Deuteronomy 12:30

_TAKE HEED TO THYSELF THAT THOU BE NOT SNARED BY FOLLOWING THEM, AFTER THAT THEY BE DESTROYED FROM BEFORE THEE; AND THAT THOU INQUIRE NOT AFTER THEIR GODS, SAYING, HOW DID THESE NATIONS SERVE THEIR GODS? EVEN SO WILL I DO LIKEWISE._ Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared ... saying, How did these nations serve their gods? The Israelites, influenced by superstitious fear, too often endeavoured to propitiate the deities of Canaan. Their Egyptian education had early impressed upon their minds the bug-bear notion of a set of local deities, who expected their dues of all who came to inhabit the country which they honoured with their protection and severely resented the neglect of payment in all new comers (Warburton). Taking into consideration the prevalence of this idea among them, we see that against the seductive influences both of Egyptian and of Canaanite idolatry was directed the...

5-32 The command to bring ALL the sacrifices to the door of the tabernacle, was now explained with reference to the promised land. As to moral service, then, as now, men might pray and worship every where, as they did in their synagogues. The place which God would choose, is said to be the place where he would put his name. It was to be his habitation, where, as King of Israel, he would be found by all who reverently sought him. Now, under the gospel, we have no temple or altar that sanctifies the gift but Christ only: and as to the places of worship, the prophets foretold that in every place the spiritual incense should be offered, Malachi 1:11. Our Saviour declared, that those are accepted as true worshippers, who worship God in sincerity and truth, without regard either to this mountain or Jerusalem, John 4:21. And a...

This caution is based upon the notion generally entertained in the ancient pagan world, that each country had its own tutelary deities whom it would be perilous to neglect; compare 1 Kings 20:23; 2 Kings 17:26. Israel was to shun such superstitions as unworthy of the elect people of God....

EXPOSITION ANNOUNCEMENT OF PARTICULAR LAWS. CHAPTERS 12-26. Moses, having in his first address cast a glance at the events which had transpired between Sinai and the plains of Moab, and in his second recapitulated what had happened at Sinai, repeated the Decalogue, and urgently counseled the people to be obedient to the Divine commandment, and steadfast in their adherence to Jehovah as their God and King; proceeds now to set forth certain laws which it specially behooved them to observe. These are for the most part the same as those already recorded in the previous books; but a few are new, and are to be found only here. No special order or plan of exposition is here observed; the speaker uses that freedom of discourse which was fitting in a popular address. One or two historical narratives are interpolated; but the address as a whole is hortatory, and is designed to dir

TAKE HEED TO THYSELF, THAT THOU BE NOT SNARED BY FOLLOWING THEM,.... Their examples and customs, and so be drawn into the same idolatrous practices; see Psalms 106:35, after that they be destroyed from before thee; for their idolatries and other sins: AND THAT THOU INQUIRE NOT AFTER THEIR GODS; what they were, their names, forms, and figures: SAYING, HOW DID THESE NATIONS SERVE THEIR GODS? what was the manner of worship they gave them? what rites, customs, and ceremonies did they use in their adoration of them? EVEN SO WILL I DO LIKEWISE; or however, if this was not determined on when the inquiries were made, there was danger that this would be the result of them, and therefore the caution is given....

8. THE PLACE OF WORSHIP CHAPTER 12 _ 1. The overthrow of false worship (Deuteronomy 12:1)_ 2. The true place of worship (Deuteronomy 12:5) 3. Concerning eating and the blood (Deuteronomy 12:15) 4. Warning against the abominations of idolatry (Deuteronomy 12:29) The law, and love as the fulfilment of that law, was the main subject of the words of Moses up to the close of the eleventh chapter. The Chapter s which follow also contain expositions of the different statutes, as well as exhortations to obedience and warnings against departure from Jehovah. How s

HOW... ? Figure of speech _Erotesis._ App-6....

Transition to the Laws in 13 (and those in Deuteronomy 16:21 to Deuteronomy 17:7) When settled in W. Palestine Israel shall not inquire into the manner of the worship of the local deities, and so be enticed to imitate it in the worship of their own God, for the Canaanites in their worship practise every abomination to Jehovah: they even burn their children to the gods. Here we meet one of the greater difficulties raised by the order of the laws in the code. For unless this short passage be merely one of the many exhortations, which, like a chorus, break in upon both the narratives and the laws of D, it is meant as an introduction to the laws against seducers to idolatry, which follow in ch. 13. Yet, as such, it is abrupt and incomplete;...

_VER._ 30. _ENQUIRE NOT AFTER THEIR GODS,_ &C.— The pretentious of the heathen deities, as Bishop Warburton observes, being mutually acknowledged by their distinct and proper followers; and some, by the fortunate circumstances of these followers, being risen into superior same, the rites used in their worship were eagerly sought for and imitated. It was likewise a general principle, that the _local_ god was to have a necessary share in the worship of all who settled in the country; and those who were loth to leave their paternal gods when they sought new settlements, at least held themselves obliged to worship them with the rites, and according to the usages of the country which they came to inhabit. Against this more qualified principle of paganism, Moses thinks fit to caution the Israelites in this and the subsequent verses. Div. Leg. vol. 4: p. 40....

LESSON TEN DEUTERONOMY 12:29 TO DEUTERONOMY 13:18; DEUTERONOMY 17:2-13 2. ONE GOD: DEATH PENALTIES FOR APOSTASY (Deuteronomy 12:29 to Deuteronomy 13:18; Deuteronomy 17:2-13) 29 When Jehovah 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