The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
The covenant given at Horeb was made with the living generation standing before Moses that day, not only with their fathers and ancestors. It was spoken anew because most then present had been too young to grasp its solemnity at Sinai or had been born in the wilderness, while their fathers had died there and the promise of Canaan was now to be fulfilled to their children. Camped at the Jordan as the time to possess the land had come, they were given another opportunity after failure, as Moses rehearsed their deliverance and journeyings and repeated the commandments with their giving, setting obedience before them as the condition of prosperity. What was required was full and continuing obedience to His commandments, statutes, and judgments, with mind, soul, and body sanctified to His will and no excuse accepted for disobedience. That same instruction still binds all who are alive now and must be searched and practiced by every soul for himself, for disobedience is unbelief and no blessing can be expected without obedience as the world nears its final review before God.
Historical Setting and Sense
The covenant made at Horeb was made with the living generation Moses addressed, who were all alive that day, and not only with their fathers or ancestors. That living generation was responsible for keeping it, and its identity as God's covenant people rested on its own relationship to the covenant.
The review was needed because few then alive had been old enough to grasp the solemnity when the law was spoken from Sinai. Many had been too young to remember the event or had been born in the wilderness, and they needed to understand their duty to obey. Their fathers had died in the wilderness, while the promise of possessing Canaan was to be fulfilled to their children.
The covenant was made anew and renewed with the living generation camped at the Jordan when the appointed time to possess Canaan was at hand. This came after Israel had failed to keep its agreement, giving them another opportunity to obey. Moses recalled their personal covenant with God and renewed attention to its requirements.
As they were about to cross over Jordan to possess Canaan, Moses rehearsed to them their deliverance from Egypt and their wilderness journeyings and repeated the commandments and the circumstances of their giving. He set obedience to that law before them as the condition of prosperity so they would understand their duty. The covenant was solemnly made as God spoke His precepts and the people were to listen and bind themselves to observe them.
God's Requirements for Today
What God required in order to be holy unto Himself was the keeping of His commandments, statutes, and judgments, and that requirement stands now because the world is nearing God's great final review when all must stand before the Judge of all the earth to answer for their deeds, and is now in the time of investigation when every character will be investigated and every case decided for eternity. That obedience calls for full surrender and continuing simplicity with none of the important things neglected, and it is to be read to the people carefully, searched and studied by every soul for himself, and done lest he be found in rebellion. It includes sanctification of mind, soul, and body and perfect obedience to God's will, for the instruction given to Israel in the wilderness is also addressed to people living today and no excuse is accepted for disobeying His commandments.
Deuteronomy 4-8 with Deuteronomy 5 must be studied to understand what was required of the ancient people that they might be holy, and its requirements, cautions, and restraints are to be studied and practiced in principle as lessons for understanding the holiness He requires of His people. The covenant at Horeb was made not only with ancestors but with the Israelites assembled there who were alive to hear, so the covenant and commandments repeated address that living generation. Daily sanctification of the soul according to these special directions and commandments glorifies the Lord through His people.
The Ten Commandments given then still bind all who are alive now, requiring present reverence for God and obedience to His law. Disobedience is unbelief that clouds the mind, and many who profess to serve the Lord refuse to obey the precepts of His law, so God's cooperation and blessing cannot be expected without obedience. This urgency is heightened because the world is nearing the day of God's great final review and is now in the time of investigation when every character will have been investigated and every case decided for eternity.
The identity of the people as God's covenant people rests on their own relationship to the covenant made with them, not only with their fathers, and this is among the reasons they are called God's people. It is a Bible truth to be taught repeatedly and a reason to explain who they are as God's people.
The setting places God's covenant requirements before Israel in the wilderness as those alive to receive them, and Christ presented those requirements to the wilderness church with the seventh day as God's chosen Sabbath, not a day humans could change. Deuteronomy 5 is to be read for the Sabbath commandment, whose creation rationale teaches that God made the world in six literal days and rested on the seventh, a day of twenty-four hours. Observing the Sabbath is therefore a sign of obedience to God.
The covenant given at Horeb was made with the living generation standing before Moses that day, not only with their fathers and ancestors. It was spoken anew because most then present had been too young to grasp its solemnity at Sinai or had been born in the wilderness, while their fathers had died there and the promise of Canaan was now to be fulfilled to their children. Camped at the Jordan as the time to possess the land had come, they were given another opportunity after failure, as Moses rehearsed their deliverance and journeyings and repeated the commandments with their giving, setting obedience before them as the condition of prosperity. What was required was full and continuing obedience to His commandments, statutes, and judgments, with mind, soul, and body sanctified to His will and no excuse accepted for disobedience. That same instruction still binds all who are alive now and must be searched and practiced by every soul for himself, for disobedience is unbelief and no blessing can be expected without obedience as the world nears its final review before God.
Historical Setting and Sense
The covenant made at Horeb was made with the living generation Moses addressed, who were all alive that day, and not only with their fathers or ancestors. That living generation was responsible for keeping it, and its identity as God's covenant people rested on its own relationship to the covenant.
The review was needed because few then alive had been old enough to grasp the solemnity when the law was spoken from Sinai. Many had been too young to remember the event or had been born in the wilderness, and they needed to understand their duty to obey. Their fathers had died in the wilderness, while the promise of possessing Canaan was to be fulfilled to their children.
The covenant was made anew and renewed with the living generation camped at the Jordan when the appointed time to possess Canaan was at hand. This came after Israel had failed to keep its agreement, giving them another opportunity to obey. Moses recalled their personal covenant with God and renewed attention to its requirements.
As they were about to cross over Jordan to possess Canaan, Moses rehearsed to them their deliverance from Egypt and their wilderness journeyings and repeated the commandments and the circumstances of their giving. He set obedience to that law before them as the condition of prosperity so they would understand their duty. The covenant was solemnly made as God spoke His precepts and the people were to listen and bind themselves to observe them.
God's Requirements for Today
What God required in order to be holy unto Himself was the keeping of His commandments, statutes, and judgments, and that requirement stands now because the world is nearing God's great final review when all must stand before the Judge of all the earth to answer for their deeds, and is now in the time of investigation when every character will be investigated and every case decided for eternity. That obedience calls for full surrender and continuing simplicity with none of the important things neglected, and it is to be read to the people carefully, searched and studied by every soul for himself, and done lest he be found in rebellion. It includes sanctification of mind, soul, and body and perfect obedience to God's will, for the instruction given to Israel in the wilderness is also addressed to people living today and no excuse is accepted for disobeying His commandments.
Deuteronomy 4-8 with Deuteronomy 5 must be studied to understand what was required of the ancient people that they might be holy, and its requirements, cautions, and restraints are to be studied and practiced in principle as lessons for understanding the holiness He requires of His people. The covenant at Horeb was made not only with ancestors but with the Israelites assembled there who were alive to hear, so the covenant and commandments repeated address that living generation. Daily sanctification of the soul according to these special directions and commandments glorifies the Lord through His people.
The Ten Commandments given then still bind all who are alive now, requiring present reverence for God and obedience to His law. Disobedience is unbelief that clouds the mind, and many who profess to serve the Lord refuse to obey the precepts of His law, so God's cooperation and blessing cannot be expected without obedience. This urgency is heightened because the world is nearing the day of God's great final review and is now in the time of investigation when every character will have been investigated and every case decided for eternity.
The identity of the people as God's covenant people rests on their own relationship to the covenant made with them, not only with their fathers, and this is among the reasons they are called God's people. It is a Bible truth to be taught repeatedly and a reason to explain who they are as God's people.
The setting places God's covenant requirements before Israel in the wilderness as those alive to receive them, and Christ presented those requirements to the wilderness church with the seventh day as God's chosen Sabbath, not a day humans could change. Deuteronomy 5 is to be read for the Sabbath commandment, whose creation rationale teaches that God made the world in six literal days and rested on the seventh, a day of twenty-four hours. Observing the Sabbath is therefore a sign of obedience to God.