The True Ground of Blessing: Deuteronomy 11:22-12:11

Deuteronomy 11:22‑12:11  •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 9
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Deuteronomy 11:22-12:11
God then told the children of Israel the full extent of the land He was about to give them — all was to be theirs — and yet, in reality, only that upon which the soles of their feet would tread could they say they really possessed. And so with us; we are “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3), but we only possess, in reality, the truth in which we walk. This is important for us to remember, for although we are truly “rich” in Christ, we can walk through the world enjoying very little of our portion, to our own shame and loss. The children of Israel never really possessed all the territory God gave them — indeed they lost it altogether when God allowed them to be carried away captive for their disobedience. Nevertheless, God told them they need not fear their enemies, for He would make their enemies afraid of them, if they walked in His ways.
The Ground of Blessing
Once again we are reminded that the children of Israel were under law, and blessing was made conditional upon their obedience, with a curse for disobedience. Little wonder that they finally lost the land altogether, for if blessing is upon the ground of man’s faithfulness, all is hopeless. How good to turn to the Lord Jesus, and see His finished work on Calvary as the true ground of blessing. Through this Israel will possess the land again in a future day, and through it we also shall have our place in eternal glory. Salvation is all of grace.
The children of Israel were told that the first thing they were to do when they entered their land was to destroy all the altars and groves, and every trace of the idolatrous worship of the heathen. There was to be no mixture of things in their worship; it must be carried out as God had appointed, and not copied from the heathen. One feels this has a voice for us, for, what a mixture of things we see today in Christendom! We see pictures and images (under Christian names, of course) used quite commonly. Inquiry would show that these things, along with some so-called Christian feasts, had their origin in heathendom. If these things were forbidden to the children of Israel, undoubtedly they are not pleasing to the Lord today (Colossians 2:20).
The Place of God’s Choosing
We now find something very important and remarkable brought before the people. They were told that when they entered the land, the Lord would choose a place from among their tribes where they were to offer their sacrifices. No other place would do but the one God chose. They were not at liberty to choose a place themselves, or to build a center as they thought best—such a place could not be called the place the Lord had chosen. They must acknowledge God’s center and there only were they to offer their sacrifices to Him.
We believe that God has a center for His people today too. It is not a geographical one—not some particular city, as in Israel—but His Word tells us about it. The Lord Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them,” (Matthew 18:20). Any other way of gathering would be unscriptural, for God by His Spirit gathers His own to Christ-this is His center,
Further Meditations
1. What was the first thing the children of Israel were told to do when they entered the land?
2. Why weren’t the children of Israel permitted to worship wherever it was convenient to them?
3. How Should Christians Meet According to the Bible? by J. R. Gill and T. A. Roach provides an excellent and simple introduction to the question of where a Christian should meet with others.