Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 09:57:19 -0600
Reply-To: t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
From: Teus Benschop
Subject: Deuteronomy 10
Contents
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1. Introduction
2. Explanation
3. Questions
1. Introduction
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This is an issue of a continuous explanation of the Bible-book Dvarim,
that is Deuteronomy. If something is unclear in the explanation, ask me.
The Bible-text is taken from the King James version.
Deuteronomy 10.
Title: The new tables and the ark. Exhortation to Gods-fear
Short contents:
In this chapter is written about the making of the new stony tables,
about the writing of the Ten Commandments herein, and about the ark
wherein the tables are laid down. Aharon dies and the tribe of Levi is
set apart to the service of the LORD. Story of the stay of Moshe on the
mountain. Then Moshe stimulates Israel to Godsfear, obedience and love of
the fellow-men. Further, to the knowledge of the true God. For this,
Moshe uses several spurs.
2. Explanation
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1 At 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.
The LORD commands to make new tables of stone. That God commands this, is
a sign of that His wrath is quieted after Moshe's foreprayer.
2 And 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.
The nation had broken the covenant. To depict that, Moshe had also broken
the previous tables. Although the nation had broken the covenant, here we
wee that God again heals the covenant. They broke His law, but He writes
a new law. The LORD did not to the nation according their behaviour. They
rejected the service of God, but God retained them. The nation had not
earned this. Therefore, this is free grace of God. As it went than, the
same happens now. "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded
us according to our iniquities", Thilliem / Psalm 103:10.
3 And 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.
4 And 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.
The law, as symbol of the covenant, is really recovered here. God speaks
about the ten commandments. Therefore, we speak about the law of the ten
commandments.
5 And 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.
6 And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the
children of Jaakan to Mosera: there Aharon died, and there he was
buried; and Elazaar his son ministered in the priest's office in his
stead.
Aharon had to die before he would have come in Kenaan. Why? "Aharon shall
be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I
have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my
word at the water of Merivah," Bemidbar / Numbers 20:24. It was because
of the rebellion at the water of Merivah. However, Aharon was a priest.
Was the nation deprived of the priest now? No, God's mercy stayed with
them. For Elazaar, his son, became priest in his stead.
7 From thence they journeyed unto Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to
Jotbath, a land of rivers of waters.
8 At 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.
It would not have been suitable when everyone could break down and build
up the tabernacle during the journeys. That would much diminish the
holiness of God's house. Therefore, a separate tribe is pointed out and
separated. By this, the nation was always reminded of that the service of
God was a holy service. The blessing, which the priests had to speak out,
is described as follows. "Speak unto Aharon and unto his sons, saying, On
this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, the
LORD bless thee, and keep thee: the LORD make his face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee: the LORD lift up his countenance upon thee,
and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of
Israel; and I will bless them," Bemidbar / Numbers 6:23-27.
9 Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the
LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD thy God promised him.
The Levites must not work on the land, like the others of the nation.
They must always be busy in the service of God. Their whole life had to
be given in God's service. From what can they eat then? "They shall eat
the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and
every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs," Jchezkeel / Ezekiel
44:29.
10 And 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.
Moshe prayed, and the LORD heard him. For the LORD has no pleasure in the
destroying of the people. "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked
should die? saith the LORD GOD: and not that he should return from his
ways, and live?" Jchezkeel / Ezekiel 18:23. Not in the death of the
wicked has God pleasure, but therein, that he returns and lives. This
does point out something to us. When we have sinned, and still live until
now, then there must still happen something. We may not remain standing
there. We may not say: We still live, so all is fine. For although God
has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, He also has no pleasure
therein that the wicked stay wicked. "Say unto them, As I live, saith the
LORD GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the
wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways;
for why will ye die, O house of Israel," Jchezkeel / Ezekiel 33:11.
11 And 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.
The wrath of God is turned aside. They may continue the journey, and come
in, and inherit the land. But, as is said, the people may not remain
standing here. It is true that the wrath is turned aside now, but they
still have to do something. What? Read it in the next verse.
12 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?
This is the main point of the law. For there is written: "what does the
LORD your God require of you, but to" dit and that. Because it is said in
this way, evidently this is the most important thing of the law. What
does the LORD require else but to do the most important? First, the LORD
required that we fear Him. The keeping of the law starts with that.
Because He is the Lord, the King, it is suitable that He is feared. "The
fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have
all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever,"
Thilliem / Psalm 111:10. Next, there is required to walk in all the ways
of God, and to love Him. Not only fear is necessary, but also the love of
Him. The LORD does not want to extort obedience, only by fear. Above all,
He wants to be served in love. He wants to be served voluntarily. "Speak
unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man
that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering," Shmot
25:2. No forced obedience, but voluntary obedience is pleasant before
God. Further, we have to serve God with our whole heart and our whole
soul. When we look at ourselves, then we will see how faultily we keep
the law. Who does it with his whole heart? Nobody, as will our own
conscience will say to us. Since this requirement cannot be done by us,
weak people, we have to take refuge in God's grace.
13 To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I
command thee this day for thy good.
Who would keep God's commandments, would he then give something to God?
No, people do not give anything to God. It is opposite. Not we give
something to God, but God gives us something. When we keep His
commandments, than this is "for" our "good." However, because we know
that we cannot keep God's commandments, we have to flee to God's grace.
14 Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD's thy God,
the earth also, with all that therein is.
Moshe will now speak about the election of God. The LORD did not need
anything; no nation, or whoever. For He had already all things. "The
heaven" is of Him, "the heaven of heavens, the earth also, with all that
therein is." What would God still need then? Nothing. Nevertheless, He
has elected a nation. Why then? That is written in the next verse.
15 Only 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.
The LORD needed nothing. Still He has elected. Why? Because God loved the
"fathers", and "their seed after them." The fathers were not better than
the others of the human race. Avraham was not better then the others. At
first, also he served the idols. Jehoshua / Joshua teaches us this. "And
Jehoshua / Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of
Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time,
even Tarach, the father of Avraham, and the father of Nachor: and they
served other gods," Jhoshua 24:2. So, in Avraham was totally no reason
for God, because he was an idolater. But God took him away from the
idolatry. "And I took your father Avraham from the other side of the
flood, and led him throughout all the land of Kenaan, and multiplied his
seed, and gave him Yitschak, "Jhoshua 24:3. When God had taken him away
from the idolatry, then at first Avraham obeyed God. Thus we see that the
election of God not was because of some merit, but only in grace. Not
only Avraham is accepted by God, but also his descendants. Also, in these
descendants was no reason before God. Also they were recalcitrant, and
have hardened their necks, as Moshe says in the next verse.
16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more
stiffnecked.
The intention of Moshe is as follows. Previously, he has represented to
the nation the free election of God. Well, because God had elected them,
without their merits, they have to circumcise the foreskin of their
hearts. This means that they now have to obey. They have to dispose of
all sinful desires, and totally put themselves in God's service. "And be
no more stiffnecked." This means: Do not stiffen your neck anymore, as
you have always done until now. The circumcision of the heart is
something other than the outer token in the flesh. Many are only
circumcised in the flesh, but not in the heart. For the LORD is it just
as if these people are totally not circumcised. "Circumcise yourselves to
the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Jehudah
and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn
that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings," Jirmejah /
Jeremiah 4:4.
17 For 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:
Why have the people to circumcise the heart? It is because the LORD is a
very great King. He is a "God of gods, and a Lord of lords." Moshe
presents the greatness of God, so that the people would fear to be
disobedient. On the one hand, Moshe entices the people to obedience by
several lovely incentives. We have seen this previous. On the other hand,
he threatens the people by punishments, so that they not dare to sin
because of fear. The LORD is that God, "Which regards not persons, nor
takes reward." Whereof is clear how justly God judges. So, when the
nation sins, then it is sure that they will be punished by God. For His
judgement is according the truth.
18 He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and
loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
God does not look upon the external state of somebody. Poor or rich, that
doesn't matter. Often, People let themselves be influenced by external
things, as beauty and such things. But God is totally else. He takes care
for the poor. For exactly these people are often oppressed in the world.
But God takes care for them. "A father of the fatherless, and a judge of
the widows, is God in his holy habitation," Thilliem / Psalm 68:5.
19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land
of Egypt.
God takes care for the strangers, as we saw in the previous verse. Israel
also has to do this. For they know from their own experience too well
what it is, to be stranger.
20 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him
shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
First, Moshe begins to say here, that we should fear God. This is truly
necessary that our independent nature will be somewhat restrained by
fear. It is not so that God wants that we have fear for Him. No, this is
not meant by fear. There has to be a deep idea that the LORD is that
great King, and that we are only tiny little creatures. This fear has to
be always present. Next, Moshe says that we must serve Him. This has to
come forth from the fear of God. Moshe does not remain standing there,
but he continues. Our affection must be so much aimed at God that we
adhere to Him. We must, to speak so, be cleaved to God, so that all our
affections are aimed only at Him. We can see this being cleaved in
Davied: "My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me",
Thilliem / Psalm 63:8. This adhering to God does not mean less than that
we deny ourselves entirely, and sacrifice ourselves in the serve of God.
This is it what Moshe wants to teach us. Moshe also says that we should
swear by His name. This does not mean that we must swear often, for then
we would take God's Name in vain. But when somebody demands of us to
swear, for example the government, than this has to happen in God's Name.
By this, we have to bring the respect to the Name of God, which He
deserves.
21 He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these
great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.
In the previous, Moshe has exhorted them to love God. Why? For "He is
your praise". This means that they may only boast at the LORD. They are
happy only because the LORD had chosen them. When this was not so, then
they would be unhappy. They must not glory in themselves. "Thus saith the
LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty
man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches,"
Jirmejah / Jeremiah 9:23. But they had to boast at the LORD. "But let him
that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I
am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness,
in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD," Jirmejah /
Jeremiah 9:24. With this, the prophet Jirmejah / Jeremiah says the same
as Moshe. For Moshe mentions God's great deeds as reason of glory, and
Jirmejah / Jeremiah does the same. In the next verse, Moshe mentions
still more benefits of God.
22 Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons;
and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for
multitude
"Look, hoe little the nation was, and look, how great it is now. "the
LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the
stars of heaven for multitude," Dvariem / Deuteronomy 1:10.
3. Questions
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If you want to gain more benefit from the explanation, you could consider
to answer the questions and do the tasks. You can send these to the
editor. He will look at it, and return them to you with his comments.
Questions.
1 The people had broken the covenant of the law. Did God leave them in
their apostate situation?
2 Why got the Levites no heritage?
3 Read verse 10.
a. Has God delight in the death of the wicked?
b. In what has He delight?
4 What does God demand of us?
5 Can you totally keep God's law?
6 Is Avraham elected because he was very obedient, or because of another
reason?
7 a. What has Avraham done before God called him out of his land?
b. What has he done after that?
8 Read verse 16. What is important, the circumcision of the flesh, or
the circumcision of the heart?
9 a. What means the fear of God?
b. What means the adhering to God?
Tasks.
1 a. Read verse 12 and 13. Here, God commands that we love Him with our
whole heart. Seek the same things in Dvariem / Deuteronomy 6, Dvariem
/ Deuteronomy 30, Jehosjua 22, Thilliem / Psalm 128, Michah / Micah 6.
b. Are we able to do that? Look this up in Jehosjua 24.
2 a. In verse 16 is said that we must circumcise the foreskin of our
heart. Are we able to do this by ourselves?
b. Read Dvariem / Deuteronomy 30. Who will do this circumcision?
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Chr-Exp, a Christian explanation of the Tanach and the New Testament
Editor: Teus Benschop - t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
No copyrights on this publication - Translated by a Dutchman
Institution Practical Bible-education, the Netherlands
.