Reflections on Deuteronomy 12

Deuteronomy 12 (Contemporary English Version)

1. Now I'll tell you the laws and teachings that you have to obey as long as you live. Your ancestors worshiped the LORD, and he is giving you this land.
   
2. But the nations that live there worship other gods. So after you capture the land, you must completely destroy their places of worship--on mountains and hills or in the shade of large trees.
   
3. Wherever these nations worship their gods, you must tear down their altars, break their sacred stones, burn the sacred poles used in worshiping the goddess Asherah, and smash their idols to pieces. Destroy these places of worship so completely that no one will remember they were ever there.
   
4. Don't worship the LORD your God in the way those nations worship their gods.
   
5. Soon you will cross the Jordan, and the LORD will help you conquer your enemies and let you live in peace, there in the land he has given you. But after you are settled, life will be different. You must not offer sacrifices just anywhere you want to. Instead, the LORD will choose a place somewhere in Israel where you must go to worship him. All of your sacrifices and offerings must be taken there, including sacrifices to please the LORD and any gift you promise or voluntarily give him. That's where you must also take one tenth of your grain, wine, and olive oil, as well as the first-born of your cattle, sheep, and goats. You and your family and servants will eat your gifts and sacrifices and celebrate there at the place of worship, because the LORD your God has made you successful in everything you have done. And since Levites will not have any land of their own, you must ask some of them to come along and celebrate with you. Sometimes you may want to kill an animal for food and not as a sacrifice. If the LORD has blessed you and given you enough cows or sheep or goats, then you can butcher one of them where you live. You can eat it just like the meat from a deer or gazelle that you kill when you go hunting. And even those people who are unclean and unfit for worship can have some of the meat. But you must not eat the blood of any animal--let the blood drain out on the ground.
   
6. (SEE 12:5)
   
7. (SEE 12:5)
   
8. (SEE 12:5)
   
9. (SEE 12:5)
   
10. (SEE 12:5)
    
11. (SEE 12:5)
    
12. (SEE 12:5)
    
13. (SEE 12:5)
    
14. (SEE 12:5)
    
15. (SEE 12:5)
    
16. (SEE 12:5)
    
17. (SEE 12:5)
    
18. (SEE 12:5)
    
19. (SEE 12:5)
    
20. The LORD has promised that later on he will give Israel more land, and some of you may not be able to travel all the way from your homes to the place of worship each time you are hungry for meat. But the LORD will give you cattle, sheep, and goats, and you can butcher any of those animals at home and eat as much as you want.
    
21. (SEE 12:20)
    
22. It is the same as eating the meat from a deer or a gazelle that you kill when you go hunting. And in this way, anyone who is unclean and unfit for worship can have some of the meat.
    
23. But don't eat the blood. It is the life of the animal, so let it drain out on the ground before you eat the meat.
    
24. (SEE 12:23)
    
25. Do you want the LORD to make you successful? Do you want your children to be successful even after you are gone? Then do what pleases the LORD and don't eat blood.
    
26. All sacrifices and offerings to the LORD must be taken to the place where he chooses to be worshiped. If you offer a sacrifice to please the LORD, all of its meat must be burned on the altar. You can eat the meat from certain kinds of sacrifices, but you must always pour out the animal's blood on the altar.
    
27. (SEE 12:26)
    
28. If you obey these laws, you will be doing what the LORD your God says is right and good. Then he will help you and your descendants be successful.
    
29. Israel, as you go into the land and attack the nations that are there, the LORD will get rid of them, and you can have their land.
    
30. But that's when you must be especially careful not to ask, "How did those nations worship their gods? Shouldn't we worship the LORD in the same way?"
    
31. No, you should not! The LORD hates the disgusting way those nations worship their gods, because they even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices.
    
32. Obey all the laws and teachings I am giving you. Don't add any, and don't take any away.
    

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    In this portion of Moses' message to the Israelites he gives very direct and repeated instructions about their centralized worship of God and total avoidance of anything even remotely related to other gods. They were to be completely focused on the God who had delivered them from slavery and who would give them victory over the strong nations inhabiting this new land and remove them from the land.
    
    As the Israelites began to drive out the inhabitants of the land and came across their places of worship to other gods, Israel was to completely destroy those places along with any object of worship. They were not even to inquire about the gods of these nations asking, "How did these nations worship their gods?" (12:30) Even out of curiosity they were not to ask such questions. They were not even to open themselves to any thoughts regarding other gods. In doing so, it was too easy for their minds to be influenced. This is good counsel for us as well.
    
    The other topic in this chapter, centralized worship, was mentioned repeatedly, emphasizing its importance. While living the past 40 years in the desert and being in one large camp, they were always close to the tabernacle. There was no question where they would offer their sacrifices. But once they were established in the new land they would be spread out and many would have some distance to travel to the tabernacle. But it was still to be the only place they offered their sacrifices. The location of the tabernacle would be determined by the Lord, a choice that changed at various times during Israel's history. This expectation for centralized worship was aimed at keeping their worship of the Lord pure and the people politically and spiritually united.
    
    While in the desert they were not even to kill an animal for food to eat without first bringing it to the tabernacle to present it as an offering to the Lord. Once they were spread out in their new land, though, they were permitted to kill livestock for food without this requirement. However, the restriction not to eat the blood of an animal remained. This was forbidden under all circumstances. This emphasized a respect for life and that the blood is a ransom for sin.