Thursday, October 8 — Beware of Borrowed Worship
Peer pressure doesn't end at the school bus stop. It just gets quieter, and it comes with a smile and a "everybody's doing it."
Deuteronomy 12:20-32 — KJV
20 When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after. 21 If the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the LORD hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after. 22 Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them: the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike. 23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh. 24 Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water. 25 Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD. 26 Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the LORD shall choose: 27 And thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the LORD thy God: and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh. 28 Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God. 29 When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; 30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. 32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Deuteronomy 12:20-32 — WEB
20 When Yahweh your God enlarges your border, as he has promised you, and you say, “I want to eat meat,” because your soul desires to eat meat, you may eat meat, after all the desire of your soul. 21 If the place which Yahweh your God shall choose to put his name is too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock, which Yahweh has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates, after all the desire of your soul. 22 Even as the gazelle and as the deer is eaten, so you shall eat of it. The unclean and the clean may eat of it alike. 23 Only be sure that you don’t eat the blood; for the blood is the life. You shall not eat the life with the meat. 24 You shall not eat it. You shall pour it out on the earth like water. 25 You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, when you do that which is right in Yahweh’s eyes. 26 Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take and go to the place which Yahweh shall choose. 27 You shall offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on Yahweh your God’s altar. The blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on Yahweh your God’s altar, and you shall eat the meat. 28 Observe and hear all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do that which is good and right in Yahweh your God’s eyes. 29 When Yahweh your God cuts off the nations from before you where you go in to dispossess them, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, 30 be careful that you are not ensnared to follow them after they are destroyed from before you, and that you not inquire after their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.” 31 You shall not do so to Yahweh your God; for every abomination to Yahweh, which he hates, they have done to their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. 32 Whatever thing I command you, that you shall observe to do. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it.
Explanation
Moses is still preaching in Deuteronomy 12, and now he is looking ahead. One day Israel's borders will stretch far enough that the chosen place of worship is a long walk from home. So Moses makes a practical provision: you may eat meat at home, within your gates, and not every meal has to be a trip to the sanctuary. But there is a line. The blood is not to be eaten, because the blood is the life, and life belongs to God. Holy things and vows still go to the place the Lord chooses. Even ordinary eating is placed under the question of what God has said.
Then the tone shifts. Moses pictures a day when God has cleared the nations from the land and Israel is living in their houses and farming their fields. "Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them." Look closely at the danger he names. It is not atheism. It is curiosity that sounds harmless: "How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise." Borrowing. Mixing a little of what worked for the neighbors with the worship of the Lord. Moses answers with a flat no, and he gives a reason: those practices included things God hates, done in the name of religion. Not everything with a religious label is worship of the God of Israel. The chapter ends with a rule for the whole book: do what I have commanded; do not add to it, and do not take away from it.
Now jump to Sunday. Judges 2 says that after Joshua's generation passed, the people "forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth," the very gods of the people around them. That is exactly the road Moses warned about. Our unit is called "Lacking Leadership and a Moral Compass," and the lesson topic is "Choosing Badly." Deuteronomy 12 shows us that the compass was handed to them well before the choosing began. The failure was not a lack of information. It was the pull of what everyone else was doing.
Where do we "inquire after their gods" today? Seldom with statues. More often it is a success formula that treats rest as weakness, a lifestyle that says status is the measure of a person, or a kind of spirituality that is all mood and no obedience. Some of what the world offers is good, and not everything outside the church is a trap. The test Moses gives is whether it competes with what God has said or answers to it. So here is a question worth carrying into the week: the next time you feel pulled by a trend, a shortcut, or a "that's just how people do it," stop and ask, "What has God actually said?" Then let that settle it.
Thought for the Day
Worship God the way He asked, not the way neighbors do.
Reflection Question
What trend or "everybody does it" habit has been shaping you more than God's Word has?
Prayer
Father, there are so many voices telling us how to live and what to chase. Keep us from being snared by what looks harmless. Give us the humility to ask what You have said before we ask what everyone else is doing. Make us faithful where it is easier to blend in. In Jesus' name, Amen.
This week we walk toward Sunday's lesson: God Works Despite Evil.