No Grove Near The Altar
Deuteronomy 16:21 - A Neville Goddard interpretation
Read Deuteronomy 16 in context
Scripture Focus
Biblical Context
Deuteronomy 16:21 commands not to plant a grove of trees near the altar of your God. It speaks of keeping worship free from visible idols or attachments that would divert devotion from the One.
Neville's Inner Vision
Verse 16:21 is not about horticulture; it is a map of your inner sanctuary. The grove is any belief, image, or feeling that pretends to supply life or power beside the altar of the LORD within you. In Neville's terms, the altar is your I AM—your indivisible awareness that cannot be divided. When you allow a grove to stand near it, you grant a rival image a seat in consciousness, and worship becomes a negotiation with substitutes. To keep the altar pure is to recognize that there is only God in you; the true worship is the alignment of all your images with the one reality you sense as I AM. The moment you believe you are saved or supplied by something other than your own awareness, you plant a tree of dependence in that sacred space. Release such images by revision and assumption: assume that the I AM is the sole source in your temple, and let any false grove wither away as you dwell in that truth. This is the essence of holiness: a single, continuous recognition of God within.
Practice This Now
Close your eyes and visualize your inner altar. See the grove uprooted and replaced with one living tree—the I AM—at the center, and declare, 'I am the I AM; nothing else stands near this altar.'
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