Deuteronomy 10:1-22
What does it say?
Moses recounts how the Lord reinstated the covenant that the sons of Israel broke. When Moses came down from the mountain and saw what the sons of Israel were doing with the golden calf, he shattered the two tablets, written on by the Lord, the Ten Commandments. The Lord commanded Moses to make an ark of acacia wood, cut out two stone tablets like the former ones and come up on the mount. The Lord wrote on the two stone tablets, “The Ten Commandments” which the Lord had spoken to them on the mountain from the midst of the fire. They were put into the ark, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights, receiving instruction from the Lord. One of those instructions was regarding the Levites, set apart as servants to the Lord. Moses explains that the Lord God only requires of them loyal love, obedience and trust. The Lord God had no need of them or their fathers but he chose to love them. The Lord is God of gods and the Lord of Lords. The Lord is great and mighty and awesome. The Lord does not show partiality or take a bribe. He gives justice to the weak and he loves all people.
What does it mean?
The Lord does not require much from man but man always fails in his covenant obligations to the Lord. The Lord is a God of lovingkindness and he is a God of justice. Man’s lovingkindness is partial and man’s justice is partial. The Lord only wants us to but love him with all of our heart, mind and soul; this is demonstrated by loyalty, obedience and trust. The Lord does not show partiality; therefore, we should not show partiality. The Lord is kind to all people; therefore, we should be kind to all people. The Lord is always just; therefore, we should always be just.
What shall I do?
I shall fear the Lord Jesus Christ. I shall walk in his ways. I shall love him and serve him with all of my heart, mind and soul. I shall observe all that Jesus commanded his disciples. I shall do this, not to earn his love, but because he first loved me. “But God demonstrates his own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinning, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8) I shall be loyal to Jesus, observe his commandments and trust his word.
