Lev 17:3-5 (NIV) Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it 4 instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord — that man shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and must be cut off from his people. 5 This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the Lord, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings.
NOTE: Two issues are addressed, one is prostitution to goat idols (vs 17:7), but the other issue addresses "private worship." Even today, people avoid public worship, that is church, because their "worship is private." Heb 10:24, 25 addresses the same argument for the new covenant. Here, God makes it very clear that you must come to the tabernacle to sacrifice your offerings. And those offerings, that are not freewill offerings shall be considered fellowship offerings. In other words, fellowship is an important aspect of worship. Private worship in God's economy is an oxymoron when practiced almost exclusively. Private worship, while not wrong, can be used as an excuse to the important task of fellowship and involvement with the larger believing community, in the case of the new covenant, that would be the church.
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