Deuteronomy Chapter 12
The Worship God Commands
A. The place of worship.
1. (Deuteronomy 12:1–4) The command to destroy Canaanite places of worship.
“These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. You shall not worship the LORD your God with such things.”
a. You shall utterly destroy all the places
Before proper worship of the LORD could be established in the Promised Land, false worship had to be torn down. God commanded that every location associated with idolatry must be destroyed completely. This teaches a foundational truth: true worship does not begin by addition but by subtraction. There must first be a removal of competing loyalties, false gods, and corrupted forms of devotion before one can rightly worship the true and living God.
i. No blending of worship
In the ancient world, it was common to repurpose pagan temples for new religions. If a conquering people took control of a territory, they often took the existing shrines, images, and altars, and simply rededicated them to their own god. God explicitly forbade this. Israel was not to remodel idolatry into Yahweh-worship. They were to obliterate it. God does not accept worship that mingles His glory with the remnants of paganism. The LORD said, “You shall not worship the LORD your God with such things.”
ii. The corruption of divided worship
The danger was not that Israel would stop worshipping Yahweh altogether. The greater danger was syncretism—attempting to worship God while also embracing the world’s idols. Many today fall into the same trap. They do not reject God outright, but they attempt to worship Him while clinging to pleasure, materialism, pride, sensuality, or human tradition. God does not accept mixed worship. He requires exclusive devotion. He says in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another.”
iii. Destroying the idols of the heart
Jesus said in John 4:24, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Many believers could worship God more fully if they would destroy the idols of their heart—ambition, lust, bitterness, greed, self-worship, and the need for human approval. As long as the “high places” of the heart remain, there is no room for full-hearted worship of God. The call is not merely to external obedience, but to internal cleansing.
b. On the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree
The Canaanites often chose elevated places and lush groves for idol worship. These locations reflected the nature of their religion—sensual, nature-centered, and filled with immorality.
Much of their worship involved fertility rituals, temple prostitution, and the deification of nature itself. They worshipped creation instead of the Creator. Paul describes this in Romans 1:25, “who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
God forbade Israel from copying this pattern. His people were not to worship based on emotional settings, feelings, or scenery. Worship was to be defined by His Word, not by human creativity or natural beauty. Holiness is not found in a hill, grove, or building, but in obedience from a sanctified heart.
2. (Deuteronomy 12:5–9) The command to worship at God’s appointed place.
“But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the LORD your God has blessed you. You shall not at all do as we are doing here today — every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes — for as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which the LORD your God is giving you.”
a. And there you shall go
Worship was not left to individual imagination or personal freedom. God appointed a specific place where His people were to gather and worship Him together. This emphasized unity, submission, and order in worship. God rejects a “Lone Ranger” mentality in spiritual life. Worship is not about autonomy; it is about obedience and gathering with the covenant community to honor the Lord as He has prescribed.
b. You shall seek the place
God did not name the place immediately, but He required Israel to seek it. This implies effort, patience, and dependence on God’s guidance. Worship is not meant to be done casually or carelessly. There is a divinely appointed place and pattern for worship. God never calls His people to follow Him in isolation. He calls them into fellowship with Himself and with one another in the place where He puts His name.
c. There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices
The appointed place of worship was first a place of atonement. Offerings were brought, sins were confessed, and hands were placed on the head of the sacrifice to symbolize substitution and guilt transfer. True worship begins with cleansing and repentance. No one can truly worship God while ignoring sin or bypassing the need for atonement.
d. There you shall take... your tithes
God’s house was not only a place of sacrifice but also a place of giving. Tithes, offerings, firstborn animals, and freewill offerings were brought there. Generosity begins at the place God appoints for worship. While giving may also occur elsewhere, it begins where God dwells among His people. This passage does not command an additional tithe beyond the Levitical tithe in Numbers 18; it simply describes where the tithe is to be taken.
e. There you shall eat before the LORD your God
The house of God was not to be a place of dread, but a place of joy. After the offerings were presented, part of the sacrifice would be eaten in fellowship with the LORD. Worship was to include rejoicing before God, gratitude for His blessings, and shared meals with family in His presence. Worship is not only solemn; it is also joyful communion with God and His people.
f. Not at all as we are doing here today — every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes
During the wilderness journey, Israel’s worship practices were scattered and unstructured. Each person did what seemed right to them. God now made it clear that such individualistic worship did not please Him. Real worship is not defined by preference, feeling, or personal taste, but by what honors God and aligns with His Word.
i. Worship must be God-centered, not self-centered
Much of what is called worship today revolves around human experience, emotional stimulation, or entertainment. People ask, “How did it make me feel?” rather than, “Was God glorified?” True worship is measured by whether God is honored, not whether man is moved.
ii. Spurgeon rightly warned against performance-based worship
He wrote, “Singing should be congregational, but it should never be performed for the credit of the congregation. ‘Such remarkable singing! The place is quite renowned for its musical performances!’ This is a poor achievement. Our singing should be such that God hears it with pleasure — singing in which there is not so much art as heart, not so much of musical sound as of spiritual emotion.”
3. (Deuteronomy 12:10–14) The joy of real worship in God’s appointed place
“But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety, then there will be the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the LORD. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you. Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; but in the place which the LORD chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.”
a. There will be the place... the place which the LORD chooses
God promised to establish one chosen place for worship when Israel entered into rest in the Promised Land. Worship was not left to personal preference, convenience, or private location. God expected His people to gather at the place where He placed His name and presence. The idea that a person can abandon God’s appointed gathering and claim, “I can worship God just as well by myself,” is a spirit of independence rather than obedience. Private worship is good, but it never replaces corporate worship with God’s people, at God’s place, in God’s way.
i. This opposes modern thinking
Today, many see church attendance as optional. Among modern adults, a majority believe worship gatherings are only necessary if they “meet personal needs,” and many consider themselves faithful Christians while neglecting the assembly of the saints. Yet Scripture says otherwise. Hebrews 10:25 warns, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some.” God commands corporate worship because He knows isolation leads to spiritual decline.
b. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God
True worship in God’s presence is not cold or mechanical; it is joyful. The tone of biblical worship is reverent yet full of delight. God desires His people to come into His presence with singing, thanksgiving, and joy, acknowledging His goodness and blessing.
i. Spurgeon on joyless worship
Spurgeon lamented churches that sang slowly, coldly, and lifelessly—as if preparing for a funeral, not proclaiming the praise of the living God. Worship should not feel like a burden or chore, but a privilege and celebration before the One who redeemed us.
ii. Worship must be wholehearted
God is not pleased with half-hearted worship. Spurgeon again warned that singing and participation done merely as routine is “easy, but worthless.” The worshipper must stir up his soul to praise—echoing Psalm 103:1, “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!”
c. And you shall rejoice
Rejoicing is not only a response—it is a command. The words “you shall rejoice” show that joy in worship is an act of obedience. If the heart does not naturally overflow with joy, then the believer must choose to rejoice because God has commanded it.
i. Rejoicing is a duty of faith
This command is repeated in the New Testament: “Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16), and “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). Joy is not optional—it is a discipline of the spirit rooted in the character of God, not in circumstances. As Trapp observed, “No duty is more pressed in both Testaments than this of rejoicing in the Lord always.”
B. The practice of worship
1. (Deuteronomy 12:15–28) Things permitted and prohibited in regard to butchering animals, sacrificing animals, and respecting the sanctity of blood.
“However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike. Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water. You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the heave offering of your hand. But you must eat them before the LORD your God in the place which the LORD your God chooses, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all to which you put your hands. Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land…” (verses continue through verse 28)
a. You may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates
In the pagan cultures around Israel, the slaughtering of an animal was almost always connected to a religious sacrifice. Here, God gives liberty: Israelites could butcher animals and eat meat at home without it being considered a sacrifice. This marked a clear distinction between ordinary meals and sacred offerings. Everyday eating was a blessing from God, but not every meal was an act of sacrifice.
This freedom still came with gratitude. They were to eat “according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you,” recognizing God as the provider. Whether clean or unclean (in terms of ritual status), all Israelites were allowed to enjoy such meals, just like they would eat game such as gazelle or deer.
b. You may not eat within your gates the tithe... firstborn... offerings
While common animals could be eaten anywhere, animals or produce that belonged to God—tithes, firstborn, vowed offerings, and freewill offerings—were different. These were holy things. They had to be taken to the place God appointed for worship. This teaches that what is devoted to God must be treated as sacred and must not be reduced to ordinary use.
Even if the worshipper partook of the meal from a peace offering, the animal still had to be killed at God’s altar. Holiness involves order. What belongs to the LORD must be handled in the LORD’s way.
c. Only be sure that you do not eat the blood
This command is repeated with great emphasis: blood was never to be eaten. The reason is given plainly—“for the blood is the life.” Blood symbolized life itself, and life belongs to God. Therefore, the blood was to be poured out on the earth like water, returning it to God rather than consuming it.
The sanctity of blood reaches back to Genesis 9:4 and continues throughout the Law. This principle pointed forward to the sacrificial system and ultimately to the blood of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:22 says, “without shedding of blood there is no remission.” God was teaching them to treat life—and atonement—as sacred.
To eat blood was to disrespect life, to trivialize sin, and to blur the symbol of substitutionary sacrifice. God promised blessing if they obeyed—“that it may go well with you and your children after you.”
d. Do not forsake the Levite
The Levites had no land inheritance, so their provision depended on the faithfulness of Israel’s worship. God reminded His people not to forget them. Worship included care for those dedicated to ministry. Neglecting the Levites was neglecting the LORD’s work.
e. Worship must still be centralized
Even when the nation expanded and the sanctuary was far, Israelites could butcher animals for food at home, but offerings, vows, and sacrifices still had to be brought to God’s chosen place. Ordinary meals could be enjoyed anywhere, but holy things had to be presented before the LORD, at His altar.
2. (Deuteronomy 12:29–32) The worship of God must be pure
“When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”
a. That you do not inquire after their gods
Even after the Canaanites were removed, Israel would be tempted to ask, “How did these nations serve their gods?” This was not an academic question; it was a dangerous curiosity. God warned them not to explore or imitate pagan practices. Sinful curiosity has led many away from truth. What begins as interest can quickly become influence, then imitation, and finally idolatry. God’s people do not need to study darkness in order to walk in light.
b. You shall not worship the LORD your God that way
God rejects worship that imitates paganism. The Canaanites’ worship was filled with sensuality, ritual prostitution, drunken festivals, occult practices, and even child sacrifice. God declares that even if people try to direct such practices toward Him, He will not accept it. Worship must be defined by God, not by culture, tradition, entertainment, or emotion. Jesus said in John 4:24, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Truth rules out superstition, and spirit rules out empty ritual.
c. They burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods
Pagan worship in Canaan was not harmless cultural expression; it was morally depraved and violently wicked. Molech worship demanded the burning of living children on a heated metal idol while drums drowned out their screams. This is the kind of worship God calls abomination.
Israel tragically copied this evil:
Solomon sanctioned Molech worship by building high places for it (1 Kings 11:7).
King Ahaz of Judah burned his own son as an offering (2 Kings 16:3).
The northern tribes practiced it continually, contributing to their Assyrian captivity (2 Kings 17:17).
King Manasseh also sacrificed his son to Molech (2 Kings 21:6).
Molech worship continued until King Josiah destroyed it (2 Kings 23:10).
Even today, cultures that abandon God often descend into valuing convenience over children, self over family, and death over life. The same spirit of Molech still lurks behind modern practices that devalue unborn life.
d. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it
This verse concludes with a direct call to pure obedience. Worship must be governed by God’s Word—not by feelings, creativity, or majority opinion. God says, “You shall not add to it nor take away from it.” This principle is repeated in Revelation 22:18–19. True worship does not subtract from God’s commands, nor add new traditions, rituals, or philosophies that He never gave.
