In the latter half of this twelfth chapter, we have some reiteration of earlier themes, as well as additional exhortation and instruction. “Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after . . .” (Deuteronomy 12:15-32).
The establishment of Yahweh worship did not mean that all animals had to be sacrificed to the Lord in order to be killed and eaten (v. 15). Animals could be slaughtered simply for food, and had the same status as game. The only restriction here was that the blood had to be poured on the ground (v. 16). The sacrifices presented to the Lord, and all associated ritual activity, had to be wherever God set His name (vv. 17-18). Again, the Levite was to be included (v. 19). Other than that, they could eat whatever they wanted (v. 20). They did not have to go to Jerusalem in order to eat meat (v. 21). Further, the ritually unclean is not excluded from sharing the roast (v. 22). Refrain from the blood and bless your descendants (vv. 23-25). The holy things are where God placed His name (v. 26-27). Obey, and sustain a blessing (v. 28). Do not be captured by those you have defeated in battle (vv. 29-30). Do not imitate their worship; they even sacrifice their children, which God hates (v. 31). In whatever God requires, do not add or subtract (v. 32).
Moses repeats what he has said in the first part of the chapter. The Israelites are to avoid worshiping as the Canaanites worshiped. They are to worship in the place where God sets His name, and nowhere else (vv. 17-18; 26-27). They are not to imitate the worshiping manner of the Canaanites either—they are not to worship the true God in a false manner (vv. 29-30). And the Levite was to be remembered (v. 19).
Moses then cautions against a very natural mistake. The sacrificial system of Israel was not intended to supply all their meat (vv. 15, 21-22). There was a ritual practice that excluded pagan sacrifices (v. 16), and which also recognized God as the author of life (vv. 23-25). But note that while eating meat was a result of sin, it is assumed as a normal thing among God’s people—with no more reason than that one wants to (v. 15). Notice also that we have a category of clean animals (suitable for eating) which were not used in the sacrifices of Israel. In a type, these can be considered as the God-fearers among the Gentile nations in the Old Testament.
The Canaanites had the horrific practice of sacrificing their children to their gods (v. 31). But in this fallen world, this is actually an inescapable concept. It is not whether we sacrifice our children, but which God we sacrifice them to, and what He requires of us in the sacrifice. We can identify a nation’s gods by noting where the nation sacrifices its children. In today’s abortion culture, our gods are clearly personal convenience and the right to choose. What many Christians do not realize is that this kind of abortion mentality is the only alternative to a biblical culture. Children will always be rendered to god; if we want it to be bloodless, then it must be the Christian God. He allows Samuel to be nurtured in the sanctuary.
We have already considered the strict misunderstanding of the regulative principle of worship. But at the same time, we must be careful. What God says to do, that we must do. What He prohibits, we must shun. We must do what He says to do, and not something else, and we must do it the way He says to do it (v. 32). But note that we are not to charge off to “obey” when we have not yet studied His Word and law carefully.
The applications are not hard to find. Enjoy yourself—why should you eat something? Well, once you have been disciplined by the Lord’s worship, you eat because you want to. You rejoice before the Lord, and you learn to rejoice in whatever you set your hand to. Pursue wisdom in your strict obedience—before we fight over “adding and subtracting” in our worship, we need to know our Bibles a lot better than we do. Render to God—God owns your children. Outside the one sanctuary of nurture and admonition are many Canaanitic sanctuaries. But you do not want your children there.