“If the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the Lord hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.”
This verse is part of Moses’ instructions to the Israelites as they were about to enter the Promised Land. In this chapter, Moses is addressing the issue of proper worship and the centralization of worship in the land. He emphasizes the importance of following God’s commands regarding sacrifices and offerings.
The Chosen Place of Worship: The verse begins by mentioning “the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to put his name there.” In the Old Testament, this refers to the central sanctuary that God would choose for His people to gather for worship. Initially, it was the tabernacle and later became the temple in Jerusalem. The Israelites were commanded to bring their sacrifices and offerings to this designated place of worship. However, in cases where the chosen place was too far for an individual to travel, certain provisions were made.
Sacrifices and Offerings: The verse instructs the Israelites that if the designated place of worship was too far away, they were permitted to slaughter animals from their own herds and flocks. This was in line with God’s previous commands regarding acceptable sacrifices and offerings. The animals they slaughtered were to be consumed as part of their worship, but with a specific restriction: “thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.” In other words, they were allowed to eat the meat of these animals in their local communities.
Regulated Worship: It’s important to understand the context of this verse within the broader theme of regulated worship in Deuteronomy. God wanted to ensure that His people worshiped Him in the right manner, avoiding idolatry and pagan practices. By centralizing worship in one place, God could maintain a purer form of worship and prevent syncretism with the surrounding nations’ religious practices.
Spiritual Lessons: While this verse primarily addresses the logistical challenges of long-distance travel to the central sanctuary, there are also spiritual lessons we can draw from it. One lesson is the importance of obedience. The Israelites were expected to follow God’s commands regarding worship, even if it meant some inconvenience. Another lesson is the idea of offering our best to God. The Israelites were instructed to bring their best animals as sacrifices, symbolizing their devotion and gratitude to God.
Overall, Deuteronomy 12:21 highlights the significance of proper worship and the importance of obedience to God’s commands. Although the chosen place of worship is no longer applicable in the same way for Christians today, we can still draw valuable lessons from this verse regarding our attitude towards worship and our commitment to offering our best to God.
