Focal Passage: Deuteronomy 12:1-11, 29-32
In today’s culture, everything is vying for our attention. We have highlights, clips, pictures, advertisements in our face all the time. Every time we turn on a TV, open our computer, or look at our phone we are giving our attention to something. God is also vying for our attention and he is a jealous God (Exodus 20:4-5).
Our world is striving for our devotion, our minds, and our hearts. But God wants it more. This is why he tells the Israelites to not have any other gods in front of Him. He alone is to be worshiped. In our passage this week, God calls His people to worship Him exclusively, purely, and joyfully — in His way, not ours.
Josh Sinquefield
In verses 1-4 we see the call for pure worship. God’s Word says that true worship begins with tearing down what doesn’t belong. Before Israel can build an altar to God, they have to destroy the altars of false gods.
When my wife and I were remodeling a bathroom in our house we first had to remove the old vanity and tub before a new one could take its place. God is not calling us to simply add Him to our life like we would add anything else. He wants prominence and preeminence in our lives. God’s people are not to blend their worship or borrow from the nations around them. Undivided worship means saying no to idols before saying yes to God. Worship isn’t just what we bring to God, it’s also what we remove for God.
Once the false images and practices are removed and done away with God describes for them the place for true worship (vv. 5-11). This place is the central dwelling for His name. God determines where and how His people meet with Him.
True, undivided worship is not about convenience but about obedience. Again, within the context of our consumeristic society, it is commonplace for people to “shop” for the right church. This passage reminds us that worship isn’t about where we’re most comfortable, but where God’s name is honored and His word is central.
The final section we come to in our focal passage (vv. 29-32) describes the priority of our worship. When Israel enters the land, they will encounter many nations worshipping in enticing ways.
God warns them not to inquire about those practices. True worship must stay grounded in truth, not imitation. If you are trying to make a recipe that you remember, but you decided to substitute all the key ingredients, it’s no longer the same dish. It’s something different. God is warning His people not to substitute the worship of God with anything else. God is warning against worshipping the right God the wrong way.
Back in Exodus 32, Israel tried to worship God using pagan methods and God called it sin. Sincerity never excuses disobedience.
God desires our worship to be full of joy. In fact, God’s design for worship isn’t joyless restriction, but a joyful relationship. Undivided worship means refusing to divide our hearts among competing loves. It’s not about mixing God with comfort, success, or self; it’s about exalting Him alone. When we worship the right God, the right way, for the right reason, we find the right joy. B&R
