Day 210: My way or God's way? – Deuteronomy 12 vs 20 – 32

20 When the Lord your God expands your territory as he promised you, and you say, “I would like to eat meat,” because you are hungry for meat, then you may eat it to your heart’s content. 21-22 If the place that the Lord your God will choose to establish his name is too far away for you, then you may slaughter animals from your herd and flock which the Lord has given you, just as I commanded you, and you may eat within your cities as you desire. Yes, just as gazelle and deer are eaten, you may eat it. The unclean and the clean person alike may eat it. 23-24 Only be very sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life together with the flesh. Do not eat it. Pour it out on the ground like water. 25 Do not eat it, so that it may go well for you and for your children after you when you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

26-27 But as for the holy things that you have, and your voluntary offerings, gather them up and take them to the place that the Lord will choose. Offer your burnt offerings, both the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of the sacrifice is to be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, but the meat you may eat. 28 Be careful that you obey all these words that I am commanding you so that it may go well for you, and for your children after you in the distant future, when you do what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God.

29-30 When the Lord your God cuts off the nations where you are going and drives them out before you, and when you take possession of their land and settle in it, be careful that you are not snared after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods and ask, “How did these people serve their gods? I also want to do the same thing.” 31 Do not serve the Lord your God in the way that they worship, because they do for their gods every detestable thing that the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in fire for their gods! 32 Be careful to do everything that I am commanding you. Do not add to it, and do not subtract from it. Deuteronomy 12:20-32 Evangelical Heritage Bible

In the first half of this chapter Moses had told the people not to worship God in any way or in any place they chose, but only at the place and in the way God showed them. What was one of the things they were expressly forbidden to do (vs 29-30) and why? (vs 31)

The religion and lifestyle of the inhabitants of Canaan (which included child sacrifices) was hateful to God and He didn't want His people to follow such Satanic ways. Jesus gave a similar warning to Christians in the town of Thyatira when he said: “I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching (what some call the deep things of Satan) and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols” (Revelation 2:20-24) God's people must steer well clear of all pagan practices – including horror-scopes and the occult.

The other matter Moses raised, in which the Israelites were not to do their own thing but always to follow what God taught, was about not eating blood with meat. What was the reason for that? (vs 23-25)

God linked the blood (of man and beast) to life. In Leviticus 17:11 we see a deeper implication. God says there: “The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your lives; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” So shed blood spoke of a life taken - and that was not something to be treated lightly. More importantly, the Israelite sacrifices ultimately pointed to the One who would shed His precious blood for our sins. What is the common thread in verses 25, 28 and 32 that makes all these instructions so important?

If the people wanted God's blessing to rest upon them, and upon their children in the future, then they were to obey all that God said and not amend His words in any way to suit their own fancy. That's still true for us today in our approach to the Bible. We mustn't copy what the world does, but must follow God's word as carefully as we can. After all, the Israelites only had Moses telling them God's words – we have Jesus Christ who is the very word of God.