Deuteronomy 12:18
But thou must eat them before the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.
Cross-references
Deuteronomy 12:11 lists what to bring to the chosen place, providing the context for the eating command in 12:18.
Deuteronomy 12:12 repeats the same command to rejoice before the Lord with the same groups, reinforcing the context of tithe offerings.
Deuteronomy 12:19 adds a warning not to forsake the Levite, directly extending the instruction in 12:18 to include ongoing care.
Deuteronomy 12:7 echoes the call to eat and rejoice before the Lord with households, reinforcing the pattern of worship.
Deuteronomy 12:26 continues the same instructions about bringing consecrated things to the chosen place, reinforcing the worship context.
Deuteronomy 14:23 parallels the eating of tithe before the Lord, adding the purpose of learning to fear God always.
Deuteronomy 15:20 gives the same instruction for firstborn animals—eat before the Lord yearly with your household.
Deuteronomy 16:11 commands the same rejoicing before God with family and Levites at the Feast of Weeks—direct parallel.
Deuteronomy 26:11 echoes this command to rejoice before the Lord with household, Levite, and stranger—the same festive context of bringing offerings.
Deuteronomy 16:2 commands Passover sacrifice at the chosen place, a specific instance of the feasting and rejoicing prescribed here.
Deuteronomy 14:26 repeats the command to eat and rejoice before God with household, using tithe money—identical principle.
1 Kings 8:66 describes the people going home joyful and glad of heart after temple dedication—repeating the rejoicing pattern from Deuteronomy.
2 Chronicles 7:10 recounts the same temple dedication as 1 Kings 8:66—people joyful and glad, directly fulfilling the rejoice-before-the-Lord command.
Ezekiel 44:3 describes the prince eating bread before the Lord in the sanctuary—a direct continuation of the practice of eating in the chosen place.
Acts 2:46 depicts early believers eating with gladness—a communal celebration that parallels the joyful feasting before God.
Joel 2:26 promises eating in plenty and praising the Lord—an eschatological fulfillment of the rejoicing and satisfaction commanded here.
Luke 2:41 shows Jesus' family going to Jerusalem for Passover, exemplifying the command to worship at the chosen place.
In Acts 16:34, the jailer rejoices with his whole household after believing—echoing the communal joy before God commanded here.