D12-26: The ONLY THING That Opens The Door To Peace With God

“When Adonai your God expands your territory, as he has promised you, and you say, ‘I want to eat meat,’ simply because you want to eat meat, then you may eat meat, as much as you want.  If the place which Adonai your God chooses to place his name is too far away from you; then you are to slaughter animals from your cattle or sheep, which Adonai has given you; and eat on your own property, as much as you want.Eat it as you would gazelle or deer; the unclean and clean alike may eat it. Just take care not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you are not to eat the life with the meat.  Don’t eat it, but pour it out on the ground like water. Do not eat it, so that things will go well with you and with your children after you, as you do what Adonai sees as right.“-Deuteronomy 12:20-25

Verse 21 gives us an interesting caveat when it comes to the slaughtering and eating of animals for food.

We’re told that the people were allowed to “slaughter animals from your cattle or sheep”IF they lived “too far away” from the central sanctuary.

So naturally, the next question is how in the world do you define the phrase “too far away”?

Although Hebrew scholars have interpreted this command in a variety of different ways, it was generally considered to mean anywhere outside the Temple or Tabernacle Courtyard.

In other words, if you lived anywhere outside the boundaries of the sacred precinct, then this law governing the eating of meat was applicable to you.

The Dead Sea Scrolls folks known as the Essenes of Qumran are the dudes who wrote the Temple Scroll and they defined “too far away” as equaling a 3-day journey by foot.

From their perspective this makes sense because a trip by foot from Qumran to Jerusalem normally took about three days.

Since the Essenes were a rebellious bunch and considered the priesthood to be a corrupt and illegitimate institution, I’m sure they were quite happy to to create this ruling that would exclude themselves from any requirement to have to journey all they way up to the Temple to sacrifice their animals.

Other Rabbis have said this new ruling only applied to the journeys one had to make up to the Tabernacle for the 3 Pilgrimage Feasts.

Hence, those those Jews in the Diaspora (living outside of the Holy Land) were not under obligation to bring their Passover Lambs all the way up to the Temple and have them slaughtered in front of the presence of the Priests.

Next, I want you to catch something really important stated in verse 25.

Notice why it says one should should obey all of these laws and rituals of God:

“that it may go well with you”

In spite of what the Christians have wrongly taught for centuries, the key to a victorious walk with HASHEM is total surrender and obedience to His rules, commands, instructions, and ordinances.

While prayer is part of it, it is NOT the key to achieving shalom with God.

While going to your local congregation and worshipping together with fellow believers is part of it, that also ain’t the key to peace with God.

And neither will putting a lot of money in the offering plate bring peace with God.

You really think you’re gonna bribe God man?

He already owns everything including your very own life.

Nope, according to this very Torah we are studying, there is ONLY ONE KEY that unlocks the door to peace with God.

And that key is obedience to God’s Commands.

That is the only key to shalom with HASHEM.

I’m done.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

“But if a person looks closely
into the perfect Torah,
which gives freedom, and continues,
becoming not a forgetful hearer
but a doer of the work it requires,
then he will be blessed in what he does.”
-James 1:25

“And behold, one came to Him and said,
‘Teacher, what good thing shall I do that
I may obtain eternal life?’
And He said to him,
‘Why are you asking Me
about what is good?
There is only One who is good;
but if you wish to enter into life,
keep the commandments.‘” 
-Matthew 19:16-17