What does "eat it each year" teach about consistent worship practices? Setting the Scene Deuteronomy 15:20: “Year after year, you and your household are to eat it before the LORD your God in the place the LORD will choose.” The Lord is speaking about the firstborn animals that belong to Him. Rather than keeping the sacrifice at home, the family travels to the chosen place of worship and shares a sacred meal in God’s presence. The Command: “Eat it each year” • Annual rhythm—no skipping a year, no changing the plan. • Family participation—“you and your household.” • God-chosen location—worship centralized around His presence, not personal preference. • Sacrifice becomes fellowship—a portion is offered to God, then enjoyed by the worshiper. Lessons on Consistency in Worship • Regularity shapes the heart – Repetition trains us to “learn to fear the LORD” (Deuteronomy 14:23). – Hebrews 10:25 urges believers not to neglect meeting together; consistent gathering is God’s idea from the start. • Worship is a family discipline – Children watch their parents bring the sacrifice, travel, and rejoice. – Joshua 24:15: “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” The annual meal models that resolve. • God sets the agenda and place – Deuteronomy 12:11 emphasizes worship at “the place the LORD your God will choose.” – Our role is obedience, not convenience. • Celebration remembers redemption – The firstborn offering recalls Israel’s rescue from Egypt (Exodus 13:2). – Consistent observance keeps salvation history alive in every generation. • Stewardship and dependence – Offering the firstborn or the tithe first (Deuteronomy 14:22-23) trains trust. – Proverbs 3:9-10 connects honoring God with firstfruits to experiencing His provision. New-Testament Echoes • Jesus’ family kept the yearly Passover (Luke 2:41). • The early church gathered “on the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7). • Communion: “Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Regular remembrance is normative. Practical Takeaways Today • Set fixed rhythms—weekly Lord’s-day worship, regular communion, consistent giving. • Involve the household—bring children into every corporate gathering you can. • Honor God’s chosen gathering—prioritize the local church over personal convenience. • Celebrate salvation—let every repetition point back to the cross and the empty tomb. • Trust God with the “firsts”—time, income, energy—confident He supplies all needs (Philippians 4:19). |
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