Why must sacrifices not be offered "in any of the towns" you live? The Command in Deuteronomy 16:5 “You are not to sacrifice the Passover animal in any of the towns that the LORD your God is giving you.” A Single Sanctuary: God’s Design • Deuteronomy 12:5, 13-14 directs Israel to bring offerings “to the place the LORD your God will choose.” • God Himself selected the location—first Shiloh (Joshua 18:1), later Jerusalem (2 Chron 6:6)—to make worship God-centered, not people-centered. • Centralized worship highlights that the LORD, not human preference, determines how He is approached. Guarding Israel Against Idolatry • Canaanite shrines dotted every hill (Deuteronomy 12:2). Local altars could easily borrow pagan symbols and rituals. • By concentrating sacrifices in one God-ordained site, Israel was shielded from syncretism and reminded to “seek first His face” (Psalm 105:4). Protecting the Purity of the Sacrifice • Leviticus 17:3-6 required priests to handle the blood. • Central worship placed every offering under priestly oversight, ensuring: – Correct animals, without blemish (Leviticus 1:3). – Proper handling of blood, which “makes atonement for one’s life” (Leviticus 17:11). – Record of each family’s covenant obedience. Fostering National Unity and Covenant Identity • Three pilgrimage feasts—Passover, Weeks, Tabernacles—drew all tribes together (Deuteronomy 16:16). • Journeying to one sanctuary reminded Israel they were one people under one covenant and one King (Deuteronomy 6:4). • Shared worship forged solidarity that mere proximity in the land could not supply. Teaching Obedience Beyond Convenience • Local altars would have been easier. God asked Israel to value His word above ease. • 1 Samuel 15:22: “To obey is better than sacrifice.” Central worship trained hearts to obey first, then sacrifice. Foreshadowing the Ultimate Sacrifice • John 1:29 presents Jesus as “the Lamb of God.” • Just as Israel traveled to one place, redemption would center on one cross outside Jerusalem (Hebrews 13:12). • Christ fulfills the pattern: one sacrifice, one Mediator, one way to the Father (John 14:6). Living Out the Principle Today • Animal offerings ended at the cross (Hebrews 10:10-14). • Yet the call remains to worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24), guarding purity, unity, and obedience to the Word. • Local churches thrive when Scripture—not convenience—governs doctrine, practice, and fellowship (Acts 2:42). The restriction of sacrifices to the chosen sanctuary protected Israel’s worship, preserved their identity, and pointed forward to the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ—calling every generation to honor God’s appointed way of approach. |
    |