“So
now, O Israel, what does the Lord
your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord
your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the
commandments of the Lord
your God 1and
his decrees that I am commanding2
you today, for your own well-being. Although heaven and the heaven of
heavens belong to the Lord
your God, the earth with all that is in it, yet the Lord
set his heart in love on your ancestors alone and chose you, their
descendants after them, out of all the peoples, as it is today.3
Circumcise, then, the foreskin of your heart, and do not be stubborn
any longer.4
For the Lord
your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and
awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice
for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing
them with food and clothing.5
You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land
of Egypt.6
You shall fear the Lord
your God;7
him alone you shall worship; to him you shall hold fast, and by his
name you shall swear.8
He is your praise; he is your God, who has done for you these great
and awesome things that your own eyes have seen.9
Your ancestors went down to Egypt seventy persons; and now the Lord
your God has made you as numerous as the stars in
heaven.”10
1
Fascinating group of verbs: fear God, walk in his ways,
love God, serve God, and keep his commandments.
In some ways strict, but sounds more like a living relationship
than legalistic strictness.
2
A double emphasis on the keeping of the commandments.
3
The enormity of the universe is used to emphasize the specialness of
God's choice of His people
4
Fantastic metaphorical use of circumcision.
5
Beautiful picture of God's love and justice: impartial, fair to the
weak, provide for the stranger. These are the groups who could
easily be left out of society, so caring for them now is incredibly
important.
6
Love for strangers is reemphasized, and light/empathy brought to
that by recalling their own experience.
7
The focus is brought back again to devotion to God, which is not
really differentiated from loving/serving others.
8
Exclusive, without doubt
9
The praise/devotion is not empty, but is based on what God has done
for them as a people.
10
Fertility and numbers as a people are a demonstration of His care.
Take-home: Israel is called again to love, serve, and obey God, because he has called them first and provided incredibly for them.
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