Day 128: Heart transplant needed – Deuteronomy 5 vs 22 – 33

22 The Lord spoke these words to all of you assembled there at the foot of the mountain. He spoke with a loud voice from the heart of the fire, surrounded by clouds and deep darkness. This was all he said at that time, and he wrote his words on two stone tablets and gave them to me.

23-27 But when you heard the voice from the heart of the darkness, while the mountain was blazing with fire, all your tribal leaders and elders came to me. They said, ‘Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice from the heart of the fire. Today we have seen that God can speak to us humans, and yet we live! But now, why should we risk death again? If the Lord our God speaks to us again, we will certainly die and be consumed by this awesome fire. Can any living thing hear the voice of the living God from the heart of the fire as we did and yet survive? Go yourself and listen to what the Lord our God says. Then come and tell us everything he tells you, and we will listen and obey.’

28 The Lord heard the request you made to me. And he said, “I have heard what the people said to you, and they are right. 29 Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever. 30-31 Go and tell them, 'Return to your tents.' But you stand here with me so I can give you all my commands, decrees, and regulations. You must teach them to the people so they can obey them in the land I am giving them as their possession.’”

32-33 So Moses told the people, 'You must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.' New Living Translation (Revised Standard Translation link)

It must have been an awesome and terrifying sight for those Israelites who had been at Mt Sinai when God gave His commandments to Moses. It would be like standing beside a volcano – yet they heard the sound of a loud voice speaking through it all. The result, as 23-27 show, was that the fear of God came upon them and they promised to obey all that God would speak through Moses. But what was God's response to what they said? (vs 28-29)

He said that they were right in what they said about Him – but how much better it would be if only their hearts could be like that always! God knew that even though they'd seen how glorious and powerful He is, it wouldn't be long before they would forget it all and give in to temptations and sin. Sadly, that's how weak we all are in our human nature. And so Moses became the spokesman for God and taught them how God wanted them to live in the land He was giving them. (vs 30-31).

But this section of the Bible was now nearly 40 years after the events of vs 22. Many of those who were alive when it took place had died, and it was to their adult children Moses was now speaking and reminding them of what had happened. What does he urge them to do in vs 32-33?

We can learn from this. The way to a fulfilled life is surely to walk in the path God prescribes in His word. This means keeping in mind just how awesome and majestic God is. He is not someone we approach on our terms. But there's a big problem. We know we lack the sincerity to fear God consistently. We forget Him so easily and our promises to be faithful often flounder in the hurly-burly of life. That's why we needed to be born anew. God gave a wonderful promise in Ezekiel 36:26-27 when He said: “I will give you a new heart - and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” That's what happens when we come to Christ for salvation. And it is by holding fast to Christ that we will keep on God's path always. That’s the wonder of the new heart God has given.