Ep 969 – Deuteronomy 17:1-7

As Moses attempted to prepare the people of Israel for their entry into the land of promise, he covered every imaginable topic. In Deuteronomy 17:1-7, he addresses the issue of committing an abomination to the Lord. But what exactly does that mean? The Hebrew word actually means "disgusting thing" and was used to refer to anything having to do with the worship of God that was unacceptable. But it also included the worship of false gods. It was an extension or elaboration of the very first commandment of God. The people of Israel were not free to worship false gods. But they were also not free to worship the true God in a false or inappropriate manner. Anyone who did so would be deemed disgusting and unacceptable by God. And the men who would be appointed as judges over the various tribes would be held accountable to deal with such people promptly and severely.