And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.
The verse records Israel answering Moses that his proposal to share the work of judging and governing through appointed wise leaders was good to carry out. Their assent led to the selection and appointment of trusted, wise, respected and capable men to help carry the responsibilities of government and judging the people. The verse belongs to the history of Israel's experiences, including failures and victories, that Moses was instructed to repeat and rehearse as a lesson for God's people.
The chapter is to be read in full together with Deuteronomy 7 and 8 as the Lord's words written for admonition upon those on whom the ends of the world are come. The surrounding chapter teaches that God's promises are upon condition of obedience. It explains why the adult army that left Egypt was refused entrance into the promised land, because they disobeyed and did not wholly follow the Lord, so He altered His purpose toward them and withheld the promised entry.
The people in this agreement promised to follow the Lord's directions, so their later murmuring and rebellion went against it, though obedience and cooperation with God's plan were for their good and eternal welfare. Their agreement applies as a call to follow the Lord's guidance fully instead of following only as far as agrees with human judgment and then holding fast to personal ideas and refusing to be molded after the Lord's likeness. Everything is to be viewed in the light of Christ's example, for He is the truth and the true light to be listened to and copied in self-denial and self-sacrifice, looking to His merits for the glory of character He possessed. Those who follow Him live not to please themselves but leave feeble human standards of opinion and judgment for the Lord's standard of perfection of character.
The verse records Israel answering Moses that his proposal to share the work of judging and governing through appointed wise leaders was good to carry out. Their assent led to the selection and appointment of trusted, wise, respected and capable men to help carry the responsibilities of government and judging the people. The verse belongs to the history of Israel's experiences, including failures and victories, that Moses was instructed to repeat and rehearse as a lesson for God's people.
The chapter is to be read in full together with Deuteronomy 7 and 8 as the Lord's words written for admonition upon those on whom the ends of the world are come. The surrounding chapter teaches that God's promises are upon condition of obedience. It explains why the adult army that left Egypt was refused entrance into the promised land, because they disobeyed and did not wholly follow the Lord, so He altered His purpose toward them and withheld the promised entry.
The people in this agreement promised to follow the Lord's directions, so their later murmuring and rebellion went against it, though obedience and cooperation with God's plan were for their good and eternal welfare. Their agreement applies as a call to follow the Lord's guidance fully instead of following only as far as agrees with human judgment and then holding fast to personal ideas and refusing to be molded after the Lord's likeness. Everything is to be viewed in the light of Christ's example, for He is the truth and the true light to be listened to and copied in self-denial and self-sacrifice, looking to His merits for the glory of character He possessed. Those who follow Him live not to please themselves but leave feeble human standards of opinion and judgment for the Lord's standard of perfection of character.