In Deuteronomy 12-26, Moses urges the children of Israel to seek righteousness (16:20) in all areas of life. His instruction shows how the Israelites can carry out the principles of the Decalogue in their time and context. Roughly speaking, he addresses the points of the Decalogue in order.
Daniel Block sees Daniel 12 as organized into two sections:
- 12:2-14--an invitation to joy and satisfaction in God's presence.
- 12:15-27--an invitation to joy and satisfaction at home.
The first section begins with a charge to destroy all traces of Canaanite religion, which was pervasive in the land. Pillars representing Baal and poles representing Asherah were to be destroyed. Names of towns were to be changed if they had been named after deities. And pagan worship practices like cult prostitution and child sacrifice were not to be emulated by the Israelites.
Instead, Israelites were to worship at an as-yet-unidentified place that would be
- chosen by God.
- located within the tribal allotments of land.
- stamped with God's name.
- a destination of pilgrimages.
This would be a place for many activities, including
- seeing the face of God.
- public reading of Scripture--31:11.
- learning to fear God.
- celebrating before God.
- eating meals hosted by God.
- presenting sacrifices.
- keeping the festivals of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.
- settling legal disputes--17:8-13.
- service of the Levites
- presenting firstfruits and thanking God--26:1-11.
- giving charity to the needy.
- demonstrating community solidarity by including everyone.
God would choose the place once the nation is established in the land (vv 10-11). The fact that Moses issues a double invitation in verses 5-12 is indicative of God's great desire to fellowship with his people.
Block notes that our English translations tend to use language connoting a law or command in these verses. But Deuteronomy 12 actually gives an invitation to exciting opportunities to celebrate in God's presence, worshiping as he authorizes.
We know that the place ultimately chosen for Israel's worship was Jerusalem (2 Sam 7).
The central sanctuary was intended to unite Israel as God's people, rehearsing their history and God's mighty deeds on their behalf. From this place God's rule and blessing would extend throughout the land and, ultimately, throughout the earth. The central sanctuary would also highlight the king's role as patron of national worship.
The establishment of this central worship location did not preclude worship at other locations. After all, Levites would live throughout the land and were to fulfill a pastoral role. Any consumption of meat was an occasion to thank God, in a broad sense a form of sacrifice. There was local worship as well as national worship.
Moses in Deuteronomy 16:21 seems to be assuming that other altars would be built. The altar at Mt Ebal in Deuteronomy 27:5-7 is one example of a legitimate altar not connected with the tabernacle. A number of others are mentioned:
- Judges 6:24-27--Gideon was told to pull down an altar of Ba'al and build one to Yahweh at Ophrah.
- 1 Sam 7:17---Samuel built an altar at Ramah.
- 1 Sam 16:5--Samuel celebrated a religious festival at Bethlehem.
- 2 Sam 24:18-25---David built an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah.
- 1 Kings 18:30---Elijah rebuilt "the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down."
There are also, of course, references to illegitimate altars in the historical books, like the ones Jeroboam had built at Bethel and Dan (I Kings 12-13), and the ones used to Ahaz (2 Kings 16:4) and Manasseh.
Another thing that would not occur exclusively at the central sanctuary was consumption of meat--Dt 12:15, 20-21. Block notes that the word for "slaughter" in Dt 12:15 is zabach, a word that usually means "to sacrifice." (Some exceptions are 1 Sam 28:24-25; 2 Chron 18:1-2; Ezek 34:2-3.) In some sense, Block says, any meal at which meat was consumed was a sacred event, a sacrificial moment. The modern division of life into sacred and secular components is artificial.
Moses gave lots of leeway to the Israelites in the matter of eating meat at home. The major restrictrion was the familiar command to not eat blood (Dt 12:23-25; Lev 17:10-15). This is a universal taboo (Gen 9:3-4), upheld in the New Testament (Acts 15:19-20).
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