Deuteronomy Chapter 14
The greatest title that can be bestowed upon any person is to be called a son of the LORD God. That is exactly what God did for the Israelite nation. He called them a nation that was holy which means they were set apart. Israel was chosen by God to be His special people and as such they were expected to live unto God only. God in His great mercy provided these people with laws and statutes that they were to follow and obey to ensure they lived pleasing to Him and set apart from all the other nations on the earth.
For the Christian who lives in the new covenant we can tend to think that the law was tedious, and in many ways it certainly was. But it also shows the great mercy of God. The creator of the universe lovingly took the time to speak to His people to give them direction for their life. Without these boundaries we know that men would fail miserably and would certainly live to please themselves and corrupt those around them. But we have the very words of the living God to show us exactly how we should live.
Let's Reflect
1. God called Israel sons of God, holy (or set apart), and chosen. What other title did God give to the Israelites?
2. Pagan religions often practiced cutting themselves or shaving their heads when someone died. What did God instruct Israel about this practice?
3. He gave them a list of animals that they could eat and some that they could not eat. Some were considered clean and some were unclean. There has been a lot written about the differences and why some were considered unclean. But we also know that in the New Testament God gave permission for the believers to eat all the animals. The thing we want to pay attention to is the parameters that were set for the Israelites being different than all the other nations. God was wanting His people to live differently, to be set apart from the other nations. One clear example is if an animal died of natural causes, they were not to eat it. God required that the blood be drained from an animal before consumption because of His importance of the life being in the blood. Who did God say they could give the dead animal (that died of natural causes) to for consumption?
4. Another area in which the Israelites were set apart from other nations was in their tithe to God. The tithe was to be taken to the tabernacle each year. According to verse 23 what was the purpose of tithing?
5. Now look at the very last verse and what did God promise to all who tithed properly?
6. A part of the tithing including taking care of the poor, the widows and the Levites. This tithe was given every _________ years.
7. God called all that He was giving to the Israelites - their inheritance. God desires to bless His people. When they gave their tithe at the tabernacle which was typically fruit from their harvest or the firstborn of their livestock, God invited them to enjoy in eating of this tithe at His Tabernacle. According to verse 26 how does God want us to feel and think about His inheritance that He has blessed us with when we tithe?
