Today, I am reading and commenting on  Deuteronomy 5-7.

Moses recounts here how God spoke the Ten Commandments to the Children of Israel and how they were frightened by His voice.  Moses reminds them that God had spoken to them in order to incline their hearts to fear Him and obey His commands.  It is good for us to think about the times when God has done things which have led us to fear Him.  But we also need to remember why God wanted the Children of Israel, and us, to both fear and obey Him: so that it might go well for them (and us) and their children.  Moses goes on to emphasize the importance of loving God and obeying Him because we love Him.  We should write His commandments (or, perhaps, request that He write them) on our hearts.  We should talk about them when we are at home, and when we are not at home, when we get up in the morning, and when we lie down again.  Let us write them out in the open, so that others will know that we intend to obey them, and can call us to account when we fail to do so.  Moses gives the people, and us, two more reasons to make sure that God’s commands are written upon us and around us.  If we have references to God’s commands written upon the spaces we occupy (our homes, our cars, perhaps even our workspaces) we will be less likely to forget God when we receive His blessings.  And, if we have references to God’s commands written where others can see them, they may be drawn to obey them as well.

Moses also speaks here of another thing which is closely related to the above.  The Lord our God is the One and Only God.  There is no other.  Therefore, we must not allow ourselves to be drawn into the worship practices of those around us who serve other gods.  They will try to draw us into their worship.  Let us be on guard to not allow that to happen.  But, even when they do not seek to draw us in, we may be tempted by their practices.  Let us not give into that temptation and be drawn away from God.  Let us not desire the fruits of those practices, even those which appear pleasurable.  And let the only pity we feel for them when they suffer the consequences of their sin be that which inspires us to call them to turn to God and to obey His commands.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.