Deuteronomy 10:12-22

(2) BY AN ABIDING LOVE (Deuteronomy 10:12 to Deuteronomy 11:1)

12 And now, Israel, what doth Jehovah thy God require of thee, but to fear Jehovah thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Jehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, 13 to keep the commandments of Jehovah, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? 14 Behold, unto Jehovah thy God belongeth heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that is therein. 15 Only Jehovah had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all peoples, as at this day. 16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked. 17 For Jehovah your God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the terrible, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward. 18 He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loveth the sojourner, in giving him food and raiment. 19 Love ye therefore the sojourner; for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 20 Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God; him shalt thou serve; and to him shalt thou cleave, and by his name shalt thou swear. 21 He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen. 22 Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now Jehovah thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.

Therefore thou shalt love Jehovah thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his ordinances, and his commandments always.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 10:12-11:1

208.

Please read carefully this whole section as an expression of the heart of our Lord respecting His children. Does this sound like a tyrant type law giver?

209.

Fill in the blanks: "What does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear _______ _______ your God, to walk in all _______ _______, to love _______, to serve _______ _______ your God with all your _______.

210.

In what sense are God's commandments for our good?

211.

Why mention the thought that God owns all?

212.

Isn't Deuteronomy 10:16 a strange word? What does it mean?

213.

Why mention the fatherless and widow?

214.

Please list the verbs that refer to the proper relationship of the Israelite to Jehwah, such as "fear, walk, love,". etc. What does the Lord require of thee and me?

215.

What is the suggestion in the expression: "Ile is your praise"?

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 10:12-11:1

12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but (reverently) to fear the Lord your God: [that is,] to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your (mind and) heart and with your entire being.
13 To keep the commandments of the Lord, and His statutes, which I command you today for your good?
14 Behold, the heavens and the Heaven of heavens belong to the Lord your God, the earth also, with all that is in it and on it;
15 Yet the Lord had a delight in loving your fathers, and He chose their descendants after them, you above all people, as this day.
16 So circumcise the foreskin of your [mind and] heart; be no longer stubborn and hardened.
17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the terrible God, Who is not partial and takes no bribe.
18 He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and loves the stranger or temporary resident and gives him food and clothing.
19 Therefore love the stranger and sojourner, for you were strangers and sojourners in the land of Egypt.
20 You shall (reverently) fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and by His name and presence you shall swear.
21 He is your praise; He is your God, Who has done for you these great and terrible things which your eyes have seen.
22 Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons; and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of the heavens for multitude.
Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His precepts, and His commandments always.

COMMENT 10:12-11:1

WHAT DOTH JEHOVAH. REQUIRE OF THEE, etc. (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)Surely one of the most moving passages in this book! We are immediately reminded of Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and also that famous scripture in Micah 6:8. One cannot help but see in these passages that God demanded the heart of his servants in the Old Testament! He was dissatisfied and displeased when service was rendered to him only out of habit, form, and dry conformity. Reader, if that was true then, under the partial light of that distant age, what shall we say of the expectations of God now?

FOR THY GOOD (Deuteronomy 10:13)See also Deuteronomy 6:24, Deuteronomy 8:16.

UNTO JEHOVAH THY GOD BELONGETH HEAVEN AND THE HEAVEN OF HEAVENS, THE EARTH, WITH ALL THAT IS THEREIN (Deuteronomy 10:14)A graphic way of saying that all belongs to God. The earth is Jehovah'S, and the fullness thereof (Psalms 24:1) on one hand, The heavens are the heavens of Jehovah (Psalms 115:16) on the other. Concerning the phrase, heaven and the heaven of heavens, Gesenius remarks, i.e. all the spaces of heaven, however vast and infinite, citing this passage and 1 Kings 8:27.

CIRCUMCISE. THE FORESKIN OF YOUR HEART, AND BE NO MORE STIFFNECKED (Deuteronomy 10:16)See also Deuteronomy 30:6. Circumcision was, of course, an identifying mark of all Israelites. But, as Paul later states, he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew who 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 (Romans 2:28-29).

Before God would be pleased, their hearts must be circumcised. Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, the prophet said, and take away the foreskin of your heart (Jeremiah 4:4), A mere outward alteration simply would not (and will not) do with God! The inner man, the hidden man of the heart must be changed. See Joel 2:12-13.

[GOD] LOVETH THE SOJOURNER. LOVE YE THEREFORE THE SOJOURNER (Deuteronomy 10:18-19)If Israel was to be godlike, his love, like God'S, would extend to all. The reference here is, of course to those who joined themselves to Israel and embraced Jehovah and his worship, such as Ruth the Moabitess and Uriah the Hittite. Cf. Leviticus 19:33-34.

BY HIS NAME THOU SHALT SWEAR (Deuteronomy 10:20)See Deuteronomy 5:11 and remarks, Also 6-13.