“Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the TOP of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan,..” Deuteronomy 34:1 NKJV
Where is this Mount Nebo where Moses viewed Jericho and the promised land? I had a chance to visit this site in Jordan in Dec 2018. There were artefacts and relics from the Byzantine empire which seem to indicate that this could be the place where Moses viewed the promised land.
““You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God a bull or sheep which has any blemish or defect, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God.”Deuteronomy 17:1 NKJV
The ultimate sacrifice, our Lord Jesus Christ, is definitely without blemish or defect. Hence, the shadows that portray Him must similarly be likewise. Else it would be an inappropriate representation of Him. It would be an abomination to God and a misrepresentation of the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
This instruction also reminds us that we should not be giving God the “crumbs” of what we have as our offering to Him. The Jewish worshipper may be tempted to offer a bull or sheep that has blemishes. This could be because it was cheaper to do so. The farmer could be tempted to sell bulls or sheep without blemishes for a higher gain than to give them as sacrifices. But we are reminded that such acts are abomination to God. We must not relegate God to any place lower than first in our hearts. God deserves our best efforts & the first fruits of our labour. Do you give Him your best? Are you demonstrating a grateful heart? Are you a happy disciple who gives joyfully to God, understanding that you owe everything to Him? God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cor 9:7