Today’s passage: Deuteronomy 12
Helpful thoughts:
- There is only one God who deserves our worship.
- The only way to worship Him is the way He prescribes.
- The phrase at the end of verse 8 will come up again in the history of Israel (Judges 17:6).
- What God says, “You shall not add to it or take from it.” (Verse 32)
- Israel’s God was about to give them repeated victory over other nations (and the false gods those nations trusted in for their protection). It would seem logical not to think those losing gods deserved worship over the true God who gave you victory, but God knew to warn Israel not to pick up and worship those gods.
- Israel picked up and worshiped those gods (Judges 2:11-13).
Questions to consider:
- What does it mean for everyone to do that which is right in their own eyes? What use are commands, laws, or the idea of mutual submission in a community if everyone just does whatever makes sense to them in the moment?
- If I think I know what I need to do at all times, what motivation will I have to read the Word of God or pay attention to any rules which have been laid out for the good of the community? How is this prideful?
- Why is God alone worthy of worship and worthy to tell us how to worship? How does a right view of God produce humility and genuine unity in the body?