Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
Thou shalt fear the Lord with reverence and serve Him with devoted obedience of all the heart and soul. To cleave to Him is to hold fast in faithful loyalty and distinct living connection, with the assurance that those who cling to Him will be held fast by Him. To swear by His name alone is to give Him exclusive loyalty, refusing conversion to the ideas, rites, and ambitious display of the world and the nominal churches. He who is to be so feared and served is God of gods and Lord of lords, great, mighty and awesome, owner of heaven and earth, who shows no partiality and takes no bribe, who defends the fatherless and widow and loves the stranger, and who delighted in the fathers and multiplied their seed as the stars of heaven. This fear and service is fulfilled in walking in all His ways, loving Him, keeping His commandments and statutes for good, circumcising the heart, loving the stranger, and praising Him for the great things seen, which when brought into actual life reforms the character unto perfection and makes His commandment-keeping people ready and unmoved as they wait for the Son of Man to come in the clouds of heaven.
Words and Setting
Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God means reverent fear toward Him and devoted service to Him with all the heart and with all the soul. To cleave to Him means close, faithful cleaving, holding fast and remaining loyal to Him in a distinct living connection. Those who cling to the Lord have the assurance that He will hold fast to them. To swear by His name means swearing by His name alone and taking oaths in His name. This is exclusive loyalty that refuses conversion to the ideas, religious rites, and worldly ambitious display of the world and the nominal churches.
Moses gave this as part of his rehearsal to Israel before entering the land of Canaan. It stands within Deuteronomy 10:12-22 and within Deuteronomy 10:17-20 as part of the expressed will of God and His requirements for His people. It was spoken to backsliding Israel and is spoken to the present reader as truly. It bears with special force now.
The God to be feared is God of gods and Lord of lords, great, mighty and awesome or terrible. He is owner of heaven and the heaven of heavens and earth and all therein. He shows no partiality and takes no bribe or reward, and His ways are merciful. He defends the fatherless and widow by executing judgment for them and loves the stranger by giving food and clothing or raiment. He is Himself His people's praise and their God, delighted in the fathers and chose their seed above all people, did great and awesome or terrible things before their eyes, and made the seventy who went down to Egypt as the stars of heaven for multitude.
Its surrounding requirements are walking in all His ways, loving Him, and keeping His commandments and statutes for good. They include circumcision of the heart without stiff-neckedness, loving the stranger because Israel were strangers in Egypt, and praising God for what their eyes have seen. The Ten Commandments express His character and reveal His will and human duty.
Obedience and Application
True prosperity is hidden with God in Christ and depends on humility and meekness and wholehearted obedience and devotion to Him, keeping His commandments and statutes for good. Those whose hearts are softened and subdued by the Holy Spirit place themselves under His control, seeing past fierce passion as grievous sin. They know that He sees whether they serve Him in truth and righteousness or act against His will, and that He judges by incorruptible principles that cannot be bought or sold.
Obeying begins with becoming acquainted with God's Word, and those who seek Him receive the grace of Christ to stand on vantage ground, for the Ten Commandments express His character and reveal His will. The requirements were to be framed into song and sung in the congregations so they would not be forgotten. When brought into actual life, including physical well-being, they are a savor of life unto life that reforms character. Keeping them belongs to the perfection of Christian character that is attainable, while transgression of God's law brings the sure result of disease as this earth's history closes.
These duties guide teachers and managers of schools to devote themselves to their appointed work rather than engage in politics. They guide under-shepherds and teachers to obey this education distinguishing right from wrong and to voice it to students. They call people with sacred responsibilities as ministers, physicians, and counsellors to live consecrated lives, honor God in speech and conduct, and obey all His directions carefully.
Because God's ways are merciful, His workers and those in authority should be tender-hearted reflecting His character and treat each case with the spirit of Christ. They are not to seek to make their own will rule over others. They are not to dominate and oppress one another.
God's commandment-keeping people must have this distinct living connection as a people waiting and watching for the Son of Man to come in the clouds of heaven. He alone is their shield, strength and sufficiency. Cleaving to Him means knowing their privileges, having faith in God, and sensing His love as light in the morning in the midst of the church militant, each lamp fed with the golden oil of His grace and love. Held as precious as the apple of His eye, they shall not be moved and shall be helped right early.
Thou shalt fear the Lord with reverence and serve Him with devoted obedience of all the heart and soul. To cleave to Him is to hold fast in faithful loyalty and distinct living connection, with the assurance that those who cling to Him will be held fast by Him. To swear by His name alone is to give Him exclusive loyalty, refusing conversion to the ideas, rites, and ambitious display of the world and the nominal churches. He who is to be so feared and served is God of gods and Lord of lords, great, mighty and awesome, owner of heaven and earth, who shows no partiality and takes no bribe, who defends the fatherless and widow and loves the stranger, and who delighted in the fathers and multiplied their seed as the stars of heaven. This fear and service is fulfilled in walking in all His ways, loving Him, keeping His commandments and statutes for good, circumcising the heart, loving the stranger, and praising Him for the great things seen, which when brought into actual life reforms the character unto perfection and makes His commandment-keeping people ready and unmoved as they wait for the Son of Man to come in the clouds of heaven.
Words and Setting
Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God means reverent fear toward Him and devoted service to Him with all the heart and with all the soul. To cleave to Him means close, faithful cleaving, holding fast and remaining loyal to Him in a distinct living connection. Those who cling to the Lord have the assurance that He will hold fast to them. To swear by His name means swearing by His name alone and taking oaths in His name. This is exclusive loyalty that refuses conversion to the ideas, religious rites, and worldly ambitious display of the world and the nominal churches.
Moses gave this as part of his rehearsal to Israel before entering the land of Canaan. It stands within Deuteronomy 10:12-22 and within Deuteronomy 10:17-20 as part of the expressed will of God and His requirements for His people. It was spoken to backsliding Israel and is spoken to the present reader as truly. It bears with special force now.
The God to be feared is God of gods and Lord of lords, great, mighty and awesome or terrible. He is owner of heaven and the heaven of heavens and earth and all therein. He shows no partiality and takes no bribe or reward, and His ways are merciful. He defends the fatherless and widow by executing judgment for them and loves the stranger by giving food and clothing or raiment. He is Himself His people's praise and their God, delighted in the fathers and chose their seed above all people, did great and awesome or terrible things before their eyes, and made the seventy who went down to Egypt as the stars of heaven for multitude.
Its surrounding requirements are walking in all His ways, loving Him, and keeping His commandments and statutes for good. They include circumcision of the heart without stiff-neckedness, loving the stranger because Israel were strangers in Egypt, and praising God for what their eyes have seen. The Ten Commandments express His character and reveal His will and human duty.
Obedience and Application
True prosperity is hidden with God in Christ and depends on humility and meekness and wholehearted obedience and devotion to Him, keeping His commandments and statutes for good. Those whose hearts are softened and subdued by the Holy Spirit place themselves under His control, seeing past fierce passion as grievous sin. They know that He sees whether they serve Him in truth and righteousness or act against His will, and that He judges by incorruptible principles that cannot be bought or sold.
Obeying begins with becoming acquainted with God's Word, and those who seek Him receive the grace of Christ to stand on vantage ground, for the Ten Commandments express His character and reveal His will. The requirements were to be framed into song and sung in the congregations so they would not be forgotten. When brought into actual life, including physical well-being, they are a savor of life unto life that reforms character. Keeping them belongs to the perfection of Christian character that is attainable, while transgression of God's law brings the sure result of disease as this earth's history closes.
These duties guide teachers and managers of schools to devote themselves to their appointed work rather than engage in politics. They guide under-shepherds and teachers to obey this education distinguishing right from wrong and to voice it to students. They call people with sacred responsibilities as ministers, physicians, and counsellors to live consecrated lives, honor God in speech and conduct, and obey all His directions carefully.
Because God's ways are merciful, His workers and those in authority should be tender-hearted reflecting His character and treat each case with the spirit of Christ. They are not to seek to make their own will rule over others. They are not to dominate and oppress one another.
God's commandment-keeping people must have this distinct living connection as a people waiting and watching for the Son of Man to come in the clouds of heaven. He alone is their shield, strength and sufficiency. Cleaving to Him means knowing their privileges, having faith in God, and sensing His love as light in the morning in the midst of the church militant, each lamp fed with the golden oil of His grace and love. Held as precious as the apple of His eye, they shall not be moved and shall be helped right early.