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Deuteronomy 10:12
Verse
Context
A Call to Obedience
11Then the LORD said to me, “Get up. Continue your journey ahead of the people, that they may enter and possess the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.”12And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,13and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD that I am giving you this day for your own good?
Sermons
Winkie Pratney
Chuck SmithChuck Smith
Joshua DanielJoshua DanielSummary
Commentary
- Keil-Delitzsch
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
The proof that Israel had no righteousness before God is followed on the positive side by an expansion of the main law laid down in Deu 6:4., to love God with all the heart, which is introduced by the words, "and now Israel," sc., now that thou hast everything without desert or worthiness, purely from forgiving grace. "What doth the Lord thy God require of thee?" Nothing further than that thou fearest Him, "to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve Him with all the heart and all the soul." אם כּי, unless, or except that, presupposes a negative clause (cf. Gen 39:9), which is implied here in the previous question, or else to be supplied as the answer. The demand for fear, love, and reverence towards the Lord, is no doubt very hard for the natural man to fulfil, and all the harder the deeper it goes into the heart; but after such manifestations of the love and grace of God, it only follows as a matter of course. "Fear, love, and obedience would naturally have taken root of themselves within the heart, if man had not corrupted his own heart." Love, which is the only thing demanded in Deu 6:5, is here preceded by fear, which is the only thing mentioned in Deu 5:26 and Deu 6:24. (Note: The fear of God is to be united with the love of God; for love without fear makes men remiss, and fear without love makes them servile and desperate (J. Gerhard).) The fear of the Lord, which springs from the knowledge of one's own unholiness in the presence of the holy God, ought to form the one leading emotion in the heart prompting to walk in all the ways of the Lord, and to maintain morality of conduct in its strictest form. This fear, which first enables us to comprehend the mercy of God, awakens love, the fruit of which is manifested in serving God with all the heart and all the soul (see Deu 6:5). "For thy good," as in Deu 5:30 and Deu 6:24.
John Gill Bible Commentary
And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee,.... For all these favours bestowed upon them, the forgiveness of their sins, and a fresh intimation of their possession of the land of Canaan, and the renewal of the promise of it made to their fathers: but to fear the Lord thy God; to fear him with a filial fear, to fear him and his goodness, and him for his goodness sake, and particularly for his pardoning grace and mercy vouchsafed to them; see Psa 130:4, to walk in all his ways; prescribed and directed to by him, every path of duty, whether moral, ceremonial, or judicial: and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul; for that is the best service which springs from love, and love constrains unto, and which is hearty and sincere, as that is, and is performed in the best manner such are capable of.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Here is a most pathetic exhortation to obedience, inferred from the premises, and urged with very powerful arguments and a great deal of persuasive rhetoric. Moses brings it in like an orator, with an appeal to his auditors And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee? Deu 10:12. Ask what he requires; as David (Psa 116:12), What shall I render? When we have received mercy from God it becomes us to enquire what returns we shall make to him. Consider what he requires, and you will find it is nothing but what is highly just and reasonable in itself and of unspeakable benefit and advantage to you. Let us see here what he does require, and what abundant reason there is why we should do what he requires. I. We are here most plainly directed in our duty to God, to our neighbour, and to ourselves. 1. We are here taught our duty to God, both in the dispositions and affections of our souls and in the actions of our lives, our principles and our practices. (1.) We must fear the Lord our God, Deu 10:12, and again Deu 10:20. We must adore his majesty, acknowledge his authority, stand in awe of his power, and dread his wrath. This is gospel duty, Rev 14:6, Rev 14:7. (2.) We must love him, be well pleased that he is, desire that he may be ours, and delight in the contemplation of him and in communion with him. Fear him as a great God, and our Lord, love him as a good God, and our Father and benefactor. (3.) We must walk in his ways, that is, the ways which he has appointed us to walk in. The whole course of our conversation must be conformable to his holy will. (4.) We must serve him (Deu 10:20), serve him with all our heart and soul (Deu 10:12), devote ourselves to his honour, put ourselves under his government, and lay out ourselves to advance all the interests of his kingdom among men. And we must be hearty and zealous in his service, engage and employ our inward man in his work, and what we do for him we must do cheerfully and with a good will. (5.) We must keep his commandments and his statutes, Deu 10:13. Having given up ourselves to his service, we must make his revealed will our rule in every thing, perform all he prescribes, forbear all the forbids, firmly believing that all the statutes he commands us are for our good. Besides the reward of obedience, which will be our unspeakable gain, there are true honour and pleasure in obedience. It is really for our present good to be meek and humble, chaste and sober, just and charitable, patient and contented; these make us easy, and safe, and pleasant, and truly great. (6.) We must give honour to God, in swearing by his name (Deu 10:20); so give him the honour of his omniscience, his sovereignty, his justice, as well as of his necessary existence. Swear by his name, and not by the name of any creature, or false god, whenever an oath for confirmation is called for. (7.) To him we must cleave, Deu 10:20. Having chosen him for our God, we must faithfully and constantly abide with him and never forsake him. Cleave to him as one we love and delight in, trust and confide in, and from whom we have great expectations. 2. We are here taught our duty to our neighbour (Deu 10:19): Love the stranger; and, if the stranger, much more our brethren, as ourselves. If the Israelites that were such a peculiar people, so particularly distinguished from all people, must be kind to strangers, much more must we, that are not enclosed in such a pale; we must have a tender concern for all that share with us in the human nature, and as we have opportunity; (that is, according to their necessities and our abilities) we must do good to all men. Two arguments are here urged to enforce this duty: - (1.) God's common providence, which extends itself to all nations of men, they being all made of one blood. God loveth the stranger (Deu 10:18), that is, he gives to all life, and breath, and all things, even to those that are Gentiles, and strangers to the commonwealth of Israel and to Israel's God. He knows those perfectly whom we know nothing of. He gives food and raiment even to those to whom he has not shown his word and statutes. God's common gifts to mankind oblige us to honour all men. Or the expression denotes the particular care which Providence takes of strangers in distress, which we ought to praise him for (Psa 146:9, The Lord preserveth the strangers), and to imitate him, to serve him, and concur with him therein, being forward to make ourselves instruments in his hand of kindness to strangers. (2.) The afflicted condition which the Israelites themselves had been in, when they were strangers in Egypt. Those that have themselves been in distress, and have found mercy with God, should sympathize most feelingly with those that are in the like distress and be ready to show kindness to them. The people of the Jews, notwithstanding these repeated commands given them to be kind to strangers, conceived a rooted antipathy to the Gentiles, whom they looked upon with the utmost disdain, which made them envy the grace of God and the gospel of Christ, and this brought a final ruin upon themselves. 3. We are here taught our duty to ourselves (Deu 10:16): Circumcise the foreskin of your hearts. that is, "Cast away from you all corrupt affections and inclinations, which hinder you from fearing and loving God. Mortify the flesh with the lusts of it. Away with all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, which obstruct the free course of the word of God to your hearts. Rest not in the circumcision of the body, which was only the sign, but be circumcised in heart, which is the thing signified." See Rom 2:29. The command of Christ goes further than this, and obliges us not only to cut off the foreskin of the heart, which may easily be spared, but to cut off the right hand and to pluck out the right eye that is an offence to us; the more spiritual the dispensation is the more spiritual we are obliged to be, and to go the closer in mortifying sin. And be no more stiff-necked, as they had been hitherto, Deu 9:24. "Be not any longer obstinate against divine commands and corrections, but ready to comply with the will of God in both." The circumcision of the heart makes it ready to yield to God, and draw in his yoke. II. We are here most pathetically persuaded to our duty. Let but reason rule us, and religion will. 1. Consider the greatness and glory of God, and therefore fear him, and from that principle serve and obey him. What is it that is thought to make a man great, but great honour, power, and possessions? Think then how great the Lord our God is, and greatly to be feared. (1.) He has great honour, a name above every name. He is God of gods, and Lord of lords, Deu 10:17. Angels are called gods, so are magistrates, and the Gentiles had gods many, and lords many, the creatures of their own fancy; but God is infinitely above all these nominal deities. What an absurdity would it be for them to worship other gods when the God to whom they had sworn allegiance was the God of gods! (2.) He has great power. He is a mighty God and terrible (Deu 10:17), who regardeth not persons. He has the power of a conqueror, and so he is terrible to those that resist him and rebel against him. He has the power of a judge, and so he is just to all those that appeal to him or appear before him. And it is as much the greatness and honour of a judge to be impartial in his justice, without respect to persons or bribes, as it is to a general to be terrible to the enemy. Our God is both. (3.) He has great possessions. Heaven and earth are his (Deu 10:14), and all the hosts and stars of both. Therefore he is able to bear us out in his service, and to make up the losses we sustain in discharging our duty to him. And yet therefore he has no need of us, nor any thing we have or can do; we are undone without him, but he is happy without us, which makes the condescensions of his grace, in accepting us and our services, truly admirable. Heaven and earth are his possession, and yet the Lord's portion is his people. 2. Consider the goodness and grace of God, and therefore love him, and from that principle serve and obey him. His goodness is his glory as much as his greatness. (1.) He is good to all. Whomsoever he finds miserable, to them he will be found merciful: He executes the judgment of the fatherless and widow, Deu 10:18. It is his honour to help the helpless, and to succour those that most need relief and that men are apt to do injury to, or at least to put a light upon. See Psa 68:4, Psa 68:5; Psa 146:7, Psa 146:9. (2.) But truly God is good to Israel in a special obligations to him: "He is they praise, and he is thy God, Deu 10:21. Therefore love him and serve him, because of the relation wherein he stands to thee. He is thy God, a God in covenant with thee, and as such he is thy praise," that is [1.] "He puts honour upon thee; he is the God in whom, all the day long, thou mayest boast that thou knowest him, and art known of him. If he is thy God, he is thy glory." [2.] "He expects honour from thee. He is thy praise," that is "he is the God whom thou art bound to praise; if he has not praise from thee, whence may he expect it?" He inhabits the praises of Israel. Consider, First, The gracious choice he made of Israel, Deu 10:15. "He had a delight in thy fathers, and therefore chose their seed." Not that there was any thing in them to merit his favour, or to recommend them to it, but so it seemed good in his eyes. He would be kind to them, though he had no need of them. Secondly, The great things he had done for Israel, Deu 10:21, Deu 10:22. He reminds them not only of what they had heard with their ears, and which their fathers had told them of, but of what they had seen with their eyes, and which they must tell their children of, particularly that within a few generations seventy souls (for they were no more when Jacob went down into Egypt) increased to a great nation, as the stars of heaven for multitude. And the more they were in number the more praise and service God expected from them; yet it proved, as in the old world, that when they began to multiply they corrupted themselves.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
10:12-13 fear the Lord your God: The fear of God is not terror from dread of his wrath. Rather, God wanted his people to recognize their finiteness and unworthiness in his divine presence (see study notes on 7:21 and Prov 1:7).
Deuteronomy 10:12
A Call to Obedience
11Then the LORD said to me, “Get up. Continue your journey ahead of the people, that they may enter and possess the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.”12And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,13and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD that I am giving you this day for your own good?
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Fear of the Lord
By Winkie Pratney2.4K1:08:57Fear Of The LordReverence for GodEXO 15:11DEU 10:12PSA 86:11PRO 1:7PRO 28:14MAL 1:6MRK 4:36JHN 3:162TI 1:71JN 4:18
Winkie Pratney emphasizes that the fear of the Lord is the foremost requirement from God, as stated in Deuteronomy 10:12. He explains that while love, service, and obedience are important, they stem from a proper understanding of God's greatness and holiness. Pratney explores the dual nature of fear in the Bible, contrasting the fear of the Lord with the fear that God does not give us, and highlights that true reverence for God leads to wisdom and understanding. He encourages believers to seek a deeper revelation of God's beauty and majesty, which will transform their lives and lead to genuine worship and obedience.
God's Demands
By Chuck Smith2.3K37:15Gods WayDEU 10:12PSA 25:4PSA 51:1PSA 51:5MIC 6:8In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the transformative power of God's spirit working within believers. He highlights that through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, God enables believers to obey His ideal requirements and fulfill His purposes. The speaker then shares a story about an old violin that was initially undervalued but became valuable after being touched by a master's hand, drawing a parallel to how God can transform and restore broken lives. The sermon concludes with the reminder that it is important for individuals to examine the path they are on and consider where it will lead them, emphasizing the need to seek God's ways and follow His paths.
Encouraging Each Other at the End of the Age
By John Piper1.8K43:04DEU 10:12PSA 100:2ISA 35:10MAT 5:11MAT 13:442CO 9:71TH 4:13
This sermon emphasizes the importance of believers coming together in small groups for mutual ministry, encouragement, and prayer. It highlights the need for Christians to stir up one another to love and good works, recognizing that God's commandments are always for our good. The speaker urges the congregation to embrace the joy and blessings found in community, where spiritual gifts are discovered and supernatural blessings are channeled through one another.
(Through the Bible) 2 Chronicles 19-27
By Chuck Smith1.5K1:28:03ExpositionalDEU 10:12In this sermon, the speaker shares a story about a police officer who was able to escape a dangerous situation unharmed because God caused the enemies to fight amongst themselves. The speaker then emphasizes the importance of understanding the history and message of the prophets in order to have a better understanding of God's work and victory in our lives. The speaker encourages the audience to prioritize seeking God's kingdom and righteousness and to praise and thank Him for His promises. The sermon concludes with the reminder that praising God can bring victory and a change in perspective from fear to confidence.
The Fear of God (02) Fathers and Their Responsibility
By Don Courville1.0K1:07:19Fear Of GodDEU 10:12PSA 34:5GAL 6:10In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of teaching the fear of the Lord to the younger generation. He explains that the fear of the Lord is a response to God's love and should be demonstrated through obedience. The speaker also highlights the need to love and serve the Lord in every aspect of life. Throughout the sermon, the speaker references the book of Deuteronomy, where God instructs the Israelites to teach their children about Him and to live for Him. The sermon concludes with the speaker encouraging young men to share what God has taught them and to honor their parents.
God Is My Strength and Power - Part 1
By Joshua Daniel95728:30DEU 10:122SA 22:33PSA 18:32PSA 46:1PRO 3:5PRO 9:10ISA 40:291CO 1:18EPH 6:10
This sermon by Joshua Daniel emphasizes the importance of fearing and serving the Lord with all our heart and soul, highlighting the requirements God has for us. It delves into the power that comes from God, contrasting it with worldly power like money and debt, and encourages reliance on God's strength to navigate life's challenges. The message concludes with a prayer for God's guidance and support in facing difficulties and staying faithful.
God Is My Strength and Power - Part 2
By Joshua Daniel89128:30DEU 10:12PSA 37:23PRO 16:9MAT 22:37GAL 5:13EPH 2:10PHP 4:131PE 5:71JN 4:19
This sermon emphasizes the importance of fearing the Lord, walking in His ways, loving Him, and serving Him wholeheartedly. It highlights the transformation that occurs when individuals surrender their will to God, allowing Him to guide their paths and actions with love and service. The message encourages a life of faith, love, and service, reflecting Christ's love and overcoming challenges through God's strength.
Revival - Urbana Conference 1961
By Festo Kivengere87851:05RevivalGEN 32:28DEU 10:12ECC 1:9MAT 6:332CO 12:9In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of being practical and simple in our faith, as that is what God desires. He uses the story of Jacob to illustrate this point, highlighting how Jacob struggled and worked hard for 20 years before receiving God's blessings. The preacher encourages the audience to not waste time pretending to be someone they are not, but to confront their inner struggles and critical voices. He also emphasizes the power of revival, citing examples from the Bible where Jesus' gaze brought hope and transformation to individuals like Peter.
Sunday Night Revival Meeting
By Edgar Reich6481:11:31RevivalDEU 6:24DEU 10:12LUK 12:4In this sermon, the preacher talks about Christians who faced persecution and death for their faith. He describes a scenario where Christians were given the choice to bow down to a false leader or face death. Despite the steamroller rolling over them and causing their heads to pop, the Christians refused to renounce their faith. The preacher then relates this to the lack of fear and recognition of God in America, citing events like 9/11 and natural disasters as examples of God's judgment. He warns of a future judgment where the earth will shake violently, causing mountains to break apart and islands to disappear, resulting in killer tsunamis. The sermon ends with a story of a rescue team finding a survivor in the rubble, emphasizing the importance of not giving up hope.
Testing and Trials
By Erlo Stegen61754:12TestingDEU 10:122CH 32:31MAT 6:33In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of giving all honor, praise, and glory to God. He encourages the listeners to have a heart filled with gratitude and thanks to God, even in times of testing and trials. The preacher shares a parable about a tortoise who wanted to migrate and hitched a ride with geese by holding onto a rope with his mouth. As people marveled at the sight of a flying tortoise, the tortoise took credit for the idea, highlighting the danger of becoming conceited. The sermon concludes with a reference to 2 Chronicles 32:31, where God tested Hezekiah by allowing envoys from Babylon to inquire about a miraculous sign, revealing what was in his heart.
Old Testament Survey - Part 23
By Dick Woodward50227:29DEU 10:12DEU 14:23DEU 15:11DEU 17:18DEU 18:10DEU 18:15DEU 20:1DEU 25:5DEU 30:19
This sermon delves into the Book of Deuteronomy, focusing on Moses' sermons to the people of God before entering Canaan. It emphasizes responding to God's grace with obedience and love, highlighting the unconditional nature of God's love and the need for cleansing and repentance. The sermon explores the importance of faith, stewardship, charity, and obedience to God's Word, including teachings on tithing, capital punishment, and the Messianic prophet. It concludes with a powerful exhortation to choose life by obeying God's commands.
The Fear of the Lord Is the Beginning of Wisdom
By Peter Hammond14635:38Fear Of GodDEU 10:12PRO 3:7MAT 6:33ACT 10:34REV 15:2In this sermon, the preacher discusses the consequences of turning away from God and not fearing Him. He uses the example of the current situation in Zimbabwe, where the lack of access to clean water is seen as a result of the nation's rejection of God. The preacher also highlights the celebration of perversion and the pride associated with it, questioning the reason behind gay pride marches. He emphasizes the importance of humility and obedience to God's commandments for the well-being and freedom of society. The sermon references Bible verses, such as Proverbs 1:29 and 1 Peter 5:5, to support the message.
So Great Salvation: The Fear of the Lord
By Paris Reidhead12345:09Fear Of GodDEU 10:12JOS 24:14PRO 8:13ECC 12:13ISA 8:13HEB 2:3HEB 12:5In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of not just memorizing and reciting the word of God, but truly experiencing and living it. He criticizes the idea of being like a tape recorder that simply plays back information without any personal connection or understanding. The speaker believes that it is crucial for believers to have a deep and vibrant relationship with the truth they profess and the salvation they embrace. He warns against the danger of becoming professional or mechanical in handling the things of God, and instead encourages a genuine and heartfelt approach. The sermon also touches on the need for missionaries to effectively communicate the message of God by connecting with their audience and using their material in a compelling way.
Evidence That True Religion in Great Part Consists in the Affections
By Jonathan Edwards0DEU 10:12DEU 30:6MAT 10:37LUK 24:32ROM 12:111CO 9:24EPH 6:12PHP 3:142TI 1:72TI 3:5Jonathan Edwards emphasizes that true religion largely consists of the affections, highlighting the necessity of fervent and lively engagement of the heart in religious matters. He stresses that lukewarmness in religion is unacceptable, as true religion is powerful and requires strong exercises of the heart. Edwards compares the business of religion to intense physical exercises like running, wrestling, and fighting, illustrating the vigor needed in spiritual pursuits. He concludes that genuine believers have their hearts and wills strongly inclined towards God, with these holy affections prevailing over worldly desires.
Luke 3:3
By Chuck Smith0Humility and ServicePreparation for the LordDEU 10:12PSA 118:22PSA 139:23PRO 1:7PRO 9:10ISA 40:3MAT 3:2LUK 3:3PHP 4:8JAS 4:10Chuck Smith emphasizes the need for personal preparation to meet the Lord, drawing parallels between John the Baptist's call to repentance and the need for individuals today to prepare their hearts for Christ's return. He highlights the importance of reverence for God, the necessity of humility, and the call to serve others rather than oneself. Smith warns that without this preparation, one cannot stand before a holy God, and he encourages believers to make straight their paths and fill the valleys of selfishness with acts of kindness. The message is a reminder that the moral conditions of society today echo those of John's time, making the call to prepare for the Lord's coming ever more relevant.
Micah 6:8
By Chuck Smith0Faith and TransformationGod's RequirementsDEU 10:12MIC 6:8MAT 5:48MAT 22:37JHN 6:28Chuck Smith emphasizes God's requirements for His people as outlined in Micah 6:8, which include doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. He explains that while God's ideal requirements may seem unattainable, through faith in Jesus Christ, believers can receive forgiveness and the Holy Spirit to help them grow towards these ideals. Smith highlights the importance of a genuine relationship with Jesus, which transforms believers and empowers them to fulfill God's demands. He reassures that while perfection is not achieved in this life, the journey of faith is about progress and reliance on God's grace.
The Bible: Its Pentateuchal Structure
By F.W. Grant0GEN 1:1EXO 20:2LEV 20:7NUM 14:22DEU 10:12F.W. Grant delves into the Pentateuchal structure of the Bible, highlighting the significance of the five books of the Law as the structural basis of the entire Bible, with the Old Testament having four Pentateuchs and the New Testament having one. Each division of the Old Testament represents a Pentateuch, emphasizing the earthly part of revelation and the ages of probation and exercise under divine government. The books of the Law are viewed both as literal history and spiritual type, signifying the re-establishment of God's authority over the new creature.
2 Corinthians 13:10
By St. John Chrysostom0GEN 20:6DEU 10:12MAT 5:3ROM 15:301CO 1:91CO 6:111CO 7:121CO 12:112CO 13:11John Chrysostom emphasizes the importance of love, reconciliation, and unity among believers, urging them to rejoice, be perfected, comforted, be of the same mind, and live in peace, knowing that God's love and peace will be with them. He highlights the significance of showing love through deeds, as God Himself demonstrated through His actions of reconciliation and mercy towards us. Chrysostom encourages believers to imitate God's love and to strive for a pure conscience, unity, and peace among each other, knowing that God delights in these virtues and that they lead to salvation and blessings.
Sanctification--No. 3
By Charles Finney0Biblical InterpretationSanctificationDEU 10:12JER 31:31EZK 36:251TH 5:23HEB 11:39Charles Finney emphasizes the attainability of entire sanctification in this life, arguing that perfect obedience to God's law is possible through natural ability and the provisions of grace. He outlines the importance of interpreting biblical promises correctly, asserting that God's character and intentions should guide our understanding of His promises regarding sanctification. Finney insists that entire sanctification is not only a command but also a promise that can be claimed by believers, conditioned upon their faith and obedience. He cites various scriptures to support his position, ultimately affirming that the church must pursue this state of holiness as a reasonable objective.
Fear of God
By Valsan Thampu0DEU 10:12PSA 46:1PSA 111:10PRO 1:7PRO 8:13PRO 14:26ISA 6:1JHN 15:4EPH 6:41JN 4:18REV 3:20Valsan Thampu preaches on the importance of fearing the Lord, emphasizing that the fear of God empowers and liberates us from the fear of men, leading to a life of purpose and wisdom. He highlights that true fear of the Lord is rooted in love for Him, casting out worldly fears, and enabling us to walk in His ways. The sermon delves into the consequences of not fearing God, drawing insights from biblical figures like Pharaoh and Isaiah, and stresses the significance of instilling the fear of the Lord in children for a foundation of wisdom and spiritual vitality.
Bible Survey - Deuteronomy
By Peter Hammond0DEU 10:12MAT 22:37ACT 17:26EPH 2:8Peter Hammond preaches on the book of Deuteronomy, which signifies the second giving of the Law, addressing a new generation poised to enter the Promised Land after the previous generation's disobedience. Moses delivers a graduation speech, reminding them of their history, emphasizing obedience to God's Law, and warning of the consequences of disobedience. Deuteronomy stresses the importance of obedience, love for God, and the blessings that come from following His commandments, covering various aspects of life from justice to charity to respecting God and others. The book highlights the connection between obedience and blessings, as well as the retribution for disobedience, showing that God is interested in every area of our lives.
The Fear of the Lord
By Paris Reidhead0DEU 10:12PSA 34:7PRO 8:13PRO 9:10ACT 2:41ACT 5:11ACT 9:26ACT 10:35ACT 19:13HEB 12:5Paris Reidhead delivers a powerful sermon on the importance of experiencing the truth of God's Word, emphasizing the need for meditation and revelation to make the truth experientially real in our lives. He highlights the fear of the Lord as essential, explaining that it involves hating evil and recognizing God's authority and holiness. Reidhead urges believers to choose to love God with a committed will, seeking to please Him in everything, which naturally leads to a holy hatred of anything that displeases Him. He stresses the correlation between loving God and fearing Him, stating that they are two sides of the same coin, and calls for a genuine, heart-felt fear of God to bring about blessings and the manifestation of God's power.
- Keil-Delitzsch
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
The proof that Israel had no righteousness before God is followed on the positive side by an expansion of the main law laid down in Deu 6:4., to love God with all the heart, which is introduced by the words, "and now Israel," sc., now that thou hast everything without desert or worthiness, purely from forgiving grace. "What doth the Lord thy God require of thee?" Nothing further than that thou fearest Him, "to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve Him with all the heart and all the soul." אם כּי, unless, or except that, presupposes a negative clause (cf. Gen 39:9), which is implied here in the previous question, or else to be supplied as the answer. The demand for fear, love, and reverence towards the Lord, is no doubt very hard for the natural man to fulfil, and all the harder the deeper it goes into the heart; but after such manifestations of the love and grace of God, it only follows as a matter of course. "Fear, love, and obedience would naturally have taken root of themselves within the heart, if man had not corrupted his own heart." Love, which is the only thing demanded in Deu 6:5, is here preceded by fear, which is the only thing mentioned in Deu 5:26 and Deu 6:24. (Note: The fear of God is to be united with the love of God; for love without fear makes men remiss, and fear without love makes them servile and desperate (J. Gerhard).) The fear of the Lord, which springs from the knowledge of one's own unholiness in the presence of the holy God, ought to form the one leading emotion in the heart prompting to walk in all the ways of the Lord, and to maintain morality of conduct in its strictest form. This fear, which first enables us to comprehend the mercy of God, awakens love, the fruit of which is manifested in serving God with all the heart and all the soul (see Deu 6:5). "For thy good," as in Deu 5:30 and Deu 6:24.
John Gill Bible Commentary
And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee,.... For all these favours bestowed upon them, the forgiveness of their sins, and a fresh intimation of their possession of the land of Canaan, and the renewal of the promise of it made to their fathers: but to fear the Lord thy God; to fear him with a filial fear, to fear him and his goodness, and him for his goodness sake, and particularly for his pardoning grace and mercy vouchsafed to them; see Psa 130:4, to walk in all his ways; prescribed and directed to by him, every path of duty, whether moral, ceremonial, or judicial: and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul; for that is the best service which springs from love, and love constrains unto, and which is hearty and sincere, as that is, and is performed in the best manner such are capable of.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Here is a most pathetic exhortation to obedience, inferred from the premises, and urged with very powerful arguments and a great deal of persuasive rhetoric. Moses brings it in like an orator, with an appeal to his auditors And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee? Deu 10:12. Ask what he requires; as David (Psa 116:12), What shall I render? When we have received mercy from God it becomes us to enquire what returns we shall make to him. Consider what he requires, and you will find it is nothing but what is highly just and reasonable in itself and of unspeakable benefit and advantage to you. Let us see here what he does require, and what abundant reason there is why we should do what he requires. I. We are here most plainly directed in our duty to God, to our neighbour, and to ourselves. 1. We are here taught our duty to God, both in the dispositions and affections of our souls and in the actions of our lives, our principles and our practices. (1.) We must fear the Lord our God, Deu 10:12, and again Deu 10:20. We must adore his majesty, acknowledge his authority, stand in awe of his power, and dread his wrath. This is gospel duty, Rev 14:6, Rev 14:7. (2.) We must love him, be well pleased that he is, desire that he may be ours, and delight in the contemplation of him and in communion with him. Fear him as a great God, and our Lord, love him as a good God, and our Father and benefactor. (3.) We must walk in his ways, that is, the ways which he has appointed us to walk in. The whole course of our conversation must be conformable to his holy will. (4.) We must serve him (Deu 10:20), serve him with all our heart and soul (Deu 10:12), devote ourselves to his honour, put ourselves under his government, and lay out ourselves to advance all the interests of his kingdom among men. And we must be hearty and zealous in his service, engage and employ our inward man in his work, and what we do for him we must do cheerfully and with a good will. (5.) We must keep his commandments and his statutes, Deu 10:13. Having given up ourselves to his service, we must make his revealed will our rule in every thing, perform all he prescribes, forbear all the forbids, firmly believing that all the statutes he commands us are for our good. Besides the reward of obedience, which will be our unspeakable gain, there are true honour and pleasure in obedience. It is really for our present good to be meek and humble, chaste and sober, just and charitable, patient and contented; these make us easy, and safe, and pleasant, and truly great. (6.) We must give honour to God, in swearing by his name (Deu 10:20); so give him the honour of his omniscience, his sovereignty, his justice, as well as of his necessary existence. Swear by his name, and not by the name of any creature, or false god, whenever an oath for confirmation is called for. (7.) To him we must cleave, Deu 10:20. Having chosen him for our God, we must faithfully and constantly abide with him and never forsake him. Cleave to him as one we love and delight in, trust and confide in, and from whom we have great expectations. 2. We are here taught our duty to our neighbour (Deu 10:19): Love the stranger; and, if the stranger, much more our brethren, as ourselves. If the Israelites that were such a peculiar people, so particularly distinguished from all people, must be kind to strangers, much more must we, that are not enclosed in such a pale; we must have a tender concern for all that share with us in the human nature, and as we have opportunity; (that is, according to their necessities and our abilities) we must do good to all men. Two arguments are here urged to enforce this duty: - (1.) God's common providence, which extends itself to all nations of men, they being all made of one blood. God loveth the stranger (Deu 10:18), that is, he gives to all life, and breath, and all things, even to those that are Gentiles, and strangers to the commonwealth of Israel and to Israel's God. He knows those perfectly whom we know nothing of. He gives food and raiment even to those to whom he has not shown his word and statutes. God's common gifts to mankind oblige us to honour all men. Or the expression denotes the particular care which Providence takes of strangers in distress, which we ought to praise him for (Psa 146:9, The Lord preserveth the strangers), and to imitate him, to serve him, and concur with him therein, being forward to make ourselves instruments in his hand of kindness to strangers. (2.) The afflicted condition which the Israelites themselves had been in, when they were strangers in Egypt. Those that have themselves been in distress, and have found mercy with God, should sympathize most feelingly with those that are in the like distress and be ready to show kindness to them. The people of the Jews, notwithstanding these repeated commands given them to be kind to strangers, conceived a rooted antipathy to the Gentiles, whom they looked upon with the utmost disdain, which made them envy the grace of God and the gospel of Christ, and this brought a final ruin upon themselves. 3. We are here taught our duty to ourselves (Deu 10:16): Circumcise the foreskin of your hearts. that is, "Cast away from you all corrupt affections and inclinations, which hinder you from fearing and loving God. Mortify the flesh with the lusts of it. Away with all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, which obstruct the free course of the word of God to your hearts. Rest not in the circumcision of the body, which was only the sign, but be circumcised in heart, which is the thing signified." See Rom 2:29. The command of Christ goes further than this, and obliges us not only to cut off the foreskin of the heart, which may easily be spared, but to cut off the right hand and to pluck out the right eye that is an offence to us; the more spiritual the dispensation is the more spiritual we are obliged to be, and to go the closer in mortifying sin. And be no more stiff-necked, as they had been hitherto, Deu 9:24. "Be not any longer obstinate against divine commands and corrections, but ready to comply with the will of God in both." The circumcision of the heart makes it ready to yield to God, and draw in his yoke. II. We are here most pathetically persuaded to our duty. Let but reason rule us, and religion will. 1. Consider the greatness and glory of God, and therefore fear him, and from that principle serve and obey him. What is it that is thought to make a man great, but great honour, power, and possessions? Think then how great the Lord our God is, and greatly to be feared. (1.) He has great honour, a name above every name. He is God of gods, and Lord of lords, Deu 10:17. Angels are called gods, so are magistrates, and the Gentiles had gods many, and lords many, the creatures of their own fancy; but God is infinitely above all these nominal deities. What an absurdity would it be for them to worship other gods when the God to whom they had sworn allegiance was the God of gods! (2.) He has great power. He is a mighty God and terrible (Deu 10:17), who regardeth not persons. He has the power of a conqueror, and so he is terrible to those that resist him and rebel against him. He has the power of a judge, and so he is just to all those that appeal to him or appear before him. And it is as much the greatness and honour of a judge to be impartial in his justice, without respect to persons or bribes, as it is to a general to be terrible to the enemy. Our God is both. (3.) He has great possessions. Heaven and earth are his (Deu 10:14), and all the hosts and stars of both. Therefore he is able to bear us out in his service, and to make up the losses we sustain in discharging our duty to him. And yet therefore he has no need of us, nor any thing we have or can do; we are undone without him, but he is happy without us, which makes the condescensions of his grace, in accepting us and our services, truly admirable. Heaven and earth are his possession, and yet the Lord's portion is his people. 2. Consider the goodness and grace of God, and therefore love him, and from that principle serve and obey him. His goodness is his glory as much as his greatness. (1.) He is good to all. Whomsoever he finds miserable, to them he will be found merciful: He executes the judgment of the fatherless and widow, Deu 10:18. It is his honour to help the helpless, and to succour those that most need relief and that men are apt to do injury to, or at least to put a light upon. See Psa 68:4, Psa 68:5; Psa 146:7, Psa 146:9. (2.) But truly God is good to Israel in a special obligations to him: "He is they praise, and he is thy God, Deu 10:21. Therefore love him and serve him, because of the relation wherein he stands to thee. He is thy God, a God in covenant with thee, and as such he is thy praise," that is [1.] "He puts honour upon thee; he is the God in whom, all the day long, thou mayest boast that thou knowest him, and art known of him. If he is thy God, he is thy glory." [2.] "He expects honour from thee. He is thy praise," that is "he is the God whom thou art bound to praise; if he has not praise from thee, whence may he expect it?" He inhabits the praises of Israel. Consider, First, The gracious choice he made of Israel, Deu 10:15. "He had a delight in thy fathers, and therefore chose their seed." Not that there was any thing in them to merit his favour, or to recommend them to it, but so it seemed good in his eyes. He would be kind to them, though he had no need of them. Secondly, The great things he had done for Israel, Deu 10:21, Deu 10:22. He reminds them not only of what they had heard with their ears, and which their fathers had told them of, but of what they had seen with their eyes, and which they must tell their children of, particularly that within a few generations seventy souls (for they were no more when Jacob went down into Egypt) increased to a great nation, as the stars of heaven for multitude. And the more they were in number the more praise and service God expected from them; yet it proved, as in the old world, that when they began to multiply they corrupted themselves.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
10:12-13 fear the Lord your God: The fear of God is not terror from dread of his wrath. Rather, God wanted his people to recognize their finiteness and unworthiness in his divine presence (see study notes on 7:21 and Prov 1:7).