Deuteronomy 12.
WE are finished with the introduction to this book, and here begin the statutes and judgments, —the second division of Deuteronomy. The first subjects now have to do with the worship of God; afterwards we come to the affairs of the people.
It was God’s land given to His people to possess, all their days on earth, and the first direction He gives is that every trace of another object of worship than Himself shall be wiped out. There was no choice about it, it had to be done; God must be the only object of His people’s, thoughts. He had a right to choose the center of gathering, —the place of His meeting with His people,—and in this chapter God assured the children of Israel again and again that He would choose a place where He would put His Name. To that center alone they were to come with their glad offerings to Him; it was connected with their happiness (verses 7 and 12) in the blessings of God, and nowhere else could they go, though some place of their own choice might seem suitable enough in their opinion.
There was to be no room for their own wills to work any longer; what they had done might be very good and right to them (verse 8), but hereafter that could not be, for God’s word was to direct them in everything. They had now a guide Book which would decide every question of what was due to God.
It might seem a long way to go, to reach the place where God’s Name should be set, and there is no doubt that Satan would tempt the people on that account to stay away, yet God must have His way; they could eat their feasts at home if the distance was great, but what belonged to God was to be given to Him in the place of His choosing.
Observe and hear all these words! (verse 28). O, that the children of God did that more,—delighting only in searching out of His word, that wonderful book, the Bible, all of His will, and then seeking in lowly dependence on Him, to carry it out day by day. (See verse 32 also).
The close of the, chapter shows again that the ways of the world are a snare to the people of God, and they are to take heed to themselves that they be not trapped into ways that God hated.
ML 11/16/1924