 “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 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 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 Heart12 “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. Meditation God’s steadfast love renews from the inside out. More than religious ritual or pious performance, God’s grace gives new hearts for new creations so God’s children can walk in love. The mark of genuine faith is God’s Spirit working inside the believer rather than religious works performed for those outside (Romans 2:29). Circumcision, like baptism, is a covenant sign pointing to the steadfast love of the Lord and His unswerving commitment to relationship with His people. God called Israel to be set apart by applying the sign of Covenant relationship to their children (Genesis 17:9-14), the heart of the external sign is inward transformation and true, heartfelt, confession of love for the Lord. Moses details God’s mercy in providing new stones and a new start for Israel after they rebelled (1-11) before he moves to the heart of the matter. God desires His people to walk with Him in relationship (12), to love Him (12, 15, 16) and obey Him, as we love others (28, 19). The Lord set His heart in love on His people. We believe from the heart and love Him with all our heart, loving the world as He loves us. Jesus kept the whole law before giving His whole life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins so we can know God’s love, repent, and begin again. Jeremiah uses this language to call people to a wholehearted return to relationship with the Lord (Jeremiah 4). God desires you to return too, to renew you from the inside out with His steadfast love. Richly Dwelling -What stands out to you about the detail of Moses message, focusing on love throughout this OT teaching? -Where do you try to live more for external performance than from internal transformation? What does this say about the trust you have in God’s steadfast love for you? -How can you more fully trust the love of God in Christ? Who can you love as He has loved you, giving yourself as Jesus gave Himself for you? Key Verse 16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. Comments are closed.
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