The Feast of Tabernacles Reviewed
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What Does Deuteronomy 16:12 Mean?
Deuteronomy 16:12
Both the Old and New Testaments often repeat the principle that to establish a fact requires two or three witnesses. This criterion applies to the death penalty (Deuteronomy 17:6; Hebrews 10:28), accusations against an elder (I Timothy 5:19), disputes with the brethren (Matthew 18:16), establishing iniquity or sin (Deuteronomy 19:15), and problems in the church (II Corinthians 13:1).
What if God gives us a command, not just two or three times, but fifteen times? Surely, such repetition would establish the importance God places on that instruction. In Deuteronomy, we find such a repeated charge, in which God declares fifteen times that we are to be careful to obey all His commands.
Because God felt the need to pound this idea into our minds, following His example, here are the fifteen times in Deuteronomy He tells us to be careful in our obedience:
“. . . be careful to observe them . . .” (4:6).
“Take careful heed to yourselves . . .” (4:15).
“. . . be careful to observe them” (5:1).
“. . . be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you . . .” (5:32).
“. . . be careful to observe it . . .” (6:3).
“. . . if we are careful to observe all these commandments . . .” (6:25).
“Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe . . .” (8:1).
“. . . you shall be careful to observe all the statutes and judgments . . .” (11:32).
“These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe . . .” (12:1).
“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it” (12:32).
“. . . you shall be careful to observe these statutes” (16:12).
“. . . be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes” (17:19).
“. . . be careful to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul” (26:16).
“. . . if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them” (28:13).
“. . . command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law” (32:46).
The message is loud and clear: be careful to obey every and all commands of God. Some would consider these many statements as mindless repetition. Why this “overkill”? Because humanity has proven since the beginning that it is nearly unfailingly not careful. Were Adam and Eve careful to obey all that God commanded? No, and their progeny, all humanity, has followed in their footsteps ever since.
Was ancient Israel careful to obey? Of course not! Their history is a record of failure nearly at every turn. Was the early church careful? Not completely. So, in various places we find the writers of the New Testament having to admonish those who were missing the mark. What about in more recent times? Were the leaders of our former fellowship careful in their obedience? Like ancient Israel, the answer is the same: of course not! God's church would look far different if they had been.
What about those in the greater church of God today? Most recognize that we are in the Laodicean era of God's church. What is a Laodicean? Scripture describes a Laodicean as one who is lukewarm or half-hearted, suggesting that such a Christian shows a lack of intensity or focus that is almost the opposite of being careful.
To admit that we are in the Laodicean era is to acknowledge the reality that the vast majority of us are not careful in our obedience to God. This situation illustrates the perversity of human nature that, for most of us, the repetition of a command fifteen times is still not enough to make the message stick.
While Deuteronomy repeatedly warns us to adhere carefully to all that God commands, Christ takes it even further, saying, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word” that comes from God (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4). In Matthew 5:18, He adds, “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Not even the smallest letter or word or even one little hook of a Hebrew letter is to be overlooked.
Pat Higgins
Every Word?
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