In the days when the Israelites had crossed the Jordan and entered the land that the Lord their God had promised to their fathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—Moses gathered the people together. The sun hung high in the sky, casting golden light over the vast assembly of men, women, and children. They stood in the shadow of the mountains of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey, a land they had long awaited. Moses, now advanced in years, stood before them, his face radiant with the wisdom of God, his voice steady and commanding as he delivered the words of the Lord.
“Listen, O Israel,” Moses began, his voice echoing across the valley, “the Lord your God has brought you into this land to possess it. But you must be careful to observe all His statutes and judgments, for He is a holy God, and His ways are perfect. Today, I give you a command that you must follow all the days of your life in this land.”
The people leaned forward, their hearts eager to hear the words of their leader. Moses raised his hands, and the crowd fell silent. “When you enter the land and settle in it, you will find many nations who worship their gods on high mountains, on hills, and under every green tree. But you must not do as they do. You must utterly destroy all the places where they serve their gods—on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree. You shall tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn their Asherah poles, and cut down the carved images of their gods. You must obliterate their names from that place, for they are an abomination to the Lord.”
A murmur spread through the crowd as the people considered the weight of these words. Moses continued, his voice rising with authority, “You shall not worship the Lord your God in the way these nations worship their gods. Instead, you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put His name and make His dwelling. There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contributions of your hands, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. There you shall eat before the Lord your God and rejoice in all that you and your households have accomplished, because the Lord your God has blessed you.”
The people nodded, their hearts stirred by the promise of God’s presence among them. Moses paused, his eyes scanning the crowd, ensuring that every word was understood. “Be careful that you do not offer your burnt offerings in any place you see. You shall offer them only in the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, and there you shall do all that I command you. If you offer sacrifices anywhere else, it will be as though you have shed innocent blood, and the Lord will not accept it. You must not act according to your own desires or follow the practices of the nations around you. The Lord has set you apart as His holy people, and you must honor Him in the way He has commanded.”
The sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. Moses’ voice grew softer but no less urgent. “When the Lord your God enlarges your territory as He has promised, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because you crave it, you may eat as much meat as you desire. But you must not neglect the Levite who lives in your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you. You shall bring your offerings to the place the Lord chooses, and there you shall eat before Him, rejoicing in His provision.”
Moses raised his hands once more, his face glowing with the light of the setting sun. “Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God. But if you turn away and serve other gods, the Lord will cut you off from the land He has given you, and you will perish. Therefore, choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice, and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days in the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
As the final words left Moses’ lips, a deep silence fell over the people. They stood in awe, their hearts stirred by the gravity of the covenant they were called to keep. The land before them was a gift, but it came with a sacred responsibility—to worship the Lord in the way He had commanded, to honor Him as the one true God, and to reject the idols of the nations around them.
The stars began to appear in the night sky, and the people dispersed to their tents, their minds filled with the words of Moses. They knew that the journey ahead would not be easy, but they also knew that the Lord their God was with them, guiding them, protecting them, and calling them to a life of holiness. And so, with hearts full of hope and determination, they prepared to enter the land, trusting in the promises of the God who had brought them out of Egypt and into the land of their inheritance.
