Christian
Churches of God
No. 284z
Summary:
Deuteronomy
12:17-28
(Edition 1.5 19990910-20150904)
This text concerns our responsibility under the law towards getting to the feasts.
Christian
Churches of God
E-mail: secretary@ccg.org
(Copyright © 1999, 2015 Wade Cox)
(Summary by Dana Hilburn, ed.
Wade Cox)
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Deuteronomy 12:17-28
God has given clear instructions as to what He wants us to do concerning the feasts.
The text in Deuteronomy 12:17-28 KJV is clear and verse 17 states that the tithe may not be eaten in any of the gates. This tithe is the second tithe that belongs to the individual and is used to go to the feasts of the Lord three times a year as commanded (see the papers Tithing (No. 161) and Law and the Fourth Commandment (No. 256).
There is a responsibility on the nation and the priesthood to identify the place of the feasts, so that individuals may know and go there as commanded. The three times and the three feasts are identified in Deuteronomy 16:1-17.
Passover is clearly stated as not being able to be eaten within the gates. The Samaritans have followed this law faithfully for over two thousand years. The Feast of Unleavened Bread follows and finishes with the Wave Sheaf on the Sunday during Unleavened Bread. Wave Sheaf begins the count to Pentecost, also on a Sunday. It was kept by the Jews and Samaritans on a Sunday over the entire Temple period.
How do we know God has set his hand in any particular place? God destroyed the Temple and ordered the creation of the church. That church has the responsibility of declaring the place of the feast and preparing for it.
The nation has the responsibility to appoint its judges and officers to ensure that the Law is kept and the people follow the laws of God in Justice and Truth.
In Deuteronomy 12:17-19 we see that the feasts are for the entire household to attend, but the males must attend from Deuteronomy 16:16.
From verse 20 we see what appears to be an exception, but is it?
If the place is too far and we want to eat flesh then we may kill and eat of the herds and flocks. This does not mean that we do not have to go to the place selected as the feast site. (see Deut. 12:23-29; 14:22-29).
We turn what we have into money and take it to the appointed place and buy whatever we want. The only exception is in the third year of the seven-year cycle, when the proceeds of our second tithe are converted to the third tithe for the poor (see the paper Tithing (No. 161)).
Refusing to go to the appointed place is a denial of the right of the church to appoint such place. Zechariah is clear as to what will happen if a person or community fails to attend the feasts, or to send their representatives (Zech. 14:16-19).
God is not in respect of persons. Those who fail to make provision to attend the feast will be treated as a gentile and will be removed from the elect and access to the Holy Spirit. Those who do not attend the feasts outside of their gates, place themselves outside of the Law and Commandments of God and hence the elect, by definition of Revelation 12:17 and 14:12. Whoever denies the right of the church to appoint those sites, places themselves outside of the church.
By law we are entitled to assistance to attend the feast, but must demonstrate we have taken action to prepare under the tithe laws (see Ex. 34:23-24). Some people seek to avoid the feasts and God’s people even when the sites are within their own states and areas. Such thinking has no place in the Churches of God.
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