HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 541
DEUTER ONOM Y 12
page 171
are living in it, 32 you must be careful to obey
all the decrees and regulations I am giving
you today.
The LORD’s Chosen Place for Worship
“These are the decrees and regulations
you must be careful to obey when you
live in the land that the Lord, the God of your
ancestors, is giving you. You must obey them as
long as you live.
2 “When you drive out the nations that live
there, you must destroy all the places where
they worship their gods—high on the mountains, up on the hills, and under every green
tree. 3 Break down their altars and smash their
sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles and cut
down their carved idols. Completely erase the
names of their gods!
4 “Do not worship the Lord your God in the
way these pagan peoples worship their gods.
5 Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at
the place of worship he himself will choose
from among all the tribes—the place where
his name will be honored. 6 There you will
bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices,
your tithes, your sacred offerings, your offerings to fulfill a vow, your voluntary offerings,
and your offerings of the firstborn animals of
your herds and flocks. 7 There you and your
families will feast in the presence of the Lord
your God, and you will rejoice in all you have
accomplished because the Lord your God has
blessed you.
8 “Your pattern of worship will change. Today
all of you are doing as you please, 9 because you
have not yet arrived at the place of rest, the
land the Lord your God is giving you as your
special possession. 10 But you will soon cross the
Jordan River and live in the land the Lord your
God is giving you. When he gives you rest from
all your enemies and you’re living safely in the
land, 11 you must bring everything I command
you—your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your
tithes, your sacred offerings, and your offerings
to fulfill a vow—to the designated place of worship, the place the Lord your God chooses for
his name to be honored.
12 “You must celebrate there in the presence of the Lord your God with your sons and
daughters and all your servants. And remember
to include the Levites who live in your towns,
for they will receive no allotment of land among
you. 13 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings just anywhere you like. 14 You may do so
only at the place the Lord will choose within
one of your tribal territories. There you must
offer your burnt offerings and do everything I
command you.
15 “But you may butcher your animals and eat
their meat in any town whenever you want. You
may freely eat the animals with which the Lord
12
your God blesses you. All of you, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat,
just as you now eat gazelle and deer. 16 But you
must not consume the blood. You must pour it
out on the ground like water.
17 “But you may not eat your offerings in your
hometown—neither the tithe of your grain and
new wine and olive oil, nor the firstborn of your
flocks and herds, nor any offering to fulfill a
vow, nor your voluntary offerings, nor your
sacred offerings. 18 You must eat these in the
presence of the Lord your God at the place he
will choose. Eat them there with your children,
your servants, and the Levites who live in your
towns, celebrating in the presence of the Lord
your God in all you do. 19 And be very careful
never to neglect the Levites as long as you live
in your land.
20 “When the Lord your God expands your
territory as he has promised, and you have
the urge to eat meat, you may freely eat meat
whenever you want. 21 It might happen that the
designated place of worship—the place the
Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored—is a long way from your home. If so, you
may butcher any of the cattle, sheep, or goats
the Lord has given you, and you may freely eat
the meat in your hometown, as I have commanded you. 22 Anyone, whether ceremonially
clean or unclean, may eat that meat, just as
you do now with gazelle and deer. 23 But never
consume the blood, for the blood is the life,
and you must not consume the lifeblood with
the meat. 24 Instead, pour out the blood on the
ground like water. 25 Do not consume the blood,
so that all may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what
pleases the Lord.
• Family
DE U TE R ON OM Y 12:7
Within God’s laws and rules for his
people in the Land of Promise we find
this wonderful insight: God is a God of
joy and gladness. For those who think
that God is somber and expects us to
always go into his presence in a somber
mood, this is a great passage to study.
God wants us to worship him with joy
and gladness. Families come together
for feasting and food, joy and delight,
fun and games. “Count me in,” God is
reminding us. “Use these occasions to
praise and honor me and to thank me for
what I have done for you.” Remember
this when you get together for family
feasting and fun.