January 13, 2014 - Monday

Start Time: 4:48 A.M.

End Time: 5:31 A.M.

Title: The Central Sanctuary

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 12:1 – 32

God’s Message / God’s Promises / God’s Commands:

→ Moses told the people the statutes and ordinances they must carefully obey in the land the Lord, the God of their ancestors, gives them to possess.  They must by all means destroy all the places where the nations they are about to dispossess worship their gods – on the high mountains and hills and under every leafy tree.  They must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars, burn up their sacred Asherah poles, and cut down the images of their gods; they must eliminate their very memory from that place.  They must not worship the Lord they God the way they worship but they must seek only the place He chooses from all their tribes to establish His Name as His place of residence, and they must go there.  And there they must take their burnt offerings, their sacrifices, their tithes, the personal offerings they have prepares, their votive offerings, their freewill offerings, and the firstborn of their herds and flocks.  Both them and their families must feast there before the Lord their God and rejoice in all the output of their labor which He has blessed them.   They must not do like what others are doing (what seems best to oneself, for they have not yet come to the final stop and inheritance the Lord their God is giving them.  When they do go across the Jordan River and settle in the land He is granting them as an inheritance and they find relief from all the enemies who surround them, they will live in safety.  Then, they are to come to come to the place the Lord their God chooses for His name to reside bring everything God is commanding them (all offerings).  They shall rejoice in the presence of the Lord their God, along with their sons and daughters, male and female servants and the Levites in their villages.  They are to make sure to do not offer burnt offerings in any place they wish for they may do so only in the place the Lord chooses in one of their tribal areas.

NOTES:

Ø God is a God of exclusivity!  He doesn’t want other gods to be in the same place as He is.  He wants our focus and worship alone and no other gods should enjoy it.  Just like a lover who wants to be loved by the person he or she loves only.  So is God!  HE wants our love only to Him and no other.  That’s why when we are to possess the land or the promises of God, we are to destroy or eliminate any other things that could possibly link to other gods for only God can stay with us.

Ø God is a God who chooses!  His individuality requires a specific place and His choices are made for a purpose.  He wants to choose a place for Himself in the midst of the Promised Land.  So God’s heart has always been to live with His people and to find a place for Him in the midst of His people – this is David’s own heart too.

→ On the other hand, they may slaughter and eat meat as they please when the Lord their God blesses them in all their villages.  Both the ritually pure and impure may eat it, however, they must not eat blood – pour it out on the ground like water.  They will not be allowed to eat in their villages their tithe of grain, new wine, olive oil, the firstborn of their herd and flock, any votive offerings they have vowed, or their freewill and personal offerings.  Only in the presence of the Lord their God may they eat these in the place He chooses.  This applies to them, their son, daughter, male and female servants and the Levites in their villages.  In that place they will rejoice before the Lord their God in all the output of their labor.  Be careful not to overlook the Levites as long as they live in the land.

NOTES:

Ø God is a God who blesses us in our cities.  God wants us to live happily and to enjoy life in His presence.  

Ø God wants to have fellowship with us.  God wants us to consume our offerings only in His presence.  And in His chosen place, we will all rejoice before Him in all the output of our labors – for He blesses them.

→ When the Lord their God extended their borders as He said He would, God allowed them to eat meat just as they please.  They can enjoy eating in their villages when the place God chooses to locate His name is too far for His people.  However by no means are they allowed to eat the blood for the blood is life itself – they must not eat the life with the meat!  They are to just pour it out on the ground like water.  They are not to eat it so that it may go well with them and their children.  They will be doing what is right in the Lord’s sight.  Moses reminded them to pay careful attention to all the things God is commanding them so that it may always go well with them and their children after them when they do what is right in the sight of the Lord your God.

NOTES:

Ø God is a God who indulges us but only when it is right in His eyes!  God wants to give all our heart’s desires.  When He saw that men love to eat meat, He allowed them to do so as much as they please.  However He ensures that they do not eat the blood since there’s life in the blood and it is not right for the living to eat life.

Ø God is a God who set specific instructions for His children to enjoy and live well in the place He has chosen for them.  God’s words and commands are all for the best of the people.  All was made to ensure that when the people follow, all may go well with them and they will live long in the land He has promised them.

→ When the Lord their God eliminates the nations from the place where they are headed and they dispossess them, they will settle down in their land.  After they have been destroyed from their presence, they are to be careful not to be ensnared like they are; they are not to pursue their gods and be curious of how these nations serve their gods and try to experiment.  They must not worship the Lord their God the way these pagans do!  For everything that is abhorrent to God, everything He hates, the pagans have done when worshipping their gods.  They even burn up their sons and daughters before their gods!

NOTES:

Ø God is a God of high standards!  His thoughts and desires are different from what men or other gods.  He doesn’t want to have the same worship as other gods require of the people.  He is a God whose standards are high and these standards are always for the best of the people He chooses. 

Application /Realization:

Ø God is a God of exclusivity!  He is none other and no one is like Him!  So the acts of worships we give Him, the offerings we present to Him, the time, effort, the praise, even His ways and His love for us are very different from how other gods deal with their people.  Know that God is a God of superiority and His ways are unreachable for others.  Never allow your faith to stoop down to the level of the Pagan gods or worshippers because our God’s standards are higher than what they have. 

Ø God is a God who indulges our desires.  He wants to give our hearts desires and spoil us in that area so long as it is right in His eyes!

Ø God is a God of specifics and details.  His instructions are accurate and very detailed but all of these are for the purpose that all may go well with us!

Ø God’s standards are far exceeding above than any other.  His Sovereignty, His love, His identity is above than the rest of the gods.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Great and powerful Lord.  Amazing Father and the only One True God in the world.  There is truly none like You!  NO one can ever be compared to You.  Your standards are unbreakable and it is solid and that is a good thing because Your words and promises to us are based on Your standards so we can be assured that Your words and promises will come to pass.  Thank You Lord for You desire to indulge us with what we want so long as it is right in Your eyes.  Thank You because Your desire is that everything may go well in us and You want to have fellowship with us.  Thank You because Your instructions or commands are for our own good always.  I am amazed of Your exclusivity Lord, especially that You want it shared to us!  Thank You Lord.  Holy Spirit, help me to see more of You, Your Grace, Your favor and love every day!  Praise You Lord!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!