider
to answer the questions and do the tasks. You can send these to the
editor. He will look at it, and return them to you with his comments.
Questions.
1 How many time of our life must we serve God?
2 Why did the LORD want one place for the religion?
3 What is the benefit for us when we ask to the old paths, to the good
way?
4 In the desert, why was there more freedom concerning the offerings
than in Kenaan?
5 a. In which way did Jarovaam put Israel to sin?
b. Is it possible that we are the cause that others sin?
6 Why was it not allowed to drink the blood of the animals?
7 a. What was the sin of the people in the time of Chaggai / Haggai?
b. What do you learn from this for yourself?
8 Are little sins, which nobody sees, allowed for God?
9 What is the danger of the examining of the other religions?
10 How can we be saved from the sins?
Tasks.
1 Read verse 2 and 3. They have to exterminate all the idolatry, and may
never join therein.
a. Have they done this?
b. Seek in Jechezkeel 6, Jechezkeel 20, Hosjea 4, Jirmejah / Jeremiah
3, what the judgement of the Lord to this nation was, because of this
matter.
2 Read verse 12, where is commanded to come in gladness before God's
face. Write down the reason of that gladness, from texts in Melachiem
A 8, Divre Hajamiem B / 2 Chronicles 29, Divre Hajamiem B / 2
Chronicles 30, Nechemjah 8.
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Chr-Exp, a Christian explanation of the Tanach and the New Testament
Editor: Teus Benschop - t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
No copyrights on this publication
Institution Practical Bible-education, the Netherlands
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