Dear RTB’ers,
Sorry for the long delay – early morning baptismal tank setup, then taking advantage of the last “warm” day for a while to do some necessary outside work.
Question on killing of domestic animals and idolatrous worship. Verse 7a answers the second part of this question: So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. If the Israelites kill their animals outside the tent of meeting, left to “themselves” or to the “inhabitants of the land” they could easily worship false gods or create their own “gods”, thanking those idols instead of the true God. The Lord God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5, 34:14). He wants our exclusive worship; He does not want to share us with any other “gods”. Here is an item I read when I looked online: “…when I read Exodus 34:14, I think, not of pettiness, but of holy passion. God wants relationship with his people, including you and me. He will not share us with other “gods” because he loves us. This means, practically speaking, that God wants relationship with you and me today.” (https://www.theologyofwork.org/the-high-calling/jealous-god/#:~:text=Now%2C%20when%20I%20read%20Exodus,with%20you%20and%20me%20today.)
Blessings!
Fred