Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; but in the place which the Lord chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you. Deuteronomy 12:13–14
One of the greatest gifts bestowed upon man is the freedom of choice. Thousands have died to help to secure this cherished liberty for us in the land in which we are strangers (Heb. 11:13–16). Nonetheless, there are some choices that have already been made for us that we have no right to ignore. As residents of the United States, we are expected to abide by laws set forth by the State and pay taxes levied by the same. While we have the ability to choose to ignore these requirements, we must accept the consequences of our choices. Similarly, there are some areas where God has made His choice, and if we are to be found faithful, we must honor God’s choices.
The Lord’s choices have always been better than man’s. Abraham prayed that Ishmael might live before God, but God had chosen Isaac as the father of the Israelite nation (Gen. 17:15–19). God chose Judah as the royal tribe (Gen. 49:10, 1 Chr. 28:4), even though Jacob would probably have preferred to give this distinction to Reuben, his firstborn, or to Joseph, his favorite. When Israel clamored for a king, the people chose Saul (1 Sam. 12:13), a man of great stature, but when God chose His successor, He chose David, a man “after [His] own heart” (13:14). When David’s life drew near its close, he named Solomon as his successor even though Adonijah was older. Solomon was David’s choice, because Solomon was God’s choice (1 Chr. 28:5).
The Lord has often demonstrated the importance of honoring His choices. God was not pleased when Levites of another line tried to usurp the priesthood, for which task He had chosen Aaron’s house (Num. 16–17). God was not satisfied when His choice of Jerusalem as the center of Jewish worship was ignored (1 Kgs. 13:1–3). When Uzzah ignored God’s choice for conveying the Ark of the Covenant (1 Chr. 15:2), he did so at great cost (1 Chr. 13:9–10). While we may not always understand the reasons behind God’s choices, we must understand that His ways are far above our own (Isa. 55:8–9) and honor His choices in every matter.
In the Old Testament, God selected Israel as His chosen people, not because of their size, but because He loved them (Deut. 7:6–8). God’s chosen people today are not to be found in a geographic region, but rather in His church (2 Th. 2:13–16). God’s chosen people today are those who will live faithfully to Him (Rev. 17:14). Those who are faithful to God are those who are willing to make God’s choice their own. They are not members of the church of their own choice; they are members of the church of God’s choice (Matt. 16:18)! God has made choices on matters of worship (Acts 2:42; Eph. 5:19), doctrine (2 Tim. 3:16–17), and salvation (John 8:24; Rom. 10:10; 6:3–4). Let God’s choices be your choices!