Deuteronomy 13: Warning Against Idolatry
Deuteronomy 14: Pagan Practices Forbidden
Today's reading focuses on paganism, specifically in keeping the Israelites from falling to pagan practices. The Israelites are a holy people, a separate people from the pagans that they are to cast out from the promised land with the help of God. Abstention from pagan practices differentiate the Israelites from the pagans, and prove to YHWH their obedience.
The reading today has a variant of envelope structure.
On Envelope Structure
The important part of the message sits between two smaller pieces of text that differentiate it. If it helps, think of it as a pastrami sandwich from a New York deli - the kind of sandwich with a pound of meat between two thin slices of bread. The meat is what's important - it's a pastrami sandwich, after all. But the bread on either side provides something you can hold on to, giving any sandwich its essential sandwichness.
I hereby dub this structure Pastrami Sandwich Structure. Look for it in a bible near you.
However, today's post is not quite pastrami sandwich. In fact, it is more like a Club Sandwich, with three slices of "bread" that hold the good stuff inside.
In a logical progression, the first invokes the ancestral covenant, the second invokes the children of the current generation, and the third invokes the Israelites as a collective group. Let me show you.
It opens like this:
These are the statutes and ordinances that you must diligently observe in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you to occupy all the days that you live on the earth.Continues like this:
(Deut. 12.1)
Be careful to obey all these words that I command you today, so that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, because you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.And closes like this:
(Deut. 12.28)
You are the children of the Lord your God. You must not lacerate yourselves or shave your forelocks for the dead. For you are a people holy to the Lord you God; it is you the Lord has chosen out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession.Pagan Shrines to Be Destroyed: Deuteronomy 12.1-12
(Deut. 14.1-2)
Israelite worship is to be vastly different than pagan worship, and therefore the Israelites are to completely demolish any place where the pagans would worship their gods. This destruction revolves around a theme of names. The Israelites are to "Break down their altars, smash their pillars, burn their sacred poles with fire, and hew down the idols of their gods, and thus blot out their name from their places" (Deut. 12.3). A name is a symbol of power, so once the names of the pagan gods are blotted out they are powerless. In turn, the Lord's name is to appear as the new power in the area. The place God chooses will be "a dwelling for his name" (Deut. 12.11).
The catch is that the Lord's name and the place of worship is to be in one place only. Prior to this commandment worship of YHWH as well as the pagan gods could take place virtually anywhere. Jacob was particularly proficient in establishing altars to the Lord. Henceforth worship (as well as the sacrifices, tithes, burnt offerings, donations, and gifts of firsts) will be centralized in one place to be designated by God. This commandments logically coincides with the end of the wandering in the desert. It would not make much sense to give this commandment, say, in Exodus, where the Israelites were moving around a great deal.
A Prescribed Place of Worship: Deuteronomy 12.13-28
Again the biblical author cautions the congregation that sacrifices are to be centralized. However, the regulations regarding eating meat are relaxed. [Having settled down, the] Israelites may eat meat any time they want, whether or not they are in a state of ritual purity. The only stipulation is that the blood must be completely drained from the animal; under no circumstance are the Israelites to eat blood. Now the Israelites may eat meat whenever they wish, as long as they follow the correct practice for obtaining and eating it.
Tithes, firstlings, and sacrifices, however, must be presented to the Lord at the place of centralized worship. These are to be eaten in a great company with sons and daughters, male and female slaves, and the Levites of the tribe.
Proper eating procedure ensures the proper relationship between Israel and the Lord. The concern for proper practice is known as orthopraxy, meaning (fittingly) "proper practice." The religion of the Israelites as well as Judaism today is one of adherence to a set of rules - orthopraxy. Orthodoxy, on the other hand, means "proper belief" and is based on doctrinal belief. Though God is very concerned that his people follow him, it is not their doctrinal belief that he seeks - that seems somewhat anachronistic - belief was not as important back then as it is in today's society. Rather, the Israelites express their dedication to God through their actions - proper practice - orthopraxy.
Warning Against Idolatry: Deuteronomy 12.29-13.18
The author, writing Moses' speech, warns against imitating the nations that they are about to drive out. The Israelites are not even to wonder how the pagans' gods were worshiped. But this is apparently for a good reason: pagans have done everything that is abhorrent to the Lord in the name of religion. They have even burned their sons and daughters. [As opposed to the Lord, who only uses this to test allegiance.]
Prophets will appear among the Israelites, but if they advocate following other gods they should not be heeded and in fact should be killed. This is a test from the Lord to see if his people love him indeed.
Pagan gods are not the gods of the ancestors and therefore not the God of Israel. Even family members that advocate following these gods should be stoned to death. If an entire town is found to be following other gods, they shall be blotted out entirely, along with their children and livestock. The spoil shall be set in the public square and burned along with the rest of the city. The town should never be rebuilt. This entire town is unholy, and no one should take anything from it.
Pagan Practices Forbidden: Deuteronomy 14.1-2
See above in the sandwich structure portion for these mere two verses!
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