What Does God Require?

Deuteronomy 10:12-11:9

“And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

In preparation for turning leadership over to Joshua, Moses has been instructed to remind Israel of their covenant or contract with God.  He has briefly reviewed what God had done for them, and their repeated failures to keep their part.  Now he summarizes what God demands in return for his blessings and protection.

They are to fear God.   Because having livestock was a traditional sign of wealth, being too poor to even own a dog was an indication of extreme poverty.  As a result, most people in our area have one or more dogs.  Many people will not walk because they are afraid of the dogs. If they must get out, they try to intimidate the dogs by yelling or throwing things to hide their fear, sometimes even taunting and abusing them if the dog is tied or caged so they think they can safely do so.  

Respecting the dog’s right and ability to protect his property, others avoid aggressive behavior, moving slowly and in a non-threatening manner to avoid antagonizing him.  Unless the dog has been abused or trained to attack, such an approach is usually safe.  This kind of respectful fear that tries not antagonize God is what God expects.  Such fear will result in doing our best to try to please him in every way, obeying his commands and rules.  Just as respecting he dog prevents being bitten, respecting God’s demands prevents his judgment.

“Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.  Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.” (Deuteronomy 10:14-15)

It is easy to respect God when we realize he is the owner of the entire universe and we are only here by his permission.  God loved their forefathers, and chose their children to be his people as a way of showing that love.  Their initial selection had nothing to do with their own actions.

“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.  For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.  Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 10:16-19)

Circumcision of the flesh was a symbolic act of giving the person to God.  Moses directs the people of Israel to circumcise their heart, effectively to give themselves to God.  Without the inward change of heart, the outward circumcision means nothing according to Romans 2:2:28-29.  “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

They needed to yield to God rather than acting like a horse who has the bit between this teeth and refuses to pay any attention to the reins because God is the God of those others speak of as gods and ruler of those others bow down to.  He had the power to create the universe and to destroy Egypt’s army and force Pharaoh to do what he wanted.  He will not be influenced by man’s reputation or position, and cannot be bribed or bought off.

He will act to protect those who cannot protect themselves just as he had done in delivering Israel from Egypt.  Having been abused as outsiders, they should be especially sensitive to the feelings of other outsiders.  Paul declares that Christians were strangers and foreigners before Christ saved us, but in Ephesians 2:19 concludes, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.”  As a result, in Hebrews 13:2 Christians are instructed, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

“Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.  He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.

Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.  Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.” (Deuteronomy 10:20-11:1)

Four hundred seventy years before, seventy Israelites had gone into Egypt and now they had an army of over six hundred thousand, besides those who were too old, the Levites, and all the women and children.  All the credit for their growth, and their deliverance went solely to God.  Appreciation should cause them to devote themselves to him, to do everything he asked.

“And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm, And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land; And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day; And what he did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came into this place; And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel: But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did.” (Deuteronomy 11:2-7)

Moses was speaking to the people who had experienced God’s deliverance, reminding them of what they had experienced, from their slavery in Egypt to the current day.  They had experienced both his blessings, and his judgment.

“Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it; And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.” (Deuteronomy 11:8-9)

Based on their experience of both the blessings and judgment of God, Israel could go confidently into the land to possess it, believing it was the kind of land God had promised.  They could also depend on God to prolong their lives there as he had promised, provided they did what God required.  

Intercessory Prayer

Deuteronomy 9:25-10:11

“Thus I fell down before the LORD forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at the first; because the LORD had said he would destroy you.  I prayed therefore unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, destroy not thy people and thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed through thy greatness, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand.  Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin: Lest the land whence thou broughtest us out say, Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which he promised them, and because he hated them, he hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness.  Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power and by thy stretched out arm.” (Deuteronomy 9:25-29)

Just forty days after agreeing to obey God and worship only him, Israel had made the golden calf and begun to worship it.  Angered by their perfidy, God offered to kill the whole bunch and start over with Moses’ family.  Moses now recounts his intercessory prayer in an effort to drive home the necessity of obeying God.

Moses’ did not ask God to save them because they were good people.  They weren’t.  They were stubborn, rebellious, and wicked.  Moses asked God to overlook that, and consider testimony to the peoples around them.  While he would still fulfill his promise by starting over with Moses, the Egyptians and others would believe that God had broken his promise and just took them out to destroy them.  It would appear that continuing in sin was better than turning to God.  Only by finishing what he started despite their sin would the other nations be encouraged to serve God.

The focus of Moses’ prayer was that God get the glory rather than that the people  be spared.  It is an excellent example of the truly spiritual prayer, acknowledging that people don’t deserve what we are asking God to do, but that he be glorified in what we ask for.  I John 5:14-15 promises, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

“At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood.  And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.” (Deuteronomy 10:1-2)

In response to Moses’ prayer, God agreed to rewrite the two tablets of stone.  To protect them, they were to be placed in a box or ark.

“And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand.  And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me.  And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.” (Deuteronomy 10:3-5)

God had given the ten commandments as the basic principles by which Israel was to be governed, much like our Constitution.  The two tables of stone provided a permanent record of those principles.  Moses received the new copy, and placed it into the Ark of the Covenant as commanded.  They still had that copy available.

“And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera: there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest's office in his stead.  From thence they journeyed unto Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Jotbath, a land of rivers of waters.” (Deuteronomy 10:6-7) 

It is believed that Jotbath is the area  known as Kadesh in Hebrew and the there are several streams in the area.  Different groups called the same place different names, and the use of a different name indicates a different writer recording the account.

“At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.  Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD thy God promised him.” (Deuteronomy 10:8-9) 

As priests, it was necessary that the Levites be readily available to all the population.  Consequently, they were never given a country of their own, but towns and cities in each of the other tribes lands.  It also fulfilled Jacob’s blessing is making it impossible for Simeon and Levi to again unite for evil.

“And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also, and the LORD would not destroy thee.  And the LORD said unto me, Arise, take thy journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give unto them.” (Deuteronomy 10:10-11)

The story differs slightly from the account in Exodus and Numbers, but the basic facts are the same.  Such minor discrepancies are to be expected since Moses is recounting from memory what happened forty years before.  In fact, the absence of such discrepancies would imply the account was fabricated since human memory is seldom perfect.  At least one scholar has speculated that Eleazar may have been the scribe recording Moses’ teaching in Deuteronomy.  It is clear that Moses did not write the last chapter and despite Jewish tradition, the statements about Joshua imply it was not Joshua.

They Were Not To Feel Superior

Deuteronomy 9:1-24

“Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak!” (Deuteronomy 9:1-2)

Forty years before, in Numbers 13:30-33, the spies had brought back the report  about the land.  “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.  But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.  And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.  And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”

Nothing has changed.  The people of the land were still in fortified cities with standing armies, and the Giants, the sons of Anak were still there, and their adversaries were still intimidated by their size.

“Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.” (Deuteronomy 9:3) 

Though the sons of Anak were giants, and the defenses too strong for Israel to defeat them, God would go before them like a fire burning brush.  There would be nothing left to resist their advance.   Sieges against fortified cities often took months or years to succeed, depending on how well the city was provisioned.    God would enable them to quickly occupy the land and displace the inhabitants.

“Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.  Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.  Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the LORD thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 9:4-7)

Israel was not the get the idea that they were better than the people God drove out before them.  The wickedness of the people in the land was causing them to be driven out.  Because he had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the land, God was going to give it to their descendants, but it was not because they were better than the others.  They needed to realize how rebellious and sinful they were from the beginning.

Too often religious people believe they are superior because they have more knowledge about God than others and keep some particular moral code they perceive as superior to that followed by others.   It is especially prevalent among those who have higher levels of education.  As I Corinthians 8:1 declares, “…Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.”  Titus  3:5 stresses it is not because we are superior in some way.  “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”  Our salvation is based solely on God’s decision to save anyone who would believe in Christ.

John 15:16 states, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain…”   Based on that fact, Romans 14:13 commands: “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.”  Galatians 6:1 instructs, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”  It is easy to lose sight of our own failings in our pride.

Moses then recounted one of their most egregious sins.

“Also in Horeb ye provoked the LORD to wrath, so that the LORD was angry with you to have destroyed you.  When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water: And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. 

And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.  And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image. 

Furthermore the LORD spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.  So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands. 

And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you.  And I took the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and brake them before your eyes.” (Deuteronomy 9:8-17) 

Right after having seen the glory of God come down on the mountain and committing to obey his law, while Moses was on the mountain to pick up the hard copy, Israel had turned away and gone into sin to such a degree that God threatened to destroy them and start over with Moses and his family.  Moses didn’t even know what had happened until he came down from the mountain and saw them.

“And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.  For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also. 

And the LORD was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron also the same time.  And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.” (Deuteronomy 9:18-21) 

Moses then spent forty days praying and interceding for the nation, and especially for Aaron, who had been given the responsibility of representing God to the people.  It had been necessary to eliminate all trace of the sin to appease God.

“And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibrothhattaavah, ye provoked the LORD to wrath.  Likewise when the LORD sent you from Kadeshbarnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you; then ye rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God, and ye believed him not, nor hearkened to his voice.  Ye have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.” (Deuteronomy 9:22-24)

Unfortunately, the sin at Mount Sinai was not the only time.  They had gone against God repeatedly, in various camps during the forty years in the wilderness.   They had a rebellious attitude or spirit from the time they left Egypt, and regularly let it take over their thoughts and behavior.

Avoiding Complacency

Deuteronomy 8:1-20

“All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.” (Deuteronomy 8:1) 

Most people want to pick and choose which rules they want to follow.  In Jesus’ day, the Scribes and Pharisees focused on minor details while ignoring major provisions according to Matthew 23:23.  “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”  We tend to pick the rules that require little sacrifice or effort and ignore those that are harder to do.  Israel’s contract with God required fulfilling all the commands, not just the ones they liked.

James 2:10-11 is quite specific.  “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.  For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.”  A minor infraction is just as much a violation as a major one, even though it‘s immediate effect may be different.  Failure to keep it all trivializes the value of any of the law.

The final responsibility in the great commission in Matthew 28:19-20 is “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…”   Unless they know what God expects, they cannot be the people God wants them to be.  I Peter 1:14-16  describes what is expected.  “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Romans 2:5-11 contrasts the different results from obedience and disobedience.  “But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.”  God is not going to change the rules to satisfy our desires or situation.

“And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.  Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.  Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.” (Deuteronomy 8:2-6) 

If Israel would remember how God had worked through the forty years in the wilderness, supplying their needs and bringing judgment when they disobeyed they would know how to please him and conduct themselves.  They would also understand his ability to supply whatever they needed.

“For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.

When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.” (Deuteronomy 8:7-10)

The land God was going to give them would provide everything they needed to live, from the water to drink and the necessary fruits and vegetables and grazing for livestock and even the metal to make tools, both brass and iron.  There would be no reason for them to go without.  It was critical they take the time to be thankful for what they had.  Most of the time discontented people do not have less than others, they just don’t appreciate what they have.

“Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.” (Deuteronomy 8:11-17)

When ones only source of food is his garden, it is easy for him to remember to water it, but as he becomes able to obtain food other places it becomes easier to neglect waterin the garden because he is less aware of the need.  In the same way, as Israel became more prosperous, it would be easy to neglect the very things that made them prosperous.  Many times a business fails because they adopt a new philosophy that neglects the attitude that drew customers to them in the first place.  Israel might well decide their success was the result of their skill in management rather than of God’s blessing their obedience.

“But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” (Deuteronomy 8:18) 

Just as a successful business often finds it necessary to constantly remind their employees of the company philosophy of service and quality that made them successful, Israel would need to constantly remind themselves that it was God’s blessing that made them prosperous.

“And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.  As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 8:19-20)

Just as forgetting what set them apart from their competitors leads to the decline and collapse of a business, failure to maintain their distinctive obedience to God would surely lead to the decline and collapse of Israel because they would no longer be different.  Different results cannot be expected unless something has been done differently.

Don’t Get Caught In a Tangle

Deuteronomy 7:1-11

"When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them: Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.  For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.  But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.” (Deuteronomy 7:1-5)

The land Israel would be moving into was already occupied by seven other groups, any of which was larger than Israel.  God was taking the land away from them because of the wickedness they had allowed in the land, according to Leviticus 18:24-25.  “Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.”

Israel was not to make any treaties or allow them to live in the land, and they were especially not to intermarry with them, not because of their race, but because they would encourage Israel to turn away from God’s covenant, even to the point of worshipping other gods, and bring God’s judgment on themselves.   Christians are given the same warning in II Corinthians 6:14-18.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (II Corinthians 6:14-18)

Adopting the attitudes and standards of unsaved people leads to a lifestyle God can not bless, and may progress to the point he has to chasten the Christian.  I Peter 4:17-18 warns, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”  God did not intend for his people to be like the world’s.

“For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.  The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8)

God had chosen Israel to be a special people to himself.  He had not chosen them because they were better or richer or stronger, but because he loved them and had made a promise to their ancestors.  Because of that promise and his love, he had miraculously delivered Israel from slavery.

In the same way God has chosen Christians to be a special people to him.  I Peter 2:9-10 tells us, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”  

He did not choose us for any special accomplishments or abilities.  Titus 3:5 informs us. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”  John 3:16 declares, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  He simply loved us and offered salvation to anyone who would believe in him.

“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.” (Deuteronomy 7:9-11)

By his very nature, God can be depended on to keep his promises to save and keep those who believe on him.  By the same nature, he can be depended on to punish those who refuse to believe him and hate him.  Because of that nature, it is critical that his people obey him.  II Timothy 2:11-13 warns, “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”  

Titus 3:8 repeats the thought.  “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”  Galatians 5:1instructs “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

There are a lot of guys who participate in rodeos in our area, and several of the ropers are missing a finger or two.  It is almost always the result of carelessly having allowed a little slack in the rope which then tangled around the finger.  When the animal they roped hit the end of the rope, the tangle was jerked down on the finger, amputating it.  Allowing a little slack in our obedience of God can similarly result in entanglement and injury.  Too close an association with nonbelievers may well distract God’s people into allowing a little slack.

Setting The Attitude For The Next Generation

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

“Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 

Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deuteronomy 6:1-5)

The ten commandments established general guidelines or principles for Israel’s relationship to God.  The first few relate strictly to their relationship to God, while the others focus on the relationship to other people as being created in the image of God.    In Matthew 22:36-40, The Scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus which was the most important law.  “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

If a man loves God as he should, he will care about others because they are in the image of God and were created by him.  I John 4:20 declares, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”  In fact, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love,” according to I John 4:8.

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.  And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

Gods word was to be the center of everything the Jews did.  It was to be the main point of discussion, and of teaching their children, the last thing they thought about before going to sleep and the first thought in th morning.  They were always to have a copies of the commands with them like an engraved bracelet on their wrist or on a headband where they would be constantly reminded what God expected.  They were to post them on the doorposts of their homes and at the gates of the city to inform visitors of the standard that was expected.  Visitors were to be held to the same standard as local people.  Numbers  15:29 commands, “Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13 makes it clear why this was necessary.   “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”  Ultimately, man’s only responsibility is to respect and obey God.  He can only do so if he knows what is expected.  The Christian is to give a similar amount of effort to learning what God expects.  II Timothy 2:15 commands, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

In Joshua 1:8, God commanded Joshua, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” The Greek word for study and the Hebrew word for meditate both refer to concentrating on the ideas expressed.  Only by taking the time to learn and fully understand will we be able to effectively implement God’s instruction.

“And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.  

Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. 
 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.   Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.” (Deuteronomy 6:10-16) 

The time of greatest danger of turning away from God comes when life is easy and we are no longer conscious of our daily dependence on God’s action in our lives.  Living in large cities and surrounded with an abundance of food and belongings, it would be easy to depend on the wells, fertile fields and herds of livestock and other people rather than on God, and to be distracted by what others considered most important allowing their relationship to God to fall by the wayside.  If they were not careful they would turn away from God, even to the point of blaming and accusing him of interfering just as the had at Massah or Meribah, when they accused him of just bringing them out there so he could destroy them, or even not really being there, as Exodus 17:1-7 describes.

“Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.  And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.” (Deuteronomy 6:17-19) 

Extreme diligence would be required to keep from forgetting what God had done for them when the problems were less pressing and the need for God’s intervention was less obvious.  While it would be easy to forget, their economic and social state would be determined by their adherence to God‘s plan.

“And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you?  Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. 

And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.  And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.” (Deuteronomy 6:20-25)

While this generation had experienced God’s intervention on their behalf, future generations would not have that experience.  Their attitude toward God would be based solely on the attitudes and actions the observed in the older generation.  It would be critical that the older generation practice all the commands diligently to emphasize the importance to the young, but it was also essential that the reasons be explained.   Only by diligent observation and practice would the younger generation perceive the importance of the commands.

Unfortunately, the modern church has not been diligent in obeying God, or in teaching the youth why we do so, with the result that most consider God‘s commands relatively unimportant.  Christianity has become just a part of our tradition, rather than a way of life, because that is the way the older generation treated it.  The next generation will undoubtedly take it even less seriously for the same reason.

The Leader’s Responsibility

Deuteronomy 5:23-33

“And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath showed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.  Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.  For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?  Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.” (Deuteronomy 5:23-27) 

When God spoke to the Children of Israel to share the basic guidelines of his covenant, the ten commandments,  God demonstrated a little of his power.  Rather than being drawn to God by the display, they withdrew. Exodus 20:18-20 describes their reaction.  “And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.  And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.  And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not."

Several years ago, My dad started to train a male donkey.  As Dad quickly discovered the Jack was very aggressive, and they very dangerous, often killing other animals.  After being attacked a couple of times, Dad took a bull whip and began to beat him.  After repeated efforts to escape, the jack decided to cooperate, and from then on any loud pop resulted in instant submission.  He had discovered that if you came obediently the whipping stopped.  He became a valuable animal because he understood the consequences of disobedience, and later became a real pet, having learned that there were also rewards for obedience.

Like the donkey, Israel initially was only concerned with getting away from the potential danger, with no interest in the rewards.   God only demonstrated his power to impress the importance of obedience on them.  Like most people, they didn’t want to yield.

“And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.  O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! “ (Deuteronomy 5:28-29)

God acknowledged the validity of their fear, knowing that they were not truly committed to serving him.  His desire was that they would have such an attitude of obedience that they would not have to fear the consequences but could just enjoy the rewards of obedience.

“Go say to them, Get you into your tents again.  But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.” (Deuteronomy 5:30-31) 

Recognizing that Israel was not prepared to yield to him yet, God allowed them to go home.  He directed Moses to stay and learn what God wanted so he could teach them to the people God’s commands and laws.  Thei would prepare them to live the life God wanted them to have in the land.  Moses was to be the pastor of the entire congregation, to use modern terminology.

“Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.  Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.” (Deuteronomy 5:32-33)

If they were to experience the life God wanted them to have, they must learn to obey his commands completely and explicitly.  Any deviation from God’s direction would interfere with God’s plan for their lives, and put them at risk.  The pastors and leaders of today have the same responsibility.  Matthew 28:18-20, often called the great commission, describes the job.  “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

The parallels in Moses’ ministry and that of the pastor or missionary are very real, and Paul referred to them in I Corinthians 10:1-13.  In Matthew 28:19-20, the first 'teach,' from the Greek word for disciple means to cause to become a disciple and compares to the Passover, when they were freed from the power of Pharaoh.  The crossing the Red sea visibly demonstrated by the destruction of the power of Pharaoh, just as Baptism demonstrates our having been delivered from the power of sin and death.  The second teach comes from the Greek word for teach and means exactly that.  Like Moses, we are to teach them to do everything God has commanded us.  Like the promise to Moses, God will bless our obedience in this matter.