We are now ready to begin the third major section of the book of Deuteronomy. Chapters 12-16 cover the Specific Stipulations of the Covenant. Moses will be explaining the specifics of the law and how to implement it in daily life. Chapter 12 gives us instructions for worship.

I keep emphasizing that we see a distinction between Israel and the church; the church is not the same as Israel. In some respects, God’s expectations for Israel are different from God’s expectations for us today. Still, we find some timeless principles and parallels here that still pertain to us today.

.1  — “be careful to observe in the land…”  Moses is about to start a long discussion of how to apply the Law when they settle down in the PL. Since they left Egypt, the whole nation has been together in one group. But when they get into the PL, they’ll spread out and occupy the whole land. So things are going to change; they have to be ready for that.

The first issue that Moses addresses is worship. Worship is important. Israel must worship the Lord properly in the PL. Success in the conquest depends on proper, pure worship.

You may be aware that in our own day, there is much controversy over Christian worship. For the past 50 years or so, the church as a whole has engaged in “worship wars.” There has been a heated debate about how to worship God and what style of worship is suitable.

God cares about how we approach him in worship. Jesus said that we should be worshiping God “in spirit and in truth.” There are improper ways of worshiping God and proper ways of worshiping God. This passage reveals several things about how to worship God properly.

Moses is making two main points in this passage: 1) Don’t worship like the pagans; 2) worship according to God’s commands.

The main point is that Israel must worship the Lord exclusively and obediently. Israel’s worship must be distinct from their pagan neighbors. That is still true today. We must worship God properly and avoid improper worship. Our worship must be exclusive, distinct, proper, and obedient.

What are the two main points that Moses makes about worship?