“Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.” (v.32)
Many scriptures like Deuteronomy 4:2 tells us, "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it." Similar warnings are found in Proverbs 30:5-6, Revelation 22:18 and again right here in Deuteronomy 12:32. It is indeed a precarious position any person puts themselves into, by adding to God’s Holy Word. Revelation 22 tells us that, “if anyone adds to the book, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book (v.18).Yikes!
Chapter 12 deals with God's commands concerning worship. Differences over worship styles are the basis for many church conflicts today. In most instances people disagree over music. Although these conflicts are never desirable, they can have the benefit of forcing us to ask some fundamental questions about worship. What is God looking for? Does He accept all forms of worship? Or does He want us to worship Him in a specific way?
As far as worship under the Law of Moses was concerned, God was indeed looking for a particular “style” of worship. The Law of Moses described how Israel was to worship in great detail, specifying when, where, and how God’s people were to approach Him. It even regulated the kind of clothing that priests were to wear when they approached the altar! The Lord also warned His people not to adopt the religious practices of the nations they were about to displace as they took possession of the land of promise. In fact, they were commanded to take extreme measures to ensure that the idolatrous worship of those people didn’t spread.
These commands raise an inevitable question. Is God as specific when it comes to the church’s worship? The answer is “yes”–but with a significant difference. The commands given to Israel dealt primarily with methods and rituals. The church, on the other hand, is to approach God in worship through the person of Jesus Christ - "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24)
All that the Old Testament law specified merely anticipated what Christ would accomplish by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. As important as the Law was, it could not do for the worshiper what Jesus Christ would eventually do: “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming–not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship” (Heb. 10:1).
It is possible that our many conflicts about worship style have caused us to lose sight of the real focus of our worship? Jesus told the woman of Samaria that God is seeking a certain kind of worshiper, "those who worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:21-24). The heart of worship is all about Jesus, not us, not about our feelings, it's all about Him.
The Truth: "For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh." (Philippians 3:3)
