Journal Through the Bible: Week 27 Saturday

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Deuteronomy chapter 10

This chapter is a continuation of the review that Moses gave the Children of Israel concerning the years since leaving Egypt. Yesterday's passage told how God loved them. Today's chapter tells them to love God.

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?  Deut. 10:12-13

This is what God requires of all who want to enter into a covenant relationship with Him.


Does God issue any commands in this chapter?

• Moses reminded them of the commandments that God engraved upon the tablets of stone.
• Moses reminded them of God's command to separate out the tribe of Levi for His service.
• Moses reminded them that God commanded him to lead them toward the Land of Promise once he had come down from the mount after meeting with the LORD.
• Through Moses God made it clear that it was their hearts that needed circumcised. 
• The people were commanded to love and care for strangers since they had been strangers in the land of Egypt when Jacob and his family went down to dwell there.
• The people were commanded to fear God and cling to him.

Does God make any promises?

• God delighted in their fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and would bless them because of that delight.
• God promised to be the judge that cared for the fatherless, widows, and strangers.

Does this chapter teach anything about Jesus?

• The same question found in verses 12 and 13 is the same statement that Jesus called the first and greatest commandment. 
• Men are incapable of keeping this first and greatest commandment. Jesus makes us acceptable to take part in the covenant relationship with God and paid the penalty when we fail to keep our part of the covenant.
• Moses told the people to care for strangers. Jesus cares for those of us that are alien to the ways of God.
• Jesus also said that the second greatest commandment was to love thy neighbor as thyself. This is an echo of Moses' sentiment to care for the strangers among them.

Does this chapter teach anything about yet-future events?

• "Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is." (Verse 14). Nothing is going to happen to this earth or the skies that God does not allow. Nothing will ever surprise God! Just as God's fingerprint is all over history it is also all over the earth's future.