Today, we will continue reading Moses’ second dialogue which he delivered to the Israelites on the east bank of the Jordan River. We will be reminded of the fickle nature of Israel’s devotion to Yahweh, a fickleness that we should guard against in our lives.
When we stopped reading yesterday, Moses had just reminded Israel of the contents of the first four of the ten commandments. The wording of the ten commandments found in Deuteronomy 5 is very similar to the wording of the ten commandments found in Exodus 20. Verse 16 is the fifth commandment.
Deut. 5:16 ¶ ‘Honor your father and your mother, as Yahweh your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
Take note of the promise that was attached to this command. The Israelites had the opportunity to prolong their days on the land by honoring their father and mother.
During the 1st century AD, Paul wrote the book of Ephesians and commanded us to honor our father and mother. He highlighted the fact that this command was the first of the ten commandments that had a promise attached to it (see Ephesians 6:2).
Deut. 5:17 ¶ ‘You shall not murder.
Deut. 5:18 ¶ ‘You shall not commit adultery.
Deut. 5:19 ¶ ‘You shall not steal.
Deut. 5:20 ¶ ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Deut. 5:21 ¶ ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male slave or his female slave, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’
Deut. 5:22 ¶ “These words Yahweh spoke to all your assembly at the mountain from the midst of the fire, of the cloud and of the dense gloom, with a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.
Don’t overlook the description of the scene at Mount Sinai. Yahweh spoke from the midst of fire, surrounded by cloud and dense gloom. He spoke with a loud voice. The scene was designed to generate fear in the hearts of the Israelites.
Deut. 5:23 Now it happened that when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders.
Deut. 5:24 And you said, ‘Behold, Yahweh our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives.
Deut. 5:25 So now then why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of Yahweh our God any longer, then we will die.
Take note of the word “die”. The fire on Mount Sinai generated so much fear in the hearts of the Israelites that they were afraid they were going to die.
Deut. 5:26 For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
Deut. 5:27 As for you, go near and hear all that Yahweh our God says; then speak to us all that Yahweh our God speaks to you, and we will hear and do it.’
Deut. 5:28 ¶ “And Yahweh heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and Yahweh said to me, ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.
Deut. 5:29 Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments all the days, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!
Ponder the phrase “Oh that they had such a heart in them”. Israel was correct to fear Yahweh at Mount Sinai and ask Moses to be the intermediary. However, when Yahweh said “Oh that they had such a heart in them”, He revealed that He did not believe they had such a heart in them. The rest of the Old Testament proves Israel did not have such a heart in them. Israel frequently failed to fear Yahweh.
This proves that sometimes people can do the right thing and have the right attitude for a short time, but then fail to serve Yahweh over the long term.
We see something similar in modern times. When I was growing up, my church had annual revival conferences where we brought in a guest speaker who spent a week encouraging everyone in the congregation to repent of all their sins and live a better life. The speaker generally created a very emotional atmosphere which pressured everyone in the congregation to make all sorts of promises to God.
Less than a week after the speaker left town, the emotion died off, and everyone returned to living how they had lived before the speaker arrived. The church members would comment on the fact that these conferences did not have lasting impact on the congregation.
We essentially did what the Israelites did. Just as Israel made all sorts of promises at Mount Sinai to always be faithful to Yahweh, but then they continually rebelled against Him as they traveled through the wilderness; so too, many Christians today go to conferences and make many promises to God in an emotional atmosphere, but then they fail to follow through when the emotion dies off.
Instead of participating in emotional experiences and making emotion-driven promises to God, we should put forth the time and effort to know the Bible and change the depths of our hearts. That way, we will be driven to do the right thing day after day, month after month, and year after year.
Deut. 5:30 Go, say to them, “Return to your tents.”
Deut. 5:31 But as for you, stand here by Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess.’
Deut. 5:32 So you shall be careful to do just as Yahweh your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left.
Deut. 5:33 In all the way which Yahweh your God has commanded you, you shall walk, that you may live and that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess.
Yahweh promised Israel that if they obeyed Him, they would prosper and prolong their days in the Promised Land. However, deep down, the Israelites were not fully committed to Yahweh; thus, they did not consistently obey Him.
We should seek to know the Bible inside and out, so that we change the beliefs and attitudes in the depths of our hearts. That way we will have firm convictions which will enable us to consistently do the right thing over and over again.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”