Deuteronomy 12:4-5 You must not worship the LORD your God in their way. 5 But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go;
The old real estate adage “Location, location, location” is still true, even in today’s market. The neighbors you have makes a difference to the value of your home and the kind of life you will live in your home. The proximity to local amenities makes a big difference as well.
As Israel was getting their final instructions before entering the Promised Land, one location in particular was key. The location of the Tabernacle would become very important for the life of every Israelite. Those frequent trips to worship and celebrate life’s events meant the location of the site of worship mattered.
And this central location for worship was a big contrast between the way Israel would worship and the way the surrounding nations worshipped. This entire chapter is about the location, the place, where worship would take place. There was only one place and no substitutes.
Do you remember the days before online ticket purchases could be made? You had to go to the box office of the theater to buy your ticket. You would stand in line and wait for your turn. It was just the way we did it back then.
And if you never had to stand in line for a ticket you might not appreciate the convenience of online ticket purchases. Just like the convenience of a cell phone or a credit card, you had to have lived in two eras in order to truly appreciate their use.
Now there is a generation in Israel being spoken about in our text who had not seen for themselves the miracles the LORD did in His delivering of their parents from Egypt. They only had secondhand knowledge of the great things He did. They had not seen the judgments on both Egypt and those who rebelled at the beginning of the journey.
Worship is to be different for the Israelites. It is to be centrally located in a particular place. And something matters more than the sacrifices. Their obedience to the words of the LORD matter more. And their adherence to the place of worship was foundational.
With the rapid expansion of technology over the past fifty years, so many places have lost their significance. Museums, musical venues & theater productions have declined rapidly. Many cities have seen a shrink in attendance at live theater and orchestral renditions. These are now a dying art here in this country.
Schools often don’t have music in the elementary curricula. They have been cut to make room for social programs and testing preparation. So by the time students reach High School, it is almost too late to learn to play and instrument or develop an appreciation for the fine arts.
For Israel, their history was at stake. With the death of all the eyewitnesses, only their accounts would survive, and only if they were passed along. The tangible outworking of their faith, planted in the miracles of the LORD’s presence among them, was their obedience to the Law. It was a sign and symbol of the things that had taken place.
And thus, the place of worship became the central message this chapter. Obedience meant worship in the place and in the way prescribed. No substitutes. No alternatives.
But the real kicker was that the LORD Himself would be present in the place. Just as the LORD had shown up during the journey out of Egypt, so the LORD would show up at the place. Those who weren’t eyewitnesses would be able to see the LORD’s presence for themselves. They would have firsthand experience from which obedience would flow.
The Arnold Journey 