# Deuteronomy 12 đź“–: One Place of Worship
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[[-Deuteronomy Overview]] | [[Deuteronomy 11]] | [[Deuteronomy 13]]
> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### The Central Sanctuary
[[#Verse 01.]] These are the statutes and ordinances you must be careful to obey as long as you live in the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess.
[[#Verse 02.]] You must by all means destroy all the places where the nations you are about to dispossess worship their gods—on the high mountains and hills and under every leafy tree.Â
[[#Verse 03.]] You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars, burn up their sacred Asherah poles, and cut down the images of their gods; you must eliminate their very memory from that place.Â
[[#Verse 04.]] You must not worship the Lord your God the way they worship.Â
[[#Verse 05.]] But you must seek only the place he chooses from all your tribes to establish his name as his place of residence, and you must go there.Â
[[#Verse 06.]] And there you must take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the personal offerings you have prepared, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.Â
[[#Verse 07.]] Both you and your families must feast there before the Lord your God and rejoice in all the output of your labor with which he has blessed you.Â
[[#Verse 08.]] You must not do as we are doing here today, with everyone doing what seems best to him,Â
[[#Verse 09.]] for you have not yet come to the final stop and inheritance the Lord your God is giving you.
[[#Verse 10.]] When you do go across the Jordan River and settle in the land he is granting you as an inheritance and you find relief from all the enemies who surround you, you will live in safety.Â
[[#Verse 11.]] Then you must come to the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to reside, bringing everything I am commanding you—your burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, the personal offerings you have prepared, and all your choice votive offerings that you devote to him.Â
[[#Verse 12.]] You shall rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God, along with your sons, daughters, male and female servants, and the Levites in your villages (since they have no allotment or inheritance with you).
[[#Verse 13.]]Â Make sure you do not offer burnt offerings in any place you wish,
[[#Verse 14.]] for you may do so only in the place the Lord chooses in one of your tribal areas—there you may do everything I am commanding you.
### Regulations for Eating Sacrificial and Non-Sacrificial Foods
[[#Verse 15.]] On the other hand, you may slaughter and eat meat as you please when the Lord your God blesses you in all your villages. Both the ritually pure and impure may eat it, whether it is a gazelle or an ibex.Â
[[#Verse 16.]] However, you must not eat blood—pour it out on the ground like water.Â
[[#Verse 17.]]Â You will not be allowed to eat in your villages your tithe of grain, new wine, olive oil, the firstborn of your herd and flock, any votive offerings you have vowed, or your freewill and personal offerings.
[[#Verse 18.]] Only in the presence of the Lordyour God may you eat these, in the place he chooses. This applies to you, your son, your daughter, your male and female servants, and the Levites in your villages. In that place you will rejoice before the Lord your God in all the output of your labor.Â
[[#Verse 19.]]Â Be careful not to overlook the Levites as long as you live in the land.
### The Sanctity of Blood
[[#Verse 20.]] When the Lord your God extends your borders as he said he would do and you say, “I want to eat meat just as I please,” you may do so as you wish.Â
[[#Verse 21.]] If the place he chooses to locate his name is too far for you, you may slaughter any of your herd and flock he has given you just as I have stipulated; you may eat them in your villages just as you wish.Â
[[#Verse 22.]]Â As you eat the gazelle or ibex, so you may eat these; the ritually impure and pure alike may eat them.Â
[[#Verse 23.]] However, by no means eat the blood, for the blood is life itself—you must not eat the life with the meat.
[[#Verse 24.]]Â You must not eat it! You must pour it out on the ground like water.Â
[[#Verse 25.]] You must not eat it so that it may go well with you and your children after you; you will be doing what is right in the Lord’s sight.Â
[[#Verse 26.]] But the holy things and votive offerings that belong to you, you must pick up and take to the place the Lord will choose.
[[#Verse 27.]] You must offer your burnt offerings, both meat and blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; the blood of your other sacrifices you must pour out on his altar while you eat the meat.Â
[[#Verse 28.]] Pay careful attention to all these things I am commanding you so that it may always go well with you and your children after you when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.
### The Abomination of Pagan Gods
[[#Verse 29.]] When the Lord your God eliminates the nations from the place where you are headed and you dispossess them, you will settle down in their land.
[[#Verse 30.]] After they have been destroyed from your presence, be careful not to be ensnared like they are; do not pursue their gods and say, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do the same.”Â
[[#Verse 31.]] You must not worship the Lord your God the way they do! For everything that is abhorrent to him, everything he hates, they have done when worshiping their gods. They even burn up their sons and daughters before their gods!
### Idolatry and False Prophets
[[#Verse 32.]] (13:1) You must be careful to do everything I am commanding you. Do not add to it or subtract from it!
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
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###### Verse 32.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. The phrase "the place the Lord your God chooses" appears many times in Deuteronomy. It later points to Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:29).
2. Before Jerusalem, the tabernacle stood at Shiloh for many years (Jeremiah 7:12).
3. Israel was to tear down the Canaanite high places and altars (12:2-3).
4. Meat could be eaten anywhere, but the blood had to be poured out because the life is in the blood (12:16, 23; Leviticus 17:11).
5. "Everyone doing what is right in his own eyes" (12:8) is echoed in the closing refrain of Judges (Judges 21:25).
6. King Josiah enforced central worship when he tore down the high places (2 Kings 23).
7. The nations even burned their children as offerings to their gods (12:31).
8. Tithes and offerings were to be eaten in celebration at the chosen place (12:17-18).
9. Israel was reminded not to neglect the Levites (12:19).
10. In Hebrew Bibles, 12:32 is numbered as 13:1.
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the place where God has put His name. Israel was to worship at the place God would choose (12:5), and Jesus teaches that true worship now centers on Him, in spirit and truth (John 4:21-24; John 2:19-21).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. God tells Israel not to worship Him the way the nations worshiped their gods (12:4, 30-31). Where are we tempted to borrow the world's way of doing things?
2. Worship in this chapter includes joy, feasting, and generosity to the Levite (12:7, 12, 18-19). What does that teach about the spirit of worship?
3. Everyone doing what is right in their own eyes (12:8) became a problem later in Israel's history. Where do you see that attitude today?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 5: Seek the place the Lord will choose to put His name.
- đź“– verse 7: Rejoice before the Lord in all you do because He has blessed you.
- đź“– verse 32: Be careful to do all God commands; do not add to it or take from it.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[John 04#Verse 21.|John 4:21-24]] - True worshipers worship in spirit and truth.
- đź”— [[1 Kings 08#Verse 29.|1 Kings 8:29]] - The place where God said His name would be.
- đź”— [[Judges 21#Verse 25.|Judges 21:25]] - Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
- đź”— [[Leviticus 17#Verse 11.|Leviticus 17:11]] - The life is in the blood.
- đź”— [[2 Kings 23#Verse 04.|2 Kings 23:4-15]] - Josiah removes the high places.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź“‚ Internal Notes