ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Sapate ‘Aokosi 8, 2021 

the place that the Lord your God will choose

ko e potu ‘e fili ‘e Sihova ko homou ‘Otua ke ‘afio ai hono huafa 

Teutalōnome 12 (Deuteronomy 12)

(v. 10-11) Ka ‘oka mou ka a‘a atu ‘i Soatani, ‘o mou nofo ‘i he fonua ‘oku fakatofi‘a ‘aki kimoutolu ‘e Sihova ko homou ‘Otua, pea kuo ne fakamālōlō kimoutolu mei homou ngaahi fili takatakai, pea ‘oku mou nofo nonga; pea ko e potu ‘e fili ‘e Sihova ko homou ‘Otua ke ‘afio ai hono huafa, te mou ‘omi ki ai ‘a e ngaahi me‘a kehekehe ‘oku ou tu‘utu‘uni atu; ‘a ho‘omou ngaahi feilaulau-mōifua, mo ho‘omou ngaahi tāmate manu, mo ho‘omou tukuhau, mo e me‘a kuo hapai ‘e homou nima, mo ho‘omou fungani tukumo‘ui, ‘a ia kuo mou fakapapau kia Sihova:

(v. 10-11) But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety, then to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord.

 

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

Having thus repeated the great words of the Law and called the people to obedience, Moses now proceeded to deal with the statutes and judgments, and, first, the statutes.

In dealing with these he commenced with the true place of worship. He solemnly charged them what their attitude toward false places of worship must be when they entered the land. They were to be utterly destroyed without pity and without sparing.

Moses then put into striking contrast their attitude toward the true place of worship, commencing with the words, "Ye shall not do so unto Jehovah your God." To the place of His appointment they were earnestly to seek.

Then he proceeded to emphasize this more particularly. The attendance of the people at the center of worship to be appointed in the land was obligatory. During the wilderness period there had evidently been some laxity in this matter; for he said, "Ye shall not do after all the things which ye do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes." This evidently referred to matters of worship and they were thus solemnly charged that in the land there must be regular attendance at the place of the divine appointment.

No worship in the home was to be taken as a substitute for public worship. Nevertheless, certain provisions were made for those who might live at a distance.

 

David Guzik :: Study Guide for Deuteronomy 12

There will be the place … the place which the LORD chooses: A particular place is important to worship. The man who tells himself, "I can worship God just as well out on the golf course" is a man doing whatever is right in his own eyes. It is fine for him to worship God out on the golf course; but there must also be a specific place where he comes to worship with God's people.

This goes against the trend of our times. Studies find that among baby-boomers, 70% say that you should attend worship services not out of a sense of duty, but only if it "meets your needs." 80% say you can be a good Christian without attending church.

And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God: Worship at God's appointed place must be marked with joy. It is a good thing to come and honor our God, and should be done with pleasure and joy.

"All Christian duties should be done joyfully; but especially the work of praising the Lord. I have been in congregations where the tune was dolorous to the very last degree; where the time was so dreadfully slow that one wondered whether they would ever be able to sing through the 119 Psalm; whether, to use Watt's expression, eternity would not be too short from them to get through it; and altogether, the spirit of the people has seemed to be so damp, so heavy, so dead, that we might have supposed that they were met to prepare their minds for a hanging rather than for blessing the ever-gracious God." (Charles Spurgeon, Praise Thy God, O Zion)

"We ought not to worship God in a half-hearted sort of way; as if it were now our duty to bless God, but we felt it to be a weary business, and we would get it through as quickly as we could, and have done with it; and the sooner the better. No, no; 'All that is within me, bless his holy name.' Come, my heart, wake up, and summon all the powers which wait upon thee! Mechanical worship is easy, but worthless. Come rouse yourself, my brother! Rouse thyself, O my own soul!" (Spurgeon)

The emphasis on shall shows that rejoicing is commanded. It is also commanded in the New Testament; Rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16); Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4). If you can't rejoice out of feeling like it, then rejoice out of being commanded.

"No one duty is more pressed in both the Testaments, than this of rejoicing in the Lord always, but specially in his immediate services." (Trapp)