be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, "How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise." Sermons
I. BALEFUL SUPERSTITION. The ground of these inquiries about the gods of the place was a lurking belief in their reality. There was a superstitious feeling that the woods, hills, streams, etc., must have their deities, whom it would be well to propitiate and worship. The country as a whole, and special districts of it, had gods, and, Jehovah notwithstanding, the superstitious part of the community stood in dread of them. Superstitions are hard to eradicate. We have examples in the survival of the belief in witches, fairies, charms, omens, lucky and unlucky days, etc., among ourselves. Till a recent period, it was the custom in parts of the Scottish Highlands to sacrifice bulls to local saints. And the practice of burying a live cock for the cure of epilepsy is said to survive till the present hour. Born of ignorance, and acting as a check on all enlightenment and progress, superstition is the parent of innumerable evils, besides debasing and enslaving mind and conscience. Its influence should be combated by every legitimate means. II. PRURIENT CURIOSITY. The superstitious motive did not act alone. This itching desire to hear about the gods of the place, and how the nations served them, was symptomatic of a prurient disposition. There was, unfortunately, too much in the way in which these nations had "served their gods" to excite and interest the passions of the dissolute. It is a dangerous token when those who ought to know better begin to manifest a prurient curiosity about what is evil. It leads to prying into matters which had better remain hidden, to inquiries at persons whose very society is dangerous, to the reading of obscene books, the visiting of bad places, the keeping of immoral company, etc. At the bottom of such inquiries there is invariably a secret sympathy, which is bound, as time advances, to yield fruit in evil practices. III. SERVILE IMITATION. The idolatry of the Israelites was signalized by a strange want of originality. They invented no gods of their own. They were content to be imitators. The nations before them had gods. The nations around them had gods. They wanted to be like the rest, and have gods too - hence their inquiries. A curious illustration of the force of the principle of imitation. It is one of the ruling principles in human nature. Imitation is easier than invention. The tendency invariably is to "follow the crowd." It matters nothing that it is "to do evil." The fashion of the time and place must be observed. There are people who would almost rather die than be out of the fashion. Yet what a weakness is this, and how opposed to all true and right manhood! "Be not conformed to the world" (Romans 12:2). - J.O.
Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following after them. Scientific Illustrations. It is a remarkable fact, and is proved by Dr. Bell (in his History of British Insects), that the poison of the rattlesnake is even secreted after death. Dr. Bell, in his dissections of the rattlesnakes which have been dead many hours, has found that the poison continued to be secreted so fast as to require to be dried up occasionally with sponge or rag. The immoral author, like these rattlesnakes, not only poisons during his lifetime, but after death: because his books possess the subtle power of secreting the venom to a horrible degree. A moral sponge is constantly called into requisition to obliterate his poison for many years after he himself has been dead.(Scientific Illustrations.) (Bp. Ryle.). People Levites, MosesPlaces Beth-baal-peor, Jordan RiverTopics Beware, Care, Careful, Destroyed, Destruction, Enquire, Ensnared, Follow, Gods, Heed, Inquire, Inquiring, Lest, Likewise, Nations, Presence, Saying, Serve, Snared, Thyself, WorshipOutline 1. Monuments of idolatry to be destroyed4. The place of God's service to be kept 15. Blood is forbidden 17. Holy things must be eaten in the holy place 19. The Levite is not to be forsaken 20. Blood is again forbidden 26. and holy things must be eaten in the holy place 29. Idolatry is not to be enquired after Dictionary of Bible Themes Deuteronomy 12:30 6213 participation, in sin Library The Eating of the Peace-Offering'But thou must eat them before the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.'--DEUT. xii. 18. There were three bloody sacrifices, the sin-offering, the burnt- offering, and the peace-offering. In all three expiation was the first idea, but in the second of them the act … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Exposition of the Moral Law. The Promise in 2 Samuel, Chap. vii. The King --Continued. The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire Deuteronomy Links Deuteronomy 12:30 NIVDeuteronomy 12:30 NLT Deuteronomy 12:30 ESV Deuteronomy 12:30 NASB Deuteronomy 12:30 KJV Deuteronomy 12:30 Bible Apps Deuteronomy 12:30 Parallel Deuteronomy 12:30 Biblia Paralela Deuteronomy 12:30 Chinese Bible Deuteronomy 12:30 French Bible Deuteronomy 12:30 German Bible Deuteronomy 12:30 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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