Deuteronomy 12: The Centrality of Worship and the Danger of Idolatry
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.
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:
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.
Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.
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:
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:
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.
Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.
For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the Lord your God giveth you.
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;
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:
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.
Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:
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.
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.
Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.
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:
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.
Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth.
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.
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.
Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them: the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike.
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.
Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water.
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.
Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the Lord shall choose:
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.
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.
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;
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.
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.
What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Deuteronomy 12 serves as a crucial cornerstone in understanding God's desire for a unified and pure worship experience among the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land. This chapter emphasizes the importance of centralized worship and sternly warns against the seductive dangers of Canaanite idolatry. It's a call to wholehearted devotion and a safeguard against spiritual corruption.
Eradicating Canaanite Influence (Deuteronomy 12:1-4)
Moses, with justified concern, addresses the looming threat of Canaanite religious practices. As the Israelites inherit the land, they will inevitably encounter the Canaanite worship centers, conspicuously situated "on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree" (Deuteronomy 12:2). These sites were dedicated to deities like Baal and Asherah, gods and goddesses of fertility, and were adorned with sacred pillars and Asherah poles (Deuteronomy 12:3). Moses understood the allure these practices might hold, promising fertile crops and abundant livestock. Such worship often involved sexually explicit symbols and immoral acts, a temptation the Israelites had succumbed to before (see Numbers 25:1-9). However, Moses makes it unequivocally clear: "You must not worship the Lord your God in their way" (Deuteronomy 12:4). God's people were called to a higher standard, a worship that reflected His holiness and righteousness.
The Chosen Place of Worship (Deuteronomy 12:5-7)
Instead of the decentralized, geographically diverse worship of the Canaanites, God directs Israel to a singular, chosen place. This was "the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name" (Deuteronomy 12:5). God intended to centralize Israel’s worship. The ultimate fulfillment of this would be at the temple in Jerusalem. Until that was built, the divinely ordained place for worship was the tabernacle. This centralization wasn't about limiting access to God, but rather about ensuring the unity and purity of worship. It was at this designated place that the Israelites were to bring their burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, and freewill offerings, and rejoice in His presence (Deuteronomy 12:6-7). This was a place of communal celebration and remembrance of God's blessings.
Avoiding Self-Willed Worship (Deuteronomy 12:8-14)
Moses contrasts God's ordained way with the prevailing attitude of the time: "You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit" (Deuteronomy 12:8). Previously God had commanded the people to “do what [was] right in [God’s] sight” (Exodus 15:26). This highlights a great divide. Will we follow the destructive path that looks good to our faulty eyes? Or will we follow the path of life that God sees and reveals to us? This highlights a critical principle: worship isn't about personal preference or convenience. It's about obedience to God's revealed will. Moses reiterates the instruction about the chosen place (Deuteronomy 12:10-11, 14), emphasizing that all offerings and sacrifices were to be brought only to that specific location, in stark contrast to the numerous "sacred places" of the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 12:13). The Canaanites believed that worshiping in all the “right” places throughout the land, they could compel or convince the gods to act on their behalf. But Israel didn’t need to guess or discover the right hilltop on which to worship the Lord. He would reveal it. Tragically, Israel's history is marred by their repeated failures in this regard, as they often succumbed to worshiping "on every high hill and under every green tree" (1 Kings 14:23; compare 2 Chronicles 28:4).
Eating Meat and Honoring the Blood (Deuteronomy 12:15-16)
While sacrifices were restricted to the central sanctuary, the Israelites were permitted to slaughter and eat animals freely throughout their towns (Deuteronomy 12:15). This provided a practical means of sustenance for families. However, a crucial restriction was placed on the consumption of blood: "But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water" (Deuteronomy 12:16).
Consuming blood was strictly prohibited “because the life of every creature is its blood” (Leviticus 17:14) and “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). Therefore, it was sacred. This prohibition pointed to the ultimate blood sacrifice, “for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). By Jesus’s own blood, he has “obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). This prohibition served as a constant reminder of the sacredness of life and the need for atonement, foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Sacrifices and Offerings at the Sanctuary (Deuteronomy 12:17-28)
Any animals and produce to be presented to God in sacrifice had to be brought to the tabernacle to be offered and eaten in the presence of the LORD (Deuteronomy 12:17-18).
The instructions that follow here (Deuteronomy 12:21-28) may strike us as unnecessary repetition (see Deuteronomy 12:15-19). But we must remember Moses’s purpose—for both his immediate audience and future readers—of driving home the absolute necessity of fearing and obeying God. Given the sinful human tendency to forget, any good teacher of God’s Word knows the value of repetition, as illustrated by the apostle Peter: “I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them. . . . I think it is right, as long as I am in this bodily tent, to wake you up with a reminder (2 Peter 1:12-13).
The Allure and Danger of False Worship (Deuteronomy 12:29-32)
Moses reiterates his earlier warning against idolatry (see Deuteronomy 12:1-4), recognizing the vulnerability of the Israelites to the practices of the nations they would displace. He anticipates their curiosity: "How do these nations worship their gods? We want to do the same thing" (Deuteronomy 12:30). Moses warns against this temptation, emphasizing that false worship is not a harmless sin. "They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods" (Deuteronomy 12:31). Such practices highlight the depravity and cruelty that can result from idolatry. Worldview matters. Ideas have consequences. Moses concludes with a simple yet profound command: "See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:32). True worship is about obedience to God's revealed will, not about human innovation or adaptation.
Deuteronomy 12 provides timeless principles for worship that remain relevant today. It calls us to examine our own hearts and ensure that our worship is centered on God, rooted in obedience, and free from the corrupting influence of the world. It reminds us that God desires a pure and undivided devotion, and that true worship is a powerful safeguard against spiritual compromise.
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.
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:
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.
Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.
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:
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:
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.
Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.
For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the Lord your God giveth you.
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;
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:
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.
Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:
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.
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.
Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.
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:
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.
Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth.
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.
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.
Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them: the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike.
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.
Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water.
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.
Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the Lord shall choose:
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.
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.
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;
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.
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.
What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Deuteronomy 12 serves as a crucial cornerstone in understanding God's desire for a unified and pure worship experience among the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land. This chapter emphasizes the importance of centralized worship and sternly warns against the seductive dangers of Canaanite idolatry. It's a call to wholehearted devotion and a safeguard against spiritual corruption.
Eradicating Canaanite Influence (Deuteronomy 12:1-4)
Moses, with justified concern, addresses the looming threat of Canaanite religious practices. As the Israelites inherit the land, they will inevitably encounter the Canaanite worship centers, conspicuously situated "on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree" (Deuteronomy 12:2). These sites were dedicated to deities like Baal and Asherah, gods and goddesses of fertility, and were adorned with sacred pillars and Asherah poles (Deuteronomy 12:3). Moses understood the allure these practices might hold, promising fertile crops and abundant livestock. Such worship often involved sexually explicit symbols and immoral acts, a temptation the Israelites had succumbed to before (see Numbers 25:1-9). However, Moses makes it unequivocally clear: "You must not worship the Lord your God in their way" (Deuteronomy 12:4). God's people were called to a higher standard, a worship that reflected His holiness and righteousness.
The Chosen Place of Worship (Deuteronomy 12:5-7)
Instead of the decentralized, geographically diverse worship of the Canaanites, God directs Israel to a singular, chosen place. This was "the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name" (Deuteronomy 12:5). God intended to centralize Israel’s worship. The ultimate fulfillment of this would be at the temple in Jerusalem. Until that was built, the divinely ordained place for worship was the tabernacle. This centralization wasn't about limiting access to God, but rather about ensuring the unity and purity of worship. It was at this designated place that the Israelites were to bring their burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, and freewill offerings, and rejoice in His presence (Deuteronomy 12:6-7). This was a place of communal celebration and remembrance of God's blessings.
Avoiding Self-Willed Worship (Deuteronomy 12:8-14)
Moses contrasts God's ordained way with the prevailing attitude of the time: "You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit" (Deuteronomy 12:8). Previously God had commanded the people to “do what [was] right in [God’s] sight” (Exodus 15:26). This highlights a great divide. Will we follow the destructive path that looks good to our faulty eyes? Or will we follow the path of life that God sees and reveals to us? This highlights a critical principle: worship isn't about personal preference or convenience. It's about obedience to God's revealed will. Moses reiterates the instruction about the chosen place (Deuteronomy 12:10-11, 14), emphasizing that all offerings and sacrifices were to be brought only to that specific location, in stark contrast to the numerous "sacred places" of the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 12:13). The Canaanites believed that worshiping in all the “right” places throughout the land, they could compel or convince the gods to act on their behalf. But Israel didn’t need to guess or discover the right hilltop on which to worship the Lord. He would reveal it. Tragically, Israel's history is marred by their repeated failures in this regard, as they often succumbed to worshiping "on every high hill and under every green tree" (1 Kings 14:23; compare 2 Chronicles 28:4).
Eating Meat and Honoring the Blood (Deuteronomy 12:15-16)
While sacrifices were restricted to the central sanctuary, the Israelites were permitted to slaughter and eat animals freely throughout their towns (Deuteronomy 12:15). This provided a practical means of sustenance for families. However, a crucial restriction was placed on the consumption of blood: "But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water" (Deuteronomy 12:16).
Consuming blood was strictly prohibited “because the life of every creature is its blood” (Leviticus 17:14) and “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). Therefore, it was sacred. This prohibition pointed to the ultimate blood sacrifice, “for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). By Jesus’s own blood, he has “obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). This prohibition served as a constant reminder of the sacredness of life and the need for atonement, foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Sacrifices and Offerings at the Sanctuary (Deuteronomy 12:17-28)
Any animals and produce to be presented to God in sacrifice had to be brought to the tabernacle to be offered and eaten in the presence of the LORD (Deuteronomy 12:17-18).
The instructions that follow here (Deuteronomy 12:21-28) may strike us as unnecessary repetition (see Deuteronomy 12:15-19). But we must remember Moses’s purpose—for both his immediate audience and future readers—of driving home the absolute necessity of fearing and obeying God. Given the sinful human tendency to forget, any good teacher of God’s Word knows the value of repetition, as illustrated by the apostle Peter: “I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them. . . . I think it is right, as long as I am in this bodily tent, to wake you up with a reminder (2 Peter 1:12-13).
The Allure and Danger of False Worship (Deuteronomy 12:29-32)
Moses reiterates his earlier warning against idolatry (see Deuteronomy 12:1-4), recognizing the vulnerability of the Israelites to the practices of the nations they would displace. He anticipates their curiosity: "How do these nations worship their gods? We want to do the same thing" (Deuteronomy 12:30). Moses warns against this temptation, emphasizing that false worship is not a harmless sin. "They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods" (Deuteronomy 12:31). Such practices highlight the depravity and cruelty that can result from idolatry. Worldview matters. Ideas have consequences. Moses concludes with a simple yet profound command: "See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:32). True worship is about obedience to God's revealed will, not about human innovation or adaptation.
Deuteronomy 12 provides timeless principles for worship that remain relevant today. It calls us to examine our own hearts and ensure that our worship is centered on God, rooted in obedience, and free from the corrupting influence of the world. It reminds us that God desires a pure and undivided devotion, and that true worship is a powerful safeguard against spiritual compromise.