Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

Since hearing is how we grow our trust in God (Romans 10:17), and this second generation of Israelites were about to enter the Land of Promise, Moses wanted them to hear the foundation of their relationship with the Lord. It was the covenant that the Lord made with them at Horeb. A living covenant with every generation of His people. Moses went over what happened that day. That he stood between them and the Lord – at their request (or the leaders of ten, fifty, hundreds, and thousands that they went to until the request got to Moses). God had wanted a relationship of speaking, but they refused. Instead, they chose a relationship of REMEMBRANCE – so they’d better listen and remember these commandments.

Foundational first commandment? I AM. The Lord IS God, THEIR God, the One who brought them out of Egypt. This isn’t blind obedience, but obedience to those whom He had saved and redeemed. Relational obedience. There ARE no further possible commands if you don’t have this one down (Hebrews 11:6).

Second command? Put no gods of ANY kind above Him. Nothing was to take His place at the center of their lives. No idols of ANY kind. No carved images, made images, or anything else that could be worshipped. No idolatry. Remember that coveting is idolatry (Colossians 3:5-7). It goes hand in hand with the first two commands. Third? Do not take the name of God in vain. Don’t use it for an oath, and then not fulfill the oath. Don’t use it as a cuss or curse. Don’t dishonour it. Fourth? Keep the Sabbath. Rest in it. Trust completely and utterly in God as your Source of all things. It’s a picture of the New Covenant relationship we have in Messiah Jesus. They were to do no work and no one in their household was to work either (including servants, livestock, or visitors). It was a remembrance of the rescue they experienced when God brought them out of bondage. That’s a picture of our redemption by Messiah Jesus today. It’s a remembrance for New Covenant believers as well – especially hand in hand with Communion, which is all about remembrance of the bondage to sin and broken ways and thinking that Messiah Jesus saved us from.

Fifth? Honour your parents so that you could experience long life. And that the life you have would be well and good. Dishonouring their parents, breaking the bond of family, led to dissatisfaction and problems. Family is a structure God has given to us to BLESS us. Don’t spurn it. Sixth? Do not unlawfully kill. That includes murder, manslaughter, accidental killing, and ANYTHING that isn’t lawful (like a just and lawful war, for example). Seventh? Do not commit adultery. Not physically (Exodus 20:14) and not mentally/in your heart (Matthew 5:28). Women are not there for you to use as objects of lust. If they are not in a marriage relationship with you, they are NOT for you. Eighth? Do not steal. God is about SELFLESS LOVING, not SELFISH TAKING. What you have is what you should be content with – it’s not about not wanting betterment, but not coveting what isn’t given to you. There is nothing wrong with working for what you want. There IS something wrong with taking what you have not earned in any way.

Ninth? Do not bear a false witness. That is more than just not lying. It’s not portraying things truthfully. It’s not giving a false impression. It’s choosing to NOT do anything but tell the total and absolute truth in all you do. Tenth? Do not covet. Do not desire what is not yours with a passion that cannot be salved unless you have it. Not your neighbour’s wife, his field, his servants (male or female), his livestock, or ANYTHING that belongs to ANYONE who isn’t yourself.

These words were what God spoke from the mountain out of the cloud directly to the people of Israel. They were recorded on two tablets of stone, but the people first heard them audibly from Yahweh Himself. And Moses reminded them it was too much for them. They were scared of the voice and the sight of the lighting, cloud, and thunder (even Moses was affected – Hebrews 12:21). They went to their tents and hunkered down there while Moses received the rest of the commands. Moses warned them they were to be careful to do ALL that the Lord commanded them to do. Not to deviate from His commands not to the left and not to the right.

Next, Moses talked about the greatest commandment (Jesus agreed with him – Mark 12:28–34). It was THE command that – if followed – would make things go well with them in the Land of Promise. They’d have long life, they’d multiply greatly (as people and in possessions), and would receive all the promises that God had promised them. “Hear, Israel, Yahweh our God, Yahweh is unique. And you shall love Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). He is ONE God manifest in three distinct Persons right from the beginning of the Word, and with the plurality of these verses He continues to be consistent. They (and we) are to be dedicated to the Lord completely and totally with everything we are: our minds, hearts, words, deeds, strength, and all our resources. We’re to focus on His Words and get them into our hearts. We’re to teach them to our children, talk about them during all that we do, be the last thing on our mind at night and the first thing on our mind in the morning. We are to keep our eyes only on things that are in accordance with God’s Word (Psalm 101:3) and keep our eyes on the Word (Proverbs 4:20-21). They should mark our houses and mark our lives.

Moses again warns them against disobedience. He warns them that when they come into the Land of Promise and live in the houses they didn’t build, enjoy vineyards they didn’t plant, and drink from wells that they didn’t dig, to not get complacent. It is when we are blessed that we are most likely to lie down and decide that we deserve it. But Moses warns them to keep thankful. To keep praising the Lord. And to teach their children so that they know WHY the people are so blessed, who blessed them, and how. If they preserve His commandments and reverence the Lord? They would be preserved by the Lord.

“Yahweh loved you and chose you not because of your great number exceeding all other peoples, for you are fewer than all of the peoples, but because of the love of Yahweh for you and because of his keeping of the sworn oath that he swore to your ancestors, Yahweh brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).

This whole book (Deuteronomy) is a kind of marriage contract with the children of Israel before they entered into the promised land. It was their chance to validate and submit to the covenant Yahweh had with them. A covenant is a community of fellowship between two people. A sharing of life, nature, and custom, until the two parties became identical copies of one another. A close union of love. Their loving Father had brought them out of Egypt, out of bondage, and released them into the freedom of life with Him. He had powerfully demonstrated His love and the lengths to which He would go to love them as an individual people – singularly AND as a collective whole. Moses is know stressing the importance of having the WILL to fulfill their covenant obligations. To wholeheartedly love God back. An exclusive devotion and commitment in their entire pattern of life. And if they would do that, they would always enjoy the fulfillment of God’s promises of love and mercy. Love is the centre of the Law, not rule keeping, because love is the foundation and core of the covenant between Yahweh and His children.

Moses is very clear as to what they were to do upon entering the land. They were to drive out the inhabitants. If they would not drive, they were to destroy them completely in utter totality. They were a cancer and would harm everyone they came into contact with. They would turn the people of Israel away from the One True God, Yahweh. They were not to show mercy, to make covenants with them, or to intermarry with them – not by daughter or son. They were to break down their altars, smash their standing stones into pieces, cut down their sacred poles, and to burn up their carved images.

Yahweh chose Israel not on their own merit, but He had chosen them of all the peoples of the entire Earth to be His own unique treasure. He wanted them to guard that as a husband guards his young wife. As a mother guards her children. Yahweh loved them and wanted to keep His covenant with their forefathers, the oath that He swore to them. Because of this He redeemed them, rescued them, led them, and has given the land to them to inhabit. If they will keep His covenant and follow His ways, they would have prosperity in spirit, body, and land. If not, His anger would burn against them. He extends GRACE to those who keep His commandments. To them, to their children, to their children’s children, to the thousandth generation (forever). Moses pled with the people. Keep the commandments and statues. Follow Adonai with their whole and complete heart.

It’s a good lesson for us today as well.

Summary

Key Players: God, Moses

Key Themes: Commandments, Love, Covenant, Chosen People

Key Verse(s): Deuteronomy 5:6-7, 22; 6:4-9; 7:3-4, 6