June 24,2012
Lesson Focus:
A Humble and loving
Heart practices justice
Lesson Scripture:
Deuteronomy 10:12-22,16:18-20
INTRODUCTION. In this week’s lesson we come to the heart of the law which is really the heart of God Himself. It reveals God’s character and the character of His justice, which are worthy of our imitation.Moses had recounted the historical events of Israel’s time since the Exodus from Egypt.The nation now stood ready to enter Canaan, after spending forty years in the wilderness due to their initial refusal to enter the land.Moses wouldn’t enter Canaan with them so he gave them addition instructions that would prepare them to enter Canaan and prosper there.The nation of Israel had wandered in the wilderness for almost forty years and during that time all the adults of that generation had died.Their children were now camped on the Plains of Moab east of the Jordan where Moses once again instructed them in the law that God gave at Mount Sinai.
(vs. 12). Moses began by asking the people a rhetorical question “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.” Moses went on to tell the people what God required of them.First they were “to fear the Lord thy God.”The Hebrew word for “fear” can mean to be frightened or to show respect or reverence. It can also mean to stand on awe. When it comes to one’s relationship to God, “fear” is an appropriate ingredient.This leads to the second requirement, “to walk in all his ways.”This refers to one’s conduct.Israel was expected to conduct themselves according to God’s will.The third requirement was “to love him.”The motivation for all of Israel’s actions was to be a genuine love for the Lord.The fourth requirement for Israel was “to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”God’s people are to serve Him with wholehearted service in actions and worship.It calls for complete commitment.
(vs. 13).The fifth requirement for Israel was“To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes,which I command thee this day for thy good?”Israel was to keep and practice the commandments and regulations that God had specifically revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai.God expects His people to honor His will as revealed in His Word. Keeping God’s laws had benefits for the nation.God said that it was“for thy good.”Obeying God’s commandments and statues would benefit His people by promoting health, prosperity, peace and longevity in the land (see Deuteronomy 4:40; 5:33; 6:24)
(.vs. 14). Moses now says “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.” Human beings have all kinds of gods of their own and even some that they say have dominion over certain parts of nature. But the one true God of Israel presides over all things heavenly and earthly, and He won’t share His authority with anyone (see Isaiah 42:8).
(vs. 15).As the Almighty God, He could favor and exalt whoever He wants, but Moses here said that “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.”God in His favor chose Israel’s “fathers” and “their seed” over all other peoples to be His own.The word “fathers” refers to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.The words “their seed” refers to the nation of Israel that Moses was now addressing.God didn’t choose Israel because they were great in numbers for they began as a small family in Egypt.He chose them simply because He loved them and to keep the promise He made to Israel’s forefathers (see Deuteronomy 7:7-8).
(10:16).Moses then directed God’s chosen people to“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.”From the days of Abraham, physical circumcision had been the sign of Israel’s covenant with God (see Genesis 17:9-14).But now Moses called for a spiritual circumcision causing them to cut away al the stubbornness of their hearts (see Jeremiah 4:4).Spiritual circumcision was necessary because Israel had been“stiffnecked”or disobedient.The fact that Moses exhorted the people to “be no more stiffnecked” indicates that disobedience and stubbornness had been their normal behavior.The previous generation who died in the wilderness was guilty of this same behavior (see Exodus 32:9; 33:3, 5; 34:9), and now their children were acting the same way (see Deuteronomy 6:6; 31:27).
(vs. 17).The people needed to change their behavior by spiritually circumcising their hearts because Moses said “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.”Unlike the false pagan gods in Canaan, Israel’s “God is God of gods, and Lord of lords.”In addition,He is“great,”mghty,”and“terrible.” he word “terrible” means “awesome.”The phrase“which regardeth not persons” means that God does not show any partiality.The phrase “nor taketh reward” means that He cannot be bought or bribed. As the Giver of gifts, He needs absolutely nothing from man.
(vs. 18).As the sovereign God Moses continued to say that “He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow,and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.”The phrase “He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow” means that God defends the rights of the fatherless and widows.He also “loveth the stranger” or the alien resident in the land.
(vs. 19).Moses exhorted the people to “Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.”Since God loved strangers, or non-Israelites as illustrated by giving them food and clothing (see vs. 18), He expected His people to love them as well.The Israelites were obligated to treat strangers or foreigners well because they too had lived as strangers in Egypt.While in Egyptian slavery, God provided for them and eventually delivered them. Shouldn’t the Israelites sympathize with the strangers who lived among them and treat them kindly as well (see Leviticus 19:34)?
(vs. 20).Moses commanded the Israelites to “fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shn this verse alt thou cleave, and swear by his name.”As mentioned earlier “fear the Lord thy God” means to have the utmost awe and reverence for Him.This leads to serving Him with our deeds, clinging to Him in heart, and swearing by His name in all oaths taken.The command to“swear by His name” ruled out swearing by any other god (see Exodus 23:13; Joshua 23:7). Note: Swearing oaths was common in the Old Testament. It was an appeal to God to confirm the truth of a statement that was made.Oaths were considered serious and swearing falsely was condemned by the law (see Exodus 20:7).
(vs. 21).Moses here tells the people that their Lawgiver “He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.”The phrase “He is thy praise” means that Jehovah was the object of their praise.The great and awesome things He had done for them should bring forth praise from His people.Moses told the people “thine eyes have seen” His “great and terrible (awesome) things.”Many of those present as Moses spoke had been children when Israel left Egypt so they had witnessed many divine acts during their lifetimes.They saw the sea parted, water flow from a rock, food supplied, enemies defeated, and rebellious Israelites destroyed.
(vs. 22).Through all the works that the nation had witnessed, God’s grace was evident. Moses here said,"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.”God’s grace was seen in the fact that when Joseph was in Egypt, his extended family of seventy members, including his father Jacob, came to Egypt to be with him.While in Egypt, the Lord enabled them to multiply rapidly and now they were as numerous “as the stars of heaven for multitude.”In likening Israel’s numbers to the stars of heaven, the Israelites were reminded of God’s promise to Abraham centuries earlier (see Genesis 15:5). Note: The population of Israel at this time was over six hundred thousand men twenty years of age and older not counting women and children (see Exodus 12:37; 38:26; Numbers 26:51). Thus the total population was probably two million or more.
(vs. 18).After reminding the Israelites of their duties to God and man, Moses instructed them in setting up permanent governments once they settled in Canaan.In this verse Moses said “Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.”They were to appoint “judges and officers… in all thy gates.”The word “gates” is used to identify the centers for judicial decisions. Judicial decisions were usually done at the entrance to each city, or the “gates” (see Ruth 4:1).The “judges” were the chief rulers, and the “officers” were probably those who kept a record and carried out the judicial decisions.Together they were to provide “just judgment” or fair justice with integrity.
(vs. 19).Moses further explained the duty of these judges and officers.He said “Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.”The phrase “Thou shalt not wrest judgment” means that they were not to distort justice.More specifically, they were not to “respect persons” by showing favoritism on the basis of family, friendship or wealth. Neither were these judges and officers to “take a gift” meaning a bribe.Nothing distorts justice like bribery and Moses made this plain when he said “for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.”Accepting a bribe can cause a wise man to make unwise decisions and twist the words of a righteous person. God didn’t then and will not today tolerate such practices.
(16:20). In our last verse Moses said “That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Israel was commanded to do “That which is altogether just.” In other words, there was to be no compromising the principles guiding God’s people. If Israel obeyed God’s laws, Moses said they would live and inherit, or fully possess the land that God would give to them. The nation’s life, prosperity, and continuance in the land of Canaan depended on their obedience to God’s revealed standards of justice.
Conclusion. At the heart of the law given to Israel is a loving God who calls us to complete devotion to Him as He did the ancient Israelites. Israel had grown to be a nation of great size while in bondage in Egypt. Now, as they were about to possess their own land, they needed to apply the laws of God in order to set up an organized and orderly society. God promised that if the Israelites practiced heartfelt obedience to His ways, he would bless them abundantly. Sadly, Israel would eventually forsake the Lord and fall into God’s judgments. Their basic problem would not be the breaking of specific commands, but failing to love the God who gave the commands. 
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