Deuteronomy 10:12

"And now, Israel, what doth Jehovah thy God require of thee, but to fear Jehovah thy God, and to love him, and to serve Jehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of Jehovah, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? Behold, unto Jehovah thy God belongeth heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is therein. Only Jehovah had a delight in thy fathers to love them, even you above all peoples, as at this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked. For Jehovah your God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the terrible, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward."

Notice that we have another one of those Mosaic injections into his speech, "as at this day." The reason for this lies in the very great importance that Moses attached to this glorious day when, shortly afterward, Israel would enter Canaan. This repeated mention of "this day" is exactly the equivalent of what Cardinal Cushing did in his prayer at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy as President of the U.S.A. The Cardinal told God no less than five times in that single prayer what the date was! "On this 21st of January, 1961 ..." etc., etc.

Micah 6:8 is an echo of this passage, indicating that Deuteronomy is far older than the minor prophets (848-844 B.C.), and at the time of their writing, already well known throughout Israel.

"What doth Jehovah thy God require of thee ... etc.?" (Deuteronomy 10:12). (For a full discussion of this remarkable text see Vol. 2, Minor Prophets, in my series of commentaries, pp. 357-361.) It is much more clear here in Deuteronomy that the full duty of Israel, as outlined here, included, absolutely, the keeping of the commandments and ordinances of God. Commentators on the Micah passage have attempted to make it a release from all duties, except those of `serving humanity,' one writer even going so far as to affirm that, "The true worship of God is the service of man."[19] An erroneous view of this kind degenerates holy religion into mere humanism, which in the last analysis is pure atheism and the ultimate seed-bed of every evil ever known to mankind.

A lesson for today in this passage is that, "If God expected the kind of ultimate and total devotion enjoined here from those who had received physical deliverance only at God's hands, what level of devotion should we return who have known and received the blessings of Christ's atoning death, the promise of eternal life, etc.?"[20]

"Commandments ... which I command thee this day for thy good ..." (Deuteronomy 10:13) One of the little noted facts regarding God's commandments is that all of them, without exception, are designed for the benefit and blessing of the recipients. The full import of this is that man's truest happiness and blessing in this present life, as well as his hope of heaven, are achieved in faithful obedience to the commandments of the Lord. As Dummelow put it, "The path of duty is also that of safety and welfare."[21]

"Unto Jehovah ... belongeth the heaven of the heaven of the heavens ..." (Deuteronomy 10:14). The Hebrew here actually has this: "All of the words here are in the plural number, the heavens of the heavens of the heavens."[22] As Clarke noted, "To say that the first heaven denotes the atmosphere, the second the starry heavens, and the third the abode of the blessed (where God is), is saying but very little in the way of explanation."[23] His conclusion as to the meaning of these words was this:

"The words were probably intended to point out the immensity of God's creation, in which we may readily perceive one system of heavenly bodies, and others beyond it, and still others in endless progression in space ... every star a sun, with its peculiar and attendant worlds. Thus there might be systems of systems in endless gradation up to the throne of God."[24]

"Circumcise therefore ... thy heart ..." (Deuteronomy 10:16). This is a metaphor. As Davies put it, "Physical circumcision implied consecration of the entire man to Jehovah. The verb `to circumcise' came thus to be used figuratively of the heart."[25] This verse shows that even under the Mosaic Law, there were deep spiritual overtones to all that was enjoined. As Paul said, "He is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God" (Romans 2:28,29). As Oberst observed, "A mere outward alteration would not (and could not) be enough for God. The inner man, the hidden man of the heart must be changed."[26]

This metaphor was carried forward into the N.T. by the apostle Paul, and although there are some superficial resemblances between circumcision and Christian baptism, it is a gross error to affirm that, "Baptism in the New Testament is strictly analogous to circumcision under the Old Testament."[27] Here are some of the fundamental differences:

Circumcision was observed on the eighth day of life, but baptism is for penitent believers.

Circumcision was for males only, but baptism is for all who come into the kingdom.

Circumcision did not bring one into the Abrahamic covenant; one was born into that covenant. But baptism is the means of one's coming "into Christ," and therefore, into the covenant with God.

Circumcision was practiced upon the individual without his consent and even against his will, but the divine rule for baptism is that everyone who wishes to be saved, having believed in Christ, must repent and "have himself baptized."[28]

Circumcision was a "sign of the covenant," but baptism is "for," "unto," "in order to receive" the remission of sins.

Circumcision had nothing to do with the forgiveness of sins.

"God of gods ... Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the terrible ..." (Deuteronomy 10:17). The use of various names for God is evident in such a passage as this. No one could believe that several different authors were called upon as "the sources" of such declarations. What we have are synonyms for the Almighty! No loftier monotheism is to be found in the Bible. God is the first Cause, the uncaused Beginning and Creator of all things. Whom God has determined to save, none can destroy, and whom He elects to destroy, none can save! How absolutely essential is it that a mortal man should know and receive such a God as His rightful Lord, submit to His teachings, and in consequence be able to claim Him as a friend.

This verse is worthy to be compared with the great N.T. texts which extol the Father of Lights, the Father of Mercies, the Everlasting Father, etc. as Blessed and Only Potentate, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, who Only Hath Immortality, and Lord of Lords and King of Kings (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16). The characteristics added here, namely, that "He regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward," are merely another way of saying that "God is no respecter of persons," and that no one can bribe God!