Deuteronomy 10:1-22
Monday, 11 July 2022
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good? - Deuteronomy 10:12-14
What does God expect from our lives? Is He expecting some offerings? Follow some rituals? Or repeat some sacred words? What is that God expecting from the lives of His chosen ones? The question is directly answered by Moses in today's reading from Deuteronomy 10:12-13. In these verses we get a nutshell of God’s expectation of His people - the chosen ones. After reminding the people of Israel of the events they experienced (Vs.1-11), Moses concludes with an appeal to fear the LORD and serve HIM faithfully (Vs.12). This was God’s expectation of them.
God had done everything for His people, Israel and in turn God expects them to:
To fear the Lord
To walk in His ways
To love Him
To serve Him
To keep His commandments and statutes
This is not only applicable to the old Israel during their wilderness journey, but God expects the same from us too. The only difference is that instead of writing the Law on stone tablets, God has written it in our hearts. The following verses explain what God has done. “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27) –this prophecy in Ezekiel was fulfilled through the coming of Christ who brought us into a New Covenant with Him. This was repeated by the writer of Hebrews: “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Heb.8:10)
A close and intimate relationship with God is well defined in verse 20: “…you shall…. cling to Him.” God demands this from His people! If He demanded it then, how much more now, when He sent His Son and redeemed us for Himself!! Out of that relationship, He expects us to love and walk in His ways.
So today we do not need any external source or object to obey God, but He has come to dwell within us through His Spirit. As we surrender ourselves, He will lead us through His Spirit in His ways – to fear, love, and serve Him and to obey His commandments. As it is said in Deut. 10:16, a circumcision of the heart is required for us even today- a new birth through the Holy Spirit ensures a new heart that is willing to obey God’s laws and please Him.
If anyone of you feels you cannot rise to the expectation of God because of the burden of sin or oppression and persecution or weariness in search of God or excessive demands of religion, come to Jesus! He invites: “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” If you are in Him then your life will be purposeful and productive.
This day let us willingly submit our lives into the very hands that made the universe— for our own good- that we may love and serve Him all the days of our life.
Prayer: "Dear GOD, I come to You willfully surrendering my life. Please lead me in the way that is pleasing in Your sight." Amen
Comments