DEUTERONOMY LESSON 7
We will begin this lesson in Deuteronomy 5:1 "And Moses called
all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and
judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them,
and keep, and do them."
Moses has called all of the people together for a re-stating of
the law. The law was first given at Horeb, where the voice of God came
from the fire. Moses knows that many of those who were present that
day are dead. The 40 years in the wilderness has caused many of the
older people to die. Moses will repeat the law and judgements to them
again, so they will be without excuse.
Deuteronomy 5:2 "The LORD our God made a covenant with us in
Horeb."
Moses immediately explains who God is. He is every individual's
personal LORD and God. The covenant He made with the people was
conditional. If they keep His commandments, He will bless them. If
they do not keep them, He will curse them.
Deuteronomy 5:3 "The LORD made not this covenant with our
fathers, but with us, [even] us, who [are] all of us here alive this
day."
The covenant is for the living, not for the dead. This is the
covenant that God made with them as a people at Mount Sinai. The
nation of Israel had gone into agreement with God. The older people
who were involved in that agreement are dead. Moses, Caleb, and Joshua
remain of the leaders who met with the Lord at Sinai. The covenant was
not made with individuals, but with the nation. This new generation is
now Israel. The covenant, then, is with them.
Deuteronomy 5:4 "The LORD talked with you face to face in the
mount out of the midst of the fire,"
Moses had gathered the people to the side of the mountain, and
God had spoken to them from the fire on the mountain.
Deuteronomy 5:5 "(I stood between the LORD and you at that time,
to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the
fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,"
We can see, in the next verses, the fear the people had of the
LORD, and also, the fact that Moses spoke to God for them. Exodus
20:18 "And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and
the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the
people saw [it], they removed, and stood afar off." Exodus 20:19 "And
they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let
not God speak with us, lest we die."
Deuteronomy 5:6 "I [am] the LORD thy God, which brought thee out
of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage."
He is the great I AM. He is the One who eternally exists. It was
actually God that brought them out of Egypt. Moses led them under the
direction of the LORD. The rules for all men to live by must come from
God. Man's law is not unfailing.
Deuteronomy 5:7 "Thou shalt have none other gods before me."
This is the first of the ten commandments. We see in this very
first commandment, that there is One God. The worship of false gods
would break the first commandment of God.
Deuteronomy 5:8 "Thou shalt not make thee [any] graven image,
[or] any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that
[is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the waters beneath the
earth:"
Any image would not be God. God is Spirit. John 4:24 "God [is] a
Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in
truth." Graven images are idol worship.
Deuteronomy 5:9 "Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor
serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
[generation] of them that hate me,"
We know the Jews had been easily influenced by the heathen women
to bow down to their false gods. This is the one sin that God will not
overlook. This is spiritual adultery, when they are unfaithful to God.
This is strictly forbidden.
Deuteronomy 5:10 "And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that
love me and keep my commandments."
The mercy of God is forever. Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know therefore that
the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth
covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments
to a thousand generations;" James 5:11 "Behold, we count them happy
which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the
end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."
Deuteronomy 5:11 "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy
God in vain: for the LORD will not hold [him] guiltless that taketh
his name in vain."
This is speaking of all profanity that uses the name of the LORD.
It is strictly forbidden to misuse the name of the LORD. James 5:12
"But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven,
neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be
yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." What comes
out of the mouth, begins in the heart. Those who profane the name of
the LORD, have profanity in their hearts.
Deuteronomy 5:12 "Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the
LORD thy God hath commanded thee."
The sabbath is the 7th day of the week, or Saturday. Christians
practice firstfruits, which is Sunday. Those under the law must
practice sabbath, or Saturday.
Deuteronomy 5:13 "Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy
work:"
Sabbath is a time for rest. Jesus said it best in the following
Scripture. Mark 2:27 "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for
man, and not man for the sabbath:" Man is to work 6 days, and rest 1
day.
Deuteronomy 5:14 "But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the
LORD thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son,
nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine
ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is]
within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as
well as thou."
The sabbath is actually a time set aside from all physical labor.
It is a time of refreshing in the LORD. Every man and animal need a
time to rest their body and their mind. This special time was set
aside for man by the LORD, to give him a time of refreshing. Even
though this day is set aside for worship, it is for the benefit of
man.
Deuteronomy 5:15 "And remember that thou wast a servant in the
land of Egypt, and [that] the LORD thy God brought thee out thence
through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD
thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day."
This day of rest {sabbath} is not an option, it is a commandment
of the LORD. God rested from His labors, and man is to rest one day in
seven from his labors.
Deuteronomy 5:16 "Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD
thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that
it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth
thee."
Matthew 15:4 "For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and
mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death."
Our father and mother, actually, are responsible for our birth. God
gives us life. He uses our fathers and mothers to bring us to life.
We should have great respect for the parents who brought us into the
world. God should be first in our lives, but we should have respect
for our parents.
Deuteronomy 5:17 "Thou shalt not kill."
This is speaking of premeditated murder.
Deuteronomy 5:18 "Neither shalt thou commit adultery."
Adultery, in the physical sense, is participating in sex with
someone you are not married to. Adultery, in the spiritual sense, is
speaking of the worship of false gods. Adultery of all kinds is
strictly forbidden.
Deuteronomy 5:19 "Neither shalt thou steal."
To take anything that does not belong to you is stealing.
Employees even steal from their employers, when they do not give them
a full day's work for a full day's pay.
Deuteronomy 5:20 "Neither shalt thou bear false witness against
thy neighbour."
This is a very cruel thing to do. It does not build your position
up, to tear someone else down. At all times, we are required to speak
the truth, if we are believers in the LORD. We should build our
neighbors up, and not tear them down.
Deuteronomy 5:21 "Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife,
neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his
manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any [thing]
that [is] thy neighbour's."
We should rejoice in the fact that our neighbor has these things.
It is coveting to want anything that belongs to someone else. Luke
12:15 "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness:
for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which
he possesseth." All of the ten commandments are covered in the
following two that Jesus gave. Matthew 22:37 "Jesus said unto him,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind." Matthew 22:38 "This is the first and
great commandment." Matthew 22:39 "And the second [is] like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." God first, neighbor second,
and self third covers all of the ten commandments.
Deuteronomy 5:22 "These words the LORD spake unto all your
assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and
of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And
he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me."
The same message was spoken to the people that the message the
fiery finger of God wrote on the tablets. They are the decalogue, or
the ten commandments. "Decalogue" means ten words.
Deuteronomy 5:23 "And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice
out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with
fire,) that ye came near unto me, [even] all the heads of your tribes,
and your elders;"
Moses had built a fence around the bottom of the mountain to keep
them from touching the mountain, while the presence of God was on it.
If they had touched the mountain, they would have died. The fire,
smoke, and the voice out of the fire were all they could stand. They
ran back from the mountain, when God began to speak in the fire.
Deuteronomy 5:24 "And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath
shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out
of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk
with man, and he liveth."
God has revealed Himself to them, so they will realize these ten
commandments are from Him, and not Moses. They are amazed that any man
can hear the voice of God and live.
Deuteronomy 5:25 "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, then we shall die."
God's presence is more than they can bare. Fear of death
overwhelms them.
Deuteronomy 5:26 "For who [is there of] all flesh, that hath
heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the
fire, as we [have], and lived?"
This does set them aside as a very special people. They are His
chosen people. It is not unnatural for men to fear the presence of
God. In fact, terror is a closer description than fear. They are
amazed they are still alive.
Deuteronomy 5:27 "Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our
God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall
speak unto thee; and we will hear [it], and do [it]."
They are aware, now, that Moses has a special relationship with
the LORD. They ask Moses to communicate with God for them, and then,
bring His message to them. They promise to accept the message, and do
it.
Deuteronomy 5:28 "And the LORD heard the voice of your words,
when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the
voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee:
they have well said all that they have spoken."
The LORD heard them ask Moses to be their representative to Him.
The Lord is pleased with that request. The LORD is aware that to speak
to them directly would cause problems for them.
Deuteronomy 5:29 "O that there were such an heart in them, that
they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might
be well with them, and with their children for ever!"
God knows their hearts, and knows the words they spoke were just
promises they would not keep. As soon as Moses goes up the mountain
for 40 days, they fall into great sin. The covenant depended upon
them keeping God's commandments.
Deuteronomy 5:30 "Go say to them, Get you into your tents again."
They were to return to their tents, while Moses communed with God
for them. Moses would receive instructions from God for them, and then
deliver the message to the people.
Deuteronomy 5:31 "But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I
will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the
judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do [them] in the
land which I give them to possess it."
God taught Moses His ways. He gave him, not only the ten
commandments, but all of the statutes and judgements for the people.
It was, then, the obligation of Moses to teach them to the people.
Exodus 24:3 "And Moses came and told the people all the words of the
LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one
voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do."
Deuteronomy 5:32 "Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD
your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand
or to the left."
This is a warning from Moses, that they must keep the
commandments that God has sent them. They must not wander out of the
straight and narrow path He has set before them. They are not to look
to the world for answers. They must keep their eyes straight ahead on
God.
Deuteronomy 5:33 "Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD
your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and [that it may be]
well with you, and [that] ye may prolong [your] days in the land which
ye shall possess."
God had promised to bless them on the earth, in the land He has
given them, if they keep His commandments. Ephesians 2:10 "For we are
his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Deuteronomy 7 Questions
1. What had Moses called all Israel together for?
2. Where was the law first given?
3. Who had made a covenant with Israel?
4. The covenant was __________.
5. Why does Moses say, this covenant was made with them?
6. The _________ of Israel had gone into covenant with God.
7. Who had been present, when God had spoken from the fire to them?
8. Face to face is speaking of what?
9. Why were they afraid?
10. Quote Exodus chapter 20 verses 18 and 19.
11. Who had brought them out of Egypt?
12. He is the great I AM. The One who ___________ _________.
13. What is the first commandment?
14. Any image would not be ______.
15. Quote John chapter 4 verse 24.
16. How many generations will God visit the iniquity to?
17. What is the worship of false gods?
18. Quote James chapter 5 verse 11.
19. What is verse 11 speaking of?
20. Quote James chapter 5 verse 12.
21. What day is sabbath?
22. What do Christians practice?
23. Quote Mark chapter 2 verse 27.
24. Who celebrates sabbath, besides the head of the family?
25. Honour thy _______ and thy __________.
26. What is meant by kill in verse 17?
27. What two kinds of adultery are there?
28. What is stealing?
29. Quote Luke chapter 12 verse 15.
30. What two commandments did Jesus give, that covers the ten
commandments?
31. What is another name for the ten commandments?
32. What did the people ask Moses to do for them?
33. God wished for their hearts to be like what?
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