Scripture: Deuteronomy 12:13-32 (NKJV)
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.
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.”
Devotion
The Lord God demands to be worshiped in a specific way and at a specific place.
We see after the division of the two kingdoms into North and South that a “sin”
is committed by the first king of the Northern Kingdom, Jeroboam. What is his
sin? He established places to go and sacrifice to God that were not in
Jerusalem, where God chose to establish His Name and be worshiped. Now, the
question could be posed, “What does it matter as long as God is being
worshiped?”
The answer to that question is given by the Lord, “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.” The point is that when people’s worship is left
to their own heart’s desire they end up doing what is hateful to the Lord, for
just as our hearts are corrupted with sin, our worship becomes corrupt.
This is shown by the Israelites, who forsook the true worship of the Lord and
continued the abominations of the surrounding nations. The same is true of
those who corrupt the liturgy. When the pure Word of God in the liturgy is
watered down or changed, what God wishes to impart through His Word in the
liturgy is replaced with what man wishes to convey. And since the promises of
man are as fleeting as he is, his worship crumbles into sensationalism and
emotionalism.
But, true worship of God is as eternal and unchanging as He is. His worship
imparts the Holy Ghost through the means of grace employed in the liturgy, and
He creates faith in His promises through His true and unchanging Word.
The Lutheran Herald is a publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of
North America. These daily devotions are authored by the bishop, pastors, and
deacons of the diocese. Daily posts are provided by The Reverend Jeffrey A.
Ahonen.
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