Our God, Our Praise

Especially as we know Him in Jesus. Deuteronomy 10.12-23

Jesus throughout the Scriptures: Deuteronomy (6)

Pray Psalm 105.8-11, 45.
He remembers His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,”…
That they might observe His statutes
And keep His laws.
Praise the LORD!

Sing Psalm 105.8-11, 45.
(Warrington: Give to Our God Immortal Praise)
He will His covenant faithfully guard—His oath, the promise of His Word.
That which He to our fathers swore, He will perform forevermore!

So let us all in our Savior confide, and in His holy Law abide.
Let us observe His glorious Word, and praise our sovereign, faithful LORD!

Preparation
1. What did God require of His people?

2. What had God done for them?

Meditation
We have seen that whatever God commands of His chosen people, He will provide. He commands us to keep covenant with Him, and He has provided Jesus to make that possible. Wherever in the Old Testament we see God commanding His people to do something, two additional matters will typically be present: Some reminder of what God has graciously done for His people in the past, and some rehearsal of what God has promised they can realize through obedience.

This passage is therefore typical of many others in the Old Testament. What does God require of His people? That we should fear, follow, love, and serve Him wholeheartedly (v. 12). But Israel could not do this, nor can we. Israel needed a new heart, as God made clear here and elsewhere (v. 16; cf. Deut. 5.29). But how could they “circumcise the foreskin of their hearts”? Here is a mystery, designed to lead to contemplation and waiting. Whatever this means, God would have to do it (as we shall see). God would have to give them the new heart to love and serve Him like this, and to enable them, through the obedience of faith (v. 22) to realize all that He had promised them—all that was for their “good” (v. 13; cf. v. 18).

But how? Israel would have to wait. In time, more revelation would clarify these matters (cf. Deut. 10.1-10; Ezek. 36.26, 27), at the same time increasing hope and faithfulness among the people who knew their God. And in the work of Jesus and His Spirit, we see clearly how all this was accomplished (cf. Gal. 4.1-7). Thus we, even more than Israel, should know that He is the God to be praised, for He is God Who fulfills all His Word.

Let us therefore, who have new hearts to obey Him, be careful to fear, follow, love, and serve Jesus in everything we do, giving praise to God the Father in all things.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
God has given us a Love Manual to teach us how to proclaim to Him, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit our undying devotion. And here is how we do it:
-Fear Him.
-Walk in all His ways.
-Love Him with all our heart and soul.
-Serve Him with all our heart and soul.
-Keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD.
-Hold fast to Him and no other (Deut. 10.12, 13, 20).

The very beginning of the Law, the first three commandments, are about our love relationship with Him:
“I AM the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.”
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image…to bow down to them or serve them. For I, the LORD your God, AM a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

“You shall not take the Name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His Name in vain” (Ex. 20.2-7).

“Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god…” (Ps. 16.4).

“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My Name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Rev. 2.2-5).

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” (Jn. 14.15, 21).

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD…for You are my praise” (Jer. 17.7, 14)—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

“Thus we, even more than Israel, should know that He is the God to be praised for He is God Who fulfills all His Word.”

“For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2.39)—those who fear Him, who walk in all His ways, who love Him with all their heart and soul, who keep His commandments and statutes, and who devotedly hold fast to Him all the days of their lives. He is our one and only Love. And our love for Him causes us to do His will, and to love others, for His praise, honor, and glory.

Reflection
1. What does it mean to fear God? Why should God want us to fear Him?

2. Can we truly love the Lord Jesus if we do not fear Him? Explain.

3. How does serving others follow from loving Jesus? How did He demonstrate that in His own life?

Consider the greatness and glory of God; and his goodness and grace; these persuade us to our duty. Blessed Spirit! Oh for thy purifying, persevering, and renewing influences, that being called out of the state of strangers, such as our fathers were, we may be found among the number of the children of God, and that our lot may be among the saints. Matthew Henry(1662-1714), Commentary on Deuteronomy 10.12-22

Pray Psalm 105.1-7.
To whom will you make known the deeds of the Lord, what He has done for you? Seek His Presence earnestly, in prayer throughout the day, that you may be emboldened to live and speak for Him.

Sing Psalm 105.1-7.
(Warrington: Give to Our God Immortal Praise)
Give thanks unto the LORD Most High; call on His Name, before Him cry!
Make known His deeds in every land; sing praise for all the works of His hand.

Glory in God, rejoice in heart, all you who seek His holy part.
Him and His strength and Presence seek; His works proclaim, His judgments speak.

You holy children of Abraham, you chosen ones of Jacob, stand!
He is our LORD, of wondrous worth; His judgments are in all the earth..

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

Our book, The Law of God, compiles all the laws, precepts, and statutes of God’s Law under their appropriate number of the Ten Commandments. This can be a valuable resource for learning and meditating in God’s Law. Order your copy by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.