Deuteronomy 5 Devotional
by Pastor Lawrence

As part of the covenant renewal ceremony between God and his people, Moses has recounted for Israel all that has taken place since the time of the exodus and their first entering into a covenant with God at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Now, beginning in this chapter, there is a retelling of the Law of God as it is summarized in the Ten Commandments. Unlike all the other laws that God gave unto Moses, these overarching laws were engraved in stone to be kept in the Ark of the Covenant as an enduring testimony of God’s redemption as well as his requirements in order for his people to live in God’s Place under God’s blessing.

Always note that the first words in the Ten Commandments are not commands but rather God’s assurance that He is the Lord, the God of Israel, who has redeemed his people bringing them out of the house of slavery in Egypt. Contrary to what many have thought, the Old Testament never teaches salvation by works. Salvation has always been by grace, and grace always precedes any stipulations of the law. Therefore, God makes it explicit from the beginning in the Ten Commandments that He is Israel’s savior and Lord. It is precisely because He has saved them that He now requires them to live in a holy manner that they might enjoy His presence and blessing.

Notice, though, the verbs that are used in the beginning of this chapter in Moses’ exhortation to Israel to keep this covenant. He says “Hear” O Israel, “learn” these laws, and “be careful to do them.” In the Old Testament the concept of hearing is closely related to that of obeying. In fact, the same verb is used to signify these related activities. It shows the importance of receiving God’s Word with fear and reverence. These are not words easily dismissed; they have been spoken by the very mouth of God and engraved in stone. And now that they have been repeated verbatim a second time in the Scriptures, one should sit up, pay attention and really listen and learn the heart of God. Likewise, when the Spirit illumines our minds to perceive God’s intentions in the Law and convicts us of their very wide application to every aspect of our lives, we ought to be prayerful in seeking to do them. That is what it means to keep God’s laws; to keep them in our hearts through meditation and to keep them in our hands through application.

In v.29, upon Israel’s reception of the Law of God, the Lord says of Israel, “Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!” Even though God surely knows of their impending sins and rebellions over the next few months, He is clearly pleased by their initial reception of the Law and of their desire to live under His rule and wisdom. But to have the Lord reveal his heart as he does in this way surely makes us want to pray for the same heart: “Oh that I would have such a heart as to always fear you Lord, and to keep your commandments.”

But we know that our hearts are prone to wander and for that reason Moses warns God’s people in vv. 32-33 once again to “be careful” to do as the Lord God commands, not turning aside to the right hand or to the left but walking in the way that the Lord has laid out for us that we might truly live and enjoy God’s blessings. Just as in Pilgrim’s Progress, there is the highway of the Lord and then there are byways of sin. Every time Pilgrim and his companions turned aside to the left or the right of the King’s road they lost sight of the Lord and fell into grievous sin. It wasn’t that they turned back in rebellion but merely deviated just a little following their own heart rather than listening to God’s Word and it led to all sorts of misery. We would do well then to listen, to learn, and to be careful to do as God’s Word says that we might stay on the path that has been laid out for us and enjoy His many blessings. After all, that is the purpose of God’s Law: that we might continue to enjoy God’s grace and favor.