Prior to Deuteronomy 12, we have been focused on the the Laws in the desert, but we are going to the Land Promised to our fathers. These desert LAWS, will they cover everything for when we are in The Land?
What follows is the preparation for being in the land. So far we have been in the desert, traveling with the Mishkon(The Temporary Place where HIS NAME is mentioned.) This came with it its own set of LAWS concerning Sacrifice, Praise and Judgment. But, now Moses must give us the LAWS for being in the LAND. The LAWS of Sacrifice, Praise and Judgment which the LORD will respect and expects from HIS CHILDREN. {These are in Deuteronomy and selected for your viewing. The links present Hebrew as well as English, so that you may go and read the text presented. Please do go read them diligently.}
After the Deuteronomy section you will find the section on THE LORD PLACING HIS NAME. Here is the synopsis for the text.
Laws in the land:
Leviticus 19:23 And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as forbidden; three years shall it be as forbidden unto you; it shall not be eaten.
Leviticus 20 is all about what we are to do in the land because: 22 Ye shall therefore keep all My statutes, and all Mine ordinances, and do them, that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, vomit you not out.
Observation: Leviticus 18 gives us the Sex Laws and what THE LORD says is abhorent, yet no punishments listed. Then in Leviticus 20:”2 Moreover, thou shalt say to the children of Israel: Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones. . . . ”
Also others that are to be put to death.
Leviticus 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye are come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring the sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest. — Note this I the only place in the chapter which refers to the land. It does not require travel to worship the LORD at HIS Seasons and Holy Days.
Leviticus 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.
Numbers 35:10 -Sanctuary cities in the land
From Deuteronomy 12 until the end of the Torah, the instructions are for in the land promised to our fathers.
Please notice in the Writings of Moses, that our destruction always starts with “will not harken”, to the voice of our LORD, will not do what HE has said. We reject OUR GOD! But some, a remnant, will return unto the LORD.
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0512.htm
Deuteronomy 12:“5 But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His name there, even unto His habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come;
6 and thither ye shall bring your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the offering of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill-offerings, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock;
7 and there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.
8 Ye shall not do after all that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes;
9 for ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth thee.
10 But when ye go over the Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God causeth you to inherit, and He giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;
11 then it shall come to pass that the place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there, thither shall ye bring all that I command you: your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD.”
….
“17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thine oil, or the firstlings of thy herd or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill-offerings, nor the offering of thy hand;
18 but thou shalt eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy gates; and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thy hand unto.
19 Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon thy land.
26 Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the LORD shall choose; 27 and thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the LORD thy God; and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out against the altar of the LORD thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh.
28 Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.”
Deuteronomy 12, Is framed with: “1 These are the statutes and the ordinances, which ye shall observe to do in the land which the LORD, the God of thy fathers, hath given thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth. 2 Ye shall surely destroy all the places, wherein the nations that ye are to dispossess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every leafy tree. 3 And ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and burn their Asherim with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods; and ye shall destroy their name out of that place. [4 Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God.]”
And then . . . . we find.
“29 When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest in to dispossess them, and thou dispossessest them, and dwellest in their land; 30 take heed to thyself that thou be not ensnared to follow them, after that they are destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying: ‘How used these nations to serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.’ [31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God; for every abomination to the LORD, which He hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to their gods.]”
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0514.htm
Deuteronomy 14:”23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which He shall choose to cause His name to dwell there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herd and of thy flock; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, because the place is too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set His name there, when the LORD thy God shall bless thee;
25 then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thy hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose.
26 And thou shalt bestow the money for whatsoever thy soul desireth, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul asketh of thee; and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thy household.”
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0515.htm
Deuteronomy 15:”20 Thou shalt eat it before the LORD thy God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy household.”
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0516.htm
Deuteronomy 16:”2 And thou shalt sacrifice the passover-offering unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to cause His name to dwell there.”
“6 but at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to cause His name to dwell in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover-offering at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.”
“11 And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are in the midst of thee, in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there.”
“15 Seven days shalt thou keep a feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose; because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the work of thy hands, and thou shalt be altogether joyful.
16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which He shall choose; on the feast of unleavened bread, and on the feast of weeks, and on the feast of tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty;”
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0517.htm
Deuteronomy 17:10 And thou shalt do according to the tenor of the sentence, which they shall declare unto thee from that place which the LORD shall choose; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they shall teach thee. [Perfect Judgment from the place]
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0518.htm
Deuteronomy 18: 6 And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and come with all the desire of his soul unto the place which the LORD shall choose;
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0526.htm
Deuteronomy 26: 1 And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and dost possess it, and dwell therein; 2 that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in from thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee; and thou shalt put it in a basket and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there.
Side Notes: Deuteronomy 15:4 Howbeit there shall be no needy among you–for the LORD will surely bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it– 5 if only thou diligently hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all this commandment which I command thee this day. 6 For the LORD thy God will bless thee, as He promised thee; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over thee. ====11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land; therefore I command thee, saying: ‘Thou shalt surely open thy hand unto thy poor and needy brother, in thy land.
Did you notice that we are told the when we “hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God” “there shall be no needy among you”, and then “the poor shall never cease out of the land”, which is declaring that we can have “no needy”. . . but, we do not, so we have always needy.
Deuteronomy16: “20 Justice, justice shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
21 Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
22 Neither shalt thou set thee up a pillar, which the LORD thy God hateth.”
So we now have the LAWS in the land, but not where the NAME is, so we go forward to the Kings:
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt09a08.htm
This is the dedication of the House unto the LORD, and the Prayers that King Solomon did pray. I present much of the prayer so that you may see that King Solomon has learned about events that will come:
1 Kings 8:” 15 And he(King Solomon) said: ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth unto David my father, and hath with His hand fulfilled it, saying:
16 Since the day that I brought forth My people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that My name might be there; but I chose David to be over My people Israel. 17 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
18 But the LORD said unto David my father: Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house for My name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart;
19 nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for My name.
20 And the LORD hath established His word that He spoke; for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. . . . .”
“27 But will God in very truth dwell on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house that I have builded!
28 Yet have Thou respect unto the prayer of Thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which Thy servant prayeth before Thee this day; 29 that Thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof Thou hast said: My name shall be there; to hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant shall pray toward this place.
30 And hearken Thou to the supplication of Thy servant, and of Thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place; yea, hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling-place; and when Thou hearest, forgive. . . . .
33 When Thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy, when they do sin against Thee, if they turn again to Thee, and confess Thy name, and pray and make supplicati
on unto Thee in this house;
34 then hear Thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of Thy people Israel, and bring them back unto the land which Thou gavest unto their fathers.
35 When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, when they do sin against Thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess Thy name, and turn from their sin, when Thou dost afflict them;
36 then hear Thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of Thy servants, and of Thy people Israel, when Thou teachest them the good way wherein they should walk; and send rain upon Thy land, which Thou hast given to Thy people for an inheritance
37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be;
38 what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man of all Thy people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house;
39 then hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest–for Thou, even Thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men–”
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt09a09.htm
THE LORD’S RESPONSE to King Solomon’s Prayer.
1 Kings 9:3 And the LORD said unto him: ‘I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before Me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put My name there for ever; and Mine eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually.
So the location is the place where the Temple that King Solomon built for THE LORD.
How should King Solomon know to pray this prayer at the dedication?
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt09a02.htm
So King David tells his son Solomon, from his death bed, to read and do the Written Laws of Moses.
The source of the information:
“1 Kings 2: “1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying:
2 ‘I go the way of all the earth; be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man
3 and keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself; ”
So, when King Solomon follows the Instruction of his father he will find, in reading the Laws of Moses, that the King is to have a copy of the Writings Of Moses, to read them daily as in.
Deuteronomy 17: “18 And it shall be, when he(King) sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is before the priests the Levites.
19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them;
20 that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left; to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel”
King Solomon reads the Writings of Moses as his father David instructed him, Solomon also finds:
Leviticus 26; and Deuteronomy 28 these contain the blessing and the curses.
Then in: Deuteronomy 29:”24 then men shall say: ‘Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them forth out of the land of Egypt;
25 and went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods that they knew not, and that He had not allotted unto them;
26 therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curse that is written in this book;
27 and the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day’.”–
Deuteronomy 31:”16 And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Behold, thou art about to sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go astray after the foreign gods of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake Me, and break My covenant which I have made with them.
17 Then My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall come upon them; so that they will say in that day: Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?
18 And I will surely hide My face in that day for all the evil which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.”
Deuteronomy 32:”18 Of the Rock that begot thee thou wast unmindful, and didst forget God that bore thee.
19 And the LORD saw, and spurned, because of the provoking of His sons and His daughters.
20 And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faithfulness.
21 They have roused Me to jealousy with a no-god; they have provoked Me with their vanities; and I will rouse them to jealousy with a no-people; I will provoke them with a vile nation.
22 For a fire is kindled in My nostril, and burneth unto the depths of the nether-world, and devoureth the earth with her produce, and setteth ablaze the foundations of the mountains. . . .”
These things are not for the time of King Solomon’s reign, but for times to come.
Much later, the main things have not changed, We will not hearken to HIS Voice, so we are told by: Jeremiah 11:”11 Therefore thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto Me, I will not hearken unto them.”
So what I believe to be the most important thing that King Solomon did for Israel, comes in the form of his dedication prayer. Which was heard by THE ALMIGHTY and the response was: “ ‘I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before Me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put My name there for ever; and Mine eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually”
It has importance, to those that will want the ALMIGHT, LIVING GOD OF ISRAEL to hearken unto their prayers. So where is this place? That building(House Of The Name) is gone, now what? It is the location that has THE NAME OF GOD, not the building. Every word the LORD says is Truth so if the LORD knows that HE WILL Destroy the building, then it is not the build that is important.{ My name there for ever; and Mine eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually.} This is a promise of For Ever.
If you did not understand the location in this writing, or if you would like further information I offer you –The Wall at http://ask-james.com/wordpress1/?p=470
Shalom Shalom,
Yaakov