The Joy of Worship: The Mosaic Invitation to the Presence of God (Deut. 12:1–14)

By Daniel I. Block

[Daniel I. Block is the John R. Sampey Professor of Old Testament Interpretation, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky.

This is the second article in a four-part series “Rediscovering the Gospel according to Moses,” delivered by the author as the W. H. Griffith Thomas Lectures at Dallas Theological Seminary, February 3-6, 2004.]

When someone announces a series of studies on worship, people’s ears perk up. This is not surprising, since evangelical churches in America are presently engaged in what many are calling “worship wars.” In the past, churches have fought and divided over doctrinal issues, such as Calvinism versus Arminianism, modes of baptism, speaking in tongues, and head coverings. Today the battle is over worship styles. In fact some are arguing that commitments to certain styles of worship (contemporary versus traditional and informal versus liturgical) are more important than devotional styles. And the tension in many churches over these issues is intense.

A reason many churches split over forms of communal worship may be the relative paucity of direct guidance from the New Testament. Nowhere does the New Testament say Christians should build churches, meet on Sundays, have morning worship services, open with a song and a prayer, have a sermon, close with a benediction. About the only custom it prescribes as a regular occurrence is participation in the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23–34), in remembrance of Christ’s saving work and in anticipation of the great eschatological meal in the presence of God Himself. Remarkably the one worship rite that the New Testament prescribes has been denigrated as optional, while believers squabble over other elements.

This crisis arises from the woeful absence of a biblical theology of worship. If true worship involves reverential acts of submission and homage before the divine Sovereign in response to His gracious revelation of Himself and in accord with His will, then it is important to know what His will is with regard to reverential acts of submission and homage. Deuteronomy 12:1–14 may help in this matter.

This passage represents the first in a long series that extends to 26:19, which scholars generally refer to (though unhelpfully) as the Deuteronomomic Law Code. Chapters 12–26 work with chapters 5–11 to make up the bulk of Moses’ second address delivered to the Israelites on the plains of Moab. Despite the obvious links to the Decalogue and the Book of the Covenant, in tone and style much of Deuteronomy 12–26 bears a closer resemblance to chapters 6–11 than it does to the Sinai documents[1] on which many of Moses’ instructions were based. In fact there is no appreciable shift in style and tone as one moves from chapter 11 to chapter 12 and beyond. While scholars hear in the speeches of Deuteronomy the voices of a prophet or a scribe or even a priest,[2] the concerns and style of the speaker are better understood as those of a pastor who knew that his own tenure as shepherd of God’s sheep was about to end (cf. Num. 27:15–17). Moses was concerned not only with civil and liturgical matters, but especially the future spiritual and physical well-being of the people. He expressed particular passion about the people’s relationship with God, a relationship that on the one hand was to be treasured as an incredible gift, and on the other hand was to be demonstrated in a life of grateful obedience to their divine Redeemer and Lord. Deuteronomy 12:1–14 represents the introduction to Moses’ specific instructions on the life of faith and godliness for his people.

While this covenant relationship has its roots in God’s election and call of Abraham (cf. 4:37; 7:6–8), it was formalized with Abraham's descendants at Sinai (Exod. 19–24; cf. Gen. 17:7). In an incredible and unprecedented moment of self-revelation God had descended on “the mountain of God” (Exod. 3:1; 4:27; 18:5; 24:13), transforming it into a temporary terrestrial divine “palace,” to which the people were invited for an audience with Himself, the Lord of all the earth and Redeemer of His people. Later He charged the Israelites to construct the tabernacle, which would serve, in a sense, as His palace.[3] This structure provided a graciously designed and revealed means for Israel to relate personally with their God, and the rituals performed therein provided a way to maintain their covenant relationship with Yahweh.

The design and decoration of the tabernacle were determined by two considerations. First, like all temples in the ancient world it was designed to reflect the glory and majesty of its divine Resident—hence the gold and silver, the scarlet and purple, and the luxurious goatskin leather. Second, since the Israelites had a long journey ahead of them, the divine palace needed to be portable, easily dismantled and re-erected at the order of its Resident. When Moses preached the sermons found in Deuteronomy, the Israelites’ travels were over, and they were looking forward to a settled life in the Promised Land. In 12:1–14 Moses announced for the first time that the travels of the tabernacle would not go on indefinitely. At the appropriate time Yahweh would identify a particular place where His name would dwell.

The Style and Structure of Deuteronomy 12:1–14

Sandwiched between the opening call for obedience to the statutes and laws (v. 1) and an appeal to obey all the commands of Moses and thus to do what is good and right in the sight of God (v. 28), verses 2–27 divide into two panels, virtually identical in length.[4] The first calls for singularity of sacrificial slaughter (vv. 2–14), and the second authorizes the free distribution of profane slaughter (vv. 15–28). These two parts are held together by the six-fold repetition of the formula by which God called for worship at the shrine He would choose. These six are evenly distributed, three occurring in the first panel (vv. 5, 11, 14) and three in the second (vv. 18, 21, 26).

Commentators tend to refer to verses 2–12 as the “Deuteronomic Altar Law.”[5] However, such a label is misleading. On the one hand the focus of attention is not the altar. Indeed the altar is not even mentioned until verse 27. On the other hand, classifying this passage as “law” obscures its pastoral tone and drowns out a remarkable grace that is hereby declared. Instead this text should be seen as a glorious invitation to worship Yahweh in His presence. It represents a wonderful provision for the perpetuation of the extraordinary event that happened at Mount Sinai, where God had personally invited His people into His presence and invited them to rejoice there.

This passage has three parts: Moses’ invitation to worship (vv. 2–7), Moses’ description of the nature of true worship (vv. 8–12), and Moses’ concluding exhortation (vv. 13–14). The symmetry observed earlier in the division of verses 2–27 into two segments virtually identical in length is evident here as well, inasmuch as the first two subsections (vv. 2–7 and 8–12) consist of 85 and 89 Hebrew words, respectively. The final exhortation is shorter (25 words). The purpose of this article is to explore the substance of this passage by noting the contrasts between true and false worship, in answer to questions related to the chart on the next page.

Who is the object of true worship?

Moses answered the question regarding the object of false worship with the barest of details. He spoke of the gods of the nations whom the Israelites were to dispossess, without identifying the gods by name (v. 2).[6] Of course those gods did not deserve naming, for they were the products of the futile imaginations of depraved human minds. They were nothing but physical objects made of wood and stone, and decorated with silver and gold. As Moses had declared earlier in 4:28, they were the work of human hands, and they do not see, hear, eat, or smell. In 29:17 Moses referred to these lifeless idols as שִׁקּוּצִים and גִּלֻּלִים, a hendiadys for “disgusting excrement pellets.”[7] These expressions declare what God thinks about all expressions of religious devotion that displace Him as the object of worship with humanly inspired or man-made substitutes.

Figure 1. Wrong and Right Worship according to Deuteronomy 12:1–14

Feature	The Nature of False Worship	The Nature of True Worship
Object of Worship	The gods of the nations (vv. 2–3)	Yahweh (v. 1, and ten other times) The God of your ancestors (v. 1) Your God (v. 2, and seven other times)
Subjects of Worship	The nations (v. 2)	Everyone: you, your household, your sons, your daughters, your male servants, your female servants, the Levites in your gates (vv. 7, 12)
Place of Worship	Multiple locations (v. 2) Where the nations served their gods (v. 2 ) On the high mountains (v. 2) On the hills (v. 2) Under every green tree (v. 2) Where the god’s name is put (v. 3) Wherever one chooses (v. 13)	Singular location (vv. 5, 11, 14) Chosen by Yahweh (vv. 5, 11, 14) Where Yahweh’s name is established (vv. 5, 11) Where Yahweh dwells (v. 11)
Focus of Worship	Accoutrements: altars, sacred pillars, asherim, carved images (v. 3)	The personal presence of Yahweh (vv. 7, 12)
Motivation for Worship	(None stated.)	Response to Yahweh’s grace: In giving the land (vv. 1, 10) In blessing the people (v. 7) In giving rest (v. 9) In giving a grant (vv. 9–10, 12) In providing security (v. 10)
Norm for Worship	The practice of the nations (v. 2) What is right in one’s own eyes (v. 8)	Moses’ command (vv. 1, 11, 14)
Activities in Worship	Whatever is right in one’s own eyes (v. 8) (Care and feeding of the gods)	Not like the nations (v. 4) Whatever Moses commanded (v. 14) Come (vv. 5, 9) Bringing your offerings and gifts (vv. 6, 11): whole burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, contributions, votive offerings, freewill offerings, firstborn offerings Eat before Yahweh (v. 7) Rejoice (vv. 7, 12)

By contrast, the Israelites were called to worship Yahweh, “the living God” (5:26), who had not only revealed to His people His eternal name (Exod. 3:15), but who had also personally established Himself as “the God of your ancestors” (Deut. 12:1). This is the God who graciously revealed His will to His people (4:1–8), and who in fulfillment of Genesis 17:7 graciously invited Israel to a covenant relationship with Himself (Deut. 4:9–31). Because He loved the ancestors, He chose their descendants and graciously redeemed Israel from the bondage of Egypt (vv. 32–40), and thus He demonstrated that He is the one and only God—there is no other (vv. 35, 39).

Not only had Yahweh become the personal God of this people;[8] as Moses declared in 14:1–2. He had also adopted them as His sons, set them apart as His holy people, and chosen them to be His royal treasure (סְגֻלָּה). A starker contrast between Israel’s God and the gods of the nations can scarcely be imagined.

Who are the subjects of true worship?

The word “subjects” is used here not in the sense of “about whom is worship?” but in the grammatical sense of “who may worship acceptably?” Deuteronomy 12 speaks of two kinds of worshipers. On the one hand it speaks of “the nations whom you shall dispossess” (v. 2)—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (7:1), seven nations greater and stronger than Israel. These are the nations whose worship was an abomination, with whom the Israelites were to make no covenants and show no favor, with whom they were forbidden to intermarry, “for they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods” (v. 4). These are people whose worship Yahweh abhors.

Whereas the persons whose worship is rejected are lumped together in one generic expression, הַגּוֹיִם, “the nations,” here the persons who are invited to worship are specifically identified. Moses was obviously addressing the heads of the households in verse 7 when he referred to the worshipers as “you.” But he immediately made it clear that acceptable worship is not restricted to adult males, for he added “and your households.” Thus Moses democratized what had been the experience of only a privileged few at Horeb: Moses and Aaron and the elders/nobles (Exod. 24:1, 11). In Deuteronomy 12:12 and 18 he clarified what he meant by “households,” specifying “your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite” in your town.[9] Whereas 16:16 requires only males to participate in the pilgrimage festivals, 12:12 and 18 suggest that in fact the worship of Yahweh was open to all. Throughout his addresses Moses perceived Israel as a community of faith that was to gather regularly for worship in God’s presence: a chosen people in a chosen land gathered at the chosen place for worship of the One who had graciously chosen them.

This is a remarkable statement, declaring the fact that in the presence of God all believers are equal and that all have equal access to Him. When more than a thousand years later Paul wrote that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free person, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28), he was not addressing an Old Testament problem. Instead he was correcting the misogynistic social developments reflected in rabbinic writings[10] and institutionalized in the design of Herod’s temple, with its separate courts of the women and Gentiles, respectively.[11] But this kind of social stratification in the assembly of worshipers is foreign to the Old Testament. Moses envisioned all the members of the community of faith having equal access to God’s presence.

Where is the place of true worship?

The contrasts between acceptable and unacceptable worship continue when one considers the location of the respective patterns. Moses set the stage for his prohibition of the worship of Yahweh, in the sense envisioned here, anywhere except at “the place” (singular) where God would choose to place His name, by using the plural, “all the places where the nations … serve their gods” (v. 2). Moses elaborated on the significance of the plural by adding “on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green [lit., ‘spreading or luxuriant’] tree.” The use of these three expressions reflected the intensity of the threat the Canaanite religious system would be to the Israelites once they crossed the Jordan. But it also reflected the emptiness and vanity of the Canaanite system. People who are frustrated by gods who do not see or hear or smell (cf. 4:28) feel obligated to claim every potential place where a god might be contacted for liturgical purposes. Moses’ emphasis on the plethora of places served as an important foil against which to interpret Yahweh’s claim to a single place in 12:5, 11.

Verse 5 is one of the most important verses in Deuteronomy for understanding the history of Israelite worship: “The place which the Lord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling” represents the first of twenty-one occurrences of “the place formula” in Deuteronomy.[12] The formula occurs in a variety of forms, ranging from the most elemental, “the place which He chooses” (16:16; 31:11), to the most complex, as in 12:5. In setting the stage for all that follows, this declaration makes four fundamental statements about “the place.”

First, it speaks of a place that Yahweh, the God of Israel, would choose. The verb בָחַר, “to choose,” represents the most explicit term for “election” in Deuteronomy. Except for 23:17 (Eng., 16) and 30:19, this verb in Deuteronomy always has Yahweh as the subject. He chose the Levites as priests from all the tribes (18:5; 21:5); He would choose a king from the people of Israel to govern for Him (17:15); and He chose Israel out of all the peoples on earth as the means of fulfilling the patriarchal covenant (4:37; 7:6–7; 10:15; 14:2). The same is true of the “place formula.” In ancient Near Eastern religions the gods selected the place where their devotees were to worship them.[13] Here Yahweh, the God of Israel, announced in advance that He would choose “the place.”

Second, the place was to be chosen “from all your [plural] tribes.” This comment is rendered only slightly more concrete in verse 14, “in one of your [singular] tribes.” Obviously this expression excludes Mount Sinai as the place of God’s permanent dwelling and the destination of future pilgrimages. Moses envisioned some location within the territorial tribal allotments promised in Numbers 34 and fulfilled by Joshua in Joshua 14–19. Although Genesis 49:10 had predicted that the future monarchy would come from the tribe of Judah, neither the preceding material in the Pentateuch nor the Book of Deuteronomy itself provide any hint about which place God had in mind. By not naming the place, Moses kept the focus on the Person rather than the place.[14] However, in due time Judah was recognized not only as the tribe from which the king would come, but also as the tribal territory in which the place in question (Jerusalem/Zion) would be located. The psalmist captured both dimensions in Psalm 78:67–71, which links the election of Judah/Zion as Yahweh’s eternal dwelling place with the election of David as king: “He also rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; but chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.[15] And He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which He has founded forever. He also chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him to shepherd Jacob His people and Israel His inheritance.”[16] Although it would be a mistake to read later highly developed Zion theology into Moses’ vague reference to the place God would choose, there can be no doubt that God, who inspired Moses in this address, ultimately had Jerusalem in mind, even as He had David in mind in Deuteronomy 17:15.

Third, the place would have Yahweh’s name on it. Here and on two other occasions (12:21; 14:24) Moses expressed this notion with the phrase “to put/place his name there.”[17] The expression speaks of divine ownership. Just as a person who bears the name of Yahweh is recognized as belonging to Him,[18] so the place bearing the imprint of His name is recognized as His possession.[19] In this context the expression serves as the equivalent of “the place where I [Yahweh] cause My name to be remembered” (Exod. 20:24), or “the place on which my name is called/read.” This seems to refer to an inscription on the foundation stone of the building. Such inscriptions validated the site as chosen by the one whose name was inscribed. In this case it would declare the place a locale where God could be worshiped and confidently invoked.

Fourth, the place would be a dwelling place for Yahweh. “For His dwelling” (לְשִׁכְנוֹ)[20] is a unique expression. Like other temples in the ancient world the place of worship was to be viewed as the personal residence of Yahweh in the midst of His people.

However, God’s dwelling place would be different from the pagan shrines. Echoing statements made earlier in Deuteronomy 7:2–5, Moses provided helpful clues in 12:3 about the nature of the shrines on the hilltops and under trees. In keeping with idolatry in general, which sought to translate abstract religious ideas into concrete images, Moses emphasized the physical aspects of pagan centers. Altars were viewed as the tables of the gods (cf. Ezek. 39:17–20; 41:22; 44:16; Mal. 1:7, 12), on which the worshipers presented offerings of food and beverage. These altars could consist of hilltop rock outcrops or be built of earth, metal, or wood and plated with precious metal; but usually they were built of stones. In pagan contexts pillars were upright stones, either natural or cut, and often engraved with religious symbols, symbolic of the male deity. “Asherim” refers to objects representing the female principal in these pagan religions. Whereas the King James Version renders the term “Asherim” as “groves,” in the light of Ugaritic and other ancient textual evidence Asherah is now known to have been a prominent goddess in the Canaanite mythology, the wife of the god El and mother of seventy gods. In this instance the object was probably a standing wooden image, carved in the form of a woman with exaggerated sexual features. The word פְּסִילִים is a generic term for images, usually carved from wood and plated with silver or gold.

Moses’ disposition toward these objects is reflected in the verbs he used to describe how they were to be treated. These altars were to be torn down, the sacred pillars smashed, the Asherim burned with fire, and the images of gods chopped down (Deut. 12:3). The violence of these actions served a double purpose: to demonstrate the futility of idolatry (the gods cannot even defend themselves; cf. Judg. 6:31–32) and to expunge the land of any evidence of the pagan practices of the Canaanites. Like the names of the gods themselves (Deut. 12:3), the symbols of their worship were to be totally eradicated.

This emphasis on the concrete symbols of the idols at pagan shrines contrasts with the way Moses portrayed the place where Yahweh is to be worshiped. Moses said nothing of buildings or images or cultic appurtenances. Instead he focused on the presence of Yahweh Himself. If the place Yahweh chose to establish His name is the place where He dwells, then it is natural to describe the location of worship as “before Yahweh,” which Moses did twice (vv. 7, 12). Elsewhere he recognized the special status of the Levites and their role in worship.[21] However, for the kind of worship envisioned here he declared that all members of the community could worship the Lord. Access to Yahweh is not a privilege reserved for the few; it is for all.

What is the motivation for true worship?

Neither in this context nor elsewhere in Deuteronomy did Moses spell out the motivation behind pagan worship. Based on explicit attributions of prosperity to Yahweh (as in 7:12–16), one might surmise that the primary motivation behind the religions of the pagan nations was an insatiable demand for security—security defined in terms of physical prosperity and numerous progeny. Moses did in fact speak of the seductive and deceptive power of idolatry (4:15–19; 11:16; 13:5, 10), and he warned against curiosity about how the nations worshiped their gods (12:30). In 32:37–38 Yahweh Himself gave the clearest hint of the driving force behind idolatry. “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, who ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you, let them be your hiding place!” These statements suggest that while the ultimate aim of pagan religious exercises was security and protection from hostile external forces, this goal was achieved only through the care and feeding of the gods.

By contrast, Deuteronomy 12 provides an exciting series of reasons why future generations should be motivated to worship Yahweh. Whereas Moses had repeatedly grounded Israel’s ethical conduct in God’s past actions of deliverance, covenant, revelation, and providential care (see Deut. 4), here he highlighted the Lord’s future actions on the nation’s behalf as the grounds for worship. First, He would give them the land promised to their ancestors (vv. 1, 10). Second, He would bless the Israelites in all their economic activities (v. 7). Third, He would give them rest (v. 9). Fourth, He would give Israel the land of Canaan as her special grant (v. 9). Fifth, He would provide security for them (v. 10). By reminding the Israelites of these gracious actions Moses illustrated the fundamental character of true worship: reverential human acts of submission and homage before the divine Sovereign, in response to His gracious revelation of Himself and in accord with His will. Worship involves a glorious celebration of privilege and relationship, rather than fright and manipulation.

What are the characteristics of true worship?

Deuteronomy 12 includes hints of both the right and the wrong ways to worship. First, true worship does not take its cues from the world. True worship is designed by the object of worship, not the worshiper. In this context Moses dealt only briefly with the nature of idolatrous worship. On the one hand he talked about the nations “serving” their gods (v. 2). In contexts of idolatry this expression envisages the elaborate rituals involved in the care of the gods, especially feeding and clothing them.[22] However, the semantic range of the word עָבַד, “to serve,” is much broader, denoting any expression or act of servitude before a person whom one recognizes as one’s superior. So to serve other gods is to acknowledge their lordship over oneself, which is a direct affront to Yahweh, who has created all humankind (cf. 4:32).

On the other hand Moses forbade the Israelites from worshiping any way they chose. He characterized the false worship of any fellow Israelite as doing “whatever is right in his own eyes” (v. 8). Earlier Moses had commended the Israelites who stood before him for being more committed to Yahweh than their parents had been (4:4). But in chapter 9 he went to great lengths to demonstrate that far from being given the land of Canaan as a reward for their superior righteousness, the present generation was stiff-necked just like their predecessors (v. 6). In fact they had been rebellious and stiff-necked from the day he first knew them. Moses’ admonition in 10:16 to circumcise their hearts and to stop stiffening their necks apparently addressed a current problem. Later God Himself reinforced this conclusion in 31:16–18 by predicting that after Moses’ death the Israelites would “play the harlot” with the gods of the land, forsake Him, and break His covenant with them. Moses expressed the same fear in 31:27–29.

If worshiping other gods like the nations and doing what is right in one’s own eyes are fundamentally objectionable to God, what does true worship look like? The short answer from the immediate context is that true worship happens when the people follow what Moses commanded (12:1, 11, 14). A longer answer may be found by examining all the other contexts in which the “place formula” occurs in Deuteronomy and asking what types of activity are to transpire there. The following represents a summary of the answers. At the place Yahweh chooses to establish His name His people may do the following.

1. “See the face of Yahweh” (31:11; cf. 16:16).
2. Hear the reading of the Torah (31:11).
3. Learn to fear Yahweh (14:23; 31:9–13).
4. Rejoice before Yahweh (12:18; 14:26; 16:11–12, 14; 26:11).
5. Eat before Yahweh (12:7, 18; 14:23, 26, 29; 15:20; 18:6–8).
6. Present their sacrifices, which would include “the holy things” they owned, votive offerings, and burnt offerings (12:26–27), tithes of grain, new wine, oil, the firstborn of the herds and flocks (14:22–27), and the consecrated firstborn of herds or flocks (15:19–23).
7. Celebrate the three great annual pilgrimage festivals: the Passover (16:1–8), the Festival of Weeks (Pentecost, 16:9–12), and the Festival of Booths (16:13–17; 31:9–13).
8. Settle legal disputes before the Levitical priest or the judge (17:8–13).
9. Observe Levites serving in the name of Yahweh (18:6–8).
10. Present thanksgiving offerings and recall Yahweh’s saving and providential grace (26:1–11).
11. Demonstrate their covenant commitment to Yahweh by gifts of charity to needy people (26:12; cf. 10:12–22).
12. Demonstrate communal solidarity by celebrating with one’s children and servants, the Levites, and aliens (14:27–29; 16:11).

This is a remarkable list of worshipful activities to be performed or experienced in God’s presence at the place He would choose. But Moses’ statement in chapter 12 about the purpose of the place to which Yahweh invited them to worship consists of two parts: verses 5–7, which states some general aspects of worship, and verses 11–12, which gives some clarifying elaboration.

Moses’ instructions for worship in verses 5–7 include five verbs: “you shall make a pilgrimage to the place,” and “you shall come there” (v. 5), “you shall bring your offerings” (v. 6), “you shall eat” (v. 7), and “you shall rejoice in all activities” (v. 7).[23] These five expressions reflect the five dimensions of Moses’ paradigm for worship. Each has a profoundly positive sense and may be construed more as an invitation than as a command, yielding a picture of Old Testament worship that flies in the face of common perceptions.

First, Moses invited the Israelites to make regular pilgrimages to the place where Yahweh would reside. Translated literally, Moses’ first challenge reads, “On the contrary, to the place that Yahweh your God will choose … you may seek/repair and there you may come.” Contrary to most English translations, the Hebrew דָּרַשׁ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם does not mean “to seek the place” (ESV, NIV, NRSV, RSV) or “to seek Yahweh at the place” (NASB, NJB, NLT), as if the place needed to be found. The phrase “to seek to the place” (literal translation) idiomatically means “to make a pilgrimage to the place,” or “to visit the place with spiritual intent.”[24] Moses hereby invited the Israelites regularly to visit the place Yahweh would choose for His “residence.” Contrary to the usual designation of these verses as “the altar law,” in reality they represent a gracious initiative by Yahweh in providing a way whereby He would continue to relate to His people more or less as He had done at Sinai.

This is as much an invitation to continuous and repeated fellowship with Him as it is a command to appear before Him regularly.[25]

Second, Moses invited the Israelites to come to/enter the place where Yahweh resides. The New International Version and many other translations render the verb בּוֹא as “go,” but this obscures the perspective of the statement. Speaking on behalf of Yahweh Moses said, “There you may come/enter.”[26] The verb presents the movement of the Israelites from the perspective of the person at the destination rather than the perspective of the person sending them off on a journey. Israel was invited to come to Yahweh and/or to enter His presence.[27] This is the Old Testament equivalent to Jesus’ invitation, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden” (Matt. 11:28), and “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). True worship occurs in God’s presence by His invitation.

Third, Moses invited the Israelites to bring all their offerings to God at the place where He would establish His name (Deut. 12:6, 11). The meaning of the previous two statements is reinforced by the use of the hiphil of בּוֹא, “to bring,” by which Moses maintained the perspective of the person at the destination rather than the source.[28] His enthusiasm at this point is reflected in his listing of seven types of offerings: whole burnt offerings, animal sacrifices, tithes, specially dedicated donations, votive offerings, freewill offerings, and the firstborn of herds and flocks. Moses’ concern here was not so much to give Israel a comprehensive manual for ritual worship, but rather to provide his people with a theology of worship. So his list is not exhaustive.[29] Like the list of Canaanite tribes in 7:1, this catalog of seven kinds of gifts represents the full range of sacrifices prescribed elsewhere. Moses thus served as Yahweh’s herald inviting the Israelites to bring all their offerings to God at the place He would choose, knowing that He would accept them. The chosen people offering specially chosen gifts in the place chosen by Yahweh—this is the key to maintaining in the land the covenant relationship established at Mount Sinai.

Fourth, Moses invited the Israelites to eat there in the presence of Yahweh their God. According to Exodus 24:10–11, at Sinai the elders of Israel observed the glorious presence of Yahweh as they ate and drank. Now provision was made for this experience to be repeated indefinitely in the future. Moses’ present statement is significant on at least four counts. (1) As elsewhere in ancient Near Eastern and biblical contexts, eating together was a ritual act of fellowship and communion, often the culminating event of a covenant-making ritual (Gen. 31:54; Exod. 24:5–11). (2) Unlike the experience at Sinai, where only Moses, Aaron, and the elders had eaten in the presence of God, here the privilege was for all believers. (3) Unlike the emphasis in pagan contexts, where offerings were presented as food for the gods, here the focus was on the offerings as food for the worshipers. (4) The words “there in the presence of Yahweh your God” reflect the true nature of this relationship. In accord with the image of ancient custom the Israelites’ God would host His vassals at this banquet table, but He would not eat with them.[30] This is an invitation to be guests at a banquet He would prepare whenever they “come to the place He had chosen to reside.” That place provided a way by which the communion Israel experienced with Yahweh at Sinai could be experienced repeatedly in the Promised Land.

Fifth, the Israelites were invited to celebrate God’s blessings on their work. Later Moses instructed worshipers to confess before the Levitical priests their awareness that the crops represent “the good” that Yahweh had granted them and their households (26:10–11). As noted earlier, “your households” (12:7) are further defined in verse 12 to include not only children and servants but also the Levites who lived within their towns, but who were at the mercy of the people’s charity since they had no grant of land in which to produce their own food.

Many Christians think of Israelite worship as boring and repetitive rituals performed by the priests on behalf of worshipers who stood by passively observing the proceedings. But the picture Moses painted here in Deuteronomy differs radically from this image.[31] This is not to say that Deuteronomy includes the full picture of Israelite worship. Deuteronomy is silent on “sin/purification” or “guilt/reparation” offerings, as well as the solemn Day of Atonement. Moses was keenly aware of Israel’s stubbornly sinful side (9:6–24) and their propensity to ingratitude and pride (8:11–20; 9:4–5). However, when he contemplated worship in the Promised Land in his final addresses to the people, he muted the penitential and somber side of worship. Furthermore, whereas the Sinai revelation had highlighted the mediatorial roles of the priests and Levites in the tabernacle ritual and the elders in the covenant ratification ritual, in Deuteronomy worship is presented as the spontaneous response of all members of the Israelite community who personally entered God’s presence. And whereas verbs for joy and celebration occur only once in the Sinai legislation (Lev. 23:40), in Moses’ second address he set the mood of worship in Yahweh’s presence with the verb שָׂמַח, “to rejoice,” which occurs in various forms seven times in connection with appearing before Yahweh.[32]

Apparently Moses seized on the phrase found in the legislation concerning the Festival of Booths in Leviticus 23:40, “and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God,” and made it normative for the regular worship that would transpire before the Lord at the presentation of tithes (Deut. 14:21–27), the Festival of Weeks (16:9–12), the Festival of Booths (16:13–17), the presentation of the first-fruits (26:1–11), and the celebration of entrance into the Promised Land (27:1–8). Obviously this rejoicing was to be a celebration of gratitude for Yahweh’s favor.

Although the privilege of access is extended to all individuals, this worship was not to be individualistic. On the contrary, true worship celebrates the vertical relationship, but it also manifests itself in horizontal charity toward the marginalized and economically vulnerable. The blessings from God that the worshipers celebrate are to be shared in generosity to male and female servants, Levites, aliens, orphans, and widows (12:18; 16:11, 14; 26:11).

Concluding Reflections on Worship

What lessons on worship can be gained from this passage that need to find expression in worship today?

First, the only legitimate object of worship is Yahweh, the Creator of heaven and earth, the God of Israel and Redeemer of humankind, who appeared as the divine incarnate Son, Jesus Christ. All other objects of worship are illegitimate and in fact abominable.

Second, the only persons who may worship God legitimately are the redeemed, those whom God has brought from bondage in the kingdom of darkness and ushered into the realm of His marvelous light. The only prayer unbelievers may voice is prostration before the holy God and pleas for mercy (like the tax collector in Luke 18:33).

Third, true worship involves an audience with the divine King. Accordingly it transpires in God’s place by His invitation on His terms. Ultimately it is not up to the worshipers, least of all the unregenerate or carnal, to determine the forms and standards of behavior in His presence. Entrance into the presence of God is an incredible privilege, to be accepted with humility and awe.

Fourth, in true worship the location is less important than the presence of the divine Host. Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman in John 4:21–24 about worshiping “in spirit and in truth” means that worship must be driven by the regenerating and animating work of the Spirit of God and must have integrity. That is, it is performed in accord with the truth of God and His expectations as He has revealed them. As Stephen suggested, Israel’s spiritual pilgrimage took a wrong turn when they lost sight of the divine Resident and became preoccupied with His earthly residence (Acts 7:47–50). According to Moses the object of worship has always been more important than the place, which explains why Moses spoke of the latter so vaguely.

Fifth, the redeemed anticipate worship with both delight and sobriety. On the one hand those who worship God in spirit and in truth realize the incredible grace that God has lavished on them first in His redemption and second in His invitation to feast in His presence (cf. Ps. 95:1–5). On the other hand those who worship God in spirit and in truth are to acknowledge their unworthiness to come before Him and to recognize that in worship what He says is always more important than what believers have to say to Him (cf. vv. 6–11). Worship is never to be entered into flippantly, casually, or lightly.

Sixth, true public worship is communal, rather than private. Of course there is a place for private basking in the presence of God, but when God’s people gather for corporate worship they gather to bring collective praise or petition to God. And true worship includes marginalized people as well. Those who are genuinely grateful will share their gifts with needy believers and will invite them to walk together into the presence of God. Unfortunately many worship services today have been segregated by race, age, maturity, and musical tastes. But people who are overwhelmed by their own unworthiness on the one hand and the grace of God on the other will be more concerned about worship that pleases Him than about pleasing themselves. If God’s people are united about anything, it should be about the joy and privilege of worshiping Him—together!

May the Lord renew in His church a passion to worship Him in spirit and in truth. May those who have been redeemed answer His invitation to come and celebrate His grace for His glory.

Notes

1. These are the Book of the Covenant (Exod. 20:22–23:33) and the so-called Holiness Code (Lev. 17–26).
2. For a helpful discussion of the prophetic and scribal voices see James W. Watts, Reading Law: The Rhetorical Shaping of the Pentateuch (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1999), 112–21. On the priestly voice see Gerhard von Rad, Deuteronomy, Old Testament Library (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1966), 23–27.
3. The tabernacle is referred to as His “sanctuary” (מִקְדָּשׁ), “residence” (מִשְׁכָּן), or “tent of appointments” (וֹאהֶל מוֹד).
4. Counting אֶת, the sign of the definite direct object, with the following substantive, verses 2–14 consist of 199 words, and verses 15–27 have 200 words.
5. Many see here a late adaptation and revision of the original altar law in the Book of the Covenant (Exod. 20:24–26). See for example Bernard M. Levinson, Deuteronomy and the Hermeneutics of Legal Innovation (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), 23–53.
6. The expression “gods of the nations” appears in Deuteronomy only in 29:18.
7. The word שִׁקּוּצִים derives from a root meaning “to detest, abhor” (cf. 7:26), and גִּלֻּלִים seems to be an artificial construct derived from the verb גָּלַל, “to roll,” but vocalized after the pattern of שִׁקּוּצִים. The adoption of this word as a designation for idols seems to have been prompted by the natural pelletlike shape of sheep feces, or less likely, the cylindrical shape of human excrement. The word “dung” would be an appropriate translation.
8. The expression “Lord [Yahweh] your God” appears eight times in this text, six with the plural pronoun “your” (vv. 4–5, 7a, 10–12), and twice with the singular pronoun “your” (vv. 7b, 9).
9. In 31:10–12 Moses spoke of men and women, children, and aliens.
10. Here is the famous declaration of Rabbi Judah: “Three benedictions a man must bless every day: Blessed [are you, Lord,] who did not make me a gentile. Blessed [are you, Lord,] who did not make me a woman. Blessed [are you, Lord,] who did not make me an uncultured person” (David W. Chapman, “Marriage and Family in Second Temple Judaism,” in Marriage and Family in the Biblical World, ed. K. M. Campbell [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2003], 208). This perspective is also reflected in Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 25:13–26:12. For discussion of and bibliography on this issue see ibid., 206-10.
11. For a diagram see Encyclopaedia Judaica, 15:962. For a schematic presentation of this social world see Frederick J. Murphy, Early Judaism: The Exile to the Time of Jesus (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2002), 45–46.
12. Deuteronomy 12:5, 11, 14, 18, 21, 26; 14:23–25; 15:20; 16:2, 6–7, 11, 15–16; 17:8, 10; 18:6; 26:2; 31:11. All occurrences are found in Moses’ speeches. Variations or echoes of this formula appear in later writings as well (Josh. 9:27; 2 Kings 21:7; 23:27; Ezra 6:12; Neh. 1:9; Jer. 7:12).
13. On the initiative of deities in ancient Near Eastern accounts of temple construction see Victor Hurowitz, “I Have Built You an Exalted House”: Temple Building in the Light of Mesopotamia and Northwest Semitic Writings, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement 115 (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1992), 135–67.
14. Jeremiah applied the formula to Shiloh at an early stage in the nation’s history (Jer. 7:12–14).
15. For citations of extrabiblical texts that speak of deities “loving” their favored city or mountain see Hurowitz, “I Have Built You an Exalted House,” 155–57.
16. For additional explicit references to the election of Jerusalem/Zion “out of all the tribes of Israel” see 1 Kings 8:16; 11:32; 14:21; 2 Kings 21:7; 2 Chronicles 6:5; 12:13; 33:7. For references to the election of Jerusalem without mention of Israel’s tribes see 1 Kings 8:44, 48; 11:13, 36; 2 Kings 23:27.
17. The expression occurs elsewhere in 1 Kings 9:3; 11:36; 14:21; 2 Kings 21:4, 7; 2 Chronicles 6:20; 12:13. The related clause, “for His name to be there,” occurs in 1 Kings 8:16, 29 (= 2 Chron. 6:20) and 2 Kings 23:27.
18. See Deuteronomy 5:11 and Isaiah 44:5. Isaiah called Mount Zion “the place of the name of the Lord of hosts” (18:7). Several verses refer to building a house for the name of Yahweh (2 Sam. 7:13; 1 Kings 3:2; 5:3–5; 8:17–20, 44, 48).
19. Equivalent expressions also occur in Akkadian and Egyptian texts. For the former see EA 287:60–63, “Behold the king has set his name in the land of Jerusalem forever; so he cannot abandon the lands of Jerusalem!” (James B. Pritchard, ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, 2nd ed. [Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1955], 488; cf. EA 288:5 in ibid.). For the latter see Rameses III’s reference to building a temple for Amon “as the vested property of your name” (ibid., 261). For detailed discussion of these matters see Sandra Richter, The Deuteronomistic History and the Name Theology (Berlin: de Gruyter, 2002).
20. The expression seems to presuppose an otherwise unattested noun שֶׁכֶן, “dwelling.”
21. The Levites’ responsibilities and privileges are summarized in Deuteronomy 10:8 (cf. 18:5; 21:7): to carry the ark of the covenant, to stand before Yahweh, to serve Him, and to bless others in His name. But Moses recognized other roles for the Levites as well: to serve as judges (16:9; 19:17; 21:7); to oversee or witness the king’s writing of the Torah for himself (17:18); to oversee the treatment of leprosy (24:8–9); to assist in covenant renewal rituals (27:9); and to serve as custodians of sacred texts (31:9).
22. For a discussion of the “care and feeding” of the gods in Mesopotamia see A. Leo Oppenheim, Ancient Mesopotamia: Portrait of a Dead Civilization, rev. ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1977), 183–98; H. W. F. Saggs, The Greatness That Was Babylon: A Sketch of the Ancient Civilization of the Tigris-Euphrates Valley (London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1962), 351–54; Edward M. Curtis, “Idol, Idolatry,” in Anchor Bible Dictionary, 3:378; and Dominic Rudman, “When Gods Go Hungry,” Bible Review 18 (June 2002): 37-39.
23. These are the author’s translations.
24. Jeffrey H. Tigay, Deuteronomy (New York: Jewish Publication Society, 1996), 120. The sense is captured by the rendering in the Revised English Bible, “Instead you are to resort to the place which the Lord your God will choose.”
25. Exodus refers to Sinai as a place where Israel would “serve” Yahweh (Exod. 3:12; 4:23; 7:16; 8:1, 20; 9:1, 13; 10:3, 7–8, 11, 24, 26; 12:31), offer sacrifices to Him (3:18; 5:3, 8, 17; 8:4, 21–29; 10:25), and celebrate a festival in His honor (5:1; cf. 10:9). Also God said to Israel, “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and broughtyou to Myself” (19:4, italics added).
26. “To go” would have been expressed by הָלַךְ.
27. The opposite of בּוֹא, “to come, enter,” is יָצָא, “to go out” (cf. Deut. 28:6, 19).
28. So also verse 11. Taking or carrying the offering to a place might have been expressed by נָשָׂא, “to carry,” as in verse 26.
29. Many sacrifices are not included in Moses’ words here: peace offerings, thanksgiving offerings, Passover sacrifices, ordination offerings, sin/purification offerings, reparation offerings, elevation offerings, cereal offerings, special gifts, and liquid libations.
30. Moses, Aaron, and Israel’s elders ate with Jethro “before God” (Exod. 18:12). Uriah ate before David (2 Sam. 11:13), Adonijah’s supporters ate before him (1 Kings 1:25), and Jehoiachin ate “before” his overlord, the king of Babylon (2 Kings 25:29; Jer. 52:33). In Ezekiel 44:3 the prince eats “before Yahweh.” This compares with the banquet Joseph prepared for his brothers, as described in Genesis 43:26–34. The brothers sat “before” rather than “with” Joseph (v. 33).
31. On Israelite worship as joyful celebration see Moshe Weinfeld, Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic School (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1992), 210–24; George Braulik, “The Joy of the Feast,” in The Theology of Deuteronomy: Collected Essays of Georg Braulik, trans. Ulrika Lindblad (North Richland Hills, TX: Bibal, 1994), 27–65; idem, “Commemoration of Passion and Feast of Joy,” 67–85; and T. M. Willis, “ ‘Eat and Rejoice before the Lord’: The Optimism of Worship in the Deuteronomic Code,” in Worship and the Hebrew Bible: Essays in Honour of John T. Willis, ed. Rick R. Marrs, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement 284 (Sheffield: JSOT, 1999), 276–94.
32. Deuteronomy 12:7, 12, 18; 14:26; 16:11, 14; 26:11. To this list should be added 27:7, the context of which sets the agenda for the first worship service of the type envisioned in this address in the Promised Land at Mount Ebal. The verb “to rejoice” also occurs in 24:5 and 33:18 in reference to rejoicing in other circumstances.