DEUTERONOMY 5

 

I.   Verse 1-5 - Introduction to the second division of Deuteronomy, chapters 5-11.

A.     A.            Moses calls this generation together so they can hear for            themselves the law God gave to their fathers.

1.       God will not speak to them the second time, but Moses will tell them what the law says.

2.       The reason for this rehearsal of the law is so Israel will hear and learn to keep and do the law.

3.       There is no need of Moses teaching them the law if they are not going to obey it.

B.     Notice the personal pronouns Moses uses.

1.       1.      Verse 2 - Moses says God made a covenant with us .      The people God made the covenant with are dead, but Moses wants Israel to know that God made the covenant with them just as sure as He made it with the generation before them.

2.       Verse 3 - Moses desires this generation to understand that when God made the covenant with their fathers, He was making it with all the generations of Jews that would follow.  This gives the Jews today much confidence because they know that God spoke to them while they were in the loins of their fathers.

3.       Verse 4 - The Lord talked with you .  It is true that the majority of those listening were not present when God gave the law to their fathers, but Moses wants them to individually accept the promises of God as if they were there.

4.       4.      Verse 5 - I stood between the Lord and you , ye were afraid.      Moses desires them to get the entire picture, not only of the importance of obeying the law, but also of the fear that gripped the hearts of their fathers.

 

II.   Verse 6-21 - This is a recapitulation of the law given in Exodus 20.

A.     If you compare Deuteronomy 5:6-21 with Exodus 20:1-17, you will find very differences.

1.       The differences do not change the meaning of the law.

2.       The differences show Moses concern for the people obeying the law.

B.     Most of the differences are listed below.

1.       Verse 12 and 16, Moses adds the words, "as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee ".  These words are meant to impress this generation of the important of the law and to again make them understand that the law was given to them, not just to their fathers.

2.       Verse 14, Moses says the ox, ass and cattle should rest on the seventh day.  Exodus 20:10 mentions only that the cattle should rest.  Of course, God intended that there should be no work done on the seventh day by any person or animal.  Moses is not adding to the Words of God, he is simply clarifying some of it for those hard-of-hearing people.

3.       Verse 14 - Moses adds that the manservant and the maidservant should rest on the seventh day like everybody else.  This is not an addition to the law, but a clarification.  Some hard- of-hearing people might decide it was alright for their servants to work but it wasn't alright for them to work.  Moses is making it very clear that God intended for all people      to rest on the seventh day.  The worship of the servants and masters is equally important to God.  We may think that it is more important for important people to worship than it is for unimportant people to worship, but in God's eyes all worship is equal.

C.     We ought to notice that the law doesn't change for different            generations.  Some believe God changes His requirements for            righteousness as men change their ideas of righteousness.            But this isn't true.  God remains the same and His requirements for righteousness remain the same.

 

III.   Verse 22-33 - The reaction of the people who heard the voice of God.

A.     They had a great fear of God.

1.       They had heard God speak out of the midst of fire and      darkness.  Note that the mountain was burning with fire, yet was not consumed.

2.       The heads of Israel came before Moses.  They were very      confused in their fear of God.

3.       They said they knew they had been in the presence of God and lived.  They knew this was impossible and desired Moses to hear God and come tell them.

4.       This shows their lack of faith.  They had already been in the presence of God and lived.  If God had allowed this once, He would and could allow it again.  Now they expect Moses to do what they are unwilling to do.

5.       Sometimes people today expect pastors to have faith when they don't have any.  It was unrealistic for Israel to expect Moses to do what they were afraid to do, just as today it is unrealistic for church members to expect their pastor to do what they are unwilling to do.

B.     Verse 28-33 - God grants their request.

1.       God said they had spoken well.  If they were afraid to listen to God directly, then it was better than they didn't.

2.       This doesn't mean that the people were right in not wanting to listen directly to God.  In verse 29, God desires them to have the kind of heart (willingness) to always obey His commandments so it would always be well with them.

3.       Verse 30-33 - God tells Moses to tell them to go back to their tents and for Moses to always stand before God for them.

a.      Moses job is to continually teach Israel the law.

b.      b.            Israel's job is to continually observe to do the law.            This means more than just carelessly listening, then forgetting.

c.      c.            Verse 33 - They are to walk[1] in these commandments that it may be well with them all the days of their life and that they may prolong their days in the promised land.            completely settled in the promised land.

 

IV.   Verse 44-49 - The introduction to chapters 1-4.