Deuteronomy 12:29-32– Going all the way with God

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Knowing how the children of Israel needed it, God in Deuteronomy 12:29-32 warned them ahead of time. This was to enable them to cope with what they would soon be exposed to in Canaan. Already in Egypt, they were exposed to idolatrous practices, so much so that hardly had they left the land long enough, they had already constructed a golden calf and worshipped it. But as they entered the promised land, the idolatrous influence they experienced in Egypt would be multiplied by a thousand times. Their exposure to ungodly influence would come with greater intensity. So they needed a warning to prevent them from pivoting to the practices of the pagans.

The reason why they needed the warning was so that they could avoid the risk of falling into idolatry. Without the warning, the risk of falling into the danger would be greater. The caution given to them was “…beware that you are not ensnared to follow them….” They must also be warned because the enticement in the promised land would be more rigorous. Remember the pagans in Canaan were people who worshipped their idols on mountains, on hills, and under every green tree. The Israelites must guard against being lured into emulating their practices after destroying them.

The warning would be ineffective if they were not made aware of the consequences of adopting the practices of those pagans. If they ever pivot to the idols and did what the pagans do, God would be offended, and that would bring about their own ruin. To avoid that, the children of Israel must diligently obey the instructions of God. They must be careful to do all that God had commanded. Like them, we too have to be wary of the influence of the world. First John 2:15 warned us saying, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Hence, we must not conform to this world. We must make obedience to God’s Word a diligent practice. It will help in our transformation. When we diligently follow God’s Word, we will be able to attest to the truth of His Word. We will experience the perfect will of God. And we will be living under the protection of God!