God Speaks
Moses called all the people of Israel together and said, “Listen carefully, Israel. Hear the decrees and regulations I am giving you today, so you may learn them and obey them!
2 “The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Mount Sinai. 3 The Lord did not make this covenant with our ancestors, but with all of us who are alive today. 4 At the mountain the Lord spoke to you face to face from the heart of the fire. 5 I stood as an intermediary between you and the Lord, for you were afraid of the fire and did not want to approach the mountain. He spoke to me, and I passed his words on to you. This is what he said:
6 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
7 “You must not have any other god but me.
8 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 9 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 10 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
11 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys and other livestock, and any foreigners living among you. All your male and female servants must rest as you do. 15 Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day.
16 “Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
17 “You must not murder.
18 “You must not commit adultery.
19 “You must not steal.
20 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
21 “You must not covet your neighbor’s wife. You must not covet your neighbor’s house or land, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.
22 “The Lord spoke these words to all of you assembled there at the foot of the mountain. He spoke with a loud voice from the heart of the fire, surrounded by clouds and deep darkness. This was all he said at that time, and he wrote his words on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
23 “But when you heard the voice from the heart of the darkness, while the mountain was blazing with fire, all your tribal leaders and elders came to me. 24 They said, ‘Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice from the heart of the fire. Today we have seen that God can speak to us humans, and yet we live! 25 But now, why should we risk death again? If the Lord our God speaks to us again, we will certainly die and be consumed by this awesome fire. 26 Can any living thing hear the voice of the living God from the heart of the fire as we did and yet survive? 27 Go yourself and listen to what the Lord our God says. Then come and tell us everything he tells you, and we will listen and obey.’
28 “The Lord heard the request you made to me. And he said, ‘I have heard what the people said to you, and they are right. 29 Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever. 30 Go and tell them, “Return to your tents.” 31 But you stand here with me so I can give you all my commands, decrees, and regulations. You must teach them to the people so they can obey them in the land I am giving them as their possession.’”
32 So Moses told the people, “You must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. 33 Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: A much more thorough, in-depth, and knowledgeable treatment of this chapter can be found in The Rational Bible: Deuteronomy by Dennis Prager, pages 63-110. This blog entry is a small attempt to encourage the reader to begin thinking about this very important and foundational portion of God’s word and talking with Him about it.
Consider the following questions regarding Deuteronomy 5:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. The LORD God who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt used Moses to recount His laws and expectations (specifically the Ten Commandments) to the next generation as they were getting ready to enter the land that He had promised their ancestors.
2. People are often overwhelmed and lose heart when they become aware of the awesome power of God.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Deuteronomy 5?
Dear LORD, my God, thank You for creating this vast, wonderful universe and everything in it including me. Thank You for rescuing me from slavery to sin, self, and Satan. There is no other God but You. I determine to not allow anything or anyone to come between us or to take Your rightful place at the center of my life. You have every right to jealously guard and reserve my affections for Yourself. Thank You for lavishing Your love on me. I could never deserve it. May I always appreciate it (and tell You so). Thanks that Your unfailing love continues to a thousand generations for those who love You and obey Your commands. I never want to dishonor or bring disgrace on Your name. I look forward to resting in Your company along with my family and friends (employees, visitors, and animals as well) as we honor You on the Sabbath. Children learn how to honor and respect You and others in authority as they honor and respect their mother and their father. I determine to set a good example for the children with whom I have contact. I will also convey to them the blessings that result from doing so. LORD, please keep me from doing ultimate harm to anyone in any way. Please keep me faithful to my spouse and to You. Help me not to take anything (material or immaterial) that does not belong to me. Help me to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth unless it would bring grievous harm to someone else to do so. Please help me to keep my desires in check especially when I long for anything that already belongs to someone else. Please show me Your glory and greatness and allow me to hear Your voice just as You granted Moses this privilege. Give me the right kind of fear of You, O God. May I bring honor to You, LORD, by staying on the path You have commanded me to follow. Then I will live a long and prosperous life in the place You have set aside for me to occupy. For Your glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 9?
- I will memorize the Ten Commandments so that I will remember them in order to obey them.
- I will admit to the LORD (and to myself) that I cannot keep the Ten Commandments on my own and ask the Holy Spirit to help me to live by them.
- I will seek out what each command means and share what I learn with family members and friends.
- I will thank the LORD that He created me, set me free, and has given me His word so that I may know how to relate to Him and to other people.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.