What does "doing as we see fit" reveal about human nature in Deuteronomy 12:8? Setting the Scene Deuteronomy 12 places Israel on the threshold of the Promised Land. Moses is giving final instructions about worship in the land the LORD is giving them. The Key Phrase in Context Deuteronomy 12:8 — “You are not to do as we are doing here today, where everyone does whatever seems right in his own eyes.” What “doing as we see fit” reveals about human nature • We crave autonomy. The impulse to be our own authority mirrors the first sin in Genesis 3:6. • Our moral compass is easily bent. Proverbs 14:12; 21:2 show that what feels right can end in death. • We resist God-given structure. Israel had the tabernacle yet defaulted to convenience; so do we. • Our hearts deceive us. Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us the heart is “more deceitful than all else.” • We forget covenant faithfulness quickly. Comfort in the wilderness led to spiritual lethargy. Corroborating Passages • Judges 17:6; 21:25 – “everyone did what was right in his own eyes,” and chaos followed. • Proverbs 12:15 – “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes.” • Romans 1:21-22 – self-defined wisdom leads to futile thinking and darkened hearts. The Danger of Self-Directed Worship • Fragmented devotion: multiple shrines weakened national unity and diluted truth. • Moral relativism: without a shared standard, sin masquerades as personal freedom. • Loss of blessing: straying from God’s pattern invites judgment (Deuteronomy 28:15). God’s Cure for the Problem • A chosen place of worship (Deuteronomy 12:11) anchors hearts to God’s revealed order. • A chosen King—ultimately Christ—who lived in perfect obedience (Philippians 2:8). • A chosen Spirit who writes God’s law on hearts (Hebrews 10:16), directing us away from self-rule. Living the Lesson Today • Measure every impulse against Scripture, not feelings. • Embrace congregational life; God still gathers His people around a central focus—Christ and His Word. • Cultivate humble dependence: daily acknowledge the LORD’s right to define good and evil. |
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