DOWNLOAD PDF

What God Chooses
12:1 to 16:17

After laying out that blessings would flow from obedience and cursings would flow from disobedience, ADONAI called His people to a covenant relationship of exclusivity. This required the Israelites to follow Him, not according to the ways of other people, nor according to the ways of their own feelings, but exclusively according to the way He chose for them. Moshe, under the influence of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, continued to flesh out His choices in terms of appropriate sacrifices to offer, food to eat, and possessions to give.

Over and over again, YHVH called His chosen people to follow Him exclusively according to His revealed Word. He gave guidelines for true and false prophets. He wanted His children to follow Him even more than the negative influences of their own flesh and blood. Walking in holiness with Him would impact every aspect of their lives. By choosing to regulate their diet, God would discourage eating with the surrounding pagans who would lead them astray, as well as lay a foundation for teaching them the difference between clean and unclean.

The LORD instructed His people to set aside ten percent of all He had blessed them with. He chose a seven-year cycle which culminated in the Sabbatical year. Throughout that year the Israelites were to consume some of their tithe at the Temple in His presence during the pilgrimage feast of Pesach, Shavu’ot, and Sukkot. Every three years the tithe was to be collected and stored in each town to support the Levites and serve the poor. The Sabbatical year granted release from debts, and being released from selling themselves into slavery.

Ha’Shem chose only the firstborn male animals to be sacrificed. Like the mitzvot of canceling debts and releasing slaves, it involved giving up their possessions. The LORD chose to have Isra’el celebrate Pesach, which was immediately followed by the seven-day feast of Unleavened Bread. They were also to celebrate Shavu’ot and Sukkot. One reason ADONAI called for the three pilgrimage festivals was to get the whole community together, to encounter Him and keep Him at the center of their lives, no matter where they lived.