Page 312 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

TN_03_MacArthur_Bible_March.qxd 8/8/03 14:44 Page 293

MARCH 26
These were elements of Canaanite worship,which included human sacrifice (v.31).If they remained,
the people might mix the worship of God with those places (v. 4).
In contrast to false worship centers, the Israelites are told “you shall seek the place where the
LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place” (v. 5).Various
places of worship were chosen after the people settled in Canaan, such as Mt. Ebal (27:1–8; Josh.
8:30–35),Shechem (Josh.24:1–28),and Shiloh (Josh.18:1),which was the center of worship through
the period of Judges (Judg.21:19).The tabernacle,the Lord’s dwelling place,was located in Canaan,
where the Lord chose to dwell.The central importance of the tabernacle was in direct contrast to
the multiple places (see v. 2) where the Canaanites practiced their worship of idols. Eventually, the
tabernacle was brought to Jerusalem by David (2 Sam. 6:12–19).

commandments and obey His voice; you shall
MARCH 26 serve Him and hold fast to Him. But that
5
prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be
put to death, because he has spoken in order
to turn you away from the LORD your God, who
Deuteronomy 13:1–14:29
brought you out of the land of Egypt and
“If there arises among you a prophet or a redeemed you from the house of bondage, to
13 dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a entice you from the way in which the LORD
sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder your God commanded you to walk. So you
2
comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, say- shall put away the evil from your midst.
ing, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you 6 “If your brother, the son of your mother,
3
have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you your son or your daughter, the wife of your
bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul,
secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and
serve other gods,’ which you have not known,
neither you nor your fathers, of the gods of
7
13:2 the sign or the wonder comes to pass.
Miraculous signs alone were never meant to the people which are all around you, near to
be a test of truth (see Pharaoh’s magicians in you or far off from you, from one end of the
8
Ex. 7–10). A prophet or a dreamer’s prediction earth to the other end of the earth, you shall
might come true; but if his message contra- not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall
dicted God’s commands, the people were to your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or
9
trust God and His word rather than such expe- conceal him; but you shall surely kill him;
rience.Let us go after other gods. The explic- your hand shall be first against him to put him
it temptation was to renounce allegiance to to death, and afterward the hand of all the
10
the Lord and go after other gods.The result of people. And you shall stone him with stones
this apostasy would be the serving of these until he dies, because he sought to entice you
false gods by worshiping them, which would away from the LORD your God, who brought
be in direct contradiction to the first com- you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of
mandment (5:7). bondage. So all Israel shall hear and fear, and
11
not again do such wickedness as this among
13:5 put away the evil from your midst. The you.
object of the severe penalty was not only the 12 “If you hear someone in one of your cities,
punishment of the evildoer, but also the which the LORD your God gives you to dwell
preservation of the community. Paul must in, saying, ‘Corrupt men have gone out from
13
have had this text in mind when he gave a sim- among you and enticed the inhabitants of their
ilar command to the Corinthian church (1 Cor.
5:13; also Deut.17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21; 24:7). city, saying, “Let us go and serve other
gods” ’—which you have not known— then
14
you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligent-
ly. And if it is indeed true and certain that
shall not listen to the words of that prophet or such an abomination was committed among
that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your you, you shall surely strike the inhabitants of
15
God is testing you to know whether you love that city with the edge of the sword, utterly
the LORD your God with all your heart and destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock—
with all your soul. You shall walk after the with the edge of the sword. And you shall
4
16
LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His gather all its plunder into the middle of the
293