"O that there
were such an heart in them, that they would fear me,
and keep all my
commandment always . . . ."
As we
remember, the book of Deuteronomy is a review of the
forty years of the wilderness wanderings. I can feel the
heart-cry of Moses as he reviewed the events of those
long, sad years. He yearned that his children–and he did
look upon the Israelites as his children–would not
forget all that happened to them. He feared they would.
And as time went on, they did forget much.
In this particular chapter, Moses
reviewed The Ten Commandments to his people. He
repeated every one of them. We find them first written
down in Exodus 20. If you recall, Moses spent days with
the LORD God on Mount Sinai receiving those rules. God
wrote them with His own finger on a stone tablet.
Now the senior leader is repeating
them to the group prior to their march into Canaan, and
prior to his soon-death on Mount Nebo. I think it is a
dramatic reading, don’t you? "HEAR, O ISRAEL!"
was Moses’ salutation.
Today, let’s look again at these
commandments so we can see what sin is in the
sight of GOD. How frightening is to realize that most of
the world breaks every one of them every day!
(1) Thou shalt have no other gods
before me.
(2) Thou shalt not make any graven
image.
(3) Thou shalt not take the name of
the LORD in vain.
(4) Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify
it.
(5) Honour thy father and thy mother.
(6) Thou shalt not kill.
(7) Neither shalt thou commit
adultery.
(8) Neither shalt thou steal.
(9) Neither shalt thou bear false
witness.
(10) Neither shalt thou desire thy
neighbor’s wife.
In our verse today, the LORD cried
out, "O that . . .they keep all my commandments
always." WHY?–"that it might be well with them,
and with their children for ever!" If we know Jesus
Christ as Saviour, we are His children. He wants it to
be well with us, too. (ysw)
"DO
NOT FRET AGAINST THE LORD"
(Psalm 87:1, 7,
8; Proverbs 19:3)
FRET NOT THYSELF
because of evil
doers.
FRET NOT THYSELF
because of him
who prospereth in his way.
FRET NOT THYSELF
in any wise to
do evil. (GGS)
