February 19, 2025
Israel was uniquely set apart by God. We can't forget.
Deuteronomy 7-10
Meeoak Cho
Big Book Idea
There are three sermons from Moses, but the greater Moses is still to come.
Key Verse | Deuteronomy 7:6-8a
"For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers . . . ."
Deuteronomy 7-10
Chapter 7
A Chosen People
1 When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you, 2 and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. 1 7:2 That is, set apart (devote) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction) You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. 3 You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, 4 for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. 5 But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire.
6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, 10 and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face. 11 You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today.
12 And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers. 13 He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you. 14 You shall be blessed above all peoples. There shall not be male or female barren among you or among your livestock. 15 And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you. 16 And you shall consume all the peoples that the LORD your God will give over to you. Your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you.
17 If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?’ 18 you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, 19 the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. So will the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. 20 Moreover, the LORD your God will send hornets among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you are destroyed. 21 You shall not be in dread of them, for the LORD your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God. 22 The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, 2 7:22 Or quickly lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you. 23 But the LORD your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed. 24 And he will give their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name perish from under heaven. No one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them. 25 The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the LORD your God. 26 And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction 3 7:26 That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); twice in this verse like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.
Chapter 8
Remember the LORD Your God
1 The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers. 2 And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word 4 8:3 Hebrew by all that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4 Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you. 6 So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. 7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, 8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, 9 a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10 And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.
11 Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, 12 lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15 who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. 17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. 20 Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.
Chapter 9
Not Because of Righteousness
1 Hear, O Israel: you are to cross over the Jordan today, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, cities great and fortified up to heaven, 2 a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you have heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the sons of Anak?’ 3 Know therefore today that he who goes over before you as a consuming fire is the LORD your God. He will destroy them and subdue them before you. So you shall drive them out and make them perish quickly, as the LORD has promised you.
4 Do not say in your heart, after the LORD your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the LORD has brought me in to possess this land,’ whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out before you. 5 Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the LORD your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
6 Know, therefore, that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people. 7 Remember and do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you came out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the LORD. 8 Even at Horeb you provoked the LORD to wrath, and the LORD was so angry with you that he was ready to destroy you. 9 When I went up the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD made with you, I remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water. 10 And the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words that the LORD had spoken with you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. 11 And at the end of forty days and forty nights the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant. 12 Then the LORD said to me, ‘Arise, go down quickly from here, for your people whom you have brought from Egypt have acted corruptly. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them; they have made themselves a metal image.’
The Golden Calf
13 Furthermore, the LORD said to me, ‘I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stubborn people. 14 Let me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. And I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.’ 15 So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands. 16 And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the LORD your God. You had made yourselves a golden 5 9:16 Hebrew cast metal calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the LORD had commanded you. 17 So I took hold of the two tablets and threw them out of my two hands and broke them before your eyes. 18 Then I lay prostrate before the LORD as before, forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all the sin that you had committed, in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to anger. 19 For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure that the LORD bore against you, so that he was ready to destroy you. But the LORD listened to me that time also. 20 And the LORD was so angry with Aaron that he was ready to destroy him. And I prayed for Aaron also at the same time. 21 Then I took the sinful thing, the calf that you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it, grinding it very small, until it was as fine as dust. And I threw the dust of it into the brook that ran down from the mountain.
22 At Taberah also, and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked the LORD to wrath. 23 And when the LORD sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, ‘Go up and take possession of the land that I have given you,’ then you rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God and did not believe him or obey his voice. 24 You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.
25 So I lay prostrate before the LORD for these forty days and forty nights, because the LORD had said he would destroy you. 26 And I prayed to the LORD, ‘O Lord God, do not destroy your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 27 Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do not regard the stubbornness of this people, or their wickedness or their sin, 28 lest the land from which you brought us say, “Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land that he promised them, and because he hated them, he has brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness.” 29 For they are your people and your heritage, whom you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.’
Chapter 10
New Tablets of Stone
1 At that time the LORD said to me, ‘Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to me on the mountain and make an ark of wood. 2 And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets that you broke, and you shall put them in the ark.’ 3 So I made an ark of acacia wood, and cut two tablets of stone like the first, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. 4 And he wrote on the tablets, in the same writing as before, the Ten Commandments 6 10:4 Hebrew the ten words that the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. And the LORD gave them to me. 5 Then I turned and came down from the mountain and put the tablets in the ark that I had made. And there they are, as the LORD commanded me.”
6 (The people of Israel journeyed from Beeroth Bene-jaakan 7 10:6 Or the wells of the Bene-jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried. And his son Eleazar ministered as priest in his place. 7 From there they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land with brooks of water. 8 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD to stand before the LORD to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day. 9 Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God said to him.)
10 “I myself stayed on the mountain, as at the first time, forty days and forty nights, and the LORD listened to me that time also. The LORD was unwilling to destroy you. 11 And the LORD said to me, ‘Arise, go on your journey at the head of the people, so that they may go in and possess the land, which I swore to their fathers to give them.’
Circumcise Your Heart
12 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, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good? 14 Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. 15 Yet the LORD set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. 16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. 17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. 21 He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.
Footnotes
[1] 7:2 That is, set apart (devote) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)[2] 7:22 Or quickly
[3] 7:26 That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); twice in this verse
[4] 8:3 Hebrew by all
[5] 9:16 Hebrew cast metal
[6] 10:4 Hebrew the ten words
[7] 10:6 Or the wells of the Bene-jaakan
Table of Contents
Introduction to Deuteronomy
Timeline
Theme
Deuteronomy, the final book in the Pentateuch, contains Moses’ last three sermons and two prophetic poems about Israel’s future. Reflecting on the nation’s past mistakes, Moses urges the people not to repeat those errors when they enter the Promised Land. Possessing Canaan will fulfill the promises made to the patriarchs, but if the people fall into idolatry or fail to keep the law, they will be exiled.
Purpose and Background
Deuteronomy is largely a sermon, or set of sermons, preached by Moses to all of Israel shortly before his death. It is a motivational sermon, urging Israel’s faithful obedience to the covenant laws given 40 years previously at Sinai (Exodus 19–40).
The sermon is especially important because of Israel’s earlier failure to conquer the land (see Deut. 1:19–46). Now that they are back at the eastern border of the Promised Land, Moses wants to ensure that the people will be obedient this time. The sermon encourages obedience by constantly reassuring them of God’s faithfulness and his power to keep his promises. God is still faithful, despite Israel’s persistent sin (e.g., 1:19–46; 9:1–29). He is merciful to his sinful people, for the sake of his promises to Abraham.
In Deuteronomy, Moses urges Israel to trust and obey, and to conquer the land. He highlights God’s uniqueness (e.g., ch. 4), his power over other nations and armies (e.g., 2:1–23), and his grace and faithfulness. He reminds the people that God promised the land, that God’s gift of the land is undeserved (9:4–6), and that the land is full of good things (e.g., 6:10–12).
Moses emphasizes the importance of God’s law, given at Sinai (e.g., see 5:1–3). The large central section of Deuteronomy (12:1–26:19) recites the law and urges Israel to keep it. The law is wide-ranging, incorporating all areas of life (economics, family and sexual relationships, religious observance, leadership, justice, guidance, food, property, and warfare). The details of the laws expand upon the great command of 6:5, that Israel is to love the Lord with all its heart, soul, and strength. Chapters 12–16 show what such total love of God will look like and provide examples of what the Ten Commandments (ch. 5) mean in practice.
Key Themes
- God’s uniqueness (4:1–40).
- Israel’s election (4:37–38; 7:6–8; 10:14–15; 14:2).
- The land’s goodness (1:25; 6:10–11; 8:7–13; 11:8–15).
- God’s faithful promise-keeping (1:8, 19–46; 7:1–26; 8:1–20; 9:1–10:11).
- God’s power to defeat the enemies in the land (2:1–3:11; 4:1–40; 7:1–26).
- Exhortations to Israel to love, serve, fear, and obey God (6:5; 10:12–13; 13:4).
- Warnings against idolatry and instruction for proper worship of God (4:9–31; 5:6–10; 7:1–5; 8:19–20; 12:1–32; 13:1–18).
- The impact of God’s laws (12:1–27:26).
- Moses’ imminent death (1:37; 3:26; 4:21; 32:51; 34:1–12).
Outline
- Prologue (1:1–5)
- Moses’ First Speech: Historical Prologue (1:6–4:43)
- Moses’ Second Speech: General Covenant Stipulations (4:44–11:32)
- Moses’ Second Speech: Specific Covenant Stipulations (12:1–26:19)
- Moses’ Third Speech: Blessings and Curses (27:1–28:68)
- Moses’ Third Speech: Final Exhortation (29:1–30:20)
- Succession of Leadership (31:1–34:12)
The Setting of Deuteronomy
c. 1406 B.C.
The book of Deuteronomy records Moses’ words to the Israelites as they waited on the plains of Moab to enter Canaan. Moses begins by reviewing the events of Israel’s journey from Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab.
Fact: Genesis through Deuteronomy
Genesis through Deuteronomy are the foundation of the Bible. They introduce the key promises that show God’s purposes in history and prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ.
Fact: The Sadducees
The Sadducees were a small but powerful group of Jewish leaders who did not believe in the resurrection (12:18). This may have been because of their emphasis on the Pentateuch (Genesis–Deuteronomy), which does not seem to explicitly mention the resurrection. But Jesus showed them that the idea of resurrection can, in fact, be found in the Pentateuch (Mark 12:26–27).
Fact: Was Deuteronomy a treaty?
Was Deuteronomy a treaty? There are many similarities between the book of Deuteronomy and various ancient Near Eastern treaties that date from the time of Moses. When a nation made a treaty with a less powerful nation, the document began with the past relationship between the countries. Next, the treaty stated the laws that would govern the relationship from that point on. Finally, the treaty concluded with a list of blessings and punishments for obedience or disobedience.
Fact: A book of sermons?
A book of sermons? Deuteronomy consists of at least three addresses or sermons from Moses to Israel. Moses encourages Israel to obey all the commandments of God.
Fact: Jesus quoted from
Jesus quoted from the book of Deuteronomy more than any other OT book. He quoted 8:3 when tempted by Satan (Matt. 4:4).
Fact: The Book of the Law of the Lord
The Book of the Law of the Lord. The high priest discovered this forgotten book while the temple was being repaired (34:14). After reading the Law, King Josiah called the nation to further measures of repentance and reform. The book may have included part or all of Deuteronomy.
Fact: Sojourner
A sojourner was a person from another country who was living and working in Israel. The Israelites were taught to love and respect the sojourners living among them, for they themselves had been sojourners in Egypt (10:19).
Fact: Widows, fatherless children, sojourners, and the poor
Widows, fatherless children, sojourners, and the poor were vulnerable members of society (7:10). Treating them justly and kindly matters very much to the Lord, and he will punish those who mistreat them (see Ex. 22:21–24; Deut. 10:18–19).
Fact: Scorpions
About a dozen varieties of scorpions exist in Israel. The Lord protected Israel from scorpions during their time in the wilderness (Deut. 8:15). Revelation 9:1–6 compares the demons tormenting the people of earth with scorpions.
The Setting of Deuteronomy
c. 1406 B.C.
The book of Deuteronomy records Moses’ words to the Israelites as they waited on the plains of Moab to enter Canaan. Moses begins by reviewing the events of Israel’s journey from Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab.
Ancient Treaty Structures and Deuteronomy
| Ancient Treaty Structure | Deuteronomy |
|---|---|
| Preamble | 1:1–5 |
| Historical Prologue | 1:6–4:49 |
| General Stipulations | 5:1–11:32 |
| Specific Stipulations | 12:1–26:19 |
| Blessings and Curses | 27:1–28:68 |
| Document Clause | 31:9–29 |
| Witnesses | 32:1–47 |
Deut. 7:1–2 devote them to complete destruction. See 2:34–35; 20:10–18; and notes. no mercy. The nations listed in 7:1 inhabit the land God promised to Israel. They are being punished for their sins (Gen. 15:16), and God is using Israel to do this. Showing any mercy would make it more likely that Israel would follow their evil ways (Deut. 7:16).
Deut. 7:3–4 The order for “complete destruction” of the Canaanites (vv. 1–2) was not a case of genocide but was to judge those peoples for their sin (Gen. 15:16) and to prevent the Israelites from intermarrying with them (Deut. 7:3–4). The prohibition against intermarriage was not to forbid interracial marriage but was so that Israel would not turn away from the one true God (compare 20:18). Such apostasy would be much more likely than the conversion of their non-Israelite spouses (compare 2 Cor. 6:14–15).
Deut. 7:5 All the objects used in Canaanite religion are to be totally destroyed so that they will not be a trap for Israel (see v. 16 and note on 12:2–3). The pillars were made of stone. Asherim were wooden poles decorated with female fertility symbols (see note on Judg. 6:25–26).
Deut. 7:6 holy to the LORD. Holiness means being exclusively separated to God. Israel must have no association with pagan religion. chosen. See 10:15; 14:2. treasured possession. See Ex. 19:5; Deut. 26:18.
Deut. 7:12–15 Obedience to the covenant leads to blessings for Israel (see 28:1–14). Evil diseases may refer to the plagues against Egypt (Exodus 7–14), or to more common diseases there.
Deut. 7:17–18 Israel is warned three times (see also 8:17; 9:4) not to say in your heart certain things that express fear (7:17) or pride (8:17; 9:4). The cure for unnecessary fear is to remember what the LORD your God did.
Deut. 7:20 Hornets may be a literal reference to the winged insect. Or it may describe people who flee in panic as if being chased by hornets. See Ex. 23:28; and note on Josh. 24:12. Compare “bees”; Deut. 1:44.
Deut. 7:25–26 burn. See note on v. 5. Abomination refers to a significant sin with which God is especially angry. devoted to destruction. See note on 2:34–35.
Deut. 8:2–3 In Deuteronomy, Israel is frequently urged to remember their slavery in Egypt as a reason to keep the law (e.g., 15:15; 16:12). Remembrance should lead to obedience (e.g., 9:7; 16:3). Manna literally means “What is it?” (Ex. 16:15).
Deut. 8:5 disciplines. See Prov. 3:11–12; Heb. 12:5–11.
Deut. 8:14 heart . . . lifted up. Pride comes from forgetting life in the wilderness (vv. 14–16) and failing to apply its lessons to the new life in Canaan.
Deut. 8:15 water out of the flinty rock. See Ex. 17:6 and Num. 20:8, 11.
Fact: Scorpions
About a dozen varieties of scorpions exist in Israel. The Lord protected Israel from scorpions during their time in the wilderness (Deut. 8:15). Revelation 9:1–6 compares the demons tormenting the people of earth with scorpions.
Deut. 8:17 say in your heart. This verse puts into words the pride described in v. 14.
Deut. 8:19–20 Forgetfulness also leads to idolatry and perishing.
Deut. 9:4–5 Do not say in your heart (see 7:17–18 and note). While victory in the Promised Land is God’s punishment of the nations’ wickedness, that does not imply Israel’s righteousness. Israel’s possession of the land is due solely to God’s faithfulness to his promises.
Deut. 9:8 Even at Horeb, where they heard God’s voice directly, Israel misbehaved (compare Exodus 32–34).
Deut. 9:9–10 all the words . . . spoken with you. That is, the Ten Commandments (see 5:22).
Deut. 9:12–13 God distances himself from Israel. Your people whom you have brought and this people contrasts with God’s earlier description of them as “my people” (Ex. 6:7).
Deut. 9:17 broke them. Moses’ breaking the tablets symbolized the deliberate ending of Israel’s covenant relationship with God. It was an impulsive gesture of fury and despair following God’s words recalled in vv. 12–14.
Deut. 9:18–20 This is the second period of forty days and forty nights (see vv. 9–11). The LORD listened to me refers to Moses’ intercession for the people (see vv. 25–29). Aaron was Moses’ brother, the first high priest of Israel.
Deut. 9:7–21 The golden calf incident is retold at length to demonstrate Israel’s stubbornness.
Deut. 9:21 No mention is made here of forcing Israel to drink the water containing the ground-up golden calf (compare Ex. 32:20).
Deut. 9:25 forty days and forty nights. Considering its placement in Ex. 32:11–14, it is unclear if this is the same period as in Deut. 9:18. It may have occurred earlier (see vv. 9–11), as the following prayer implies.
Deut. 10:1 The ark was constructed (Ex. 37:1–9) soon after the writing of the replacement tablets (Ex. 34:1–4).
Deut. 10:6–9 Since the tribe of Levi owned no land (18:1–2), the other tribes provided for them (e.g., 12:12, 18; 14:27).
Deut. 9:1–10:11 Continuing the theme of Israel’s “heart” problem, this section gives examples of Israel’s stubbornness.
Deut. 10:11 The command to arise and go on your journey indicates that, with the tablets replaced and the ark of the covenant built, Moses’ intercession for Israel has been answered fully.
Deut. 10:12–13 And now marks a transition from the retelling of history to encouragement. what does the LORD your God require of you. Compare Mic. 6:8. Five commands follow. for your good. Obedience to the Lord always benefits those who obey.
Deut. 10:14–15 set his heart in love on your fathers. See 4:37 and 7:7–8; note on 4:37–39; compare 10:12.
Deut. 10:16 Circumcise . . . your heart. Here, circumcision symbolizes removing the stubbornness that prevents the heart from loving God. Compare Ex. 6:12, where “uncircumcised lips” are lips that do not speak well; and Jer. 6:10, where “uncircumcised ears” are ears that do not hear clearly. This kind of circumcision can happen only with the Lord’s help (Deut. 30:6).
Deut. 10:17 The fact that Israel has been chosen by God (v. 15) does not mean that he will ignore their sin, for he is not partial.
Fact: Sojourner
A sojourner was a person from another country who was living and working in Israel. The Israelites were taught to love and respect the sojourners living among them, for they themselves had been sojourners in Egypt (10:19).
Fact: Widows, fatherless children, sojourners, and the poor
Widows, fatherless children, sojourners, and the poor were vulnerable members of society (7:10). Treating them justly and kindly matters very much to the Lord, and he will punish those who mistreat them (see Ex. 22:21–24; Deut. 10:18–19).
Deut. 10:20 fear the LORD your God. Compare vv. 12–13. hold fast. See 4:4 and note on 4:3–4.
Deut. 10:22 down to Egypt seventy persons. See Gen. 46:27 and Ex. 1:5. Part of God’s promise to Abraham has been fulfilled (Gen. 15:5). See Deut. 1:10 and note.
S4:043 Deuteronomy 7-10
Listen NowDive Deeper | Deuteronomy 7-10
After being rescued from slavery and journeying through the wilderness for 40 years, the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land. However, before they could move in, they needed to conquer the existing nations inhabiting the land, a seemingly impossible task made possible by trusting in God.
In today's passage, Moses is delivering a pep talk to remind the Israelites of who God is, what He has done for them, and how they should live in response. Moses reminds the Israelites that God goes before them (Deuteronomy 7:1-2), He set them apart to be holy, and He loves His children and keeps His promises.
If I'm completely honest, I needed to hear this pep talk myself. It's a reminder that I am a daughter of the Most High King, set apart for His good works to bring glory to His name. For most of my adult life, I had misplaced my identity in my profession, achievements, and what others thought of me. Through re:generation, Watermark's recovery ministry, I found freedom from anxiety, people pleasing, and sexual sin by anchoring my identity in Christ and His abounding love.
Like the Israelites, we are prone to forget what God has done for us and wander away from His truth and love. Deuteronomy 10 sets the stage for a new covenant to come and highlights our need for a Savior. As His sons and daughters, God calls us to love Him and obey His commands, but we will always fall short. Because of Christ, our standing before the Lord no longer depends on our own performance, and we now live in response to His lovingkindness and grace.
Today, as His chosen people, believers in Christ are called to put on "compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience" (Colossians 3:12) and to "proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9) All praise and glory to Him who gives us new life, sets us apart, and calls us His beloved children.
This month's memory verse
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."
– Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Discussion Questions
1. Looking back on our own journeys of faith, how has the Lord gone before us to bring us to where we are today?
2. When are we most likely to forget our identities in the Lord? What behaviors, thought patterns, or idols are potential indicators we may be experiencing spiritual amnesia?
3. In response to God's faithfulness and love, what does it look like to love and serve Him with all of our hearts?
4. We are called to put on "compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience" (Colossians 3:12). Does the way in which we live (speech, actions, and thoughts) reflect our new identity in Christ?