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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
12:1-26:19 Moses' Second Speech: Specific Covenant Stipulations. Following the general stipulations of chs. 5-11, the commands and laws become more specific. The order of the stipulations in these chapters seems to purposely follow the order of categories in the Ten Commandments.
12:1-32 Proper Worship. Chapter 12 deals with proper worship, expanding the understanding of the first commandment about having no other gods ahead of the Lord.
12:1 statutes and rules. This exact expression occurs in 5:1; 11:32; 26:16, at the beginning and ending of the two main sections of stipulations.
12:2-3 destroy all the places where the nations . . . served their gods. In the conquest, most cities still stood, except for Jericho, Ai, and Hazor (Josh. 6:24; 8:28; 10:1; 11:12-14). The places that are to be destroyed are the worship centers. Canaanite religion, focused on fertility, set up its shrines on mountains and hills and under significant trees. Archaeological excavations at Hazor provide an example of a Late Bronze Age Canaanite temple. Within a central niche (or "holy of holies"), a male deity sat on a throne. Next to him was a row of standing stones, or stelae, one of which had a carving of upraised hands stretched in worship toward the sun god. tear . . . dash . . . burn . . . chop. See Deut. 7:5. Asherim. See note on 7:5. destroy their name out of that place. The name indicated the presence of the god. See 12:5.
12:4 Not only Canaanite worship practices are prohibited but also the syncretism of using such places and paraphernalia to worship the Lord.
12:5-6 the place. It is a single "place," in contrast to "places" in v. 2 (also vv. 13-14). Contrast Ex. 20:24-25. This place is unnamed, though centuries later it was clearly identified with Jerusalem. Until then, the "place" was where the tabernacle resided, which for much of that time was Shiloh (Josh. 18:1, 10; 22:12; Judg. 18:31; 1 Sam. 1:3, 24; 3:21; 4:3; Jer. 7:12, 14). the Lord your God will choose. See Deut. 12:11, 14, 18, 21, 26; 14:23, 24; 16:2, 6-7, 11; 26:2. In Deuteronomy, the Lord chooses Israel (7:6), the king (17:15), and the priests (18:5). Put his name and make his habitation anticipates the realized presence of God, though God is not limited to such a place (e.g., 1 Kings 8:27-30). There you shall go (also Deut. 12:6, 7, 14), rather than to the Canaanite places. bring. Israel's worship of "bringing" is in response to God's bringing Israel into the land. offerings . . . sacrifices (also v. 11). See Leviticus 1-7.
12:7 eat. The "peace offering" sacrifices were not totally burned up on the altar. Part of the animal was to be eaten by the offerer, the offerer's household, and the priests. before the Lord your God. That is, in his presence, where his name dwells (also vv. 12, 18). rejoice (also vv. 12, 18). Unlike other ancient religions, which attempted to win the gods' favor or to appease them, Israelite worship was marked by rejoicing in response to grace and blessing.
12:8-9 according to all that we are doing here today. Once the land is entered, the laws of worship, especially regarding its place, are to be stricter. everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes. See Judg. 17:6; 21:25. rest. See Deut. 3:20 and note. In a sense, this anticipated place of worship will reflect the abiding rest of Israel in the land, which finally occurs only under David (2 Sam. 7:1).
12:12 rejoice. See v. 7, which included households in general. Now specific members of the households are mentioned, notably servants and the Levite (landless categories of people). Levites were scattered in various towns to serve each of the other tribes. They owned no land (portion or inheritance) and relied on the offerings and sacrifices for their survival (v. 19; Num. 26:62). In this way worship was to be corporate and caring.
12:13-14 Take care implies the ease with which Israel will disobey this command, as their subsequent history shows. The repetition of the command to offer sacrifices only at the place that the Lord will choose (see v. 5) underscores its seriousness. in one of your tribes. While this phrase could mean one place per tribal territory, v. 5 has already specified one place for the entire nation.
12:15 you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your towns. Possibly up to this point, any meat eaten was sacrificial. Now, partly because of the distances that people would be from the central place for sacrifice (vv. 20-21), provision is made for non-sacrificial eating of meat. as much as you desire. On abundance in the land, see 6:10-11; 8:7-10; 11:11-15. unclean and the clean. This is a ceremonial distinction, not a moral one. Leviticus 12-15 defines certain people as unclean and therefore forbidden to eat sacrificial meat, but this did not apply to meat from non-sacrificial animals.
12:16 you shall not eat the blood. See Gen. 9:4 and Lev. 3:17. The blood is the life (Deut. 12:23-24) and is divinely earmarked for atonement for sin (Lev. 17:10-12). See also Acts 15:20.
12:26-27 Holy things are things set apart for God: sacrifices, offerings, tithes, objects of vows. See vv. 17-18. The blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar. E.g., Lev. 1:5.
