Deuteronomy 12:3
Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.
Tear down their altars
The Hebrew word for "altars" is "mizbeach," which refers to a place of sacrifice. In the ancient Near East, altars were central to worship practices, often dedicated to various deities. The command to "tear down" signifies a complete and utter destruction, emphasizing the need for the Israelites to remove any temptation to idolatry. This action symbolizes a rejection of false worship and a commitment to the worship of Yahweh alone.

Smash their sacred stones
The term "sacred stones" translates from the Hebrew "matzevot," which were standing stones or pillars used in pagan worship. These stones often represented deities or were used as memorials for covenants with false gods. The directive to "smash" them indicates a forceful repudiation of these symbols, underscoring the importance of eradicating all forms of idolatry from the land.

Burn up their Asherah poles
Asherah poles, or "Asherim" in Hebrew, were wooden symbols associated with the goddess Asherah, a prominent figure in Canaanite religion. The act of burning these poles is significant, as fire is often used in the Bible as a purifying agent. This destruction by fire represents the cleansing of the land from pagan influences and the restoration of holiness.

Cut down the idols of their gods
The Hebrew word for "idols" is "pesilim," which refers to carved images or statues representing deities. Cutting down these idols is a metaphor for dismantling the power and influence of false gods. This action is a declaration of the supremacy of the God of Israel over all other gods, reinforcing the first commandment to have no other gods before Yahweh.

Wipe out their names from those places
In ancient cultures, a name held significant power and identity. To "wipe out" the names of these gods is to erase their memory and influence from the land. This command highlights the importance of dedicating the land solely to the worship of Yahweh, ensuring that no remnant of idolatry remains to lead the people astray.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The author of Deuteronomy, delivering God's laws and instructions to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.

2. Canaan
The land that the Israelites are about to enter, which is inhabited by various nations with pagan religious practices.

3. Asherah Poles
Sacred trees or poles set up near Canaanite altars, associated with the worship of the goddess Asherah.

4. Idols
Physical representations of false gods worshiped by the Canaanites, which the Israelites are commanded to destroy.

5. Israelites
The chosen people of God, tasked with purging the land of idolatry to establish a place of worship dedicated solely to Yahweh.
Teaching Points
Purity in Worship
God demands exclusive worship and the removal of anything that competes for His glory. Believers today must examine their lives for modern "idols" that may detract from their devotion to God.

Obedience to God's Commands
The Israelites were called to radical obedience in destroying idols. Christians are similarly called to obey God's Word, even when it requires difficult choices.

Spiritual Warfare
The destruction of idols represents a spiritual battle against forces that oppose God. Believers are engaged in spiritual warfare, requiring vigilance and reliance on God's strength.

Cultural Influence
Just as the Israelites were to resist the influence of Canaanite culture, Christians must be cautious of cultural influences that lead away from biblical truth.

Legacy of Faithfulness
By eradicating idolatry, the Israelites were to establish a legacy of faithfulness for future generations. Christians are called to leave a legacy of faith and obedience for those who follow.
Bible Study Questions
1. What modern "idols" might compete for our devotion to God, and how can we actively remove them from our lives?

2. How does the command to destroy idols in Deuteronomy 12:3 relate to the New Testament teaching on spiritual warfare?

3. In what ways can we ensure that our worship remains pure and focused solely on God in today's culture?

4. How can the example of Gideon in Judges 6 inspire us to take bold steps in obedience to God?

5. What practical steps can we take to leave a legacy of faithfulness and obedience for future generations?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 34:13
This verse also commands the Israelites to break down altars and cut down Asherah poles, emphasizing the need to eliminate idolatry.

Judges 6:25-26
Gideon is instructed to tear down his father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it, illustrating obedience to God's command.

1 Kings 18:30-40
Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel demonstrates the power of God over idols and false gods.

2 Corinthians 6:16-17
Paul speaks about believers being the temple of the living God and calls for separation from idolatry, echoing the call to purity in worship.
The Invasion a Religious OneR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 12:1-3
The Doom of IdolatryD. Davies Deuteronomy 12:1-4
Destruction of Monuments of IdolatryJ. Orr Deuteronomy 12:1-5
People
Levites, Moses
Places
Beth-baal-peor, Jordan River
Topics
Altars, Asherah, Asherahs, Asherim, Ashe'rim, Break, Broken, Burn, Burned, Cut, Dash, Destroy, Destroyed, Engraved, Fire, Gods, Graven, Groves, Hew, Holy, Idols, Images, Names, Obliterate, Overthrow, Pieces, Pillars, Places, Poles, Sacred, Shatter, Shivered, Shrines, Smash, Standing, Statues, Stones, Tear, Trees, Wipe
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 12:3

     4366   stones

Deuteronomy 12:1-7

     5378   law, OT

Deuteronomy 12:2-3

     4906   abolition
     7471   temples, heathen

Deuteronomy 12:2-4

     8799   polytheism

Deuteronomy 12:2-6

     7435   sacrifice, in OT

Deuteronomy 12:2-7

     7442   shrine

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.
1. The Law was committed to writing, in order that it might teach more fully and perfectly that knowledge, both of God and of ourselves, which the law of nature teaches meagrely and obscurely. Proof of this, from an enumeration of the principal parts of the Moral Law; and also from the dictate of natural law, written on the hearts of all, and, in a manner, effaced by sin. 2. Certain general maxims. 1. From the knowledge of God, furnished by the Law, we learn that God is our Father and Ruler. Righteousness
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Promise in 2 Samuel, Chap. vii.
The Messianic prophecy, as we have seen, began at a time long anterior to that of David. Even in Genesis, we perceived [Pg 131] it, increasing more and more in distinctness. There is at first only the general promise that the seed of the woman should obtain the victory over the kingdom of the evil one;--then, that the salvation should come through the descendants of Shem;--then, from among them Abraham is marked out,--of his sons, Isaac,--from among his sons, Jacob,--and from among the twelve sons
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The King --Continued.
The second event recorded as important in the bright early years is the great promise of the perpetuity of the kingdom in David's house. As soon as the king was firmly established and free from war, he remembered the ancient word which said, "When He giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety, then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there" (Deut. xii. 10, 11). His own ease rebukes him; he regards his tranquillity
Alexander Maclaren—The Life of David

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
THE FALL OF NINEVEH AND THE RISE OF THE CHALDAEAN AND MEDIAN EMPIRES--THE XXVIth EGYPTIAN DYNASTY: CYAXARES, ALYATTES, AND NEBUCHADREZZAR. The legendary history of the kings of Media and the first contact of the Medes with the Assyrians: the alleged Iranian migrations of the Avesta--Media-proper, its fauna and flora; Phraortes and the beginning of the Median empire--Persia proper and the Persians; conquest of Persia by the Medes--The last monuments of Assur-bani-pal: the library of Kouyunjik--Phraortes
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf.
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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