Title: Exclude Human Forms (Deuteronomy 27:1-10)
Contents
Title Exclude the human form / Scripture Deuteronomy 27:1-10 / Space Daebok Church
*** Introduction
The main content of Deuteronomy is the sermon of Moses. This period is the time before the end of the 40 years of the wilderness and entering the promised Canaan of God. God is re-educating the Israelites who are going to enter Canaan, looking back on the past through Moses, and re-educating them on the things to be observed in the land they will enter in the future. It is a spiritual armament. In this overall framework, the text of this time tells the Israelites what God must do first when they enter Canaan, the promised land of Canaan.
To Israel, who was facing the Promised Land of Canaan, God said, 'When you enter Canaan, first set up a large stone on Mount Ebal, and put lime on it, and write the law on it. Then he said, ‘Build an altar of unfinished stones, and offer burnt offerings and peace offerings to God, and rejoice before God.’
Here, it is said that the altar should be built with stones that have not been ironed, that is, stones that have not been polished, which means to exclude human forms. As today, at a time when everything has been corrupted by human intervention, these words are meaningful to ponder.
In the Roman Catholic Church, there is a ceremony called “footwashing”. This is a ritual that recreates the washing of the feet of the twelve disciples by Jesus. This is a ceremony to wash the feet of twelve poor old men once a year in the sense that the Pope is Jesus' agent. At this time, the Pope takes off his robe, puts on only his underwear, sprinkles a few drops of water on each person's outstretched right foot, wipes it with a towel, and kisses it.
However, this has become a purely formal ceremony. The truth of God has been altered and made conscious to satisfy human needs. Martin Luther once protested against this empty shell of foot washing. In the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, it is said that worship without a heart is not only not accepted by God, but rather hated by God. The following scriptures testify to that.
- Isaiah 1:12-13, “You came to appear before me, and who required it of you? I'm only stepping on my yard. Do not bring back vain sacrifices. Incense is an abomination to me, and as it is with new moons, sabbaths, and gatherings at conventions, I cannot bear to do evil with holy assemblies.” / Matthew 23:5-7, “To show all their deeds to others, Hana, that car likes to widen the gates, to make the fringes of his clothes large, to be the head of a feast, to be the seat of a synagogue, to be greeted at a market, and to be called a rabbi.”
Worship and service must be completely in accordance with the will of God who receives them. No human experience or thoughts are required.
First, let's see what to do in the promised land
When Israel entered Canaan, the first things they had to do were: ① to set up stones and write the law/ ② to build an altar and offer burnt offerings and peace offerings/ ③ to enjoy joy before God/.
The reason for doing this is that Canaan for the people of Israel is the land given by God, and it is the beginning of Israel as a nation. Now, they are starting their lives as the chosen people, that is, God's people, in earnest. Therefore, the law, the covenant with God, the worship of God as the chosen people, and the joy of God's reign had to follow.
What does this promised land of Canaan mean to us today? Ultimately, it means ‘the kingdom of God’. But in a practical sense, it is life in Christ. Because the kingdom of God has already been established among the saints in Jesus Christ. In Luke 17:20-21, the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the kingdom of God come?” At that time, Jesus said, “The kingdom of God does not come with sight, and it cannot be said that it is here or there; the kingdom of God is within you.” Matthew 12:28 also says, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
If so, what is the first thing the saints should do in their life in Christ today?
1) Remembering the Word of God
Let's look at verses 2-3. The first thing they had to do was to write down the Word of God so that they would not forget it. The reason you have to do this is because the things after the word “then” in verse 3 are given. The work after that is about human happiness. In other words, if a Christian wants to be happy, he has to please God. In order for man to please God, it is very natural that he should know what pleases God the most. And doing what pleases God.
What pleases God is as recorded in verses 2 and 3 first half. It is not forgetting the word of God. Writing the word of God on stone is a message that we must not forget. Let's look at Deuteronomy 30:9. “If you obey the word of the LORD your God, keep the commands and ordinances that are written in this book of the law, and return to the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul, then the LORD your God will increase your offspring, and your offspring, and your land, and bless you... ” In a word, if you want happiness, remember the Word of God and obey it.
2) It is full worship
Let's look at verses 5-6. After the words were written, they had to build an altar to the LORD and offer burnt offerings to the LORD. A burnt offering is a complete sacrifice by burning the offering completely. This means the full worship of the saints. Perfect worship is the offering of the mind, body, and material together.
Jesus cursed the worship of the Pharisees. Because their worship offered their bodies and materials, but the most important thing was their heart. Worship without the heart is dead. So, God wanted true worship in spirit. The Lord says in John 4:23-24. “The hour is coming and is now, when those who truly worship the Father will worship the Father in spirit and truth. The Father is looking for those who worship him like this. God is a Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
3) is to restore the relationship
Let's look at verse 7. The sacrifice that the Israelites had to offer after the burnt offering was the Peace Offering. Reconciliation offerings are sacrifices offered for the restoration of relationship with God and reconciliation between people. As for the peace offering, blood, kidneys, and oil must be offered as fire offerings to God, meat as a large offering, but the breast and right hind leg are to be given to the priest. And those who have been cleansed share meat and enjoy peace.
Christians cannot be reconciled to God alone. Be a peacemaker of peace among people. This is God's will for the saints. In 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, “All things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, because God in Christ He reconciled to himself, and did not impute their sins to them, but entrusted to us the word of reconciliation.” It is the Christian's greatest joy and joy to fully restore his relationship with God and with people. Not only that, but this is what pleases God (John 17).
There is something we must remember.
When we do God's work, we must do it with uncut stones. In Exodus 20:25, God says, “If you build an altar of stone to me, do not build it with hewn stones. If you peck at it with your chisel, you make it unclean.”
God's work excludes human interference. Look at the next verse.
- 1 Corinthians 2:4, “My words and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in the manifestation and power of the Holy Spirit” / Mark 7:6-8, “Isaiah said, “Be well with your hypocrites. prophesied. It is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. You forsake the commandments of God and keep the traditions of men.”
Man is a being who must obey the will of God. Because they are creatures created according to the will of the Creator (Jeremiah 18:2-6 / Parable of the potter). Therefore, in worshiping God or doing all things according to God's will, we cannot use human will, thoughts, and experiences. The Lord speaks firmly in Matthew 7:21-23. “Lord to me! Lord! Not everyone who prays will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many said to me, 'Lord! Lord! Did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and perform many mighty works in your name?' Then I will say to them plainly, 'I never knew you; Go away.' I will.”
There are now 4 months left in 2001. Let's look back on the past, fix what needs to be fixed, throw away what needs to be thrown away, and start life with a new heart and determination. I pray that you will live a life full of happiness that God achieves by faithfully doing the things we must do first, centering only on the Word of God.