Questions from the Scripture text: What is Israel about to do (9:1–2)? What will YHWH their God do (v3)? What might they mistakenly think is the reason for this (v4, 5, 6)? But what is the actual reason? What has Israel actually done and been like (9:7–10:11, esp. 9:22–23)? What was the Lord doing all this time? What had He provided Moses to do for them (9:25–29, 10:10–11)? How does the Lord respond to this mediation (10:1–5)? How far did His care for them follow (10:6–9)? What summary commandment is at the heart of how they are to respond (10:12–13; 11:1, 8) to God’s love (10:14–22; 11:2–7)? How will He respond to their loving Him, or no loving Him (11:9–17, 22–32)? What details does He prescribe for their loving Him (v18–21)?
How do we keep the first commandment? Deuteronomy 9:1–11:32 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word read in the public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eighty-three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we keep the first commandment by loving Him Who first loved us, through His Word by which He communicates Himself.
The bulk of Deuteronomy is an exposition and application of the Ten Commandments to the life of Israel, in covenant with God in the land they are about to enter. We have covered half of the chapters (ch6–8) doing this with the first commandment, and today we cover the rest (ch9–11).
ch9 begins addressing a danger that will soon present itself. They are about to defeat a people much greater than themselves, and they may falsely conclude that the Lord did this for them because of how righteous they were. So, Moses spends the next chapter and half reminding them of just how unrighteous they have been. The idolatry at Sinai itself is the most egregious example, although their travelogue is basically a catalog of various sins in various places (9:22–23). Moses sums it up nicely in 9:24, “You have been rebellious against YHWH from the day that I knew you.”
For His part, not only had the Lord redeemed them and brought them into covenant with Himself, but He had provided them a mediatory. Moses anticipates the mediatorial work of Christ, as he intercedes for the sinful people. After summarizing the mercy of God to them up to this point, He urges them to love the God Who has first loved them (10:12–13; 11:1; 11:8). This has been the point of all of ch6–11. And the details of the manner in which to go about loving God are found at both bookends of the section. 11:18–20 rehearses 6:6–9. We love God by having His Word in our hearts, on our lips, and shaping our lives.
When they do this in the land, they will enjoy those covenant blessings which the Lord has tied to the land (11:22–32), and when they do not, they will suffer covenant curse. Here is the sum of the first commandment (and the first great commandment) for us: love God, because He first loved us, by receiving His Word as the communication of Himself—and having His Word in our hearts, on our lips, and shaping our lives.
For the Christian, we have an even greater demonstration of the love of God to us: the death of Christ (cf. Rom 5:8). And we have Christ as a Mediator infinitely greater than Moses. And we have His Spirit ministering His Word to us in our hearts. The first great commandment is truly the Christian way of life.
How has God demonstrated His love for you? What is your habit for meditating upon that love? How are you responding to that love? What place do the Scriptures have in your life?
Sample prayer: Lord, forgive us for when we think that You are being good to us because of how good we have been. Thank You for loving us, even when we were sinners, and determining to atone for us and change us. Grant that we would love You because You first loved us. And, make us to keep Your Word with all our heart, and enjoy Your blessing in doing so, we ask through Christ, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP1 “How Blessed the Man” or TPH341 “Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed”
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