There are lots of Christian books that can help you live out your God-centred life. Or a cross-centred life. Or a gospel-centred life. And obviously, there are plenty of places you can turn to in the Bible to help as well.
Here in Deuteronomy 10 we have one of the most compact, richest bits of teaching in the Old Testament.
There’s profound theology here, along with challenging teaching for you on how to live for God, which is what you really mean by your God-centred life.
These notes accompany a sermon on YouTube delivered in May 2024. You can find more in the series in our sermon index.
Put God at your centre (12-13)
Our reading begins, “And now, Israel…”
Moses is addressing the people of Israel as they’re about to enter the Promised Land of Canaan. He won’t be going with them, and the whole of Deuteronomy is Moses’ final teaching to prepare them for life.
They are to step forward to take hold of what God has promised. To enjoy God’s covenant blessing, they need to know God and how to live for him. And just as important, they need to know why they should. They were already rescued by God; now they needed to know how to live for him.
A Christian is someone who’s also already been saved by God. If you’re a Christian, it’s because you have turned from your offence to God and asked him to forgive you.
If you have done that, then God has forgiven you all the wrong you have ever done and ever will. More, he’s adopted you. You’re his child. Christ is in you and you are in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you.
A Christian is a God-forgiven sinner, not a perfect saint.
So Moses begins, “And now, Israel…”
Bearing in mind a few things, such as:
- First, God chose you, even though you had no righteousness to impress him with…
- Also remembering God’s promises to bless all nations…
- Given your past faithlessness, even as God’s people…
- Remembering God’s promises for you for the future (e.g. that you’ll be like Jesus), and your mission for him (e.g. to make disciples)…
- “…what does the LORD your God ask of you…?”
Moses lists five things the LORD asks of you – and gives you one very good reason to do them.
Read Deuteronomy 10:12-13.
First: Fear the LORD your God (v12)
- Revere him; respect and honour him.
- He alone is God – holy, righteous, right.
- This is the basis of everything else, of all wisdom.
Second: Walk in God’s ways (v12)
- The CSB joins this with fearing the LORD, but it’s really a point on its own (ESV is better here: “…to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways…”)
- To walk in God’s ways means to live life every day his way.
- What does that mean? E.g. we have the fruits of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Live like that.
- Think about godly character and how you go about things in life.
Third: Love him.
- That’s the most important command, of course.
- Love him with all of your heart, all of your mind, all of your strength.
- That means you’ll have a growing, developing love and relationship with God.
- You’re not called to Christianity; God has called you to know and love himself in Christ.
Fourth: To worship the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul
- Most translations say “serve” rather than worship.
- But when we speak of “serving” a god, we mean “worshipping” with our lives, time, devotion.
- You’re to have only one God because there is only one: Enjoy all the good gifts in your life, but don’t worship them.
- The moment you choose to serve something rather than serving God, you’re worshipping a false god.
Fifth: Keep the LORD’s commands and statutes
- Again, despite the way the CSB states it this is one of Moses’ 5 things.
- And since God’s commands reveal him and glorify him, you will honour that “fear” and will display him to all.
- Quite apart from the obvious fact that it’s good to do good, and all God’s commands are good.
For your own good!
Which brings us to the reason to do these things: “for your own good” (end of v13). How are they good for you?
- Fear – gives you a true knowledge of God and of yourself
- Walk – live life with a clear conscience, in sheer goodness
- Love – a love for God drives out fear of punishment and makes living for God easier as your love deepens
- Worship – the more you serve only God, putting him first, the more you’ll be freed from the rat race, from comparison with others, from the need to have more and achieve more
- Keep – never forget the simple truth that God is good; his commands are good; what he commands is for your good and good to all.
- And your highest “good” is to be like Jesus.
Many people hearing all that for the first time from Moses would have heard similar things before. As you have. A lot of those people had grown complacent. As you might have.
So what comes next is meant to jolt you out of your over-familiar cosy Christianity, so you actually start living your God-centred life:
Get on with living for God (14-19)
The six verses 14-19 are designed to jolt you into action towards God and towards others.
Twice, Moses gives you something amazing about God, something surprising about God, and then a therefore.
Your Creator loves you
For something amazing, read Deuteronomy 10:14.
Literally (ESV), “to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.” In Hebrew, the “heaven of heavens” is a way of saying, “the highest heavens”. Other examples are “the holy of holies” or even “vanity of vanities”. It’s a way of saying “utmost” – none higher.
You’ve heard of the Webb Space Telescope? They’ve been able to look deep into space, much further than you can imagine. Worlds, stars, and galaxies in formation, motion, collision and collapse. And v14 reminds you that God owns it all.
God owns it because he created it and sustains it.
He is your creator; so he has the might and the right to rule. He is your God. Eternally existing before anything was created. Perfect in power, knowledge, and goodness.
Creation is utterly spectacular. And God owns it.
If that’s something amazing about God, here’s something surprising: Read Deuteronomy 10:15.
- You’d have thought he had more important things to think about.
- But humanity is precious, despite our ridiculous rebellion.
- God has made it abundantly clear that he didn’t choose Israel because they were any better than anyone else.
- He just chose them, as was his pleasure.
- And he chose them for the lofty task of making him known to the nations. He chose them for his mission to the world.
And of course, you’re not a Christian because you’ve done anything amazing yourself. In love and kindness, God sent his eternal Son to save you. Even more, if you’re a Christian it’s because God loved you and chose you in Christ even before the foundation of the world.
You have no room for pride or self-congratulation. All you can have is astonished humility, saved by faith alone.
Therefore…
So we have a “therefore”: read Deuteronomy 10:16.
- By “circumcise your heart” he’s calling on you to have a heart for God, not just an outward appearance.
- The phrase “stiff-necked” comes from animal care:
- Our little dog Misty would sometimes stop walking on her lead with a stiff neck to pull me back.
- It’s a physical refusal to submit.
See the flow? God owns the entire Universe, and yet has chosen to love you.
Repent! Turn from your sin and your stiff-necked lazy rebellion. And remember: He’s saying this to God’s redeemed people.
The Highest God cares for the Least of All
Then he does it again: Something amazing, something surprising, and then a “therefore”.
Read Deuteronomy 10:17.
- The one who is over the “heaven of heavens” is the “God of gods and Lord of lords” – the greatest, highest ruler.
- He’s awesome in power, and righteous in rule.
- He’s all-knowing, all-sustaining, all-governing.
- God both owns Creation and runs it.
So the surprising truth about this awesome God is next: Read Deuteronomy 10:18.
- Most earthly rulers give their attention to the high and mighty.
- They give favours to their supporters and cronies.
- But God is known for bringing justice to the under-valued and overlooked. He loves the resident alien.
- Our Government’s obsession with “stop the boats” and the dehumanising of immigrants and asylum seekers doesn’t really chime with God’s compassion for them.
Therefore…
So the “therefore” (which is implied!) comes next: Read Deuteronomy 10:19.
- Love the resident alien.
- Love the asylum seeker and immigrant.
- Understand their pain, and extend love and hospitality.
- And your motivation for doing that is that that’s how God came to you. He had compassion on you.
- This is the Deuteronomy equivalent of Leviticus 19:18 and 19:34, to Love your neighbour and the foreigner.
Yes, you are chosen by God. But you’re chosen because of his love to you, and you’re to show that love to others. To the vulnerable, the unloved, the suffering: Love them.
Can you see how these verses motivate you?
- God owns and runs the universe!
- He has chosen you because he loves you; he also loves all weak, downtrodden, and vulnerable people.
- So heed the two “therefores”: Repent of your stiff-necked refusal to do anything for God; get out and love as he loves you.
Your faith is not just your personal experience or possession. You belong to God; you’re part of his mission to reach those around you in your life: Your colleagues, neighbours, family.
And if all sounds too hard, he has some encouraging words:
Praise God in Christ (20-22)
Read Deuteronomy 10:20.
Obviously, Moses is hammering the points home to you: “Fear God and worship him.”
The idea of taking oaths in God’s name has to do with what you think is the highest authority. Jesus would have you take no oaths, but just let your yes be yes (because you’re too faithless to take oaths anyway).
But the phrase “Remain faithful” is literally, “hold tight” or “hold fast.” Cling to God; cling tight, up close, and don’t let go.
Your God-centred life is meaningless unless all your hope, all your action, all your energy is actually focussed on God.
Your Praise and your God
When you remember God’s goodness to you in Christ then you will want to do all these things: Read Deuteronomy 10:21-22.
God is your praise! He’s the object of your praise (you sing your praise to him) – and the very theme of your praise!
He’s your God! He is God, of course, but more: He’s your God. He chose you and loved you before the foundation of the world.
God the Spirit called you and gave you life and faith in Christ. Jesus gives you life, hope, meaning, purpose. He gives eternity. You have been saved from sin and death, and saved into the very heart and family of God.
Adopted by God, you call the owner and ruler of the universe, “Father” – and he hears you in love.
And so Christ is your praise, the delight and theme of your praise to God.
As you praise God for all he has done in Christ you remember your own sinfulness and his great compassion.
- That will lead you to fear him, to want to walk in his ways, to love him, worship him, and keep his commands.
- As you do that, you will praise him more. And on it goes.
Therefore…
So repent of your sloth. Step up and love others – do things! But never to earn merit. You do it all in the context of knowing and serving God in Christ – fearing him, loving him, and so on.
Pray for help, daily. Read about God; think about his love for you in Christ. Encourage others as you love them; ask about spiritual things.
Will you think about your life to see how off-centre God is to you?
And will you examine your heart, and see how stiff-necked you’ve become?
Will you hold tight and remain faithful to God in Christ, praising him for all he’s done? He is your praise and he is your God.