1-11 Second Pair of Tablets
- God instructs Moses to make an ark of wood, cut two tablets of stone, and go back up to the mountain
- Moses complies, and God again writes the 10 commandments on the tablets, replacing the tablets Moses smashed in anger
- In parentheses: Death of Aaron and place of Levites in carrying the ark of the covenant
- Again, Moses on the mountain for 40 days and nights, after which God tells him to go lead the people to the land he swore to give their ancestors
- What does the LORD require of you?
- To fear him, walk in his ways, love and serve him with all your heart and soul
- To keep his commandments, for your own well-being
- The Creator of heaven and earth has chosen you to be his special people
- Therefore, circumcise the foreskin of your heart. Sometimes we don't realize that God has always wanted his people to love him, not just mechanically keep his commandments. Certainly, obeying someone you love is not nearly as tedious as obeying someone you only fear. Even today, I suspect that when we cease to love him, we cease to obey him and begin making up our own rules to obey.
- The LORD
- is God of Gods and Lord of lords, mighty and awesome
- shows no partiality and takes no bribe
- executes justice for the orphan and widow and loves strangers
- Therefore, you also must love the stranger, fear God and worship only him
- Out of 70 in Egypt the LORD has made you as numerous as the stars in heaven
Rewards for Obedience
- Remember the Wilderness Wanderings and all that happened you. You -- not your children. It didn't happen to them.
- Keeping God's commandments will guarantee you strength, long life and prosperity
- Turning away from God will make him angry, and you will be denied these good things
- I set before you a blessing and a curse. When you get to the land, you will set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.
1-12 Pagan Shrines to Be Destroyed (Somehow God believes this can't be repeated too many times)
- Demolish the places they serve their gods
- Break down their altars, smash their pillars, burn their sacred poles, hew down their idols, and thus blot out their name from their places. How many modes of destruction must I name before you get the point?
- You shall NOT worship the LORD your God in such ways.
- The LORD your God will choose the place where you will offer your sacrifices, tithes, etc.
- Burnt offerings can be offered only in the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribes
- You can slaughter and eat meat anytime, but you must pour out the blood, for it represents life
- You cannot eat your tithes of grain, wine, oil, or livestock, etc. Those you must eat in a designated place, taking care not to neglect the Levites
- After you conquer these nations, do not ask, "How did these nations worship their gods? I also want to do the same." (Avoid the tendency to worship local gods.)
- Their worship is abhorrent: They even burn their children in worship
- Diligently observe everything I command: "Do not add to it or take anything from it."
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