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The People of "the LORD your God" belongs to Jehovah |
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De.14:1 |
"You are the sons of the LORD your God…" |
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De.14:2 |
"For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth." |
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The Land of "the LORD your God" belongs to Jehovah |
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De.14:23 |
"And you shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name…in order that you may learn to fear the LORD you God always." |
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De.14:24 |
"the place where the LORD your God chooses" |
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De.14:25 |
"…and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses." |
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De.14:26 |
"…and there you shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God…" |
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Since God owns Israel, for example, the tithe is rent as tenants (Israel), paid to God the Owner of the land. |
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Old Testament |
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Who |
Passage |
What |
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Gentile view |
It might seem strange to see Israelites travel long distances, carrying their tithes to one particular spot. |
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Jeroboam |
1 Ki.11:26-28; 2Ki.14:23-24 |
He is a model for iniquity for the wicked kings. He, for political and selfish reason, presumed God's order and set up his calves at Bethel and Dan. It should have been at Jerusalem. |
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David in Psalm 137 |
4 How can we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land? 5If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her skill. 6May my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy." |
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Daniel in Daniel 6 |
Daniel 3 times a day prayed toward Jerusalem, though it was in ruins. This was God's divine principle. |
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God's emphases was on the very place Israel gathered together. This does not mean that the form (physically going to the "place") replaces the function or purpose for assembly. That is, worshipping God. The charge for teaching the Word to Israel was given to the Priests. The charge for teaching the Word to the family was given to the parents (De.6). |
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New Testament |
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Mt. 18:20 |
"Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." |
The "My name" answers to "the place where the LORD thy God shall choose to place His name there." |
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Jn.4:19-24 |
23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24God is spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." |
True worshipers worship the Father in spirit. Not in or with tangible things. |
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Ac.17:24-25 |
24 …"He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands." |
Despite plain passages against a central location (including size of building, number of members) in the NT, these things are given as proofs of "Christian progress" and "growth." |
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It is not WHERE, but HOW we assemble. That is, in the name of Jesus. The purpose for assembly in the NT is the edification of the church. That is, building up the believer. This can take different forms. For example, teaching the Word, praying for each other, encouraging one another, etc. |
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Tom Elseroad 09-18-1999 |
©1999 Tom Elseroad, http://www.elseroad.com.
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