Deuteronomy 5: Law and Love

​Key Verse
2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today.
 
Meditation
Covenant relationship with God is the framework for the word of God and context for the work of God. Covenant is the means through which God draws His people to Himself for relationship.
 
Tim Keller defines covenant relationship between God and His people as “a stunning blend between law and love.” It is “stunning” because the personal relationship is made more loving through its legality. 
 
In today’s reading, Moses reconvenes Israel to review God’s direction for preparation to enter the Promised Land. Specifically, Israel must “hear” and “obey” because of the covenant relationship they have with the Lord (vv. 1-3). God’s covenant relationship with Israel began through Abraham, His choosing of them in love (see Genesis 15 and 17). This covenant relationship is made legal through Moses, the land promised to Abraham to be given through the obligation of Israel hearing and obeying.
 
Moses reviewed the ten commandments (see Exodus 20) to reinforce the legal obligations. Israel “must be careful” to obey that “it may go well” and that they may “live long, in the land you will possess” (vv. 30-33). God’s promise was a land. Israel’s obligation was obedience.
 
Jesus is the perfect blend of love and law. Jesus’ work confirms the new covenant because He is our covenant representative, fulfilling covenant obligations through full obedience to the law (Matthew 5:17) and dying in our place to satisfy the penalty for breaking our covenant obligations.   Eternal life comes through Christ’s representative work, alone (Romans 5:20-21). From Jesus finished work, we “hear” and “obey” His word to display our love for Him (John 14:15) and experience blessing in Him.
 
Today’s Reading
And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. 4 The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, 5 while I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. He said:
6 “‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
7 “‘You shall have no other gods before me.
8 “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
11 “‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

17 “‘You shall not murder.
18 “‘And you shall not commit adultery.
19 “‘And you shall not steal.
20 “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
21 “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.’

22 “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. 23 And as soon as you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders. 24 And you said, ‘Behold, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man, and man still live. 25 Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, we shall die. 26 For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire as we have, and has still lived? 27 Go near and hear all that the Lord our God will say, and speak to us all that the Lord our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’

28 “And the Lord heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the Lord said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. 29 Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants[e] forever! 30 Go and say to them, “Return to your tents.” 31 But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’ 32 You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the covenant context of Moses’ message?
 
-Why is it important to acknowledge both, the faithfulness of God through covenant relationship is for every generation, and that we have not obeyed God’s law and thereby rejected relationship with Him?
 
-Where do you need to respond to God’s grace from Christ’s representative work by showing your love for God through obedience to Him and His eternal and unchanging Divine design for all of life? Be specific.
 
Key Verse
2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today.