Today we begin Deuteronomy Chapter 17.
For the Complete Jewish Bible, click here.
For the King James version, click here.
Before we dive into the content of Deuteronomy Chapter 17, let me remind you of the backdrop of what’s going on here.
Deuteronomy Chapters 17-21 deals specifically with the guidelines established for the magistrates and officials who have to judge cases the people bring to them on any number of potential violations of God’s Holy Law.
Right off the bat, the very first instruction we’re given is that ONLY unblemished animals are to be offered to the Lord.
What exactly does unblemished mean?
In this context, it refers to an animal free of any defects or deformities such as a missing limb or an eye that doesn’t work etcetera.
The animal you offer to our Father in Heaven should be the best of the bunch and it should hurt a little to give it.
We’re told that to do otherwise is “abhorrent” to the Lord.
That is very strong language.
The instruction is clear.
Offer to give God your best OR…
…don’t give at all.
The Lord knows our hearts and when we try to skimp on giving God our best, it is an attempt at deception.
Also, when you don’t put God first in your life and you show it through your actions, think about the message you’re sending to your own subconscious mind.
Deep down inside, you’re basically telling yourself I don’t really trust God and I don’t really believe He is going to meet all my needs…
…so I’m going to skimp on my offering.
Not to get all New Agey on you guys, but when you think like that, you’re really operating from a place of lack and scarcity instead of from a place of strength, power and abundance.
Think about the story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira in The Book of Acts Chapter 5.
Recall that they sold a piece of property but kept back some of the money for themselves, a decision that was no doubt prompted by fear, lack and a poverty mindset.
When they presented the leftovers of the money (equivalent to a deformed or inferior offering) to the apostles, here is how Peter responded…
“Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”-Deuteronomy 5:3-4
Well, that decision caused them their life.
However, my whole point in presenting this story is to point out that to not put God first and give Him your best demonstrates your lack of trust in Him.
Period.
And by the way, the reason the Lord killed Ananias and his wife Sapphira has NOTHING to do with the fact that they lied and the Lord was exceptionally severe because this was the early days of the church or some other mistaken mumbo jumbo BS interpretation the gentile church comes up with.
The reason they were killed is because of desecration of holy property.
Because once they had declared the proceeds from the property to be God’s, from that instant on ALL OF THE MONEY became the Lord’s Holy Property.
And what do we know happens to the individual who tramples on God’s Holy Property?
Destruction, pure and simple.
But of course, you would have to be really well-versed in Torah principles to catch that.
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