Deuteronomy 10:1-181At that time the Lord said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. 2And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark. 3And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand. 4And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the Lord gave them unto me. 5And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the Lord commanded me. 6And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera: there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest's office in his stead. 7From thence they journeyed unto Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Jotbath, a land of rivers of waters. 8At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day. 9Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the Lord is his inheritance, according as the Lord thy God promised him. 10And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also, and the Lord would not destroy thee. 11And the Lord said unto me, Arise, take thy journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give unto them. 12And 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, 13To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? 14Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is. 15Only 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. 16Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked. 17For 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: 18He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. (Deuteronomy 10:1‑18)
IN THE last chapter Moses recounts how he had fallen down before the Lord at Horeb and interceded for the people, after they had so utterly failed in setting up the golden calf. Otherwise all hope was gone. Moses here is a beautiful type of Christ who stood in the breach when the righteous wrath of God would have burst forth upon us guilty sinners. Even now He intercedes at God's right hand for us, His saints, here below.
In chapter 10 Moses continues this subject of the people's failure. The second tables of stone were given but this only proved their thorough disobedience, for why were the second tables required at all?
It was divine mercy only that had restored everything in Israel. In their extremity the promise to their fathers and the glory of the Lord's name provided the ground on which He could take them up again. The tables of the law had been renewed; God had told Moses to make two new ones, but this time they were not carried alone as the first into the camp, but were put into the ark for safe-keeping; and there they remained.
The ark is another beautiful type of Christ. There the holy law of God found a safe resting place. The Lord Jesus could say in that past eternity, as none other could say ever since, "Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart." Psa. 40:7,87Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:7‑8). Blessed be His name, He has magnified the law and made it honorable (Isa. 42:2121The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honorable. (Isaiah 42:21)).
Moses goes on to tell of Aaron's death long after, and of how the priesthood passed to his son, Eleazar. Then the whole tribe of Levi were separated to God, to minister to Him and to bless the people in His name, having the Lord alone for their portion and inheritance.
Verses 12-22 are very beautiful exhortations and reasons for practical godliness and obedience to the Lord. "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 . . ." After all He had done for them what did He require of them but loving obedience to His commandments, which were always for their good — love to One who though so infinitely great had nevertheless chosen them above all people in His love to them. This is what made them so responsible above all men, and surely this is what ought to have made their duty easy to fulfill.
These wonderful works of the Lord were not things they had heard about, but they had seen them with their own eyes. So there was no excuse for them to disbelieve them. God had rendered a full testimony to His people.
Furthermore, Moses tells Israel, that it was not just the outward form of circumcision that God wanted, but "circumcision of the heart" — A heart that delights to walk in His ways.
When we think of the love of the Lord Jesus and all He has done for us, surely His love working in our hearts ought to make it our happy and easy task to please and serve Him: "We love Him because He first loved us." And how true are His blessed words, "My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." How much more responsible are we than Israel!
Messages of the Love of God 2/9/1975