Deuteronomy 5

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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Deuteronomy Chapter 5

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Moses

Date Penned: (1407 BC)

Overview: To Remind and Rededicate Israel to the Lord (c 1-34)

Theme: Principles for Godly Living (c 5-28)

Message: A Review of the 10 Commandments (v 1-33)

Deuteronomy 5 Commentary

(5:1) A Covenant with God - The people had entered into a covenant with God, and Moses commanded them to hear, learn, and keep his regulations. Christians have entered into a covenant with God through Jesus Christ and should be responsive to what God expects. Moses' threefold command to the Israelites provides excellent advice for all of God's followers. Hearing is absorbing and accepting the truth about God. Learning is understanding its meaning and implications. Keeping is putting into action all we have learned and understood. All three parts are essential to a growing relationship with God.

(5:7) Other gods in Our Lives - A god is whatever people use as the driving force in their lives. Some people literally worship other gods by joining cults or false religions. In a more subtle way, many worship other gods by building their lives around something other than the one true God. If your greatest desire is for popularity, power, money, relationships, or even a healthy lifestyle, you are devoting yourself to something other than God. To put God first, (42) recognize what is taking his place in your life, (2) renounce this substitute god as unworthy of your devotion, (3) ask God for forgiveness, (4) restructure your priorities so that love for God is the motive for everything you do, and (5) examine yourself daily to be sure you are giving God first place.

(5:8-9) A True Relationship with God - Are you seeking a relationship with God or with an inadequate representation of him? How would you feel if someone took a picture of something you had made, posted it, stared at it often, and sent it to others but completely ignored the real you? God does not want to be treated this way either. He wants a genuine relationship with us, not mere ritual. He wants us to know him, not just things that represent him. God knows that if we put anything other than him at the center of our lives, we will not reach our potential or become all that he wants us to be.

(5:11) Misusing the Name of God - We are familiar with the sin to be avoided in this commandment, that we should not misuse the name of the Lord by saying it in an empty or worthless way. But perhaps the best way to follow this command is to focus not on what we shouldn't do but on what we should do: use God's name to praise him and ascribe to him glory. This is the opposite of misusing his name. While you might be able to keep yourself from swearing, how are you doing at finding time to praise God and honor his name?

(5:16) Honoring Our Parents - Obeying our parents is our main task when we are young, but honoring them should continue even beyond their death. One way to honor parents is to provide for them in times of financial need or when they are ill and unable to care for themselves. Perhaps the best way to honor believing parents is to pass on their Christ- honoring values to the next generation. Honoring involves all that sons and daughters do with their lives- the way they work and talk, the values they hold, the decisions they make, and how they influence others, including their own children. What are you doing to show respect to your parents? Are you living in a way that honors them?

(5:17) The Heart of Murder - "I don't murder people," you may say. Good. That fulfills the letter of the law. Jesus explained that hateful anger also breaks this commandment (Matthew 5:21-22). Have you ever been so angry with someone who mistreated you that for a moment you wished that person were dead? Have you ever fantasized that you could get rid of someone? Jesus' teaching concerning this law demonstrates that we are capable of murder in our hearts. Even if we are legally innocent, we are all morally guilty of murder and need to ask God's forgiveness. We need to commit ourselves to the opposites of hatred and anger--love and reconciliation.

(5:18-21) A Root of Covetousness - To covet means to obsessively desire something another person has. We are commanded not to set our desires on anything that belongs to someone else. Not only can such cravings make us miserable, but they can also lead us to other sins, such as adultery, stealing, and lying. Envying others is a useless exercise because God is able to provide everything we really need, even if he does not always give us everything we want. The best way to stop coveting is to practice being content with what we have. (The apostle Paul emphasizes the significance of contentment in Philippians 4:11-13.) This is a matter of perspective. Instead of thinking about what we don't have, we should put our energy into thanking God for what he has given us. After all, the most important thing we could ever have is free and available to everyone- eternal life with God through Christ.

(5:29) Love and Obedience - God told Moses that he wanted the people to have hearts that were inclined to fear him- in other words, to want to respect and obey him. There is a difference between doing something because it is required and doing something because we want to. God is not interested in forced religious exercises and rule keeping. He wants us to completely dedicate our hearts and lives to him. If we love him, obedience will follow

Dave Burnette's Life Application

God's Word Lasts Forever

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the book of Deuteronomy with Chapter 5 and we see Moses giving Principles to this new generation of Israel. In today's text Moses gives the 10 commandments and no doubt remembers receiving them and the circumstances around the disobedience when given before. He experienced first hand that we need to hold fast to the Word of God for it will stand forever. The same 10 commandments are a topic of debate and discussion in government buildings. Our government should learn from the Bible because the principles of that day are still here today. In making application we should hold fast to every Word because what is printed in its pages will come to pass. It reminds me of being a little boy of 8 years old and receiving a Tonka Dump Truck for my birthday. We lived in an apartment complex and it had a sand box in a play area. I took my new truck and buried it deep in the sandbox because I didn't want to carry it home. My mom asked me, "Where is your new truck?" I told her what I had done and she told me to get it or I would lose it. The next day I went to the sandbox and buried there was my truck. Seeing it was still there at the end of the day I buried it again remembering what my mom said but thinking I knew more and wanting my own way. This went on for the next couple of days till I went to the sandbox to see my truck lying on top of the sandbox completely crushed. As soon as I saw it the words of my mom came to my mind but it was too late. I failed to hold fast to her words. Today we do the same with the Word of God. Ignoring its instruction - we believe that we wont suffer the consequences of those recorded in its pages but rest assured we will for the Word does not Change. How about you? Do you ignore the principles in its pages? Let us learn from today's text and remember that God's Word lasts Forever.

Deuteronomy 5

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Deuteronomy 5

¹And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.

²The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.

³The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.

⁴The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,

⁵(I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,

⁶I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

⁷Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

⁸Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

⁹Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

¹⁰And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

¹¹Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

¹²Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

¹³Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:

¹⁴But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

¹⁵And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

¹⁶Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

¹⁷Thou shalt not kill.

¹⁸Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

¹⁹Neither shalt thou steal.

²⁰Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

²¹Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.

²²These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.

²³And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;

²⁴And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

²⁵Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.

²⁶For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

²⁷Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.

²⁸And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.

²⁹O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

³⁰Go say to them, Get you into your tents again.

³¹But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.

³²Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

³³Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess

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