What Does the Lord Require?

We can turn back together to our reading in Deuteronomy chapter 10.

Deuteronomy 10 · chapter mention

! We're going to look at the last part of the chapter, verse 12, down to the end.

Deuteronomy chapter 10, verse 12, where it asks the question there,

Deuteronomy 10:12

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you but 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 and statutes of the Lord which I am commanding you

today for your good, and so on.

What's your favorite book of the Bible?

I don't know, maybe you have one, maybe you have many different books of the Bible that you like turning to,

depending what kind of situation you're in in life or just what's on your mind.

There can be many different places that we turn.

It might be going into the Old Testament, you enjoy reading some of the narratives there about events that took place a long time ago.

It might be to the book of Psalms or Proverbs, where there's much wisdom given to us, much kind of direction.

It might be the prophets that you enjoy, where you see God speaking through them,

warning people and telling them of events that are to come.

Perhaps you go into the New Testament, you enjoy the Gospels and how they speak to us of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ,

and how he came and what he did.

We read accounts, events that happened.

We read great depths of understanding of who God is and who Jesus is.

You see the book of Acts, and you enjoy that accounts of the Gospel spreading through many different people to many different places.

And then you read the letters of Paul and others writing to churches that have been established.

Or you come into the book of Revelation, and you begin to wonder about what is ahead.

What is the book of Revelation talking about?

There's so many different parts of Scripture.

There's such a variety to us.

There's such a wealth of learning in it.

And we can go to different parts, depending what's going on in our minds.

But where does Deuteronomy feature in that variety of what you read?

How often do you turn to the book of Deuteronomy and think, I want to go into Deuteronomy?

It's such an encouraging book.

It's maybe not one that comes to mind immediately.

And yet, when we go into it, as you read through it, there's so much to take from it.

When we maybe think to ourselves, as many people do,

I'm going to read the Bible from the beginning to the end.

I mentioned this before, how often people can start reading in Genesis.

And we were in Leviticus a few weeks ago now.

And very often, that's where people get bogged down,

where people kind of come to a shuddering halt.

It gets into us talking about things maybe we don't understand, we find difficult to read.

And sadly, many people can come to a conclusion of their reading from beginning to end in Leviticus.

And you don't get as far as Deuteronomy.

You miss out on what Deuteronomy speaks about because it's got a wealth of things to say to us.

Such an important book as we see it in the Old Testament.

But its importance is also seen in how often it's mentioned in the New Testament as well.

Gordon Wenham, a writer, a theologian, describes it in this way.

He says it's the linchpin of the Old Testament.

It's what holds everything else together.

So it's an important book.

And it's seen how important it is and how often it's quoted in the New Testament.

You might be surprised that along with Genesis, Psalms, and Isaiah,

it's the most quoted book in the New Testament.

So why is it so important?

What's its significance?

And has its significance waned, if you like?

Is it less important today?

It was written many thousands of years ago.

And yet the truths that we find in it for the there and then, as Moses is leading a people into the promised land,

are very much truths that we need for the here and now as well.

They speak very much into our day.

And it was written at the time when Moses had led the children of Israel out of their captivity in Egypt,

led them through the wilderness and leading them to the border of the promised land.

And here he is, if you like, renewing the covenant with his people.

God reminding them of the promises that he has given to them.

And here in chapter 10, if you just look back into chapter 9,

you see it's just after the incident with the golden calf,

where the people of God had got tired of Moses being away from them.

Where is he? Why isn't he coming back?

And then saying, he's not coming back.

And they said, let us make a golden calf to worship in place of God.

And this is what they did.

And Moses, when he came down, he smashed the tablets of the Ten Commandments.

That's why we read in chapter 10,

these new tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments were being given.

This was the incident around this time,

around these events that we're reading of in chapter 10.

And it kind of makes it even more remarkable just how God speaks to them in chapter 10,

the kind of mercy that he shows to them.

And Moses is preaching here about their need for an allegiance to God.

That as they go into the promised land,

a land filled with many different temptations,

and especially the choices of what God to worship,

because the place would be full of idols and false gods

that they could choose to worship.

Moses is saying, if you want to know blessing and favor from God,

you are to worship him alone.

You are to worship God alone.

And there is a relevance for ourselves today.

Because we read here about the temptations that these men, women, boys and girls

were going to face in all the variety,

all the choices that they would have going into the promised land.

So many things taking them away from God.

So many false gods that would be around saying,

this is who you need to worship.

This is what you need to do.

When Moses is saying, no, if you want to know blessing and favor,

you must worship God and him alone.

And so as we see here in chapter 10,

what we see is a God who shows real compassion,

real grace, real mercy towards these people,

despite their sin,

and calls them to worship him alone.

And that's the wonder of what it says to us as well today.

That if we want to know blessing and favor from God,

we must put our trust in him as Lord and God of all.

That we can only love him because he first loved us.

And that's what he shows in this passage.

Many of God's people have spoken about how God has blessed them

as they have been faithful to him

in many difficult and different situations.

Take, for example, a man called George Muller.

He lived in the 1800s, 1805 to 1898.

And you may have heard many accounts of George Muller.

He built orphanages down in England.

And many, many children passed through these orphanages.

Many were helped, given food,

given a place to sleep, a place to rest,

but also given and shown the love of Jesus Christ.

And he did this without a personal salary.

It wasn't like he was being paid directly for doing this.

And he relied on God to supply money

and to supply food.

And there's remarkable accounts of how they prayed

when there was nothing and God provided.

And he was a man of faith.

And God rewarded that faith.

And he had a motto on his desk.

He had a motto that he looked at for many, many years,

over many years of wondering where things would come from,

wondering how they were going to go on.

This motto brought comfort and strength in times of need.

And the motto was this.

It matters to him about you.

It matters to him about you.

Just a few words.

And it was based on 1 Peter 5, verse 7,

1 Peter 5:7

where it says that,

Cast your cares upon the Lord,

for he cares for you.

So he had this motto,

it matters to him, to God, about you.

That he knew that God was with him.

And he saw this in many different ways.

And he testified of this over many, many years.

Over all his life,

he testified to the goodness of God.

And that's the kind of testimony that Moses is wanting,

the people of God then to have,

and for ourselves to have.

That here is a God that we can rely upon.

A God who we matter to.

It matters to him about you.

That is a wonderful way of looking at life.

It matters to him about you.

But that love of God then leads us to ask,

well, how do we give back to him?

What do we show to him?

And as we take up our reading here in verse 12 of chapter 10,

Moses is really showing,

this is just how much you matter to him.

And there's three things we want to take from this passage.

The first thing is that there's a requirement

put before the people.

Then there's a reminder given to them about who God is.

And then there's a response called for.

There's a requirement, there's a reminder,

and there's a response called for.

And so the reminder that we see is in verse 12.

And now, Israel, what does the Lord require of you?

There's a question.

And this question comes just after they've been reminded about

how God has been almost kept from pouring out his wrath upon them.

In verse 10 and 11, it says,

I myself stayed in the mountain that first time for 40 days and 40 nights.

And the Lord listened to me that time also.

The Lord was unwilling to destroy you.

He could have.

That's the reality of what sin brings.

It can bring devastation.

It can bring destruction upon us.

The wages of sin is death.

And so it's in light of this,

the Lord was unwilling to destroy you.

And then it goes on in verse 11.

And the Lord said to me,

Arise, go on your journey at the head of the people

so that they may go in and possess the land

which I swore to their fathers to give them.

So you see, this comes in the midst of mercy.

It comes in the midst of God's grace.

God did not destroy them as he could have.

And then it comes into verse 12.

And now, Israel,

what does the Lord your God require of you?

So there's a challenge.

God loves you,

but what does that mean in terms of how you view God?

And then it gives us an answer

as to what the Lord requires of you.

But to fear the Lord your God,

to walk in all his ways,

to love him,

to serve him,

to keep his word.

There's a summary of these things there.

What does the Lord require?

To fear the Lord,

walk in his ways,

love him,

serve him,

and keep his word.

And that's not just for their day.

There's a great reminder to us

of what the Lord requires of ourselves today.

Fear the Lord.

That means a right reverence

towards God.

Walk in his ways.

Love him.

Serve him.

Keep his word.

Moses was the leader assigned to the people.

Then God had chosen him

to lead the people out of Egypt

into the promised land.

And so Moses is one who is,

he is almost speaking to himself there,

first and foremost.

He's part of this.

He was to lead them.

Well,

he was to live like this as well,

to fear the Lord,

to walk in his ways,

to love him,

serve him,

and keep his word.

It wasn't just applying to the people.

It was applying to himself.

And that is the way that we are to live.

That is the way that God is asking of ourselves today as well.

From every one of us,

this is how we are to live.

We are to see the reality of the situation that we are in,

where the Lord could destroy us in our sin,

but where the Lord is merciful,

but the Lord makes demands of us.

And that's to come from the top right down to the bottom.

Tomorrow it may be that we have a new prime minister

over us as a nation.

And you would love it

if this is what was being spoken of

as a new leader is appointed.

What does the Lord require of you

as you become prime minister?

To fear the Lord,

to walk in his ways,

to love him,

and serve him,

and keep his word,

it would be wonderful.

And we pray that a day would come

when that would be so.

But it's required of all leaders,

of all with responsibility.

There's a man called Max Dupree.

He was an American businessman

and a Christian as well.

He died in 2017, I think it was,

but he wrote many books,

and especially about what it meant to be.

He said,

a good leader.

And he said this,

the first responsibility of a leader

is to define reality.

Leaders need to have a good picture

of what is really going on around them.

And they need to help others

take an honest look at this reality.

That is what's required of a leader,

he was saying,

to know the reality of what's going on around

and to look at this reality.

Well,

Moses was aware of the reality of the situation.

He was aware of what was going on around

and what was going on ahead of them

as they were going into the promised land.

He was aware that they could be so easily led astray.

The reality of idols,

the reality of temptations,

the reality of people being led away from God.

He was aware of the reality of all of these things.

But he was also aware of the reality of what God could do.

He was aware of the reality of who God is.

And you just have to turn back another,

to chapter 8,

verse 11.

And there you see,

as he was speaking

to the people before they go into the promised land,

what does it say?

In chapter 8,

verse 11,

take care lest you forget the Lord your God

by not keeping his commandments

and his rules and his statutes

which I command you today.

This is the word of God through Moses.

Take care lest you forget

the Lord your God.

Because that's how easily it happens.

That's how quickly it happens.

And you see it does

as you go on.

But God is giving a requirement to them here.

And what is required is not to follow Moses.

Good, I lead it as Moses was.

But it's to follow God.

To follow him.

To fear God.

To love God.

To walk in his ways.

To serve him.

And to keep his word.

And what does he require of us today?

Exactly the same thing.

To be aware of the reality in which we live.

A fallen world.

A sinful world.

But to be aware too of the reality of a great

and an awesome God.

A God who is far more powerful than we are.

And so there's a requirement first.

The second thing we see here is a reminder.

And what a powerful reminder it is for us as well.

In verse 14 and 15.

Behold to the Lord your God belong heaven

and heaven of heavens.

The earth and all that is in it.

Yet the Lord set his heart and love

on your fathers and chose their offspring

after them.

You above all peoples

as you are this day.

Moses here reminds the people

of who God is.

And he does it in two ways.

The first thing is you see

the enormity of God.

The awesomeness of God.

Behold the Lord your God.

To the Lord your God belong heaven

and heaven of heavens.

The earth and all that is in it.

Everything.

Everything.

The world.

And all of the creation

that we see around us

belongs to God.

Just like Psalm 96.

For great is the Lord

and greatly to be praised

because he made

the heavens

and earth.

This is the reality of God.

This is the reality of God

to Moses

that he is showing to the people

then that he is showing

to us today.

To God belong all

of these things.

The heavens declare

the glory of God.

We see it

all around us.

His creation

and the wonder of it.

So God is

an awesome

a powerful

God

a creator God

as we see in verse 14.

But then you go into

verse 15.

Yet the Lord

set his heart

in love

on your fathers

and chose their offspring

after them.

You above all peoples

as you are

this day.

It's amazing that you think

as you are

this day.

How were they

in that day?

They had just come

from a place

where they had made

the golden calf.

They just come

from a place

where they had been

disobedient

to God

where they had turned

their back

on God

and made their own

God

to worship.

Yet God says

yet

the Lord

has set his love

on your fathers

and upon you

despite how you are.

It's amazing.

It's a powerful

it's a wonderful

reminder

with such care

and attention

God has given

to us

to you

and to me.

the people

are called

there to follow

and worship

God

not just because

he rescued them

out of Egypt

not just because

of the wonders

that they were

seeing around them

not out of a sense

of guilt

although

many would say

that

that is how

Christians come

to worship

the Lord Jesus

it's out of a sense

of guilt

that's not how

we come

to worship

God

it isn't either

because God

commands

as if we've got

no choice

in the matter

God doesn't just

dictate

to us

no

instead

the Lord

is powerful

the Lord

is loving

the Lord

is gracious

towards us

and when we see

the love

of God

when we realize

the grace

of God

as the people

here have seen

it

making the golden

calf

and yet in

verse 10

it says

the Lord

was unwilling

to destroy

you

they see

the love

of God

and it is

that love

of God

that surely

moves them

to see

their need

of him

and surely

it is that love

of God

that moves

us to see

how much

we need

God as well

that despite

our sin

that despite

all that we

do that is

wrong

that despite

our turning

our back

on him

almost again

and again

and again

that yet

he has shown

great love

towards us

because he is

a covenant

God

a covenant

is a promise

a promise

from God

and it is that

covenant love

that God

shows again

and again

and again

throughout his word

the steadfast love

of God

as the psalmist

so often

says

that unchanging

love of God

despite

our changeableness

in this world

so that as it

says there

in verse

15

you above all

peoples

even as you are

this day

even as you are

this day

even as you are

even as I am

this day

sinners

falling short

of the glory

of God

again and again

and yet

we have this

powerful reminder

of his great

love

and where do we

see this love

where do we

see this grace

shown to us

well it says

there the Lord

was unwilling

to destroy

them

well where do we

see it is when we

go forward

into the New Testament

when we go

forward and see it

in the person

of Jesus Christ

that God

desired that

none be lost

and how would

this be

how could

this be

but that God

sent his own

son

to die

for our sin

why

because he

loved us

for God

so loved

the world

that he gave

his son

a remarkable

truth

and

although he's

speaking here

to the children

of Israel

as we go

forward into

the New Testament

we are reminded

that through

faith we are

part of these

people too

1st Peter

chapter 2

speaks about it

but you are

a chosen

people

a royal

priesthood

a holy

nation

a people

belonging

to God

that you may

declare the

praises of

him who

called you

out of

darkness

into his

wonderful

light

once

you were

not a

people

but now

you are the

people of

God

once

you had

not

received

mercy

but now

you have

received

mercy

who is

that for

it is

for all

who will

believe

in the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

he has

shown

his

love

to us

through

Jesus

Christ

Stuart

Townend

in his

great hymn

said

how deep

the

father's

love

for us

how vast

beyond

all measure

that he

should give

his only

son

to make

a wretch

his treasure

why should

I gain

from his

reward

I cannot

give an

answer

but this

I know

with all

my heart

his wounds

have paid

my ransom

we are

reminded

so often

about the

love

of God

a wonderful

love

a love

like no

other

we don't

deserve it

but in

mercy

he shows

it

he is

the maker

of the

heaven

of heavens

the heaven

and heaven

of heavens

the earth

and all

that is in

it

he is a

powerful

he is an

awesome

God

yet the

Lord

has set

his heart

on love

on his

people

it's a

wonderful

reminder

we are

reminded

of God

and his

love

but the

third thing

that we

see here

is that

this

calls

for a

response

this

calls

for a

response

and we

see this

in verse

16

through to

verse

22

it

demands

a

response

we think

again of

covenant

here

covenant

this

bond

between

God

and his

people

we are

reminded

of how

God

always

keeps

his

side

and how

we so

often

fail

and yet

it's an

unchanging

love

despite

our

disobedience

but it

calls

for a

response

and that

response

is seen

in verse

16

circumcise

therefore

the foreskin

of your

heart

and be

no longer

stubborn

for the

Lord your

God

is God

of God

and Lord

of Lords

the great

the mighty

and awesome

God

that is

who

he is

circumcised

therefore

the foreskin

of your

heart

what kind

of response

is this

he's

talking to

them here

and saying

do not

be so

stubborn

do not

be so

stiff

necked

any

longer

instead

circumcise

the foreskin

of your

heart

now

when you're

reading

through the

Old Testament

you see

that

circumcision

was to

be

administered

to

young

boys

it was

their

sign

of

belonging

to

God

it was

an

outward

sign

to

circumcise

the foreskin

was an

outward

sign

but here

God

is saying

circumcise

the heart

and so

how could

they possibly

do this

it wasn't

to be done

in a

physical

way

but it's

saying

it's not

just to be

outwardly

that they

shall

change

the

change

is to

be

inward

the

change

is to

be

within

your

heart

because

we can

so often

be

stubborn

what does

it mean

to be

stubborn

I'm sure

I don't

have to

explain it

to you

I'm

stubborn

for many

of you

are stubborn

we have

it

by nature

in our

stubbornness

there's an

unwillingness

to do

things

any way

but the

way

that we

want

thinking

that we

know

better

and that

was certainly

the case

with the

Lord's

people

in

Moses'

day

it was

with

Moses

himself

you see

it

in his

own

experiences

in life

but God

is calling

them here

no longer

to be

stubborn

like this

but instead

to open

your hearts

not just

to have

an outward

sign

that people

might say

you belong

to God

but so

that that

is seen

from the

very core

of your

being

which is

what the

heart

is

that the

transformation

comes

from the

inside

out

so it was

to be a

complete

transformation

and this

transformation

is what

would lead

them then

to walk

in the ways

of God

to fear

the Lord

to walk

in his ways

to love

him

to serve

him

and to keep

his commands

because

an outward

sign only

doesn't do

that

and we

see that

ourselves

today

when we

think of

our own

signs

of

what it

means to

be a

believer

in the

New

Testament

baptism

and the

Lord's

supper

these are

things that

we can be

partakers

of

we can be

baptized

in the

church

we can even

come and

sit at the

Lord's

table

it can be

seen by

others

but it's

no guarantee

that we

are transformed

and especially

transformed

inwardly

because if it's

just an outward

sign it almost

doesn't mean

anything

and so God

is here

saying this

transformation

must come

from within

and you must

allow God

to be the one

who changes

you from

within because

you cannot

we cannot

change

ourselves

and so

what God

is saying

here is

in order

to live

right with

me

in order

to serve

me right

in order

to love

me

in order

to keep

my commands

circumcise

the foreskin

of your heart

be no longer

stubborn

don't feel

you know

best yourself

don't feel

you can find

your own way

in this

you need

God

we need

God

every one

of us

we are

stubborn

in so many

different ways

we show it

so often

but if we

want to know

the love

of God

if we want

to love

God

as we

should

then our

hearts

need to

change

our hearts

need to

be open

to him

a stubborn

heart

here and as

we see it

throughout

scripture

is often

described as

the horse

with a bit

in its

mouth

and when

the horse

refuses

to turn

but you

have to

let God

take the

reins

let God

take

command

and only

then

are we

guided

in the

right

direction

and so

we see

here

the wonder

of who

God is

we see

the requirements

that he

gives

in light

of his

mercy

unwilling

to destroy

you

even

though

he

could

but then

that

demands

a

requirement

to love

the Lord

to walk

in his

ways

to serve

him

to obey

his word

it

brings us

to a

reminder

that he

is a

great

God

and yet

he

still

loves

us

but then

it asks

well what

is to be

our

response

our

response

is

not to

be

stubborn

of

ourselves

but to

open our

hearts

to him

that he

might come

in and

dwell

in our

hearts

and as

he does

he directs

us

in every

step

that we

take

the people

of God

here in

Deuteronomy

were going

into the

promised

land

to know

God's

blessing

they had

to be

obedient

to him

the same

is true

for ourselves

today

we may not

go into

the promised

land

as it's

seen here

but to go

into eternity

to know

his blessings

in life

we are to

be obedient

to him

so what

does the

Lord require

of you

does he

require you

to fear

him more

to walk

more closely

with him

to love

him

to serve

him

to obey

his word

to realise

the awesome

power he

has to see

the love

that he has

shown

and to open

your heart

to receive

by his

grace

that love

and love

him

with all

your heart

let us

pray

Lord our

gracious

God

we thank

you for

the great

concern

you have

for us

the mercy

that you

show to

us

we are

a people

who just

like the

people we've

been reading

off could

so easily

have been

destroyed

by you

but we

thank you

that you

spared us

by your

grace

and by

your

mercy

and teach

us Lord

your ways

teach us

to love

you

teach us

to serve

you

teach us

to obey

your commands

and to see

the wonder

of all

that you

do for

us

and to

have our

hearts

opened

by your

spirit

to receive

all of

these

things

for we

ask it

in your

mercy

and grace

to us

we ask it

in Jesus

name

amen

we're

going to

sing in

conclusion

to God's

praise

in

Psalm

119

and

sing

Psalms

version

Psalm

119

page

165

and sing

the

section

verse

129

to

136

a

Psalm

that

throughout

the

Psalm

it

shows

us

how

the

word

of

God

directs

us

we sing

here in

verse

129

to

136

your

statutes

Lord

are

wonderful

so I

obey

them

from

my

heart

your

words

as

they

uphold

give

light

and

truth

to

simple

minds

impart

we'll

sing

this

section

these

four

verses

the

tune

as

Walton

we

stand

to

sing

to

God's

praise

song

to

hear

such

its

Lord

a

wonderful

so

I

obey

them

from

my

heart

give

words

as

they

unfold

give

light

and

truth

to

sing

lives

in

heart

with

open

light

like

pant

and

year

to

know

the

lost

that

you

proclaim

show

me

!

the

to

those

who

love

and

praise

your name

I

read

my

footsteps

in

the

word

let

sing

not

glory

this

way

the

man's

oppression

said

they

pray

that

here

commands

I

may

obey

!

upon

your

seven

shine

your

face

teach

me

the

statutes

you

have

made

my

eyes

shed

strings

of

bitter

tears

because

your

love

is

not

obey

after the

benediction

I'll go to the

door to my

right we'll

close with

the benediction

now may

grace

mercy

and peace

from God

father

son and

holy

spirit

rest

upon

and abide

with you

all

now and

forever

more

amen