Deuteronomy 12:19-2819Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth. 20When 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. 21If 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. 22Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them: the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike. 23Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh. 24Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water. 25Thou 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. 26Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the Lord shall choose: 27And 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. 28Observe 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. (Deuteronomy 12:19‑28)
HOW MANY times in this chapter the Lord reminds His people of the one place which He Himself would choose to put His name there, to which they were to bring their offerings and where they could worship Him. Some might have a long distance to travel to get there, still it was the only place God acknowledged. So we are not to simply look for a convenient nearby place of worship, but for that place chosen by the Lord where His saints can worship in spirit and in truth. He could say, "My delights are with the sons of men"; He delights to be in the midst of His own. For us, how precious it is to be just gathered around Himself.
God wanted His people to be happy and to enjoy His blessings in the land.
They did not have to bring to God every animal that they killed. The animals they wanted for their common daily food they might kill inside their gates, but all the blood was to be poured out upon the earth. The life is in the blood and so they acknowledged that life belongs to God. God would have His people to remember that the taking of a creature's life even for food was a sacred thing, and their eating of it was to be enjoyed in communion with Him.
This is one of our Christian joys and privileges, to give thanks for the food we eat, and then to enjoy it in communion with God who provides it. It is written of the early Christians in those first bright days of the Church that "they did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God." Acts 2:46,4746And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:46‑47).
Only the things they offered to the Lord were they to bring to the place which the Lord should choose, and then the blood was to be poured out upon the altar. How often we are reminded of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ where He shed His precious blood to make atonement for our sins. How true it is that we never get far from the Cross in Scripture.
Then we learn that the Levite was to be taken care of. The Levites were set apart for the service of the Lord and had no inheritance in the land. So in order that they might be free to serve Him, tithes were given them. They were not to be forgotten in the general joy of the people.
The Levites are typical of all believers now, of us who are redeemed, cleansed and consecrated to the service of the Lord. Furthermore, we have no inheritance here; our inheritance is a heavenly one. Soon our time of service down here will be at an end, and we shall be called to our heavenly home, to share the glory with our blessed Saviour, who even now is waiting for us there.
Messages of the Love of God 3/30/1975