Deuteronomy (Written)

Deuteronomy 14:1, 2
Sons of the Lord God

Chapter 14 of Deuteronomy is divided into three separate sections, improper mourning, proper adherence to dietary laws, and what to do with – meaning how to properly handle – the blessings bestowed upon the people.

However, each of these three main points is based upon the first words of the passage – “You are the children of the Lord your God.” Everything else stems from that first clause, and it is then further defined in verse 2.

What does it mean when the Bible speaks of the sons of God? The first instance of the term is found in Genesis 6:2. There, it is a highly contested phrase among scholars, as if the countless other uses of the term in Scripture have nothing to do with the phrase as it is used there.

This is so much the case that the most fanciful interpretations have arisen to explain it. And, fanciful is both exciting and profitable. So, most people normally hold fast to the most fanciful interpretation, and those who can profit off of them present that most fanciful interpretation, renewing it from time to time, in order to make a bit more off a new book or a new video.

This is not responsible theology, and it edifies no one. The real key to understanding the phrase there in Genesis 6 is actually found in Job 1 & 2. Almost everyone agrees on that, but not everyone has a correct understanding of those verses in Job. I admit, I didn’t.

There was a disconnect between my understanding of the term there and my understanding of the term elsewhere in Scripture that was, thankfully, resolved when some marvelous people – Benzer and Sandra –traveled to the US from the UK in order to visit the church, which – ironically – happened exactly one year ago this week.

The first time we were together at the house, Benzer brought up the Nephilim in Genesis 6 and I immediately thought, “Here we go. Another loose cannon.” That lasted about two seconds until he explained why my thought on Job 1 & 2 was incorrect.

The light came on, and I said, “It sounds correct, but there is a lot of work to do before I agree to this.” And so, instead of doing whatever thing we had planned to do, we sat down at the computer and went through every single instance of the phrase ha’elohim, or “the God,” found in Scripture. We don’t form sound doctrine and proper theology any other way.

Text Verse: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

Being a son of God is, first and foremost, a mark of humanity. This will be explained as we continue on today. There is, within the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but the Son in that capacity is a term used to indicate a position within the Godhead – God the Father; God the Son; God the Holy Spirit.

When the term “Son of God” is used in the gospels, it is referring to the human Jesus who is God’s Son. He is the Son of God who is a Man. Curiously, the term Son of Man that is used so often concerning Jesus is more closely associated in thought with His deity, not His humanity. He is a Man, but He is a Man who is God.

If you doubt this, go read every instance of Son of God and Son of Man in the gospels and see if it is so or not. It is. As this is so, the term “son of God” is one that refers to humanity. How does one become a son of God?

James 4:7, our text verse, gave us an insight into it. In submitting to God and resisting the devil, the devil will flee from us. The implication is that the devil is the problem.

John makes it explicit in 1 John 3:8, where he says, “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

Where does sin come from? It comes from a violation of law. Where does the law come from? It comes from God. In violating God’s law, sin enters the picture. With sin comes death and separation from God. How is that restored? Not through law! The devil uses law to separate us from God. What is the answer?

It is available, and it is to be found in God’s superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Translation Matters; Context Matters (½ Verse 1)

The contents of the previous passage were almost entirely in the singular with just one exception. Moses was speaking to Israel as a collective whole. Now, to open chapter 14, he immediately switches to the plural to address them…

¹ “You are the children of the Lord your God;

banim atem Yehovah elohekem – “Sons you (all) are of Yehovah your (all) God.” Of these words, Charles Ellicott rightly and poignantly states –

“This fact is made the foundation of all the laws of ceremonial and moral holiness in the Pentateuch, more especially in the Book of Leviticus, where these laws are chiefly to be found.” Charles Ellicott

When he says, “the Pentateuch,” it means the five books of Moses. Although Israel was only introduced later in Genesis, and then the nation of Israel only truly received its calling in Exodus, the entirety of these five books must be considered in this truth.

And from that foundation, all of the rest of the Old Testament finds its basis – both among the people of Israel, but also among the sons of God who are not of Israel, such as Job.

And then from there, the work of the Redeemer is introduced, fulfilling what is stated in this law – and which concerns these “sons of Yehovah” – and how they are brought fully to a right state of sonship to the Lord God.

One cannot look at these words of Moses to Israel now without understanding what it means to be a son of Yehovah, meaning a Son of God, without taking a much more intimate look at the concept – even from the earliest time of man on earth. The idea first goes back to the opening words of Genesis 6 –

“Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, ² that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.” Genesis 6:1, 2

There it used the term bene ha’elohim, or “sons of the God.” The definite article was, and continues to be, expressive. It is used when referring to the one true God in relation to man. But more especially, it is in relation to those who are in a right relationship with Him, or it is used to contrast those who are not in a right relationship with Him.

In the Bible, the term “son(s) of God,” more expressly focuses on one’s humanity. When Jesus is called the Son of God, it is true that He is the divine Son of God, but the term more appropriately is referring to His humanity. He is the true Son of God – the perfect ideal of Man in relation to God.

This idea extends to all people who stand in a proper relationship to God. The “sons of the God” of Genesis 6:1 refers to this relationship between men and the God.

Before that term was introduced, a set division of humanity was carefully laid out so that when the term was given, there should not be a mistake as to what it was conveying. But mistakes do come.

Genesis 4 immediately introduced Cain and Abel. Abel was shown to be right with God through his actions of faith. Cain was not. Cain killed Abel – demonstrating the enmity between the two thoughts.

From there, Chapter 4 carefully details Cain and his line, a line separate from – and at enmity with – God. At the end of the chapter, however, another line was introduced with the words –

“And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” ²⁶ And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.” Genesis 4:25, 26

Chapter 5 then lists this second line, a line that is right with God. It is the line of sonship, meaning a line of faith in the promises of God. This is why these two divergent lines are highlighted immediately after the fall.

The word of God introduces a subject, it gives details based on that subject, and then the word goes back and fills in more details to more fully flesh out what is being conveyed. The simple example of giving the book of Judges and only later giving the book of Ruth, a book that rightly belongs in the chronology of the book of Judges, shows how this occurs.

This happens time and again in Scripture. The account of Joseph being sold into a life of servitude in Egypt is introduced. Immediately after that, the story of the line of Judah through his relationship with his own daughter-in-law is then given, and only then does the narrative return to Joseph in Egypt.

And so, to understand this idea of being sons of Yehovah – and thus sons of the God – from its proper context, the first two uses of the term, ha’elohim, or “the God,” were provided in Genesis 5 when speaking of Enoch –

“After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with [the] God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. ²³ So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. ²⁴ And Enoch walked with [the] God; and he was not, for God took him.” Genesis 5:22-24

Enoch was a man who was clearly in a right relationship with “the God,” and the article was given to solidify that fact. The next use of the article was twice in Genesis 6 when referring to this line of people who stood in this proper relationship with God. They are bene ha’elohim, or “sons of the God.”

That this is the correct interpretation of this is first seen when the next use of the article before “God” was found in Genesis 6:9 when speaking of Noah who was in a right relationship with Him –

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
⁹ This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with [the] God.” Genesis 6:8, 9

Using the same words spoken of concerning Enoch, but in an emphatic form, Noah is likewise said to be of this godly line: eth ha’elohim hithalek Noakh – “with the God walked Noah.” In other words, Enoch was a son of the God, being in a right standing with Him. Noah was likewise.

However, immediately after that, the article is again used to define the state of Nephilim, or “fallen ones,” already referred to in the chapter. The word Nephilim is not referring to a hybrid product of humans sleeping with angels – something the Bible never refers to nor hints at. Rather, it is speaking of those who are not in a right standing with “the God.” Rather, they are fallen –

“The earth also was corrupt before [the] God, and the earth was filled with violence. ¹² So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.” Genesis 6:11, 12

In other words, the use of the article is expressing the contrast between the two lines that exist in the presence of the God. Noah is of one line; the others are not. This is why the definite article is so meticulously and precisely used in these accounts. In following this term, we follow the thought of Scripture as it presents to us man’s status before God.

The next time the article is used is not until Genesis 17. It is at a time when it is necessary to define those who are, or who are not, in this right “son” relationship –

“Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, ‘Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’ ¹⁸ And Abraham said to [the] God, ‘Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!’” Genesis 17:17, 18

The implication is that Abraham was petitioning for Ishmael to define the line of right standing with God. But that was rejected. Another son would come who would be in that position.

When a possible interruption of that promise came about in Genesis 20, the article is used twice to confirm the right standing of Abraham before God to Abimelech who had Abraham’s wife, Sarah.

Following that, in Genesis 22, in the great test of faith of this man of faith, the definite article is used three times, confirming Abraham’s right standing before “the God.”

Carefully following the use of the article before elohim, or “God,” in the Bible consistently reveals the relationship between man and the true God. This means either a right relationship or the lack of it. This is true in the more than 370 uses of the article.

When it is necessary to define the true God, the article is used. An example of this, and which defines this relationship, is found in 2 Chronicles 35. In that chapter, the word elohim, or “god,” is found five times. The first use in verse 3 defines God as the true God by identifying Him as “Yehovah,” saying to the people of Israel, “Now serve the Lord [Yehovah] your God.”

The second use, in verse 8, refers to beth ha’elohim, or “house of the God.” Thus, it clearly defines the house – meaning the temple –as that pertaining to the true God. However, the final three uses of elohim in the chapter are when Pharaoh Neco is referred to –

“But he sent messengers to him, saying, ‘What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you.’ ²² Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo.” 2 Chronicles 35:21, 22

In all three instances there, the article is lacking, thus signifying that it is not the true God that Pharaoh communicated with, but rather his own false god or gods.

One must carefully evaluate each instance of the use of the article, and also maintain the proper context of the passage, or errors in theology, such as the misrepresentation of who the Nephilim of Genesis 6 are, will inevitably result.

This is especially true when considering the only other uses of the full term, bene ha’elohim, or “sons of the God,” found in Scripture. The uses are in Job 1 and Job 2 –

“Now there was a day when the sons of [the] God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’
So Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.’” Job 1:6, 7

&

“Again there was a day when the sons of [the] God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. ² And the Lord said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’
Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.’” Job 2:1, 2

The error of analysis made in these verses by many is that the “sons of the God” are angels, and that they are presenting themselves before the Lord. This is incorrect.

This is not speaking of angels but of men presenting themselves before the true God, just as Enoch did, just as Abraham did, and just as all other uses of the article demonstrate – a right relationship of man before the true God or the lack thereof.

This becomes perfectly evident from the reference made in Job 38:7 which all scholars who incorrectly identify the Nephilim as angels use to justify their position on this matter –

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
⁵ Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
⁶ To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷ When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:4-7

In this passage, the term used is bene elohim, “sons of God,” not bene ha’elohim, or “sons of the God.” The article is left off because it is not speaking of men in relation to the true God. If this is even speaking of angels, which is probably not the case, there is no need to include the article because both angels and demons know who the true God is.

However, these words in Job 38 are probably not speaking of angels. Instead, it is more probably referring to the early formation of stars as detailed in the Genesis account harmonically resonating as the word of God was spoken forth in the act of creation.

In other words, the Lord is speaking in parallelism in Job 38. Parallelism is a literary devise where something is stated, and then it is repeated in another way to make the point more poignant –

Job 38:4-7 in parallelism

Where were you (JOB) when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you (JOB) have understanding.

Who determined its measurements? – The size of the earth
Or who stretched the line upon it? – The size of the earth

To what were its foundations fastened? – the underpinnings
Or who laid its cornerstone – the underpinnings

When the morning stars sang together, – the early star formation
And all the sons of God shouted for joy? – the early star formation

The questions of the Lord continue in parallelism throughout the passage, and so there is no reason to assume that the morning stars are being poetically equated to angels, but rather to actual stars. The lack of the article in this verse demonstrates this because the article is specifically used to express the nature of the true God in relation to man.

Man was not yet created in that section of Job, and so the article is left off. However, the article is used in Job 1 and 2 to expressly set those verses apart from the notion that God is speaking of angelic beings.

This, then, obviously invites the question, “Then what is Satan doing there, walking among the sons of the God?” The answer is clearly expressed elsewhere in Scripture. Satan is explicitly said to be the accuser of the brethren in Revelation 12 –

“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.’” Revelation 12:10

In both Job 1 and 2, it is not referring to angels at all. Rather, it is referring to humans who anticipate the coming Messiah – thus they are sons of the God – who have presented themselves before the Lord. Satan, then, has come among them in an attempt to sift them, exactly as he sifted Christ’s followers as is recorded in Luke 22 –

“And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.’” Luke 22:31, 32

Peter later says exactly this concerning believers in 1 Peter 5 –

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. ¹⁰ But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ¹¹ To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:8-11

The idea presented in Job 1 and 2 is not that Satan has come before the Lord with other angels. Rather, it is that the sons of the God, meaning those – like Job – who are those who “fear God and shun evil,” have come before the true God (see Job 1:1, 1:8, etc.).

Though not being in the line of Messiah, they are faithful believers in the promise of the coming Messiah. They have presented themselves before the God, and Satan has come among them to sift them. This is exactly the premise of Satan’s testing of Job with the approval of the Lord that is conveyed in the surrounding passage.

To further confirm this, the word used in Job that says they came to “present” themselves before “the God” is yatsav. It is used in exactly the same way concerning men presenting themselves before the Lord in Numbers 11 –

“So the Lord said to Moses: ‘Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you.’” Numbers 11:16

But, more importantly, this is seen again in Joshua 24:1 –

“Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.”  Joshua 24:1

There, it says they presented themselves liphne ha’elohim, “before the God,” just as those in Job do. Such instances clearly define what is later referred to in Job. The same word, yatsav, translated as “present” is again used in this same context in 1 Samuel 10 –

“Then Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah, ¹⁸ and said to the children of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all kingdoms and from those who oppressed you.” ¹⁹ But you have today rejected your God, who Himself saved you from all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us!’ Now therefore, present yourselves before the Lord [Yehovah] by your tribes and by your clans.” 1 Samuel 10:17-19

In this passage, the article before “God” is unnecessary because He is defined by the name of the true God, Yehovah.

To fully appreciate this connection of the use of the article before elohim, or “God,” to the relationship of human beings toward the true God, one must go through all 370+ instances of the term ha’elohim expressed in Scripture.

Only in doing this will one see that every use follows the same contextual pattern. In this, one can then appreciate the error in thinking that has resulted from accepting the view that angelic beings are sleeping with humans and producing aberrant hybrids of mutants.

Such fanciful analyses are dramatic, sensational, and they sell well, but they improperly analyze Scripture, they introduce contradictions into Scripture, they fail to consider the use of the definite article preceding elohim as it is intended, they neglect the context of the surrounding passages, and they fail to take into account the whole body of Scripture that is necessary to properly and rightly divide the word concerning what is being said.

Satan did not sleep with Eve in order to cause man to fall. Rather, he deceived the woman through a manipulation of Scripture and Adam accepted his presentation over the word of the Lord. This is how he attempted to lead Christ astray as well.

The devil misuses the word of God, meaning law, in order to introduce sin. Through the introduction of sin, the devil gains his foothold over man. It is through deceit, temptation, affliction, opposition, and accusation that he works out his plans.

This is how he operates, not by having his fallen angels, which are spirit beings, sleep with human beings – something not possible for spirits, by the way.

To understand more on the misanalyses of who the Nephilim are in Genesis 6, you can go back and watch that sermon. The Bible is written for man about man’s right or wrong relationship with God. That is clearly expressed in Scripture. When one is in a right standing with Him, he is termed a son of God through faith.

This is the case in both testaments, and it is the case with the first clause of this first, most important, verse in Deuteronomy 14 – banim atem Yehovah elohkem, “Sons you are of Yehovah your God.”

Sons of God through faith in His promise
This is how the deal is sealed
One cannot be a doubting Thomas
And expect the title “Son of God” to him be dealed

But if we just trust in what God has done
If we hold fast to the promise
Believing in the word concerning God’s Son
And not continuing as a doubting Thomas

Then all good things will come to us
God will be pleased with the faith we possess
Yes, if we place our trust in the Lord Jesus
And Him as Lord we do confess

This is what God would ask of you
This is what God expects you to do

II. A Holy People; a Special Treasure (verses 1 con’t & 2)

The sons of God are those who live life in relation to Messiah. In the Old Testament, it is those who anticipated the coming of Messiah. Enoch did, Noah did, and Abraham did – among others in that select line. But Job also did, and he lived his life according to that promise.

How do we know this? It is because the hope of Messiah is the hope of restoration and life. Job’s words clearly indicate that he possessed this hope –

“For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
²⁶ And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
²⁷ Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25-27

It is this that made him a son of the God – faith. For Israel, that term, son of the God, is more fully defined using the divine name, Yehovah. This more precise relationship was established in Exodus 6 –

“And God spoke to Moses and said to him: ‘I am the Lord. ³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them.’” Exodus 6:2, 3

The name translated both there in Exodus and here in Deuteronomy as “Lord” is Yehovah. The people of Israel are called sons of Yehovah because this is how God had revealed Himself to them. With this in mind, Cambridge notes –

“But when all the O.T. references to God as the Father whether of Israel or Israelites and to them as His children have been reckoned up, how few are they in comparison to the number of times that sons, and children, of God occur in the N.T. God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying Abba Father (Galatians 4:6); joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).”

Their somewhat dismissive note doesn’t change the fact that Moses now calls them the sons of Yehovah. It is a truth and a calling that is set forth by him, and thus it is to be accepted as such.

It is for this reason that they were to apply the moral and holy laws of the Lord carefully to their walk before Him. Understanding this, Moses continues addressing the people in the plural with…

^{1 (con’t)} you shall not cut yourselves

lo titgogedu – “no shall you (all) gash yourselves.” It is a new word in Scripture, gadad signifying to penetrate or cut. It comes from gud, meaning to invade or attack. Thus, it signifies to crowd, or to gash. The idea is that of pressing into oneself like a crowd presses in to form a break in a line.

The words here are similar to that stated in Leviticus 19 –

“You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:28

Gashing oneself had varying purposes. One of them was to petition one’s god in an almost mournful way. Such is found of the worshippers of Baal in 1 Kings 18 –

“And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.” ²⁸ So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. ²⁹ And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.” 1 Kings 18:27-29

The worshippers of Baal were in great distress because there had been no answer to their petition and Elijah was have fun poking at them over that fact. Likewise, the implication here in Deuteronomy is that this is intended as a sign of mourning as is further seen in the next words…

^{1 (con’t)} nor shave the front of your head for the dead.

v’lo tasimu qarekhah ben enekem lamet – “and no shall you (all) place baldness between your eyes to the dead.” In other words, they were not to shave the forehead. Our friend Rhoda noted that this may be a pun based on the previous verse.

In verse 13:18 it said the people were to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Now, it says not to place baldness between their eyes, implying it is an act that is not right in the eyes of the Lord. Both acts were a defilement of the body as a sign of mourning.

These were pagan practices that defiled the body created in the image of God. They were for superstitious reasons in relation to the gods of the people, and as a sign of exceptional mourning that the person was forever lost due to the end of his life.

To gash oneself would release blood. But the Lord has said that the life is in the blood. To shed one’s own blood would be a way of demonstrating, through mourning for the dead, that the life was lost and there was no hope.

To shave one’s forehead was equally objectionable because the forehead is the place of conscience and identification. To shave the hair from the forehead was an acknowledgement that the conscience and identification of the dead was forever lost.

These were forbidden firstly because there is one God, and it is not the false god of one of these nations. The second reason was for exactly the reason that was talked about earlier – the hope of Messiah. Israel was not to mourn in such ways because they were the people of God through whom this hope was promised.

It would be inconsistent to grieve in such a manner, as if all hope was lost, when considering that Yehovah had called them as a people for exactly the opposite reason. They were the people of God, and it is through them that Messiah would come. Because of this, the hope was assured. This is the reason why this thought now is expressly tied to the first thought, meaning that they were the sons of Yehovah.

Through Him is the promise of life, meaning Messiah, and there was to therefore be no such mourning as if all hope had perished. This is exactly what was so beautifully expressed by Martha at the grave of Lazarus –

“Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. ²¹ Now Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.’
²³ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’
²⁴ Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’” John 11:20-24

Martha mourned for her brother, but it was a mourning of separation, not hopeless loss. Jesus commended her for her faith and then received acknowledgment from her of how great that faith actually was –

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’
²⁷ She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’” John 11:25-27

We read such verses as this one in Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, and we think they are completely disconnected from faith in Christ. In fact, exactly the opposite is true. They are intimately tied into the idea of Messiah. Martha’s words clearly demonstrate this. “No hope? On the contrary! Great is my confidence in the promises of the Lord!” This is in accord with Paul’s words which say –

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14

With this understanding, Moses continues…

² For you are a holy people to the Lord your God,

The words of this clause are identical, word for word and letter for letter, to Deuteronomy 7:6. They are similar to the words of a portion of Exodus 19:6, but the meaning between them is vastly different. To grasp that difference and how important it is, one should go back and review the comments of that Deuteronomy 7 sermon.

If Israel was to demonstrate whether they were truly sons of the Lord or not, they were to conduct themselves as a people holy to the Lord. Thus, the statement that opened the passage must be taken as a conditional one.

It is certain that the Pharisees of Jesus’ time minutely abided by the tenets of this chapter. And yet, Jesus – when speaking to them – said that they were of their father the devil. Therefore, there is for Israel a positional sonship that all of the people enjoyed, and an actual sonship that only those of faith participated in.

Again, we will not dwell on the meaning of this clause because it was minutely analyzed in Chapter 7.

*^{2 (fin)} and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Note: the Hebrew says, mikol, “out of (or from) all,” not “above all.” Here the words are very similar to the final two clauses of Deuteronomy 7:6. Taken side by side, this can be seen –

and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

Despite some translational differences that don’t exist in the Hebrew, the only substantial differences between the two are that this verse includes the word “and,” and it leaves off the word “your God.” Other than that, they are almost identical.

For this reason, I am not going to reevaluate the words for you today. Rather, when you go home, please be sure to re-watch or reread what is outlined there. The main point is that Israel is set apart as holy, even if they do not act as such. In other words, they are holy to the Lord as a people, even if the people are unholy before the Lord.

In this state, they are a special treasure to the Lord who are “out of all,” not “above all,” the peoples on the face of the earth. This is an important distinction in translation that must be made. Israel is not “above all” the nations but has been taken “out of” all the nations.

This was for the Lord’s own purposes and it sets them apart as distinct, but it also bears a very heavy burden. It is a burden that they have failed to bear up under, and it has – because of their own lack of faith – brought them much grief and sorrow.

For now, we will close with the thought that it is through Jesus that one becomes a true and forever son of God. And that only comes about by faith. It cannot come apart from it. The law has been given to show us this, and Israel has been the means by which that demonstration has been made.

This is true both in the lives of the individual people who come from that body, and it is true in God’s giving of us His Son, the promised Messiah, through them. Where they failed, He prevailed. Where they sinned, He remained sinless.

Even if some were people of faith, like David or Martha, the people of Israel were expected to live out their lives under law. The sad fact of the matter, however, is that not one of them was able to do this perfectly. The testimony to this is that all of them (minus Elijah who was taken alive to heaven) are dead.

This does not mean that they are forever lost. If they were people of faith in the promise of Messiah, they shall rise again – just as Job knew that he too would rise, and just as Martha knew that Lazarus would rise. However, they – meaning the people of Israel – were given as examples to us that the law could never save anyone. Every one of them is just as dead as Job is.

They did not prevail over the law that was given to them… well, not until God did the miraculous and accomplished all things Himself through the giving of Christ Jesus. It is through faith in Him – whether looking forward to Him or looking back on Him – by which the people of faith have that promise realized.

The righteous requirements of the law are now fulfilled in us through Jesus Christ, if we will simply accept that it is so. In this, God reckons us as justified. Paul says that Abraham stood justified before God, but Abraham came before the law. He also says that by deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in God’s sight, but rather that a man is justified apart from the deeds of the law. If that is so, then it is solely by faith.

God in His bountiful grace gave us the Gift of life when He gave us the Gift of His Son. And it is through faith in that, and faith in that alone, that we become full and complete sons of God. Enoch walked with the God, Noah walked with the God, and you too can have a close and personal walk with the God when you walk in faith with Jesus Christ. And so today I would ask you to do so.

Reach out to Him, believe that He died for your sins, have faith that He was buried, but that He rose again according to Scripture to bring you back to full and complete restoration with God.

Closing Verse: “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” 1 John 5:19, 20

Next Week: Deuteronomy 14:3-21 It is a responsibility not to be ignored… (A Holy People to the Lord) (45^th Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Sons of the Lord God

“You are the children of the LORD your God
Just as the Lord to you has said
You shall not cut yourselves
Nor shave the front of your head for the dead

For you are a holy people to the LORD your God
And the LORD has chosen you to be a people for Himself
———-such is your positional worth
A special treasure above all the peoples
Who are on the face of the earth

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You are the children of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead. ² For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

 

Deuteronomy 13:6-18
You Shall Walk After the Lord Your God, Part II

At Christmastime this past year, my friend Tina asked me to do a sermon on the question, “Why it takes so long to understand grace.” She even repeated the question, amending it as she wrote – “Why is it so hard to understand grace?”  In asking twice, she was letting me know it was truly important to her.

I’m not sure an entire sermon is needed to answer that. And yet, at the same time, I’m not sure that a thousand sermons could answer it as well. The reason why is because every person ever born is an individual, and so every person is going to come to a different level of understanding concerning things like it. And, we cannot go further than what our limited, finite comprehension then allows.

The simple definition of grace is “Getting what you do not deserve.” The very fact that it is undeserved makes it beyond our ability to fully grasp. We may generally understand it, but we cannot fully apprehend the impetus behind the act.

The first question is, “Why does it take so long to understand grace?” Surely, she is referring to the grace of God. As this is so, it is because the grace of God is infinite. How can we ever explore an infinite? As long as the ages have been, and as long as they will continue to be, we cannot – nor will we ever be able to – fully peer into what is infinite. We can only see it from what we know, which is finite and limited.

The second question, though seemingly easier to answer, is actually more difficult, “Why is it so hard to understand grace.” Again, she is certainly referring to the grace of God. The answer to the first question is simply a punt. God is infinite, we are not, and so we cannot attain to what God has done.

But from our perspective, it seems the second question doesn’t bear that limitation. We are finite and grace has been bestowed upon us. The Source of that may be infinite, but the results of it aren’t. The act has happened and yet we find ourselves not understanding how it can be.

Text Verse: “You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. ⁹ A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰ I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.” Galatians 5:7-10

The contents of the sermon today are more directed to mercy than to grace. In the context of the passage, God has already redeemed Israel. He has already given them the inheritance. It is the people who are faced with disobeying the word of the Lord who are addressed.

What they need is obedience to the word, and the Lord will have compassion on them for acting rightly. But this is the same as those who Paul is addressing in Galatians. They had received the grace of God. They had been saved and sealed. There is no question about that. And yet, they had trampled on that grace, returning to the law that Christ had already fulfilled for them.

In other words, they had failed to understand grace. Why? The answer is different for those in Rome, for those in Corinth, for those in Galatia, and so on. The Corinthians were given grace, and they had immediately turned it into an idol fest of division. They also had some who turned it into an excuse for license.

The Galatians had turned away from it and to an idol fest of “self.” Why can’t we understand grace? It is because it is opposed to our very nature. We know how to be gracious, but it always stems back to something we can receive from it – even if it is to simply obtain a state of personal satisfaction. “That made me feel good.”

We turn from grace because we find it hard to accept that there are no strings attached, or that God has somehow failed to benefit from His bestowal of grace. That is completely contrary to why we are gracious.

And so, we think, if God isn’t benefitting from this, then it can’t be real. If it isn’t real, then I need to do something to merit His favor. As a result of this thinking, what do we do? We go back to personal merit before the Lord, forgetting that personal merit is actually opposed to grace – which we suppose can’t be grace because there was no benefit from the Giver of the grace.

Not understanding grace is a condition of placing our own finite, failing, and fallible limitations on God who is none of those things. That means that we need to have the mind of God. Not in the sense that we are God and have infinite knowledge, but that we accept that what God says is exactly what God means.

And the way that we do that is to read and accept His word, in context, and at face value. How can we understand grace? I would say that to do so, we must completely ignore our own self and what it means to be the person each of us is – one hundred percent. If we allow ourselves to be the judge of what God’s grace means, we will never – never ever – understand what it means.

In setting aside the notions of self, we can then accept the gift of God. “He has done this, I accept it, and I will not attempt to think any further in relation to my own self in order to understand it.”

If we can do that, then we will have all of eternity to no longer claim we understand God’s grace, but to simply accept it and then go on in learning what it means, as He reveals it to us.

Tina, that’s the best I can do. It is an answer that demands that we accept God’s word, wholly and completely, as it is given to us. And I am certain that this is true because God’s eternal, unchanging, and ageless word ends on exactly that note – “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” Revelation 22:21.

If God wanted us to understand it from our limited perspective, He would not have ended His word with that. And if He expected us to understand it, He would not have promised us eternity to find out – in its fullness – what that ending sentence meant.

Grace is given, mercy is received, and the fulfillment of the law through Christ our Lord is how those things come to be. This is a truth that is to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Lord Above All Others (verses 6-11)

In the previous passage, Moses spoke of the prophet or dreamer of dreams leading the people away from the way in which the Lord God commanded. In such an instance, he said “that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death.” In doing this, he said they would “put away the evil from your midst.”

This is correct, but it is not the end of such an example, even by a longshot. That is a specific example of anyone in general. The world is full of heretics, and such heretics are to be eliminated. However, Moses now goes from the general to the personal…

⁶ “If your brother,

The conjunction is a common one, ki. It is what opened the chapter in verse 1, and it will be used again to begin the next thought in verse 12. It is widely used and translated, but the word “if” – though not being incorrect – may not be the best way of stating the force of the intent.

One might say, “Though your brother.” In other words, it seems Moses is assuming the thing has occurred. In this, he will state the law for such an occurrence. He begins with the personal affiliation that is considered one of the closest in Scripture, that of the brother. To further define the closeness, he then adds in…

^6 (con’t) the son of your mother,

In the Bible, like in our own general speaking, the word “brother” can extend to someone who is actually not related at all. There is a closeness that we feel towards others that brings our affections and allegiances to that of a brother in almost all ways.

However, we also use the term “blood is thicker than water” to demonstrate that there are times when we will tolerate or forgive something from a blood brother that we would not accept in a friend, usually no matter how close of a friend he is. Hence, Moses further defines the relationship for this reason. From there…

^6 (con’t) your son or your daughter,

The NKJV leaves off a preposition. It says: o binkha o bitekha – “or your son or your daughter.” It is two different classes as Moses elevates the importance of the command. One might reject even his own brother, but would he reject his son? It must be so.

And, even more, his daughter is the weaker sex. The inclination would be to have mercy on her, or to say, “I am the parent, and I am the stronger. I can impose my will on this person to effect a proper change in her.” But Moses will show that such a thought is to be excluded. And from there, he elevates the matter higher…

^6 (con’t) the wife of your bosom,

o eshet kheqekha – “or wife of your bosom.” Moses could have just said, “or your wife.” If so, she may have been at the beginning of the list, not towards the end, because not all men love their wives. But in adding the word kheq, or “bosom,” he is defining a relationship that is so intimate and loving that it is as if the wife is enclosed in the man. The implication of unfailing love is communicated with this thought. But even that is again elevated…

^6 (con’t) or your friend who is as your own soul,

The word “friend” is rea. It signifies “another.” It can be a brother, a friend, a companion, a lover, and so on. Such a person is defined by Moses as asher kenaphshekha – “which as your own soul.” This is the one referred to in the proverbs –

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24

It is the truly undying love for another without regard to physical intimacy or gender. Such a relationship as this transcends such things and is revealed in the strongest bond of all. It is how the relationship between David and Jonathan is described –

“Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.” 1 Samuel 18:3

So great was David’s love, that when he was killed David said –

“I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
You have been very pleasant to me;
Your love to me was wonderful,
Surpassing the love of women.” 2 Samuel 1:26

Moses, having brought in the closest of all human relationships, now says that even under such a relationship as that, if that person…

^6 (con’t) secretly entices you,

ba’sether – “in the secret.” It is a new word in Scripture, sether. It is a noun signifying a cover, literal or figurative. And it can be in a positive or negative sense. It comes from the verb sathar (to hide or conceal). In this act, any such person, no matter how close comes forward…

^6 (con’t) saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’

lemor nelekha w’naabdah Elohim akherim – “saying ‘Let us walk and serve gods other.’” In other words, any god, or any gods – other than Yehovah – that are brought forward for the purpose of worship. The words here follow in accord with the words of verse 2, “Let us go after other gods…and serve them.” Such gods are…

^6 (con’t) which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers,

Again, the words are in accord with verse 2, “which you have not known.” The people are sitting before Moses, the representative of the law of the Lord. They have personally experienced the Lord, and they are being instructed in the law of the Lord.

Thus, the reference is from this point in their history, and it extends out from there for all time. Only Yehovah is known to them, and only Yehovah is to be known to them. Such a prohibition is to extend in all directions as well. As Moses says…

⁷ of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you,

Here, the words go from the singular to the plural for just one word, and then back to the singular – “from gods of the people which around you (all) near to you (singular) or the farthest from you (singular). Moses is ensuring that both the individuals and the collective nation pay heed to what is said.

Despite the plural being confirmed by the Greek translation of this passage, and in a marvelously stupid comment, Cambridge says that the words “ought to be deleted.” In this, they have elevated themselves to being the arbiters of God’s word, claiming that what is presented is subject to their own whims of grammar and of what is to be considered useful or unhelpful concerning instruction. They will be punished.

^7 (con’t) from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth,

miqtseh ha’arets v’ad qetseh ha’arets – “from end the earth and unto end the earth.” The meaning is obvious, and it is to be understood from both a geographical and a chronological sense. In no place, and at no time, shall this be tolerated. Rather…

⁸ you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him;

It is an emphatic and pregnant verse made up of five different clauses. And more, Moses uses several words that are rather rare. Hence, what he says is grave and striking – “No you shall consent to him; and no you shall listen to him; and no shall pity your eye him; and no you shall spare; and no you shall cover him over.”

And more, the first two clauses deal with the individual’s response to the offender – “You shall not consent, and you shall not listen to.” However, the final three clauses deal with the individual’s responsibility toward the offender – “Your eye shall not pity, nor shall you spare, and you shall not conceal.”

The offender is not to be heeded, and the offender is to be dealt with even as an enemy. As Moses next says…

⁹ but you shall surely kill him;

Moses places a stress upon the requirement: ki harog tahargenu – “For killing you shall kill him.” It is to be considered a judicial act because the offender has committed a capital offense.

But more, the person who was enticed is – by his actions – placing his allegiance to the Lord above his own human instincts, which would otherwise be to defend someone he loved so much. But Moses brings in an implied protection for such an action, saying…

^{9 (con’t)} your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.

If a person were to be enticed by another person, and he was to kill him right then and there, it could be argued that he had committed murder and that he had only claimed that he was so enticed in order to kill another person. This is why the law says –

“Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. ⁷ The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from among you.” Deuteronomy 17:6, 7

In such a law, there is protection for the offender, and there is also protection for the one who took the Lord’s side in the matter. Otherwise, anyone could claim anything and get away with murder. Or the truly righteous man who took action into his own hands could be accused of murder.

This is substantiated by the fact that it notes that not only would the one who heard be required to kill the person, but then it says that “all the people” were to follow suit. The implication is that the matter was brought before the congregation.

However, once the matter was settled, the one who made the initial accusation would be required to back up his words with action. Thus, the punishment would be both a grave responsibility and an implied honor. Of this law, Charles Ellicott rightly states –

“The law may seem harsh, but its principle is reproduced in the Gospel: … ‘If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple’ (Luke 14:26). It is impossible to deny or escape the identity of the Lord Jesus with the Jehovah of the Old Testament. He does not always put the execution of His judgments into human hands, but He is the same for ever.” Charles Ellicott

¹⁰ And you shall stone him with stones until he dies,

Verse 5 said the prophet or dreamer of dreams who committed such an action was to be put to death. This verse now explains the means of execution: u-seqalto ba’abanim va’met – “And you shall stone him in the stones and he dies.”

This is the first of several explicit references to stoning a person in Deuteronomy, but it was already implied in verse 5. The land of Israel is the rockiest place one can imagine. There is hardly a spot that isn’t fit to accomplish this, and it is a means of execution that everyone at hand could – and indeed was expected to – participate in. In this case, the stoning was mandated…

^{10 (con’t)} because he sought to entice you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Though they vary in several ways in both order and words used, what is said here bears great similarity to verse 5. The focus is on one’s allegiance to Yehovah, and the explanation for that is – again – that it is He who brought Israel out of Egypt.

Again, and again, Moses returns to this same theme. As such, we need to remember the parallel. This is what Christ spiritually did for us. As always, Egypt pictures bondage to sin. Christ Jesus brought us out from that, having redeemed us from that house of bondage.

Despite the bloody history of the Roman Catholic Church, the church of the saints of Christ has no authority to execute the false prophets or those around us who attempt to draw us away from faith in Christ, but we have the same personal responsibility to love the Lord more than any other person.

He alone is to be our greatest desire of the heart and soul. That loving allegiance to Him is to be what will hopefully draw others into the same relationship. For Israel, however, execution of offenders was to be its own warning…

¹¹ So all Israel shall hear and fear,

The spelling of the word “fear” bears a strong emphasis: v’kal Yisrael yishmeru v’yiratun – “And all Israel shall hear, and shall (certainly) fear.” In other words, just as any society hears of executions and realizes how serious certain matters are taken, so Israel would take it to heart and be absolutely certain to not do as that offender had done.

Such a punishment has a double impact. It removes the wicked from the land, and it causes the people to walk circumspectly. But even that leads to a third benefit. In walking properly, people will revere the Lord who set the standard in the first place. The problem for Israel is never with the law itself, but with the people’s inability to uphold it. As long as the law is upheld others will see…

^{11 (con’t)} and not again do such wickedness as this among you.

v’lo yosiphu laasot kadavar ha’ra hazeh b’kirbekha – “and no shall add to do according to the thing the evil the this in your midst.” In other words, in executing the offender, it will end any other such attempts by those who are so easily led astray.

The precept is no different than countries that execute homosexuals. When that is the case, those who may think in that manner would never openly acknowledge it. The standard is set, the law is given, and those who fear the law will exercise restraint. And so, it is with any other activity – adultery, drugs, and so on. In executing offenders, the masses will cease the offenses.

Blessed is the one who walks after the Lord his God
And happy is the man who shall see His face
It is on the straight path that he does trod
And it is he who finds the Lord’s mercy and His grace 

So is it for that man who walks after the Lord his God
And it shall be so, even when life appears dark and grim
His feet are faithful and with righteousness he is shod
He will see good days. Joy and blessing lie ahead for him

Do what is right and pleasing before the Lord
And He will honor you with life and length of days
Be carefully attentive to His sacred word
And live out your life to His honor and His praise

This is the path to follow for the discerning and the wise
He who understands is ever pleasing in the Lord’s attentive eyes

II. What is Right in the Eyes of the Lord (verses 12-18)

In verses 1-5 Moses dealt with apostacy in a general matter. In verses 6-11, he dealt with it in a personal matter. Now, in verses 12-18, he will refer to apostacy in an organized matter, saying…

¹² “If you hear someone in one of your cities,

Again, as in verse 1 and verse 6, the translation is probably more rightly, “Though you hear…” It is more assuredly assuming that the thing has occurred, and so action must be taken. In this case, it is an offense that has happened in a city.

Further, the word “someone” doesn’t belong here. It reads: ki tishma b‘akhat arekha – “Though you hear in one of your cities.” The words are referring to Israel (the whole) hearing about something that has occurred in one of the cities. And to be more specific, Moses says…

^{12 (con’t)} which the Lord your God gives you to dwell in, saying,

This is the same idea as saying, “the Lord who brought you out of Egypt.” In other words, the offense is aggravated by the notion that the city was provided by the Lord. He brought them in. He subdued the nations. He gave them cities. And yet, in one of those cities…

¹³ ‘Corrupt men have gone out from among you

The Hebrew is more expressive: yaseu anashim bene beliyaal miqirbekha – “Have gone out men, sons of worthlessness, from your midst.” The word beliyaal is introduced here. It comes from beli (failure) and yaal (profit). Thus, “no profit” or “worthless.”

Many scholars and translators render this as a proper name, Belial. And, indeed, that is how Paul renders it in 2 Corinthians when dealing with a similar matter –

‘Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
‘I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.’” 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

And yet, throughout the Bible, people describe an object by its predominant characteristic as a “son” of that quality. For example, the term “son of death” is used in this way at times, such as when David said in 2 Samuel 12:5, “As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this is a son of death.”

The meaning is that the person deserved to die. Unfortunately for David, he didn’t realize that the person he was referring to was himself. For now, whether as a noun or a pronoun, the intent is ultimately the same.

In this verse in Deuteronomy, the worthless people are said by Moses to have gone out “from among you.” This doesn’t mean within the city, but from among Israel. In other words, the entire city is being contrasted to all the rest of Israel. This is evident from the next words…

^{13 (con’t)} and enticed the inhabitants of their city,

va’yadikhu eth yosheve iram – “and impelled inhabitants their city.” This word, nadakh, or “impel,” has been used in all three instances of this chapter – the prophet of verses 1-5, the personal close one of verses 5-12, and now the worthless men of this section. One might think of beguiling or seducing, even through intimidation. And their words are…

^{13 (con’t)} saying, “Let us go and serve other gods”’

The words follow closely after both verse 2 and verse 6 – “Let us walk after and serve gods other which not you have known.” The offenders are worthless, and they are luring the people away to that which is worthless. This is because they are gods…

^{13 (con’t)} —which you have not known— 

It is the same expression said twice in this chapter already. There is the Lord, the God of Israel, and then, there are those gods which the people, or the person, have not known. The temptation is especially strong for those who may be going through a bad spell, who are struggling with the realities of life, and so on.

The thought may be, “The Lord is our God, and He isn’t taking proper care of us. But these guys are promising great things, contentment, abundance, wealth, and so on if we follow their gods. This is exactly what churches do all the time.

And so, we can see the progression of thought. The first is the false prophet or dreamer of dreams. Whether in Israel, or the guy on the street, he has something to offer other than the truth of God in Christ. And then there is the close relative or friend. They see your faith in Christ, and they – for whatever reason – want to misdirect you from it.

And then there is the city now being addressed. It would equate to an entire church that offers something tantalizing – be it wealth, prosperity, or contentment. Moses is warning the people in basic categories, and we need to be attentive in basically the same categories – from the general, to the personal, to the organized.

Israel knew the Lord, and yet they are being beguiled to walk after another they did not know. We know the Lord, and yet no sooner do we know Him, than we are tempted to walk after the Lord in a way we did not know, nor in a way that He has presented Himself.

For now, and concerning the city which has done what Moses warns against…

¹⁴ then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently.

Again, the Hebrew is very specific: v’darashta v’khaqarta v’shaalta hetev – “and you shall seek, and you shall search out, and you shall ask diligently. In this, a new word is introduced, khaqar. It signifies to penetrate, and thus to examine intimately.

The onus is on Israel to do their due diligence and to determine the truth of the matter. Nothing less would be acceptable…

^{14 (con’t)} And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination was committed among you,

And again, the English fails to convey the force of Moses’ words. It more rightly reads, “And behold! Truth! The thing is established! This abomination was committed in your midst!” His words are so poignant that what follows must absolutely come to pass…

¹⁵ you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword,

The Hebrew reads forcefully – “striking, you shall strike the inhabitants of that city with the mouth of the sword.” Here, as elsewhere, the sword is spoken of as a devouring instrument. The souls of the people are eaten away as the sword is wielded. The fate of the people who have acted in this way is death. But more…

^{15 (con’t)} utterly destroying it,

hakharem otah – “devoting it.” In other words, the city is to be placed under the ban. It is to be completely destroyed as an act of devotion to the Lord. Nothing living in it was to be taken out…

^{15 (con’t)} all that is in it and its livestock—with the edge of the sword.

Every living thing – man, woman, child, and livestock. Of this, Matthew Poole says –

“…to wit, all that are guilty, not the innocent part, such as disowned this apostacy, who doubtless by choice and interest, at least upon warning, would come out of so wicked and cursed a place.” Matthew Poole

This is incorrect. All were held guilty regardless of their innocence. Once the matter was discovered, it was all to be utterly destroyed with the mouth of the sword. The place was accursed, and so all that lived within it was under the ban. Further…

¹⁶ And you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and completely burn with fire the city and all its plunder, for the Lord your God.

The act of devotion to the Lord is to extend to everything within the city. It was to be taken to the rekhov, or broad open place such as a plaza. It was to then be piled up, and the entire city was to be burned. The word “completely” is kalil. It signifies “all” as in a holocaust, or whole burnt offering. Thus, the act of devotion to the Lord would be complete in its scope. But it was also to be forever in its duration…

^{16 (con’t)} It shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again.

Here, the word tel, or mound is introduced. It is a contraction of the word talal that is found in Ezekiel 17:22 where it speaks of a prominent mountain. Thus, this is a mound or heap. Today, many cities or sites are known by the word, such as Tel Aviv. It is a place where a mound exists upon which more has been built over the years.

In the case of such a city, however, it was not to be built upon. The mound itself was to be a testament to the apostacy of the city, and of the devotion of that city to the Lord by the people. The mound was to serve as its own witness for all time. And there is an important reason for this mandate, as Moses next relays…

¹⁷ So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand,

The word translated here as “remain,” signifies to cling to. The idea is that if any accursed thing were kept, it wouldn’t just be in the person’s hand, but it would cling to it. The stain of it could no more be taken away than could the shame of an adulterous woman. The Lord would see the thing and it would then withhold any favor from Him.

This will be seen in Joshua when Achan will take an accursed thing during the battle of Ai. It clung to him, it found him out, and he and all he possessed – in turn – became subject to the ban. Thus, the people were to completely rid themselves of the banned city. This was so…

^{17 (con’t)} that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of His anger

l’maan yashuv Yehovah mekharon apo – “To end purpose, will turn Yehovah from burning His nose.” The Lord is truly angry at the actions of such people. It is as if fire shoots from His nostrils as He fumes over their actions. And this isn’t a state that may arise. It is the state that exists over their sins.

In destroying the city, devoting it to complete destruction, His anger over the infraction ends, symbolized by the thought of turning. Where there was confrontation and enmity, there is again peace and solicitude. This verse is exactly what we see in the account of Achan in Joshua –

“Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger.” Joshua 7:26

Achan’s grave of stones became its own tel. And in destroying him as was just and proper, the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger, exactly as this verse in Deuteronomy proclaims. Though the cause of the anger was different, the expected punishment – that of devotion to the Lord – was the same. When the devotion is made the enmity ceases. In this restored state the Lord will turn…

^{17 (con’t)} and show you mercy,

v’nathan lekha rakhamim – “and give you mercies.” The plural, mercies, is intended to show that upon those who are abundantly faithful, there will be a return of a multitude of mercies. The unceasing stream of the favor of the Lord is opened when faithfulness to Him is demonstrated. In this, He will…

^{17 (con’t)} have compassion on you and multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers,

The idea is that in the destruction of an entire city, a number that could go into the high thousands, there will be a diminishing of the tribe and of the nation. And yet, because of the faithfulness of the people to the Lord, He will turn and bless them through multiplication so that there will be no gap in the tribe or the nation.

And the reason for this is because of the oath to the fathers. The Lord spoke, and He would carefully remember His promise when the people lived in obedience to His word. He would multiply their seed as a sign of His divine favor. Of this act of kharem, or devotion being restored to the people, John Lange states –

“Holiness, as it makes its demand through righteousness, must receive satisfaction, and therewith mercy can follow. The enlargement should counterbalance the loss occasioned by the punishment.”

With this happier tone restored to the nation through their faithful obedience, Moses affirms why restoration could be expected…

*^{18 (fin)} because you have listened to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.

Again, as has been seen throughout Deuteronomy, Moses states that what he commands equates to listening to the voice of the Lord. In other words, he is claiming, and the Bible is affirming, the doctrine of divine inspiration.

In obeying Moses, the people are listening to – meaning hearkening to – the voice of the Lord. What Moses says is right in His eyes. What this means is that everything he says is right. Obedience to the law is not deserving of a pat on the back for Israel over some issues, but then not something to worry about for others. It is a unified whole and it must be taken as such.

Apart from the matter of Achan in the book of Joshua, the closest Israel ever came to the matter described here is at the end of the book of Judges where a city of the tribe of Benjamin was found to be filled with sons of Belial, or sons of worthlessness.

In order to purge the evil from Israel, the entire nation came against them, but the tribe of Benjamin sided with their own people. Thus, the tribe of Benjamin was reduced to only six hundred men. However, they eventually regained their numbers, and noted biblical figures came from them including Saul, Israel’s first king, and the apostle Paul.

Throughout the Bible, there is seen grace and mercy mingled with judgment and punishment. But every infraction of the law demanded punishment before the mercy could be bestowed. This truth extends to all people. Judgment for sin against the holy God cannot be overlooked, but it can be meted out in a substitute.

Israel as a whole deserved judgment for the apostacy of one city, but the destruction of the city could appease the Lord. The sins of the people required judgment, but the penalty could be taken out on an innocent substitute – such as in the temple sacrifices, especially on the Day of Atonement.

And those things only look forward to the greater work of Christ, who is the fulfillment of those mere types and pictures. Each of us has a choice, and each of us must decide how we will come before this holy God. Will we attempt to stand before Him on our own merits? The thought is impossible to even consider.

Let us act in prudence and let us choose the wise option. Let us come to God through Jesus. It is He who has already paid the penalty for the sins of the world. The full cup of God’s wrath was brought to bear upon Him on the tree of Calvary. And, indeed, He bore it all. In this, God’s wrath was satisfied. The payment was made, and peace is now offered through His deed.

Let us remember what Christ has done, let us receive it as our own, and let us stand before God forgiven and free of the sins we have committed in His presence. And let us thank God for Jesus Christ – now and forever. Let us hail our Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Closing Verse: “Blessed is every one who fears the Lord,
Who walks in His ways.” Psalm 128:1

Next Week: Deuteronomy 14:1, 2 How do we become a part of this squad?... (Sons of the Lord God) (44^th Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

You Shall Walk After the Lord Your God, Part II

“If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter
The wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul
Secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ Which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers
———-such a person is out of control

Of the gods of the people which are all around you
Near to you or far off from you
From one end of the earth to the other end of the earth
You shall not consent to him or listen to him; such you shall not do

Nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him
———-or conceal him
But you shall surely kill him for trying to mislead the sheeple
Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death
And afterward the hand of all the people

And you shall stone him with stones until he dies
Because he sought to entice you away from the LORD your God
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt
From the house of bondage where once you trod

So all Israel shall hear and fear, so they shall do
And not again do such wickedness as this among you

“If you hear someone in one of your cities
Which the LORD your God gives you to dwell in, saying
‘Corrupt men have gone out from among you
And enticed the inhabitants of their city, thus relaying…

“Let us go and serve other gods”
Which you have not known
Then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently
On such a deed light must be shone

And if it is indeed true and certain
That such an abomination was committed among you
You shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city
———-with the edge of the sword
Utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock—
———-with the edge of the sword; so you shall do

And you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of the street
And completely burn with fire the city and all its plunder
———-for the LORD your God
It shall be a heap forever
It shall not be built again, but it shall lay beneath the sod

So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand
That the LORD may turn from the fierceness of His anger
And show you mercy, have compassion on you and multiply you
Just as He swore to your fathers, as a deep sweet clangor

Because you have listened to the voice of the LORD your God
To keep all His commandments which I command you today
To do what is right in the eyes of the LORD your God
To do according to all the words I say

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

⁶ “If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, ⁷ of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, ⁸ you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; ⁹ but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. ¹⁰ And you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. ¹¹ So all Israel shall hear and fear, and not again do such wickedness as this among you.

¹² “If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the Lord your God gives you to dwell in, saying, ¹³ ‘Corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods”’—which you have not known— ¹⁴ then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination was committed among you, ¹⁵ you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock—with the edge of the sword. ¹⁶ And you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and completely burn with fire the city and all its plunder, for the Lord your God. It shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again. ¹⁷ So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers, ¹⁸ because you have listened to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 13:1-5
You Shall Walk After the Lord Your God, Part I

How is it that people get so easily swayed from what is right and proper? And how can people be kept from being cunningly deceived by others? The answer is to know what is going on in the world around you in relation to whatever subject is being presented.

If a person doesn’t want to be deceived concerning financial matters, he will make himself aware of whatever financial issue is being presented to him. It could be buying real estate in an area he had never visited. If such is the case, he would be wise to make a visit there before buying in order to make himself aware of what he was getting into. The smooth talker is there to cheat otherwise.

Such is true with ten thousand other things you may be presented with during your life. If you are unaware of the events surrounding you concerning a matter, you are bound to be duped.

In 1504, Christopher Columbus was able to use an eclipse to convince the natives of Jamaica that his God was angry with them because they had stopped giving him and his men help and supplies. In this, they were in real trouble and desperate need.

In order to make the natives more compliant in this regard, he consulted his astronomical tables and found that there would be a total eclipse of the moon on February 29^th of the year. This was based on the time in Nuremberg, Germany, but Columbus was aware of things concerning the subject at hand, and he was able to calculate when it would occur over them.

In knowing this, he then threatened the locals by saying his God would take away the moon as a sign of His anger at their lack of help, setting the time it would occur. It did. The moon disappeared from the sky. During that time, Columbus said he would go into his cabin to pray that God would return the moon to them.

What he actually did was to watch the hourglass until the forty-eight minutes of eclipse were up. Just as the moon was supposed to emerge, he came back out and told them that he had effectively convinced God that He should forgive the locals. His ploy worked, and from that point on, they received all the supplies they needed. Eventually, they were picked up and taken back to Spain.

Text Verse: “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. ² And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. ³ By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.” 2 Peter 2:1-3

Based on how you take what he did, Columbus’ actions could be considered the work of a false prophet. Probably not, but it was cunningly deceptive. However you look at it, it was the effort of a man who was aware of how things worked in the natural world. False prophets also know how things work, and they exploit those things in order to deceive others in various ways.

A true false prophet (which sounds odd, doesn’t it) is a person who speaks in the name of the true God but who twists, misuses, and misrepresents what the true God has revealed. This may be (and usually is) for his own personal gain or exaltation. It may be that he is a perverse person that just wants to see others harmed.

False prophets also speak in the name of false gods to turn people away from the true God. In the end, the Bible speaks of such things, and of such people. They are out there, they have their own agenda, and they use the lack of understanding of God’s people concerning what is going on in the world around them in relation to what He has presented – meaning what is stated in His word – against them.

When one is uninformed, unschooled, or misdirected concerning the word of God, that person is open to whatever false teaching comes his way. This is a certain truth that is to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Lord Your God is Testing You (verses 1-3)

In our passage today is a short chiasm that will help us better understand the expectations of the Lord –

The very last words of Chapter 12 said, “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.” That serves as an introduction and a warning to what is now stated. It is the false prophets and false teachers who are very likely to add to, or to take from, this word as given by God. And so, they are now addressed.

The chapter before us logically divides itself into three separate sections. Each (verses 1, 6, and 12) begins with the word ki, translated by the NKJV as “if,” in each instance. Such an event would then be possible, but not certain. In other words, “Suppose this was to happen,” or “Should this come about.”

Young’s translation takes it as a certainty. He translates each instance as “when.” In other words, “When this comes about.” Looking back from our time, and knowing the history of Israel, using the word “when” certainly fits well.

But, the words now are based on what was stated in the previous verse. Moses has been admonishing the people to observe what he says, holding fast to the unity of worship towards the Lord within the entire community by avoiding idolatry, pagan rituals, and the customs of those they will dispossess. Therefore, one would think Moses’ intent is, “Should this happen, you are to do this.”

And yet, reading Moses’ words in the Song of Moses of Chapter 32, he already knows the people’s proclivity towards going astray, and so translating it as “when” very well may be what is on his mind even as he is speaking to the people. “When this happens, you are to do this.”

If I were to choose a word that would convey both intents of what is presented, it would be the word “though.” Thus, it is a challenge to right conduct and a rather certain fact that such conduct will be needed – “Though this happens, you are to do this.”

This may seem like over-analyzing a single word, but it is important to the overall scope of what is being conveyed. The people are shown challenges that must be faced by any or by all, and they are being warned in advance of how to face them. With this understood, we enter into the content of Chapter 13…

“If there arises among you a prophet

ki yaqum b’qirbekha navi – “Though arises in your (singular) midst a prophet.” As the pronoun is singular, Moses may be speaking to Israel collectively, or to each person individually. In the end, the outcome will be the same. However, the words “in your midst” favor the thought of him speaking to the nation collectively.

The navi, or prophet, is a word coming from the verb nava, meaning to prophesy. Moses is not saying this is something either unusual now, or that will be unusual in the future. Rather, being the Lord’s people, it is an expected thing. However, care must be taken in accepting the prophet’s words. This will be noted.

The navi has already been seen, and the position will be common in Israel. Abraham was noted as a prophet in Genesis 20. Aaron was designated as Moses’ prophet in Exodus 7. And the Lord openly said that prophets would be among Israel in Numbers 12 –

“Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream.
⁷ Not so with My servant Moses;
He is faithful in all My house.
⁸ I speak with him face to face,
Even plainly, and not in dark sayings;
And he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant Moses?” Numbers 12:6-8

One of the things about the prophets was that just because they uttered a word of prophecy, it did not mean that he understood all of what he was prophesying. This is seen in the words of Peter –

“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, ¹¹ searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. ¹² To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.” 1 Peter 1:10-12

In Scripture, prophets are seen to receive their prophecies in various ways, one of which was just seen from Numbers 12. That is again revealed by Moses with the words…

^1 (con’t) or a dreamer of dreams,

o kholem khalom – “Or dreamer of dreams.” The verb is khalam and it has two separate meanings. One is to be healthy or strong. The other is to dream. Probably the verse that ties the two thoughts together the best is that of Psalm 126:1. There the psalm says –

“When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
² Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
³ The Lord has done great things for us,
And we are glad.” Psalm 126:1-3

If one were to substitute the word “dream” with “healthy” the two thoughts merge – “We were like those who were made healthy.” It is as if life were a dream state when they were brought back to their precious homeland. This state of receiving a prophecy is referred to by Elihu, a man living outside of the covenant people –

“For God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.
¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,
¹⁶ Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction.
¹⁷ In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal pride from man,
¹⁸ He keeps back his soul from the Pit,
And his life from perishing by the sword.” Job 33:14-18

This, however, does not make such a person a prophet, nor should it be considered as such among those in the church. The prophetic word of God is written, it is complete, and it is sealed. There is no need for more prophecies or prophets. This is explicitly stated by the author of Hebrews –

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things.” Hebrews 1:1, 2

The implication of the writer’s words is that God no longer speaks in those various ways. He has spoken, the word has been given, and we should expect no further word.

This does not stop a countless stream of people from making their false prophecies on a daily basis. Nor does it stop people who are unschooled in the word, or unwilling to accept the word as God’s full and final revelation of Himself, from listening to such people.

I would hope for better for those who hear what the word says, and who accept that what it says is sufficient for their life, doctrine, and conduct. And if you feel differently about this, you’re entitled to be wrong. Nobody is stopping you, and it is your walk with the Lord that will be harmed.

The transmission of false prophecies, that Moses will now warn against, is something found in abundance in the Old Testament, but most especially in Jeremiah. In Jeremiah, he combines the two thoughts, prophecy and dreams, into one warning, such as –

“The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream;
And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully.
What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the Lord.
²⁹ “Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord,
“And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
³⁰ “Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says the Lord, “who steal My words every one from his neighbor. ³¹ Behold, I am against the prophets,” says the Lord, “who use their tongues and say, ‘He says.’ ³² Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” says the Lord, “and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 23:28-32

To analyze all that encompasses prophets, prophecies, dreams, and visions would take an analysis of the entire Bible, because the entire Bible is a book of revealing the mind of God as conveyed in the prophetic utterances of God through His people. And along with that, there are other ways God reveals Himself to them. That is found in the next words…

^1 (con’t) and he gives you a sign or a wonder,

Here, Moses refers to things already seen – the oth, or sign, and the mopheth, or wonder. The oth is probably derived from uth, which is a verb indicating consent or agreement. The oth is not something in and of itself. Rather, it is something that stands representative of something else. For example, the first time the word is used is in Genesis 1 –

“Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; ¹⁵ and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth’; and it was so.” Genesis 1:14, 15

In saying this, the Lord was indicating that stars had varied purposes. The “seasons,” “days,” and “years,” is understandable. They mark out the times of life, and we can use them to determine things – like when to plant, when it will get cold, and so on.

However, they also are given by God to point to something else. That is seen in Scripture in the Star of Bethlehem. It was something given to reveal that Messiah had been born. Circumcision is also an oth, or sign. It stands representative of something else – meaning the cutting of the sin nature in man. It is thus a picture of the hope of Messiah.

The mopheth, or wonder, comes from yaphah, or beautiful. Thus, it is something that is conspicuous, like a miracle. It is an open demonstration of something that captures the attention. Unlike the sign that points to something else, it is the thing itself. Should someone give a sign or produce a wonder…

² and the sign or the wonder comes to pass,

u-ba ha’oth v’ha’mopheth – “and comes the sign and the wonder.” The words here mean that the prophet or dreamer of dreams gives a sign that then is fulfilled, or he actually produces a wonder. There is no doubt of it. What does that mean? Well, it depends on the next words of that person…

^2 (con’t) of which he spoke to you,

The idea here is that a person could make a claim such as “This is a sign to you that you will win the lottery tomorrow,” and it comes to pass. Or the person might do something like a magic trick that seems impossible to have been anything but of divine origin. In such an instance, one might be persuaded that this guy really has a connection with the divine. Such is seen in Acts 8:9-11 –

“But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, ¹⁰ to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” ¹¹ And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.”

There is a difference between how people approach such things, and the distinction should be made. Some perform what we call today “magic.” They make no claims that they are in connection with the divine. Instead, they devise skilled forms of misdirection and challenge you to figure out how they did what they did.

And then, there are those who claim – like Simon – that they have a great power or divine ability to do the things they do. In this, they elevate what they are doing above the natural world to the supernatural. It is such as this that will be the ones…

^2 (con’t) saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—

lemor nelekah akhare Elohim akherim – “saying, let us walk after gods other.” It is an important contrast to what will be said in verse 4 – “You shall walk after the Lord your God.”

In such a case, when the thing happens that he said would happen, he then says, “This power came from this god or that god. He is the one we should be following.” Such a person may even claim he is divine, having the ability to tap into the universal conscience, the universe’s power, or even a power that is separate and above the created order itself.

In Daniel 2 (and elsewhere) the king had a dream. He wanted to know the interpretation of the dream and so he called an entire group of people like this, defined as “the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans.”

They claimed to have the ability to perform supernatural deeds, or that they had the ability to tap into the supernatural or even the divine. The king obviously questioned this, and so instead of just asking for the meaning of his dream that he described to them, he asked them to first tell him what dream he had, and then to explain its meaning to him. In a comedy of back and forth waffling on their part, the king saw through their supposed claims –

“I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm: ⁹ if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.”
¹⁰ The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. ¹¹ It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” Daniel 2:8-11

As stupid as falling for this in the first-place sounds, how guilty are we (meaning society in general or any one of us) of being tempted in this way – tarot cards, hearing someone say that “Allah accomplished the victory,” or simply believing a prosperity preacher (who is – by default – preaching a false gospel).

Daniel and his three friends with him could have joined ranks with these people, and they would have been found as false as the others were. Instead, they trusted in the Lord to provide an answer to the king’s demand.

They petitioned the Lord, and the Lord provided what they needed, telling what dream the king had, and then properly explaining it to him. In this, Daniel took no credit for what he had received, he rightly pointed out that the others were unable to receive what he had received, and that it was God who provided the answer, implying that those charlatans had no connection with God –

“The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. ²⁸ But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.” Daniel 2:27, 28

In this, Daniel did what was right and proper. He exalted the God of Israel, whom he knew. Of this precept for Israel, Albert Barnes rightly states –

“The Lord had said, ‘Thou shalt have none other gods but Me.’ A prophet is here supposed who invites the people ‘to go after other gods.’ To such a one no credit is under any circumstances to be given, even should he show signs and wonders to authenticate his doctrine. The standing rule of faith and practice had been laid down once for all – that the people were to hold fast. The prophet who propounded another rule could only be an impostor.”

Moses now warns against those who would do otherwise and follow after false gods…

^2 (con’t) which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’

Such things as this, or a million other possibilities, happen on any given day. They happen to believers and unbelievers alike. We see the incredible, and we respond to it based on our faith in the Lord, in our trust in who He is, or on how well versed we are in His word and in how willing we are to hold solely to that same word.

For many, the connection with the true God does not exist. For others, their grounding in the faith, or their knowledge of the word, is so minimal that they are swayed from what is right. In this, they follow what that false prophet recommends, going after his false gods to serve them. But the word is spoken…

³ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams,

The Hebrews is emphatic: “that prophet or that dreamer of dreams.” It is intended to set such a person off from one who is a true prophet or who receives a true dream. A true prophet is to be listened to, but the false prophet is to be ignored.

There is a term commonly used among Christian apologists known as syncretism. In short, it refers to the amalgamation of different religions, cultures, and schools of thought into one religious expression. A simple example of it is the mixing of Roman Catholicism with Santeria. Santeria is defined by Wikipedia –

“Santería, also known as Regla de Ocha, Regla Lucumí, or Lucumí, is an African diasporic religion that developed in Cuba between the 16th and 19th centuries. It arose through a process of syncretism between the traditional Yoruba religion of West Africa and the Roman Catholic form of Christianity.”

This isn’t unique within the Roman Catholic Church. Rather, their adherents are found around the world to merge with cults of all types. And even what is considered mainstream Roman Catholicism is so tainted with heresies that it is – for the most part – actually Christian in name only.

The doctrines of Christ are taught to varying degrees, but they are so completely intermingled with the unholy and profane that very few adherents truly follow Jesus Christ alone. There are some, but they are a small minority.

Whether the RCC throws in Mary, the saints, and even the pope as intermediate access points to God, or whether the charismatic movement mingles the supposed divine utterances of prophecies and angelic tongues – making those who claim such things intermediaries to the divine – or even to the evangelical movement when it claims a special access to riches for its adherents through the prosperity gospel – all such claims are false, they are damaging, and they pervert what is pure and good that stems from the Lord alone.

Though what Moses is referring to here is a precept of the Old Covenant, the truth it conveys is something that is rightly to be applied to our own walk at all times. We are not to listen to such a prophet or dreamer of dreams, and we are to hold fast to the Lord and His word alone. We are not to accept that which is false, even if it is mixed with some truth.

But one might ask, “If this person was aware of, or actually made to happen, the sign or wonder which came to pass, then how do we know it wasn’t that “other god” that did it?” Moses tells them that such is not the case. Rather…

^3 (con’t) for the Lord your God is testing you

Here, the words go to the second person plural “for Yehovah your (all) God is testing you (all).” This will continue until the middle of verse 5. It is not that the entire congregation will be swayed, but that the people within the congregation will be. God is testing them in order…

^3 (con’t) to know whether you love the Lord your God

The verb is a participle and gives the sense of that which is enduring and ongoing: ladaat hayishkem ohavim eth Yehovah elohekem – “to the end purpose of knowing you are loving Yehovah your God.”

This is important because it says in 1 Kings 3:3 that Solomon loved the Lord and walked in the statutes of his father David. However, in 1 Kings 11, it then says –

“But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— ² from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. ³ And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. ⁴ For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.” 1 Kings 11:1-3

Solomon loved the Lord, but it didn’t continue. He wasn’t “loving the Lord.” This type of attitude is what the test of the Lord concerning such false prophets is intended to reveal.

It is the Lord who called Israel. It is the Lord who established Israel. It is the Lord who led Israel. It is the Lord who has done all things for Israel, and it is Israel who have been called as His people. As this is so, their allegiance is to be to Him alone. The test for all is whether they were loving towards Him…

^3 (con’t) with all your heart and with all your soul.

One can love in varying degrees. What the Lord calls for is to love Him entirely, both with the intellect and reason, and also with that which animates the person in his walk before the Lord.

To love the Lord with one’s intellect (the heart), but without the soul is a person who is fickle – expressing love in mental assent, but whose actions fail to work in accord with that love. It would be the husband who loves his wife, but still chases other women.

To love the Lord with one’s soul (that which animates the person in deed and action) but not with the intellect, is a person who is prideful, trusting that his actions are more important than truly seeking the essence of the Lord as its own prize.

A person who loves with the heart and the soul is a person who is both in love with the Lord, and who remains in love with the Lord – in mind, in action, and in continued pursuit. Even unto death, he is – and he will remain – faithful to Him.

The way to obtain this precious state before the Lord is next stated by Moses…

Is this a word from the Lord? How can I know?
What if this preacher is just snuffing me?
Is his word true, or is it untoward? Even so…
To this puzzle, what is the key?

How can I know if the words are false or if they are true?
Please, what is the answer, where is the key?
From where comes the answer? What shall I do?
What is the resolution that is escaping me?

Wait! Are you telling me that really is the key?
Just read the word for myself? Is that what I am to do?
Yes! Why didn’t that already dawn on me?
Take it off the shelf and read it through and through!

Yes, I shall take it off the shelf, reading it through and through
If that is what it takes, that is what I shall do!

II. From the House of Bondage (verses 4 & 5)

⁴ You shall walk after the Lord your God

This is set in contrast to verse 2 where the false prophet said, “Let us walk after other gods.” Here Moses says that they are to rather “walk after the Lord your God.” As always, in the Bible, to “walk” signifies the conduct of one’s life and actions.

The path the Lord leads on, they are to follow. The precepts that He gives, they are to apply to their lives. And so on. Also…

^4 (con’t) and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.

The Hebrew is more personal and emphatic, and the last verb bears a strong emphasis – “and Him you all fear, and His commandments you all keep, and His voice you all obey; and Him you all shall serve, and to Him you all (shall surely) hold fast.”

The same word used here, translated as “hold fast,” dabaq, is used of Solomon when he “clung” to his foreign wives in love. In this, he was seduced away from the Lord to their false gods in the same manner that a false prophet will seduce away a person to following his false gods.

The admonition is to devote everything that comprises the person into a heartfelt, intellectual, and physical pursuit of the Lord, clinging to Him with every fiber of one’s being. A review of the New Testament epistles reveals that the exact same expectations are given to us toward the Lord Jesus as are laid down by Moses now.

We are to walk in Christ (Colossian 2:6), we are to fear God (Colossians 3:22), we are to keep His commandments (1 Corinthians 7:19), we are to obey His gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8), we are to serve Him (1 Corinthians 7:35), and we are to hold fast to Him (Hebrews 10:23).

It is through these things that we will be kept from being turned aside from Him by false prophets, or from any other distractions that will lead us down the wrong path.

Unlike the false prophets of today, however, Israel had another obligation levied upon them that was intended to keep such people from constantly arising and leading the people astray…

⁵ But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death,

Like verse 3, there is an emphasis in these words, “But that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams.” The true prophet is contrasted to the false. The true prophet was to live while the false was to be put to death. The contrast was important for Jeremiah –

“So the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, ‘This man does not deserve to die. For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.’
“Then certain of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying: ¹⁸ ‘Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘Zion shall be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins,
And the mountain of the temple
Like the bare hills of the forest.’
¹⁹ Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah ever put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and seek the Lord’s favor? And the Lord relented concerning the doom which He had pronounced against them. But we are doing great evil against ourselves.”’” Jeremiah 26:17-19

On the other hand, Elijah did according to the word of the Lord after he had proven the prophets of Baal false –

“And Elijah said to them, ‘Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!’ So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.” 1 Kings 18:40

Score a big one for the winners! Such a false prophet was to be put to death…

^5 (con’t) because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God,

Here is a new word in Scripture, sarah. It means turning aside, rebellion, defection, apostasy and so on. It comes from the verb sur, meaning to turn aside.

For Israel, in turning to a false god, the people had – by default – apostatized from following the true God. In this, any such attempt to do so was to be deemed a capital offense.

^5 (con’t) who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage,

As with every passage relevant to the relationship of the people to the Lord, Moses reminds them of why they were so obligated to Him, stating that it is He who brought them out of Egypt, redeeming them from the house of bondage.

With this in mind, it cannot go unstated that this is an exact parallel to what Christ spiritually did for us. Egypt pictures bondage to sin. Christ Jesus brought us out from that, having redeemed us from that house of bondage.

Because of this, we have our own obligation to respond in the same manner to Him as Israel did to Yehovah. He is the same God in both instances, and whether physical or spiritual bondage, we have been brought out.

The major difference is that the Lord will judge the false prophets. Individually, we need to worry about our own relationship and let Him deal with the others. As a church, we are to weed out the false teachers and expel them from our gatherings.

Either way, Israel or the church, the false prophets have a set goal which is…

^5 (con’t) to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk.

With the words of this clause, it returns to the second person singular. The intent of the false prophet is to turn Israel, the people, away from the Lord.

What is said here reflects the same sentiment that Paul expressed towards the Galatians. False teachers had come into the church and were attempting to get them to go back under the law of Moses, thus rejecting the finished work of Christ. In this, Paul said, “They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them” (Galatians 4:17).

The goal of the false prophet, false apostle, or false teacher is l’hadikhakha min ha’derek – “to entice you from the way.”  It is always to a perverse path, and it always leads to a new form of bondage. The people can walk in the freedom of the Lord, or they can walk in the bondage offered by the false prophet.

Nothing has changed from the time of the law until now in this regard. The false teachers of the church want control over the flock. It is a control of power, of money, of sex, or of the very souls of the people they mislead, but it is not the freedom offered by the Lord.

If the teachers of the church want the best for the church, they will properly teach the core doctrines of the faith – freedom from the law, salvation by grace through faith with nothing else added, liberty in personal conduct and yet living in a proper and circumspect manner, eternal salvation, and so on.

Anything else is a false teaching intended to bind the saints once again into a life that lacks the true joy and eternal hope found in Jesus Christ. For those who teach otherwise, Moses says (and certainly what applies to the true church today as well)…

*^5 (fin) So you shall put away the evil from your midst.

For Israel, it was a large pile of stones to be hurled at the offender until he was dead. For the church, it is to reject false ideology, expel false teachers, and to have nothing to do with the darkness they teach. We must hold fast to our values in Christ, and we are to pursue Him and His word with all of our hearts and souls. To the glory of God.

Of this passage today, Adam Clarke says the following which must be corrected –

“God permits such impostors to arise to try the faith of his followers, and to put their religious experience to the test; for he who experimentally knows God cannot be drawn away after idols. He who has no experimental knowledge of God, may believe any thing. Experience of the truths contained in the word of God can alone preserve any man from Deism, or a false religion. They who have not this are a prey to the pretended prophet, and to the dreamer of dreams.” Adam Clarke

Clarke says, “he who experimentally knows God cannot be drawn away after idols.” I disagree. Solomon experimentally knew God. That is evident from his meeting with the Lord in 1 Kings 3 and again in 1 Kings 6. It is again evident from another meeting with Him in 1 Kings 9. Despite these occurrences, Solomon fell away to the point where this is recorded –

“For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. ⁶ Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. ⁷ Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. ⁸ And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.” 1 Kings 11:5-8

Clarke says that “Experience of the truths contained in the word of God can alone preserve any man from” such things. This is true, but only to a point. What is correct is that complete, continued, and constant experience of the truths of God will do so. And even that must be mingled with a purposeful pursuit of the Lord as revealed there, in a wholehearted devotion to that word.

Without these things being applied to our walk, it is not a maybe, but a certainty, that we too will fall away from what is expected of us as we live out our lives in His presence.

When I say a complete experience of the truths contained in the word, I mean reading it – from cover to cover. I mean knowing it in all it says. I mean keeping it in the context of what is being said. Without this foundation, any person can say anything and claim it is the word of God, and you have absolutely no reason to not believe him.

Unless you are versed in the word, you are at the whims and leadings of any false teacher that comes along. If you learn nothing else from the teachings of this church, I would hope you would learn that. You must pursue this wonderful treasure, God’s Superior Word, with all of your heart and all of your soul.

The Lord would ask you, and in fact, He would plead with you, to do nothing less. And, in fact, He has done just that through the words of Moses, and Jeremiah, and Paul, and through the words of all of the other authors of Scripture – “Listen to Me. Pay heed to My word. Be built up in My word so that you are not torn apart by savage wolves!”

This is the lesson of the false prophet. A word of the Lord is only the Lord’s word if it comes from His word. And so, know His word well. It is your safeguard until the day He comes for His people.

Closing Verse: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:16, 17

Next Week: Deuteronomy 13:6-18 This is how you are to trod – yes, it is what you are to do… (You Shall Walk After the Lord Your God, Part II) (43^rd Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

You Shall Walk After the Lord Your God, Part I

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams
 And he to you a sign or a wonder is conveying
And the sign or the wonder comes to pass
Of which he spoke to you, saying

‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—
‘And let us serve them.” Yes, serve them and not the Lord alone

You shall not listen to the words of that prophet
———-or that dreamer of dreams
For the LORD your God is testing you to know
Whether you love the LORD your God
With all your heart and with all your soul; thus, it is so

You shall walk after the LORD your God
And fear Him, and keep His commandments too
And obey His voice
You shall serve Him and hold fast to Him; so you shall do

But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death
Because he has spoken in order to from the LORD your God
———-turn you away
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you
From the house of bondage, to entice you from the way

In which the LORD your God commanded you to walk
So you shall put away the evil from your midst and
———-you shall end that false prophet’s talk

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, ² and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ ³ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴ You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. ⁵ But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.

Deuteronomy 12:20-32
You Shall Not Add to It nor Take Away from It

The passage today can – if we will allow it – provide us with some hints into a particular theology that was introduced right in the first pages of the Bible, and that will continue to be built upon throughout much of the rest of the Bible.

This is concerning the nature of the soul of man and how it comes into being. We’ll see that as we go through the verses today. You might not think the verses we just read would even hint at that, but they do. And they also give us insights into a ritual we perform each week before leaving the church, that of the Lord’s Supper.

To understand the importance of Jesus’ words there, we need to understand the importance of His words in John 6. And to understand the reason for why He says what He says there, we need to understand precepts from all the way back here in the Law of Moses.

And so, when you think, “My mind is numbed over by all of this Old Testament stuff,” you need to remember that without it, we wouldn’t have an appreciation for, or a right understanding of, all of the stuff in the New Testament. It really is that simple.

Text Verse: “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’
²⁰ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.’” Luke 22:19, 20

Moses spoke about the importance of not eating blood in last week’s passage. He is going to speak about the importance of not eating blood again today, in even more detail. The precept predates the Law of Moses, and it is dealt with intimately in the law, not just here in Deuteronomy 12.

He is clear – no blood. And yet, in this passage from Luke, Jesus says that the cup we take is that of the New Covenant in His blood. Maybe He was just making an analogy to the cup itself. No, Matthew is more specific when he quotes the Lord, saying, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28).

Matthew is speaking of the contents of the cup. We can ask ourselves if the contents are really His blood or not. The words He uses concerning the bread and the wine answer the question. He also held up the bread and said, “This is My body.

It is as plain as the nose on one’s face that He was holding bread and calling it His body. Thus, He is saying it is a metaphor for His body. Likewise, He was holding a cup of wine, demonstrating that it was a metaphor for His blood. The Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation fails, because it fails to take the word of the Lord as intended, thus twisting the meaning and purpose of the Lord’s Supper.

But why did Jesus bring this up at all? What is it about the blood that is so important for us to know? We saw some of that in Leviticus 17. We saw some of it last week, and we will see a bit more of it in the passage today.  God is revealing truths to us in such things.

And so, don’t be overwhelmed with all of the laws, as if that is all the Lord is trying to convey. He is teaching us, through the law, of how we can more fully appreciate Jesus. In His coming, the law has met its purpose and it is fulfilled. In its fulfillment, it has met its end. This is the great part of being on this side of the cross. We can see what God was doing and why. And it is all about Jesus.

Such great truths as these are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. That It May Go Well with You (verses 20-27)

Moses is now going to repeat and expand upon what he said in the previous passage, especially what was said in verses 15-18. And there is good reason for this. Those verses said –

“However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike. ¹⁶ Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water. ¹⁷ You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the heave offering of your hand. ¹⁸ But you must eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God chooses, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all to which you put your hands.” Deuteronomy 12:15-19

²⁰ “When the Lord your God enlarges your border

ki yakhriv Yehovah elohekha eth gebulekha – “When enlarges Yehovah your God your border.” It is in the second person singular, and this will continue until verse 32. Either Israel the nation, as a collective whole, is being addressed, or Moses is speaking to each person individually as if each person is an example of the whole.

The idea of extending the borders is probably twofold. First, it speaks of the initial conquest of Canaan, the people would move in and eventually spread out as the inhabitants were exterminated. But it also certainly speaks of even extending beyond the borders of Canaan proper.

The note of extending the borders of Canaan was first found in Exodus 34 when referring to the three annual pilgrim feasts. At that time, the Lord assured Israel that when they went to Jerusalem during those feasts, their homes and land would be secure.

It was a note requiring faith by the people. Obviously, if all of the people went to the place selected by the Lord to observe a weeklong feast, it would seem to be the most propitious time for their enemies to come in and plunder the land.

But the Lord’s words to the people ensured them that it would not be so. They simply had to be obedient to the charge, and respond in faith by coming as instructed –

“Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the Lord God of Israel. ²⁴ For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither will any man covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year. Exodus 34:23, 24

The wording even indicates that the expansion of the borders would act as its own buffer for Israel, allowing them to attend these feasts without fear. With that understood, Moses says…

^{20 (con’t)} as He has promised you,

Rather, it says, kaasher dibber lakh – “as has spoken to you.” This could be translated as “promised,” but it is to be considered a conditional promise if so. In Deuteronomy 11, it said –

“For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do—to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him— ²³ then the Lord will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves. ²⁴ Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the Western Sea, shall be your territory. Deuteronomy 11:22-24

The people are told that keeping the commandments would lead to driving out the nations and eventual expansion of the borders. Regardless of this, though, the point of what is being conveyed here concerns the people’s conduct while in the land, specifically in regard to the slaughter of animals for food. This is next seen…

^{20 (con’t)} and you say, ‘Let me eat meat,’ because you long to eat meat,

The Hebrew is more personal: v’amarta okelah basar ki taaveh naphshekha l’ekol basar – “and you say, ‘Let me eat meat,” because desires your soul to eat meat.” There is the understanding that meat is something highly desired, even yearned after.

But there is also the understanding that animals were generally considered first and foremost for sacrificial use. The common word for altar (such as in verse 12:3) is mizbeakh, and it even conveys this thought. It signifies a slaughter place, coming from zabakh meaning to kill, offer, sacrifice, slay and so on. That then is derived from a primitive root signifying to slaughter an animal.

The very act of slaughtering an animal carried in the mind of the people the sense of a sacrifice. A sacrifice was something made on an altar, and the Lord wanted a single altar for the sacrifices and offerings presented to Him. This then made the situation untenable – especially if the borders have been expanded.

It would be unreasonable to make a journey of several days to simply have a meal consisting of meat. But it is understood that the soul of man craves after meat. As was seen in the previous sermon, while the people were camped around the tabernacle, they were required to bring any animal to be slaughtered before the Lord –

“Whatever man of the house of Israel who kills an ox or lamb or goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp, ⁴ and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting to offer an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, the guilt of bloodshed shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people, ⁵ to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they offer in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to the priest, and offer them as peace offerings to the Lord.” Leviticus 17:3-5

However, once in the land, and especially when the tribes had taken over their inheritances that were long distances from the tabernacle, there needed to be provisions that allowed them to deviate from this previous requirement, thus allowing them to eat meat unhindered by an impossible mandate.

Without Moses’ words of this chapter, there would be confusion concerning what to do, especially when some of the animals they were allowed to eat, being considered clean according to the law, were also not animals acceptable for offering to the Lord. As we noted last week, only those animals that typologically looked forward to Christ could be offered on the altar to the Lord.

So, what are the people to do in order to not sin against the Lord based on what the law already says, and based on what is already allowed to be eaten according to the Leviticus 11 dietary laws? The answer was partially stated in the previous verses, but it will be provided here with further detail. That begins with…

^{20 (con’t)} you may eat as much meat as your heart desires.

Moses tells the people that when they want meat, they can eat meat. The previous law was solely for the time in the wilderness. With the people dwelling in the land of Canaan, it would no longer apply. They would be spread out through the land and were allowed to freely do as they wished in this regard. As long as it conformed to the laws now to be set forth by Moses…

²¹ If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you,

What is too far? It doesn’t say, and thus it is a free allowance to do according to what is reasonable. When we read the Bible, we may think of Israel as a small piece of land where the people could easily go to whatever spot the Lord determined to place His name.

However, there were no cars. Everything had to go on foot. Today, to travel to the next town, even 30 or 40 miles away, it would certainly seem unreasonable to start walking with your evening meal in order to first slaughter it there.

It would even be true with a ten-mile walk. By the time you walked an animal ten miles, offered it up, and then carried its meat back home, you would have to spend at least five or six hours, maybe more. In other words, what is being conveyed here is basically an allowance for any and all to conduct their affairs according to the permissible rules as they are set down.

This is the standard, and only the exceptions – which are actually the main commandments – are to be exactingly carried out in accord with the law of the altar. This releases all of the people from the burdens that would otherwise be necessarily imposed on them for any and all consumption of animals.

^{21 (con’t)} then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock

Here, it uses the root of the word for “altar,” zabakh, that was noted while looking at the last verse. It generally means “to slaughter for sacrifice.” However, here it speaks of simply slaughtering for food.

The accommodation and allowance are granted according to the word, and it applies to both animals of the herd and of the flock. These are animals generally associated with those acceptable for sacrifice upon the altar of the Lord.

And yet, they are authorized for general slaughter without any religious connotation assigned to them. If someone wanted T-bone steak for the evening, that is now made available to him.

^{21 (con’t)} which the Lord has given you,

asher natan Yehovah lekha – “which has given Yehovah you.” This is the same basic thought from verse 12:15 that said, “according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.”

Moses is careful to acknowledge the Lord’s hand as being the source of the possessions of the people. It is thus to be to them a reminder that not only is this allowance now being spoken of as a grant to the people, but the very animal itself is a blessing from the Lord. Therefore, they are to treat the command with respect…

^{21 (con’t)} just as I have commanded you,

This refers to the words of the previous clause, “then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock … just as I have commanded you.” The allowance is granted by the Lord through Moses, and it thus removes any difficulty from the otherwise undiscernible notion of what to do.

If this provision were not made, it could be argued by the priests that every single such animal had to be brought to the tabernacle, regardless of the distance, and it would have had to be slaughtered according to the temple rights.

In this, there would have been obvious other difficulties, because the command from Leviticus 17 said that such animals were to be offered as peace offerings to the Lord. The laws of the peace offerings included the procedures for the sacrifice, removal of certain portions of the animal to be burnt on the altar, and so on.

However, Leviticus 7 (the peace offering of thanksgiving) included offering cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, or cakes of blended flour mixed with oil, and leavened bread as well. Some of that was to be given to the priest.

And, along with that, the meat of the offering had to be eaten either on the same day it was offered (thanksgiving offering) or by the second day (voluntary offering).

And then, there is the command that the breast and the right thigh of the offering were to belong to the priests who offered them. Because of all of this, the priest’s job would never end.

And yet, if Moses didn’t include this provision, this is what would be expected. But once in the land, the previous command was set aside allowing for freedom concerning the matter. The animal could be slaughtered in whatever location the people lived…

^{21 (con’t)} and you may eat within your gates as much as your heart desires.

The Hebrew reads: b’kol avvat naphshekha – “in all desire your soul.” There is no limit placed upon the people, and there is no burden concerning the matter any longer.

It is a marvelous provision that, if overlooked, would have led to enormous confusion in the land. The animals of the flock and of the herd, with certain restrictions, were to be handled solely at the discretion of those who owned them. They were to be eaten…

²² Just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you may eat them; the unclean and the clean alike may eat them.

The words here follow on after verse 12:15, which said, “the unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike.” As you can see, verse 12:15 is in the opposite order of verse 22. A more literal comparison of the two would be –

Indeed, just as are eaten the gazelle and the deer, so you may eat them; the unclean and the clean together [meaning in the same manner] may eat them. (22)

The unclean and the clean may it of it; as the gazelle and as the deer. (15)

Through the repetition, and through rearranging the wording, Moses is methodically eliminating any question of his intent. Nobody will be able to later question the law through some sort of manipulation of what he is saying.

There is complete freedom in this regard concerning these animals, but with certain exceptions. Some were noted in the previous passage last week. They are now reexplained again here. The first of those exceptions is next stated…

²³ Only be sure that you do not eat the blood,

raq khazeq l’bilti akol ha’dam – “Only! Be firm to not eat the blood.” This follows on after verse 16, expanding what was said there. However, there is a difference that conveys the meaning in a very strong manner –

Only the blood not you (all, plural) shall eat. (16)
Only be sure to not eat the blood. (23)

In verse 16 everything was in the singular except that one clause. There, it changed to the plural to highlight the importance of this. Moses highlights the matter again by skipping any pronoun. Thus, it is an all-encompassing prohibition. Further, he adamantly stresses the precept through the use of the words he has chosen. The reason for this is next explained…

^{23 (con’t)} for the blood is the life;

ki ha’dam hu ha’nephesh – “For the blood, it, the soul.” This is what was briefly explained in the previous chapter, and it is what needs to be highlighted again. The blood is the vehicle of life, here called the nephesh, or the soul. For this reason, the Lord reserved all blood to Himself.

To eat the blood was to assimilate into oneself something which belonged to Him alone. It was therefore idolatrous to use it in any other way than designated by Him. Under certain circumstances, it could be used in the rites of the tabernacle as typologically anticipating Christ. Otherwise, it was to be poured out and covered with earth.

As the Bible says here that the blood is the soul, it gives us an insight into one of the doctrines of theology taught by Scripture – What is the soul, and where does it come from? There are several views on this, and this is the perfect time to learn them. Three basic views are:

The Preexistence View. Of this, there are two separate divisions. The first is the Platonic view which says the soul was never created. The second is the Christian, (created) view. This says the soul was created from eternity. Without going over all the details of it or reasons why, it is a heretical view.

The next is the Creation View. This assumes God directly creates a new individual soul for everyone born into this world. The body is generated through the parents, but the soul is created by God. It says that the soul is created at the moment of conception.

One reason for holding to this view is that all genetic information is present at conception. One reason why this view is wrong is that God completed His work of creation on Day 6. Another, obvious reason from this verse is that the blood, which carries all the genetic information, is called the soul right in this verse.

And then there is the Traducian View. This comes from the Latin word tradux, the branch of a vine. This says that each human being is a branch of the parents. Both soul and body are naturally generated by father and mother.

There is abundant biblical evidence for this third view. Eve was made from Adam, not separately. There is the fact noted by Paul that both males and females come from a union of males and females. Eve is called the mother of all the living. The Bible says that Adam had children in his image, thus natural generation is implied.

The Greek word for flesh, sarx, can mean both a physical body and a whole person with a body. Acts 17 says that all humans are derived from one man (“one blood”). Hebrews says that Levi was in Abraham’s loins, implying a physical transmission. In the Bible, the body in a womb is considered a person.

Paul says that all men sinned through one man, demonstrating that sin is transmitted by natural process – something that would not occur with a created soul. David even says that man is conceived in sin. And Jesus is said to come from the loins (or body) of David, demonstrating a genetic connection. And Paul shows that humans are a soul body unity. The soul is “naked” without the body.

All of these, and many other reasons from Scripture and from simply thinking the matter through, clearly demonstrate the importance of the precept once again being conveyed by Moses. As the blood is the soul, Moses, therefore, says…

^{23 (con’t)} you may not eat the life with the meat.

As mentioned last week in some detail, to really understand this more fully, the sermon on Leviticus 17 should be referred to. Blood is given for atonement, it is the soul of the being, and so on. The prohibition here looks to the work of Christ, and the precept was never to be violated. Because of this, Moses again repeats words from verse 16, saying…

²⁴ You shall not eat it;

Again, Moses repeats the prohibition, and it is said in another way for the third time –

Only the blood not you (all, plural) shall eat. (16)
Only be sure to not eat the blood. (23)
No you (singular) shall eat it. (24)

There are no loopholes, there are no caveats, and the prohibition applies to each, to any, and to all. The blood is not to be eaten. The typology of Christ must never be marred. This is why, when He came, He was able to say the following –

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵ For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. ⁵⁶ He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.’” John 6:53-56

The life is in the blood. To attempt to gain life through any blood, except the blood of Christ, is to mar the significance of what Christ Jesus did. In participating in the Lord’s supper – an obvious reference to His words in John 6 – we partake of the symbolism He speaks of. For any other blood…

^{24 (con’t)} you shall pour it on the earth like water.

It is word for word and letter for letter identical to the corresponding clause in verse 12:16. If you missed the sermon, you’ll have to go back and watch that. I was feeling really crummy on the day I typed this sermon, and I was in no mood to help you out of that responsibility. Your job this afternoon is to go back and get the details there. For now, Moses again says…

²⁵ You shall not eat it,

It is the exact same words that he just said to begin the previous verse.

^{25 (con’t)} that it may go well with you and your children after you,

As with elsewhere when Moses uses this expression, its meaning is, “to the end purpose that it may go well with you.” In other words, “There is the goal of things going well with you, and your children after you. The way to achieve that goal is to do those things that you are being instructed to do.”

The implication is that in not doing what is instructed, things will not go well. What is anticipated will be withheld from the one who does such things. Charles Ellicott says, “Very possibly, the physical as well as the moral effect of the rule is contemplated here.” I would disagree with that. The precept is moral in nature.

People all over the world drink blood and they live long lives. Those who get sick from it, do so just like with any other tainted food. The precept here, and the stress upon it, is not for physical health, but for upholding the sacred, moral, nature of the typology that anticipates the coming of Jesus Christ.

This is the importance of the precept, and this is the reason for the admonition concerning the good end purpose that comes…

^{25 (con’t)} when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord.

ki taaseh ha’yashar b’ene Yehovah – “when you do the right in eyes Yehovah.” The Lord is watching, and His eyes are on the precepts He sets forth. Due to this precept having been repeatedly stated, it is an admonition that in not following through with it, the Lord will be greatly displeased. Therefore, to simply do what is instructed is worthy and commendable.

Despite the precept being thoroughly ingrained into the national psyche, Ezekiel 33:25 shows that the people willingly violated it. In this, things did not go well with them because they had done what was detestable for them to do.

For now, Moses returns to the general theme of the thought at hand, that of what to do with the animals owned by the people. He has given them allowances concerning slaughtering them within their own gates, and not at the tabernacle. However, after citing the first exception, that of eating the blood, he now mentions the second exception…

²⁶ Only the holy things which you have,

The word is qodesh, signifying apartness or sacredness. Thus, they are holy things. These include sacrifices and offerings such as are noted in Leviticus 18 –

“And the Lord spoke to Aaron: ‘Here, I Myself have also given you charge of My heave offerings, all the holy gifts of the children of Israel; I have given them as a portion to you and your sons, as an ordinance forever. ⁹ This shall be yours of the most holy things reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every grain offering and every sin offering and every trespass offering which they render to Me, shall be most holy for you and your sons. ⁰ In a most holy place you shall eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you.
¹¹ “This also is yours: the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them to you, and your sons and daughters with you, as an ordinance forever. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.” Leviticus 18:8-11

In other words, those animals prescribed by law to be brought before the Lord. Among other things, these consisted of sacrifices, offerings, the firstborn and the tithes of animals. These were to be presented before the Lord and handled according to the law. They were not to be slaughtered within the gates of the people. Further…

^{26 (con’t)} and your vowed offerings,

The neder is a promise or a thing promised. When an animal was vowed as an offering, it could not be slaughtered within the gates of the people. Like the holy things, they had to be presented to the Lord. As Moses next says…

^{26 (con’t)} you shall take and go to the place which the Lord chooses.

This means to where the tabernacle, and later the temple, were located. The idea, as noted last week, was to ensure oneness of the people in their religious life. In fact, between verse 5 and this verse, this phrase has been stated in one way or another six times.

In bringing all of these there, it was to keep the people from sacrificing inappropriately in any way. The responsibility for these things belonged solely with the priests and solely at the place the Lord chose.

²⁷ And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God;

This is referring to the burnt offerings of Leviticus 1 –

“He shall kill the bull before the Lord; and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. ⁶ And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. ⁷ The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay the wood in order on the fire. ⁸ Then the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar; ⁹ but he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water. And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.” Leviticus 1:5-9

^{27 (con’t)} and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, and you shall eat the meat.

This is referring to the sacrifices that were to be eaten by the people after being presented to the priests for their handling of the animal, and of the priests’ reception of the holy parts dedicated to the Lord.

For example, the tithed animals and the firstborn animals were sacrificed, but other than every third year, they were eaten by the people. In the third year, they were given away in their entirety. Such things were considered as law.

The soul of the flesh is in the blood
And it is this then that makes atonement for you
Only through the precious, crimson flood
Can you be cleansed, spotless, and new

There at the Altar, the blood is cast
And it is this Sacrifice which will open the Door
Through it is new life; gone is the past
Through that death, comes life evermore

Be sure and know that there is but this One way
No other avenue can reconcile you to Me
But in coming through My Son, you start a new day
One which will continue unabated for all eternity

II. Take Heed to Yourself (verses 28-32)

²⁸ Observe and obey all these words which I command you,

These words now take the reader back to verse 1 –

“These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth.”

The command is to observe and to hear (meaning hearken to) everything contained in the chapter. It includes destroying the places where the inhabitants served their gods, destroying their altars, and so on. It also includes serving the Lord at the one place He would choose for His name, and everything that has been associated with that.

The entire chapter is given to ensure unity of worship by the people of Israel. In doing these things Moses notes…

^{28 (con’t)} that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

He again uses the same words as before, indicating that there is an end purpose that will be met in observing and hearkening to what they are told. Things will go well with them as long as they do, emphasized by the words ad olam, or “as far as the vanishing point.” Olam signifies out of time or mind, and thus it is a point that vanishes into the past or future.

As long as Israel did what was expected in the eyes of the Lord, things would continue to go well. Obviously, knowing the history of Israel, this does not mean forever. They failed to do what was right. In turn, things didn’t go well for them. Something more than the law is needed for them to come to such a state before the Lord.

For now, Moses returns to the general thought found in verses 2-4, that of the conduct of the nations they were to dispossess. There he told them to destroy the means and modes of worship they employed, and to not serve the Lord in those ways. Now, he says…

²⁹ “When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land,

Here, the synergistic (working together) relationship of the conquest is seen again. Moses says the Lord will cut off the nations, and yet he says, “which you go to dispossess, and you displace them.” The two are working as one, but Israel cannot work alone.

The idea is that Israel will dispossess them, but only because the Lord is there to cut them off from before Israel. But, because it is said that the Lord will cut them off, it means that He is the Source of their power, and their Source of power is greater than the nations they will face and the gods those nations worshipped. Therefore…

³⁰ take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them,

Moses brings a new word into Scripture, naqash. It is a verb meaning to entrap with a noose, or to catch by a snare. He is warning the people that, like an animal getting ensnared, so they will get ensnared if they are not diligent to pay heed. With this said, Moses goes on with the thought…

^{30 (con’t)} after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying,

Moses is relaying to them the stupidity of such a thing, and thus the just nature of any punishment meted out on them for such a thing. The Lord cut the people off, Israel went in to dispossess them and, in fact, displaced them, and yet the perverse question they may then ask concerning their gods is…

^{30 (con’t)} ‘How did these nations serve their gods?

This is speaking of finding out the manner in which their worship was conducted. Verse 31 will show this is not speaking of serving other gods, but serving the Lord in the manner in which the other gods were served. In other words, it would be comparable to what Aaron did with the golden cafe. He set up an idol and called it the Lord. Thus, he claimed to be worshipping the Lord in an unauthorized manner. Something similar is seen in 2 Kings 17 –

And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. ²⁶ So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the rituals of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and indeed, they are killing them because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land.” ²⁷ Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Send there one of the priests whom you brought from there; let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the rituals of the God of the land.” 2 Kings 17:25-27

Moses is telling Israel that this is not to be considered, and it is a trap that will bring harm, not the other way around. Because of this, they were not to say…

^{30 (con’t)} I also will do likewise.’

The means and mode of worship for the Lord have been established through the law. To serve Him as the nations served their gods would be an abomination to the Lord, and they were never to follow such practices. They were to stick to the rites and rituals set forth before them in the law itself.

To ensure this would be so, Moses warns them now, in advance, that no other path was to be considered…

³¹ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods;

This tells us that Moses was not speaking of worshipping the other gods, but of worshipping the Lord as the previous peoples worshipped their gods.

It is the same idea as was seen at the beginning of the chapter. Moses instructed them to destroy all such items of worship. In conclusion, he said, “You shall not worship the Lord your God with such things.” The call here is for unity of worship towards the Lord.

And the reason for this is – as always – typology. The people were given unity of worship because it is unity of worship given by the Lord in anticipation of the coming of Christ. The details anticipate Him and His ministry. Only in Christ is God pleased with man’s worship, and so Israel was to reflect that – not in the law itself, but in the typology it displayed.

And so, until His coming, Israel was to worship in anticipation of His coming. Anything else is an abomination, because it is a false manner of worship invented to serve a false god, such as…

^{31 (con’t)} for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

This is how the nations served their gods at times, whether to Molech or other supposed gods. It eventually did become a practice of Israel. So vile is the practice that the Lord says that such a thing had never entered into His mind –

“And they have turned to Me the back, and not the face; though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction. ³⁴ But they set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. ³⁵ And they built the high places of Baal which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.” Jeremiah 32:33-35

For such sins, and because of the attitude of the people, there was eventually no remedy left. The Lord destroyed them, and they were exiled to Babylon. They failed to heed, but Moses ends the chapter as it began on a note that Israel must be careful to observe the statutes and judgments set before them…

³² “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it;

In this clause alone in today’s passage the words switch to the second person plural – “Whatever I command you (all), you (all) are to be careful to observe it.” This makes it absolutely certain that Moses penned this.

Anyone else would have carefully followed in the singular, but Moses has revealed the word of the Lord, and it is conveyed to all of the people. They were to hear the word and then they were to hearken unto it. Moses felt at liberty to speak to the individual, to speak to the nation, and to speak to all of the people at any given time in order for them to hopefully pay heed. And to finish off the verse and the chapter, he says…

*^{32 (fin)} you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

This was conveyed to the people in verse 4:2. There, he added in the reason for it, saying, “that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” In that verse, it was in the second person plural. Here it is in the second person singular.

Moses has conveyed the thought to all of the people, and he has conveyed it to each of them. There is to be no tolerance in violating the precept at any time, and by anyone. This is because it is impossible to keep the law when the law has been altered. To add to it will violate it, and to take from it will violate it.

With that understood, we can stand back before closing and know the same is true concerning the word of God as a whole. To add to it is to add in what man has decided is right. To take away from it is to determine that what God has decided is wrong.

This cannot be tolerated. The word is a unified whole. Everything recorded in it is recorded for the people of God to know and understand the mind of God and His intentions for His people, even if all of it does not apply to whatever people at a particular time.

In other words, the Law of Moses is written for us in the church – to understand what God has done in redemptive history. Without it, there would be a void in our understanding of His workings. And yet, the Law of Moses does not apply to us today – in any way, shape, or form. It is annulled through the work of Christ.

In this, we have entered a new dispensation, that of grace. We are to live according to the word of the Lord that applies to us at this time. To further understand this, the synoptic gospels were written to record Christ’s life under the law, and of His fulfillment of that law. In those books, He speaks to Israel under the law, and – at times – in anticipation of the kingdom age promised to them.

He is not speaking to the church in the synoptic gospels. And yet, the information in the synoptic gospels is necessary for us to understand what He did, how it leads us into the current dispensation, and what will happen to Israel in the future.

As long as we keep our categorical boxes straight, our doctrine will be sound, and we will not make the major errors that so many make in their theology when they mix the boxes. We are to not add to the word, nor are we to take from it. But we are also to take it in its proper context at all times – not coopting what belongs to others at other times in redemptive history.

Today’s passage is for our instruction in theology, but it is not intended for application in our lives. And yet, it is intended for us to continually find hints of Jesus as we search it out. As long as we are doing that, we are in the sweet spot – because He is the sweetest spot of all. He is our hope and our anticipation. He is the fulfillment of everything Moses spoke of. He is the release for Israel from their bondage. And He is the Savior of both Jew and Gentile because of what He did under this impossible body of law. He is Jesus.

Closing Verse: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 1 Timothy 3:16, 17

Next Week: Deuteronomy 13.1-5 This is how you are to trod – if you are a faithful son… (You Shall Walk After the Lord Your God, Part I) (42^nd Deuteronomy sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

You Shall Not Add to It nor Take Away from It

“When the LORD your God enlarges your border
As He has promised you, and you say, ‘Let me eat meat’
Because you long to eat meat
You may eat as much meat as your heart desires, so tasty and sweet

If the place where the LORD your God chooses
To put His name is too far from you
Then you may slaughter from your herd
And from your flock which the LORD has given you
———-so, you may do

Just as I have commanded you, as I did impart
And you may eat within your gates as much as desires your heart

Just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you may eat them
The unclean and the clean alike may eat them
———- without any haw or hem

Only be sure that you do not eat the blood
For the blood is the life
You may not eat the life with the meat
Or between us there shall be strife

You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth like water
You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you
And your children after you
When you what is right in the sight of the LORD do

Only the holy things which you have, and your vowed offerings
You shall take and go to the place which the LORD chooses
———-to where He gives His approval nod
And you shall offer your burnt offerings
The meat and the blood, on the altar of the LORD your God

And the blood of your sacrifices
Shall be poured out on the altar of the LORD your God
And you shall eat the meat
And enjoy life upon the land that you trod

Observe and obey all these words which I command you
That it may go well with you and your children after you forever
When you do what is good and right in the sight
Of the LORD your God, failing His precepts never

“When the LORD your God cuts off from before you
The nations which you go to dispossess, bringing on them mayhem
And you displace them and dwell in their land
Take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them

After they are destroyed from before you
And that you do not inquire after their gods, saying
“How did these nations serve their gods?
I also will do likewise. It shall not be so, as I am conveying

You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way
For every abomination to the LORD which He hates
———-raising His ire
They have done to their gods
For they burn even their sons and daughters to their gods in the fire

“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it
———-to this you shall commit
You shall not add to it nor take away from it

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

²⁰ “When the Lord your God enlarges your border as He has promised you, and you say, ‘Let me eat meat,’ because you long to eat meat, you may eat as much meat as your heart desires. ²¹ If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock which the Lord has given you, just as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your gates as much as your heart desires. ²² Just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you may eat them; the unclean and the clean alike may eat them. ²³ Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat. ²⁴ You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth like water. ²⁵ You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you and your children after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord. ²⁶ Only the holy things which you have, and your vowed offerings, you shall take and go to the place which the Lord chooses. ²⁷ And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, and you shall eat the meat. ²⁸ Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

²⁹ “When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, ³⁰ take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ ³¹ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

³² “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 12:8-19
The Place Where the Lord Your God Chooses, Part II

One of the things that tends to annoy me, and there are a few such things in life, is when someone says they are a part of a church that is going back to the way they did it at the beginning – the way churches were supposed to be set up.

Why is this annoying? It is because the Bible never (no really, go check) prescribes any such thing. Outside of the qualifications for elders and deacons, and a few important observances – meaning baptism and the Lord’s supper. There is nothing about the structure of the church that is ever noted as being “correct.”

And even how the Lord’s Supper and baptism are conducted is not defined other than a few warnings from Paul concerning conduct during the Lord’s Supper. We just know we are to do these things. We are given absolute freedom to set things up as we wish – elder-led, congregational, episcopal, presbyterian, and so on, are all types of churches. And yet, none of them are said to be either acceptable or unacceptable in Scripture.

There is no time of day that is prescribed for people to meet. There is no day of the week that is prescribed for people to meet. There is no order of events that must take place. There is no size or location of a church defined. And so on.

Yes, there are prohibitions on things, but that doesn’t mean all things must be done. For example, there is nothing to say that people must speak in various languages (tongues), but there are prohibitions on speaking in other languages – how many can, there must be a translator, and so on.

The same is true with giving. Israel was compelled to give certain things at certain times and for certain reasons. In the church, outside of a couple of basic principles on that subject from Paul, which we are to take as prescriptions, nothing specific is defined.

Unlike Israel, we have complete freedom to conduct our affairs in whatever way we wish. And there is a reason for this.

Text Verse: “‘Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings
In the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
²⁶ You also carried Sikkuth your king
And Chiun, your idols,
The star of your gods,
Which you made for yourselves.
²⁷ Therefore I will send you into captivity beyond Damascus,’
Says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.” Amos 5:25-27

In today’s passage, Moses will start out by saying that the people had done whatever each thought was right in his own eyes while they were in the wilderness. Though they had the tabernacle which was surely maintained by the priests from day to day in an orderly fashion, the people did not have the ability to do what the law prescribed for them to do.

Therefore, they conducted their lives according to the way that they thought was best. However, what Moses tells them is that the time was coming when they would need to have a unity of worship in order to live properly within the land. They needed to not do what they thought was right, but what the Lord, through the law, had prescribed as acceptable or not acceptable.

The reason for this will be explained, but it begs the question, “If this is so, then why don’t we have to do such things in an orderly and prescribed manner as well?” The reason for that follows logically after the reason for the Lord prescribing these things for Israel in the first place. To help us understand some of this, we can first evaluate a chiasm I pulled out of the passage while doing this sermon.

Great things, such as freedom in Christ and chiasms, which help us understand passages better, are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Unity of Worship (verses 8-14)

So far, in this Chapter, Moses has been speaking of how to properly worship the Lord once they are in Canaan. He spoke of destroying the places where the inhabitants worshipped their gods (vss. 2-4). He also spoke of having a place specifically set aside for worshipping the Lord (vs. 5).

After that, he then noted that it was to this place alone that they were to bring their burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, heave offerings, and so on. There, in the presence of the Lord, they were to rejoice in Him (vss. 6 & 7). Those things now form the basis of what he will next say…

⁸ “You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—

lo taasun kekol asher anakhnu osim poh ha’yom – “No shall you (certainly) do at all which we are doing here today.” It is an interesting phrase for several reasons. First, the word translated as “shall you do” bears an emphatic mark in order to stress what is said – “You shall certainly not do.”

But what bears note is that Moses uses the word anakhnu, or “we.” The word is used only five times in Deuteronomy, but three of the uses are him simply quoting the people, not inclusive of him. Only in verse 5:3 does he elsewhere include himself in the narrative –

“The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.” Deuteronomy 5:3

Now, for the only other time in the book does he include himself directly in the statement – “as we are doing here today.” Moses is contrasting what is the expected behavior of the people upon entrance, and what is happening at the present.

By saying, “You shall not do as we are doing,” it is a sad note of the surety that he will not pass over into the land. Outside of the land, the people could not – by default – do the things of the law. They could not bring offerings they did not possess, such as the tithes of grain. They could not travel on a pilgrim feast to the place where the Lord had chosen to place His name. And so on.

Instead, there were limitations placed upon them because they were in their time of exile for having not trusted the Lord, and having not entered the inheritance after leaving Sinai. It is what the Lord spoke of through Amos in our text verse –

“Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings
In the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?” Amos 5:25

The obvious answer is, “No, they did not.” Certainly, the daily offerings of the priests were made, but the people (the house of Israel) could not do what was required of them by law. Now, Moses is stressing that those things would be required.

The sad part of this, however, is that many of the things of the law were never obeyed or observed, even after entering and having received rest. A perfect example of this is found after the first exile of Judah in Nehemiah 8 –

“So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness.” Nehemiah 8:17

Something similar is said about observance of the Passover in 2 Kings 23. Even after possession of the land, nothing changed. But Moses had instructed them differently. They were to observe the law of the Lord instead of…

^8 (con’t) every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes—

In the wilderness, people may have brought offerings to the Lord. If so, it was not in accord with the law of the tithe, which obviously could not be met. Or, they may have brought nothing. Some may have observed certain things of the law, or they may not have. Nobody would have been held accountable if they didn’t.

For example, the law of circumcision mandated that every male child was to be circumcised on the eighth day or they were to be cut off from their people (Genesis 17:4), and yet, none of those born in the wilderness had been circumcised (Joshua 5:2-5).

People did what they did without regard to the duly established laws of the Lord. Moses includes himself in this. Understanding the typology – those in exile for the disobedience of having rejected Christ– one can see this applies to Israel now.

The people of Israel, even today, have the law. And yet, outside of the culturally expected customs, they don’t observe the law at all. Every man does what is right in his own eyes. One can see the obvious parallel here –

* Israel of Moses’ time is going to enter Canaan even though they have not been observing the law. Thus, it cannot be by observance of the law that they are entering the land of inheritance.

* Israel as a nation is going to enter the kingdom age even though they will not be observing the law before that occurs (Daniel 9:27). Therefore, it cannot be by observing the law that they will enter the inheritance.

The truth of this is seen in the next words…

⁹ for as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you.

Here, like in verses 1, 5, and 7 from last week, the words go from the plural to the singular – “you all (plural) have not come to the rest and the inheritance which Yehovah your (singular) God is giving you (singular).” Moses goes from speaking to the people individually to referring to them as a nation. The obvious reason is because not all of the people will obtain the inheritance, but the nation assuredly will.

In this, he uses the word menukhah, meaning either “rest” or a place of rest. Moses is saying that they have not yet obtained such a place, or state, of rest. The main point of Moses’ dialogue is that the people have the law, but they have not been observing the law, and yet, they have been brought to the inheritance promised by the Lord. As this is so, it cannot be by the law that they will obtain it.

However, observance of the law is the anticipation once in the inheritance. And yet, they failed to observe the law in the land. And not only did they fail to observe, they were actively disobedient to it. In this, they were exiled.

They were returned apart from observance of the law, and yet they were exiled again. They are (today) in the land and yet they are not observing the law, nor will they – even after the next temple is built. And yet, they will be (as a nation) entering the kingdom age. But it is not by the law that this will occur.

The law is the expectation, and yet it is not the means of obtaining the promise. Therefore, it is the fulfillment of the law, and the imputation of that act through the New Covenant, that provides what is needed to complete the process began so long ago.

It is so clear and obvious, and yet it escapes Israel to this day, and – unfortunately – it escapes countless people who were never given this law in the first place as they bring themselves under this impossible yoke of bondage.

¹⁰ But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit,

The words go back to the plural here as Moses speaks to all of the people individually (you all). Moses again takes it as an axiom that the people there before him would cross the Jordan into Canaan, but that he would not do so. Because of this, he is providing instruction for them to not only possess the land, but to be able to continue possessing it. When they cross over…

^{10 (con’t)} and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety,

Here, the idea of rest is tied in with the elimination of the enemy, and thus dwelling in safety. The idea of having obtained it is found in Joshua 23:1 –

“Now it came to pass, a long time after the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua was old, advanced in age.”

It is again seen concerning David and his kingdom in 2 Samuel 7 –

“Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, ² that the king said to Nathan the prophet, ‘See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.’” 2 Samuel 7:1, 2

Because of David’s efforts in defeating the enemies, it is used again by Solomon in 1 Kings 5 as the reason to build the house of the Lord, and Solomon then acknowledges that the promised rest was obtained as he prayed the invocation prayer after the temple was complete –

“Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.” 1 Kings 8:56

And yet, David, despite having subdued the enemies and provided this rest, clearly indicates that the rest that both Joshua, and he, had obtained was not the promised rest Moses speaks of now. He does this by using the word “Today” in the 95^th Psalm –

“Today, if you will hear His voice:
⁸ “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
⁹ When your fathers tested Me;
They tried Me, though they saw My work.
¹⁰ For forty years I was grieved with that generation,
And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,
And they do not know My ways.’
¹¹ So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’” Psalm 95:7-11

The author of Hebrews then unmistakably shows that obtaining the inheritance is not of the law. He does it first by citing the 95^th Psalm, and then by next saying this from Hebrews 3:16-19 –

“For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? ¹⁷ Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸ And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? ¹⁹ So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

With that understood, he then notes that because David said Today hundreds of years after Joshua had received his rest, it means that the rest spoken of is not merely referring to rest from the physical enemies of Israel. As he says in Hebrews 4:8, “For if Joshua had given them rest, then He [the Spirit through David] would not afterward have spoken of another day.” He then says –

“For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” Hebrews 4:10

What this is clearly telling us is that the true, final, and anticipated rest comes only when the law is fulfilled, because the law is of works. If one ceases from his works in order to enter God’s rest, it means that he is no longer under law. As the author of Hebrews says, “For we who have believed do enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:3).

Moses is speaking of earthly things, but the Spirit of inspiration working through him is pointing to spiritual things. That continues with the next words…

¹¹ then there will be the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide.

The word ha’maqom, or “the place,” is obviously speaking of whatever place where the tabernacle would rest. However, more especially, the words point prophetically to Jerusalem, where the temple would be built. At the location where the name of the Lord would abide…

^{11 (con’t)} There you shall bring all that I command you:

Moses now says that in the place where the Lord’s name will abide, the people shall bring “all that I command you.” The logical question is, “Does this imply works?” The answer is, “Yes.” The command is of the law. It mandates something to be done.

But the author of Hebrews says that when a person enters God’s rest, He has ceased from all his works, and that the way one enters into the rest is through belief, meaning faith in Christ.

Thus, the rest which is being referred to now by Moses, and the commands which Moses is giving to the people, are only symbolic representations of the true rest that only comes by faith in the One these things anticipate and point to, some of which are…

^{11 (con’t)} your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the Lord.

This verse is very similar to verse 6 that we looked at last week. The only substantial difference is in the final clause –

*and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 12:6
*and all your choice offerings which you vow to the Lord. 12:11

In verse 6, the offerings are mandatory. In verse 11, they are voluntary until the vow is made. Once the vow is made, the offering became obligatory.

In verse 6, it was seen how these things only pointed to the coming Christ. In Him is the fulfillment of them. What the people brought forward in Israel only anticipated a spiritual fulfillment.

Despite being mandatory offerings, other than in certain exceptions, only a portion of any of them was actually given away. The rest was consumed by the offeror. Hence, the next words…

¹² And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God,

This phrase was first seen in Leviticus 23:40 where it was applied to the Feast of Tabernacles. In Deuteronomy, this is the second of several times it is noted. The first being last week in verse 7. The idea here is that the offeror would often share in the offering, and thus they would feast and rejoice in the presence of the Lord for whatever the sacrifice or offering signified.

Even if they did not share in the sacrifice, such as in a whole burnt offering or a sin offering, they would still rejoice for what it signified – be it gratitude to God for His blessings, fellowship with Him, cleansing from sin, or so on. This rejoicing was to include…

^{12 (con’t)} you and your sons and your daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you.

Unlike what most scholars state, and what most teachers pass on, this is a command of Moses, not a suggestion. For example, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown incorrectly states –

“…it appears that, although males only were commanded to appear before God at the annual solemn feasts (Ex 23:17), the women were allowed to accompany them (1Sa 1:3-23).”

Rather, Moses is instructing the households to attend as well. But there is no contradiction in this and what is said about the three pilgrim feasts elsewhere, such as –

“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.” Deuteronomy 16:16

In this passage here in Deuteronomy 12, in the surrounding passage of Deuteronomy 16, and elsewhere, it clearly instructs all of the people to come to the pilgrim feasts.

The households were not to be excluded. And, indeed, they could not be excluded – for example – from the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the Passover (that everyone was to observe) was affixed to that Feast.

The fact that all the males had to appear before the Lord in those three pilgrim feasts is given under the assumption that their households would be there as well. The command for the males, as representative of the household was all-inclusive. The command to attend was to then be considered by those males as not to exclude the household as is evidenced in this verse.

The center of this service and worship of the Lord was to be at the spot where the Lord placed His name. It is a note of unification of the worship of the people – all of them – in a single place. Hence…

¹³ Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see;

Here, the burnt offering is spoken of as the entirety of the offerings of the previous verse. Also, the words now return to the singular – you, Israel, are to take heed concerning your burnt offerings. It may also be that Moses is speaking to each person individually – “You, and you, and you: do not do this thing.” The singular will continue, with one exception, through the rest of the verses today.

The command here was to ensure unity of worship at the sanctuary. However, it is evident from the time of the judges and later that Israel failed in this, as is evidenced from Ezekiel 20 –

“When I brought them into the land concerning which I had raised My hand in an oath to give them, and they saw all the high hills and all the thick trees, there they offered their sacrifices and provoked Me with their offerings. There they also sent up their sweet aroma and poured out their drink offerings.” Ezekiel 20:28

The people did exactly what they were instructed to not do. Instead of seeking the Lord in the place where He dwelt, they searched out any place that suited their fancy and they offered to the Lord, or to other gods, according to what was right in their own eyes.

It cannot be that this is only speaking of a time after the temple was built. That would not occur for more than 400 years. It certainly was intended to mean at the place of the tabernacle, or whatever other place the Lord so chose, until a temple was erected. That is clearly evidenced in what is next said…

¹⁴ but in the place which the Lord chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.

He again speaks of the place which the Lord chooses. It could be argued that this only speaks of burnt offerings, but that is proven false by the words v’sham taaseh kol asher anoki metsaveka – “and there you shall do all that I command you.” In other words, the “burnt offering” stands as representative of everything else. This was perfectly understood from later passages, such as –

“Then they said, ‘In fact, there is a yearly feast of the Lord in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.’” Joshua 21:19

The yearly feast, one of the Leviticus 23 Feasts of the Lord, was observed at Shiloh, where the tabernacle was. That feast is a part of what Moses is speaking of right now when he says, “and all that I command you.”

Sanctuary worship did occur, but there was not a unity of it among the people of Israel – in direct violation of the words of Moses now. However, it is seen elsewhere that not having a permanent temple was used as a pretext to do whatever anyone wanted. In 1 Kings 3:2-4, it says –

“Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days. ³ And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.
⁴ Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.”

Gibeon was where the tabernacle was then located (see 2 Chronicles 1:3), along with the altar of burnt offering, even though the ark was in Jerusalem.

And even after the building of the temple, the record of the kings contains constant failures of the people by noy worshiping only before the Lord in Jerusalem. Something more, something much greater, was needed to unite the people in worship – something internal, not external. The reason for this is rightly explained by Adam Clarke –

“To prevent idolatry and bring about a perfect uniformity in the Divine worship, which at that time was essentially necessary; because every rite and ceremony had a determinate meaning, and pointed out the good things which were to come, therefore one place must be established where those rites and ceremonies should be carefully and punctually observed. Had it not been so, every man would have formed his worship according to his own mind, and the whole beauty and importance of the grand representative system would have been destroyed, and the Messiah and the glories of his kingdom could not have been seen through the medium of the Jewish ritual. For uniformity in every part of the Divine worship the same necessity does not now exist; because that which was typified is come, and the shadows have all fled away. Yet, when it can be obtained, how desirable is it that all sincere Christians should with one mouth, as well as with one heart, glorify their common Lord and Savior!” Adam Clarke

Stated a little less wordily – everything points to Jesus. The unity of worship was necessary to reveal Him. Anything else would destroy that typology. And now that He has come and fulfilled it, these shadows that only anticipated Him are no longer needed. Having said that, those things that were not relevant to that typology had no such restrictions bound to them…

You shall do these things as I instruct you
Or not do what has been forbidden, as well
All is laid out, so you know what to do
Just be obedient to what the word does tell

Doing these things has a reason
And so, you are to do them as I instruct you
This will continue on for a season
But someday, the doing of them will be through 

They only anticipate Me and those things I will do
And in My doing, those things will be done
Someday I will be the focus and hope of each one of you
That is, when the course of this law has been run

II. Maintaining the Typology (verses 15-19)

¹⁵ “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you;

Slaughtering of animals for consumption was not considered a sacrifice or offering as long as it was not presented as such. Hence, there was no typology of Christ to mar in the act. Therefore, this was considered perfectly acceptable.

In fact, having, capturing, or buying meat here is considered a blessing of the Lord, not something offensive or wrong. Thus, it was to be accepted as such. However, in Leviticus 17, it said –

“Speak to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying: ³ ‘Whatever man of the house of Israel who kills an ox or lamb or goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp, ⁴ and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting to offer an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, the guilt of bloodshed shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people, ⁵ to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they offer in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to the priest, and offer them as peace offerings to the Lord.’” Leviticus 17:2-5

That was a law for the time in the wilderness. Once the people were in the land of Canaan, it would no longer apply. They would be spread out through the land and were allowed to freely do as they wished in this regard. This included…

^{15 (con’t)} the unclean and the clean may eat of it,

This is the middle of the chiasm found in the passage. Whoever wanted could eat of such meat. This means that even those excluded from the society, such as lepers who were unclean, could be brought it to eat.

This is unlike the laws of certain animals offered to the Lord that were forbidden to be eaten by the unclean. If they did so, the law says that such were to be cut off from their people. They had violated the typology of Christ. However, no typology of Christ was violated in this. Therefore, it was considered perfectly acceptable and good. This included…

^{15 (con’t)} of the gazelle and the deer alike.

ka-tseviy v’ka-ayyal – “as of the gazelle and as of the deer.” Here, the tsviy or gazelle is introduced. It is a gazelle or a roebuck, but it also means “beauty,” even when referring to the beautiful Branch of the Lord in Isaiah 4:2, or the beautiful land of Israel in Ezekiel 20:6. Also, the ayyal, or deer is introduced. It is the intensive form of the word ayil, or ram. It thus signifies a stag, or a male deer.

The reason for including these is certainly to show that they were considered acceptable as food, but they bore no specific typology of Christ that must otherwise be considered.

In other words, these are not animals of the herd or flock that required the dedication of the firstborn to the Lord. Nor were they acceptable as sacrificial animals. But they were clean according to the law, they were considered clean animals and they could be hunted and eaten at will. However, the time-old prohibition, that even predates the Law of Moses, still stands…

¹⁶ Only you shall not eat the blood;

Suddenly, and only for this clause, the pronoun returns to the plural, “Only you (all) shall not eat the blood.” It was not that Israel was forbidden to eat the blood, but exceptions would be made. Rather, no exception was to be made for any person.

After the flood, animals that were previously forbidden to be eaten were granted to man as food. However, even then the Lord stated a prohibition that was expected to be adhered to in Genesis 9:2-4 –

“And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. ³ Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. ⁴ But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.”

The Lord specifically identifies the blood as the life. Thus…

^16 (con’) you shall pour it on the earth like water.

The pronouns return to the singular here. You, Israel, or you (each of you). This law was previously established in Leviticus 17 –

“Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust; ¹⁴ for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.’” Leviticus 17:13, 14

The reason for this is complicated and should be supplemented by reviewing the sermon from Leviticus 17. In short, the prohibition of eating blood was given because it is the vehicle of life. For this reason, the Lord reserved all blood to Himself.

To eat the blood was to assimilate into oneself something that belonged to Him alone. It was therefore idolatrous to use it in any other way than designated by Him. If it was not used in the rites of the tabernacle, it was to be poured out and covered with earth.

In pouring out the blood like water, and then covering it with the dust, the typology points directly to Christ. From the dust, man was made. But he wasn’t yet alive. Only in the breathing of the Lord into the nostrils of man did he become a nephesh khayah, or “soul living.” In man or animal, when the life is poured out, the dust reclaims ownership over what is left.

This is true with but one exception. It is Jesus, the Lord God who breathed life into man. And yet, He then descended from the man He breathed life into. In the shedding of His blood upon the ground from which His earthly body came, He gave up His soul, and yet the ground found no victory over Him.

The life returned, the soul reanimated, and by the power of the Lord God, He walked out of that tomb. Atonement for us was made with the pouring out of His soul. And yet, He lives. Only in Him is true and eternal life. The typology must be maintained, even when not a part of the sacrificial rites at the altar. Understanding this, Moses continues with more typological hints of Christ…

¹⁷ You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the heave offering of your hand.

The verse begins with lo tukal l’ekol – “no eating to eat.” In other words, you are not able to eat. This is because this stands as a legal prohibition against it. From there, Moses defines what that means with the rest of the verse.

The comparable verses in this chapter (6 & 11), with the noted exceptions, were all in the plural. This verse, however, is all in the singular. Again, as has been seen at other times, it is certainly put forth this way to avoid anyone making exceptions. There was to be no equivocating on the laws laid down here, and so Moses speaks them to all individually, and also to Israel as a whole collectively.

As has been seen in one sermon or another, each of these things anticipates Christ – the tithe, the firstborn, and the offerings. Therefore, for the sake of unity of worship, the people were told that they could not eat these things in just any place.

To do so would mar the typology. There was to be a unity of worship because all people come to Christ in the same manner. There is not one way for this person or group and another for that person or group. Thus, the corporate nature of what was to be done by Israel negates any individualized attempts at coming to Christ.

The idea here is expressed in Galatians 1:6-8 where Paul clearly says that there is one gospel, and any other is not only not a gospel, but it is – in fact – anathema. What typologically anticipates Him was to be experienced through the unity of worship at the place that bore the name of the Lord God. In order to maintain this unity, Moses next says…

¹⁸ But you must eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God chooses,

Everything that has just been described is to be eaten by the people at the spot where the Lord chooses to place His name. To prepare you for the Deuteronomy 14 sermon, we will evaluate what this means in regard to the tithes – which are eaten by the people.

Most scholars, probably because they were also preachers wanting to not lose out on their profits, say that this refers to a “second tithe,” not the mandated tithe of Israel. That is utter rubbish. The word never speaks of a second tithe.

The source of this supposed “second tithe” comes from rabbinical writings and an apocryphal book Tobit. What is recorded there doesn’t match – even closely – with what is stated here in the Law of Moses –

But I alone used to go often to Jerusalem for the festivals, as was prescribed for all Israel by longstanding decree.* Bringing with me the first fruits of crops, the firstlings of the flock, the tithes of livestock, and the first shearings of sheep, I used to hasten to Jerusalem

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and present them to the priests, Aaron’s sons, at the altar. To the Levites ministering in Jerusalem I used to give the tithe of grain, wine, olive oil, pomegranates, figs, and other fruits. Six years in a row, I used to give a second tithe in money, which each year I would go to pay in Jerusalem.

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The third-year tithe I gave to orphans, widows, and converts who had joined the Israelites. Every third year I would bring them this offering, and we ate it in keeping with the decree laid down in the Mosaic law concerning it, and according to the commands of Deborah, the mother of my father Tobiel; for my father had died and left me an orphan.

Of this precept in Deuteronomy, the scholar Keil says –

“In the laws contained in the earlier books, nothing is said about the appropriation of any portion of the tithes to sacrificial meals. Yet in Deuteronomy this is simply assumed as a customary thing, and not introduced as a new commandment, when the law is laid down.” Keil

Like other scholars, Keil then went on to speak of the passage in Tobit, to justify his stand on a “second tithe.” But the very fact that this practice was “assumed as a customary thing,” demonstrates that what Moses says here is referring not to a “second tithe.” Rather it speaks of the one and only tithe levied upon Israel. That “customary thing” will be revealed in the coming Deuteronomy 14 sermon.

This is what is known as “progressive revelation.” A precept is introduced, and then it is later explained and expanded upon. Moses now explains that expansion in Deuteronomy. If he had meant this was to be a second tithe, he would have said so, and any scholar with a modicum of sense would affirm it as such.

This is especially so when Israel had not even started tithing as described by Moses because they had never been in the land in order to begin to do so. Unfortunately, what is stated later in Deuteronomy 14 is so offensive to scholars, pastors, and preachers of the Bible, that they must insert something clearly indefensible into their theological bag of tricks to keep the money coming in.

^{18 (con’t)} you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates;

These words correspond to verse 12. There the pronouns were in the plural, as were the nouns (sons, daughters, male servants, and female servants). Here both the pronouns and the nouns are in the singular.

Again, this is a precept that is to be obeyed. It is incorrect to say that only the men were required to go on the pilgrim feasts. These verses clearly show that the men were to go, but they were to be accompanied by any household that dwelt with them. The use of both the plural and the singular is given to absolutely solidify this fact. And there is a reason for it…

^{18 (con’t)} and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all to which you put your hands.

Continuing in the singular, the reason is the same as before, but with a different focus on the audience. Before, it was “you all – each of you.” Now, it is “you collectively.” Each person was to rejoice before the Lord, and Israel – the united people – were to rejoice before the Lord.

They were to acknowledge that the produce of the labor of their hands was ultimately derived from His open hand of grace. But they were also to remember another precept of law…

*^{19 (fin)} Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

Here, it should be more precisely translated and say, “on the earth,” rather than “in your land.” Despite that, this verse takes us back to verse 12. There, Moses spoke to the people in the plural (you all are to do this). However, here, it continues in the singular (you, Israel, are to do this). The people, individually and collectively, bore the responsibility of tending to the Levites.

As they were taken in place of the firstborn, they fit their own picture of Christ. In this, the Levites were to be tended to by the people for their ministry to the people. They had no inheritance of land like the other tribes, and they were dependent upon the people for the meeting of their needs.

Therefore, when the people ate their own tithes, as prescribed by Moses, they were to also remember the Levities and minister to them in an appropriate manner. The precept is not unlike Paul’s words to the Galatians –

“Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.” Galatians 6:16

With that, the passage is complete for the week. The main two thoughts that we can take away with us from it are that 1) there was to be a unity of worship by the people toward the Lord God because that worship anticipated the Person and work of Jesus Christ, and 2) in Christ’s fulfillment of these things, we now have the fulness of them in Him.

We no longer need to observe these – or any other – aspects of the law of Moses. We are to worship in Spirit and in truth because this is what Christ Jesus has ordained for His people.

In Him, we have the substance and not the shadow. In Him, we have the Antitype and not the type. In Him, we have unfettered access to God instead of a restrictive mode of worship that was ministered to by fallible people in an earthly location that has been swept clean several times in redemptive history.

Where Zion was plowed like a field, the Rock who is Christ has continued on without change. Let us remember this as we conduct our lives in His presence. Let us hold fast and not be swept back into legalism and bondage. This is the lesson of the law. Let us learn it and apply it to our walk with our Lord. May it be so.

Closing Verse: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4

Next Week: Deuteronomy 12:20-32 It would be a problem, I must admit; and so to this precept you must commit… (You Shall Not Add to It nor Take Away from It) (41^st Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

In the Place Which the Lord Your God Chooses

“You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—
Every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes—
For as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance
Which the LORD your God is giving you, that marvelous surprise

But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land
Which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit
And He gives you rest from all your enemies round about
So that you dwell in safety – a gift to you, and not by merit

Then there will be the place where the LORD your God
Chooses to make His name abide; in that land that you trod

There you shall bring all that I command you:
Your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the whole hoard
The heave offerings of your hand
And all your choice offerings which you vow to the LORD

And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God
You and your sons and your daughters too
Your male and female servants, and the Levite
———-who is within your gates
Since he has no portion nor inheritance with you

Take heed to yourself that you do not offer
Your burnt offerings in every place that you see
———-this you shall not do
But in the place which the LORD chooses, in one of your tribes
There you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there
———-you shall do all that I command you

“However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates
Whatever your heart desires, according to
———-the Lord your God’s blessing
Which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it
Of the gazelle and the deer alike. And, have some salad
———-with dressing

Only you shall not eat the blood; this you shall not do
You shall pour it on the earth like water, as the Lord
———-has instructed you

You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain
Or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd
———-so please understand
Or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow
Of your freewill offerings, or of the heave offering of your hand

But you must eat them before the LORD your God
In the place which the LORD your God chooses
———-please be observant
You and your son and your daughter
Your male servant and your female servant

And the Levite who is within your gates
And you shall rejoice, as everyone understands
Before the LORD your God
In all to which you put your hands

Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake
———-but for him have an open hand
The Levite as long as you live in your land

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

⁸ “You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes— ⁹ for as yet you have not come to the rest nd the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you. ¹⁰ But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety, ¹¹ then there will be the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the Lord. ¹² And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you. ¹³ Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; ¹⁴ but in the place which the Lord chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.

¹⁵ “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike. ¹⁶ Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water. ¹⁷ You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the heave offering of your hand. ¹⁸ But you must eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God chooses, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all to which you put your hands. ¹⁹ Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.