“He is your praise; he is your God…

As a book, Deuteronomy is significant when it comes to generations.  The Jews that came out of Egypt and gained their freedom saw miracles that only their generation saw.  They were extremely privileged to be eyewitnesses of the biggest power encounter that God had in all of the Old Testament.  Probably the second biggest was Elijah’s confrontation of the prophets of Baal and Asherah atop Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18).  Think of what the former saw: the 10 plagues, the pillar of smoke and fire and the parting of the Red Sea followed by a fresh fountain of sparkling water pouring from a rock, enough to satisfy hundreds of thousands, if not millions, and that mysterious manna there every single day, rain or shine.  Sure, living as vagabonds in the dessert isn’t exactly a picnic by any stretch.  But think of the responsibility to tell your up-and-coming generations what you saw, how it felt, and what it said about God.

Deuteronomy is a fresh retelling (literally, “second law”) of decades of stories in summary form.  I’m sure Moses, being over 100 years old, was acutely aware of the importance of passing on God’s testimony long before his grandson became a priest leading his people in idol worship (Judges 18:30).  If anything, Deuteronomy shows that God is interested in the generations that don’t see such miracles.

And so Moses recounts the interaction between God and his people — their disobedience and his judgments, most notably that golden calf.  Boy, that was not a good one!  So when we get to Deuteronomy 10, we’re at the point when God tells Moses he’s going to rewrite his law on two more stone tablets, the first set being broken at “idol time” (vs. 1-11).

Then beginning in verse 12 we find God’s commentary through Moses’ quill.  What should Israel do?  “Fear the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, love him, serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and observe the Lord’s commands and decrees…for your own good”.  Did you get that last part: “for your own good”?  Here is almighty God, maker of heaven and earth, creator of man, owner of everything in the highest heavens (v. 14).  And he’s speaking to puny man who thinks he knows what’s best for him. That was Adam and Eve’s fault way back in the garden.  So this incredible God who “set his affection on your forefathers and loved them and chose you, their descendants, above all the nations” (v. 15), only asks what is reasonable.  But when he does that, watch the “Yeah, but’s” start to fly up faster than a wet hornet.  Who does man think he is, anyway?  God’s commands are always right, always good, always for our benefit.  It is the height of audacity to think otherwise.

The contrast continues: “Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.  For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes” (v. 17).  I like this last clause about bribes.  Bribe God?  With what?  He owns everything anyway!  What can we give him that he doesn’t already have?  Talk about stupid!

He goes on: “He defends the cause of (NKJV: “administers justice for”) the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.”  Recently my wife and I were at a conference where a keynote speaker announced that philosophers and trend watchers discovered that the sun was setting on postmodernism.  They knew this because mankind simply can’t live without two things: love and justice.  In fact, in Christian Bible studies on campuses nationwide, justice is a major theme.  It’s good to know that when foolish man finally wakes up, God has been there all along.  You see both in this verse.

Finally we arrive at verse 21: “He is your praise, he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes”.  That is, they saw them as kids do.  He brings them to mind again as they become the older generation, the one that carried the same responsibility for their elders who dropped the torch.  Lesser things, temporary things, became a higher priority instead of God himself.  Other things became their praise.  Today, it’s a girlfriend/boyfriend or spouse, a job, money, a car, a carrier, or some addicting habit that can’t (or won’t) be broken.  Our lives reflect what our praise is: it’s what we spend our time/money/effort/thoughts/energy on.  How would you describe what your praise is?  Is it the Lord?  Does your life confirm it?  Does the next generation watching you likewise confirm it?