12:1 Moses reminds us why we are here, why we are studying: because the application of these guidelines creates a lifestyle, and a lifestyle creates a life. God cares about the intricacies of our lives and if we are willing to give Him permission, He will tailor and direct those intricacies.
12:2-3 It is imperative that we eliminate the idols in our lifestyles. Everything we are captivated by should be founded in Him: justice, compassion, humility, wisdom, joy and truth. Every detail of ours lives should align with what He has established as order.
We each have idols, things which draw our attention away from our faith. Our idols look different from the children of Israel's idols. We do not worship figurines exactly, but we do have vices. Hobbies. Attitudes. Desires. God wants us to align all of that with Him. What we think, speak and produce should be expressions of our faith and our values.
Moses wants us to completely destroy and separate ourselves from the things which pull us away from God because those things are clever. Moment by moment they steal snatches of our faith. Day by day we begin to trust in things and people other than God.
12:4 The children of Israel lived in a time where people were practicing child-sacrifice. These societies had corrupt justice systems. God did not want humanity to follow that path and He began to draw us back to order through the children of Israel.
God does not want us to idolize, covet or sacrifice. He wants us to express our reverence of Him through love and compassion for all people. The old way of worship was broken, impure, chaotic. God wants us to reign in our passions and then let them explode, abound infinity in avenues of love, inspiration, wisdom, compassion and justice.
12:5 Our spiritual and physically energy should remain steadfast in Him. All of the moments of our lives should be in seek of finding the resting place, the destination He has established and tailored for us. Our ultimate destination is to be at home, spiritually, with Him but He has made niches for us on earth, too. While we are here, He has places of safety and learning. Our pursuit of Him, here and now, will lead us directly. To that place we must go.
12:6 In those places our faith brings us: places of peace and understanding, comfort and joy, we the places in which the to vehemently express our faith. Awe and gratitude will bring us to our knees every single time.
12:7 "There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you are your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you."
This is a prophesy. Moses speaks of a promised life, created, delivered and sustained by God. God brings your body and your spirit to a place where you discover the blessing in every single thing you touch. That is how hyper-aware of Him we should be. He is in every moment. He is every moment. He is every moment. The same sentence with different emphases helps us to understand how amazing He is.
Moses' directive: Get to a place in your faith where you see the blessing in every single thing you touch.
God provides food for the belly... and food for the belly of the soul. Nutrition for the entire entity. As humans who spend much of their time neglectful of their faith, we begin to mistakenly believe that our true self is our body. But our body is a host, a glorified (albeit miraculous) host for our true self: our soul, our spirit. When Moses speaks here of eating and rejoicing, there is symbolism. God's provisions cover so much more than just nutrition for our bodies. God provides the nutrients we need to be sustained for an eternity. Never starve yourself of those nutrients; God is the direct source.
12:8 Moses has spend chapters and filled verses speaking to us about what we should do. Here, very abruptly but proficiently, Moses explains what will not work, what we should not do: continue through life making our own rules: "You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit...". Here on earth we are students, always, under Him. Apprentices loved and guided but nowhere near the level of our Teacher. No matter how much wisdom we gain, we have so much more to learn.
God created this planet. He set its spin and winds, everything responds to Him. Only He knows the true order. Only He knows the true way. The perfect order. Whatever He establishes is the way. The only way. Save yourself the trouble of proving yourself wrong by living in opposition to Him.
12:9 When we journey into that place, the place He set aside for us and perfected, we find rest. Safety. When students in elementary and high school are taking standardized tests, the entire hallway or wing of a building is marked with warnings and cautions and rues: Be quiet, students at work. Learning zone. No disruptions. Authorized personnel only.
12:10 When a child of God bows down as a student, He creates a sacred space for them to learn. With authority and love He walls us in, protects His students at work. By Him, our classroom becomes a place of adventure, the exploration of nature and love and wisdom, hope, joy and faith.
12:11-14 The nature of humanity's faith has evolved, as God always intended for it to. We now pray directly to Him but the place of the depths of our soul, heart and mind. Before this point, through the children of Israel, God established the sacred place. Our direct connection with God is now the sacred place in which we worship most personally. Before that, the children of Israel has a designated, physical place.
Even now, some people find it beneficial to have a physical location. A church or other establishment from which to worship. The point is to give be an appropriate place, separate from the fray, to reflect on their faith: offering love and gratitude for the true source of their blessings, our God.
12:15-16 Moses tells the children of Israel that they have rights to all of the game, meat, in the established territory. Yet this verse reads differently, presents a deeper message, to students of our generation. God invites us to partake in the deepest of faith.
Hebrews 5:12
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
1 Corinthians 3:2
I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.
In the above verses, we learn the meaning behind the symbol of milk and meat. The depth of learning we receive from God depends on our place on the spectrum of faith. Beginners receive the milk: learn the elementary concepts of God's word. But the more we develop our faith, the more meat we are given. The solid food. The complex work and will of God is fed to our spirit.
God invites His children, faithful students, to "eat" all that they want! God will continue to provide for any appetite of faith. However hungry you are for His word, He can fill your need. Graduate from the milk and move onto the big stuff. The life-changing, world-changing, perspective-changing, purpose-creating stuff.
12:17-19 The children of Israel are instructed not to consume what should be reserved for charity and tithe (freewill offerings). We must remember that the "meat" and every abundance God provides is given for a purpose. Our materiel wealth as well as spiritual wealth is meant to be utilized to bring justice for others.
Never become self-centered, consuming that which is meant to be shared with others. God teaches us moderation and generosity. That with abundance we can freely, consistently give. In Mark 12:40-44, an impoverished woman gave her last as a gift to someone else... and it meant more to God than the large amount the rich were giving. Our generosity is relative to our means. To whom much is given, much is expected, Luke 12:48. If God gives you meat, the complex stuff, the grand ideas... put them into motion. Let everything you do be done with His presence and generosity acknowledged.
12:20 We remain in the metaphor: as you increase in faith, as the base and heights of your faith are enlarged, request more from God and you will receive it. The promise from God in Jeremiah 29:13 is alive and abundant: seek with your whole heart and soul and you will find and be filled.
Each time you earnestly request from God you will receive. God responds and especially to intercessory prayer as Abraham did in Genesis. When you request more from God, you request blessed opportunity and responsibility. You request the opportunity to make a bigger, more intricate impact on the lives around you.
The "more" Moses speaks of is not a greedy person asking for a bigger feast to eat from. The "more" Moses speaks of is a selfless person asking for the means to create a feast for others to eat from. To benefit from. Grow from.
12:21 God understands that we all have limits: physical, mental, emotional. Whatever our limit is, God can work with it. He allows us to tailor our faith to our specific needs, talents and shortcomings. Each individual, from God, will receive what they need to grow their faith in their own particular way.
12:22-25 Again, Moses cautions us to stay away from that which will do us harm. On the surface, this is a health law and recommendations but the spiritual meaning lies beneath. As you delve into faith, continue to discern and separate yourself from corruption.
12:26 Grip onto your faith and walk into the place God has chosen for you. He has known you all your life, He knit you in the womb, Psalm 139:13, and He knew you before He even created the planet, Ephesians 1:4.
12:27 Eat the meat God is willing to provide. Spiritually. Yes, the responsibility increases but so do the blessings... so does the skill and ability level and chance of impact.
12:28 Moses reminds us again why it benefits us to return God's love: "...so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God."
12:29-32 God cuts off the corruption from our lives when we give Him control. Our submission to God is empowerment. He is the only entity or thing we can give our lives to... to gain our lives. At a deeper more eternal level.
