Chapter Ten
Replacement Stone Tablets
10:1 “At that time the LORD said to me, ‘Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to me on the mountain and make an ark of wood. 2 And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets that you broke, and you shall put them in the ark.’ 3 So I made an ark of acacia wood, and cut two tablets of stone like the first, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. 4 And he wrote on the tablets, in the same writing as before, the Ten Commandments that the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. And the LORD gave them to me. 5 Then I turned and came down from the mountain and put the tablets in the ark that I had made. And there they are, as the LORD commanded me.”
Unlike the first set of tablets, the replacements were man-made (undoubtedly not an easy task, perhaps a fitting example of the struggle after sin). The reference for Moses to make an ark (Hebrew ‘ǎrōn’,[1] a box or a chest) is not found in the original account (see Exodus 34:1), which raises a few questions. Some believe that since this is the same word used to describe the Ark of the Covenant (see Exodus 25:10), that it refers to that ark. However, it clearly states here that Moses built this ark, since the Ark of the Covenant was built later by Bezalel (see Exodus 37:1), this wooden chest was probably built to carry the tablets (sometimes considered a temporary ark, the fact that the earlier account does not mention this box does not invalidate this reference). There are some that believe that this was a reference to the then-future event of the Ark of the Covenant that Moses commissioned of being built and the tablets (sometimes called the ‘testimony’) subsequently being placed inside, which was done (see Exodus 40:20).
10:6 (The people of Israel journeyed from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried. And his son Eleazar ministered as priest in his place. 7 From there they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land with brooks of water.
These two verses are often considered as not being part of Moses’ narrative due to the interruption of the story regarding the golden calf and the reference of Israel in the third person. Some believe Moses simply added existing text, while others believe it was added by the same person who wrote about Moses’ death (see Deuteronomy 34:1-12). One commentator offers this viewpoint:
At this point in Moses’ narrative about the aftermath of the golden calf incident the text digresses to mention Aaron’s death. This is not part of Moses’ narrative. Since it refers to Israel in the third person, instead of the first person plural or the second person that Moses uses in Deuteronomy, it must be by a different narrator.
For other passages spoken by a narrator other than Moses in Deuteronomy, see 1:1–5; 2:12; 4:41–5:1; 27:1, 9, 11; 28:69; 29:1; 31–34 passim. The phrase “Israelites” (lit., “children of Israel”), which is not Deuteronomic, suggests that the passage is from another source, perhaps an itinerary of the type found in Num. 33. It is not, however, based on the latter since the direction of the route and the place of Aaron’s death differ (see Num. 33:31, 37–39; cf. 20:22–28 and Deut. 32:50).[2]
The locations named here are, as mentioned in the commentary under Numbers 33:16-37, are largely unknown. Some note that if Beeroth Bene-jaakan (the well belonging to the family of Jaakan) is the same as Bene-jaakan (the region belonging to the sons or children of Jaakan, see Numbers 33:31-32) the order of arrival is recorded different, in the Numbers’ account they arrived at Moseroth (considered the same as ‘Moserah’) first.
Since Aaron did not die until forty years after the golden calf incident (see Numbers 33:37-39), it is believed that the placement of this text here was to indicate that even though his life was spared at that time, he did not escape punishment as he died in the wilderness prior to reaching the Promised Land. His son Eleazar was commissioned as the next High Priest.
10:8 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD to stand before the LORD to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day. 9 Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God said to him.)
Returning to Moses’ narrative about the period following the golden calf incident, the text identifies the Levites now having YHWH as an inheritance instead of land, because of them stepping in to assist Moses during the insurrection that started in his absence.
10:10 “I myself stayed on the mountain, as at the first time, forty days and forty nights, and the LORD listened to me that time also. The LORD was unwilling to destroy you. 11 And the LORD said to me, ‘Arise, go on your journey at the head of the people, so that they may go in and possess the land, which I swore to their fathers to give them.’
Moses went back to Mount Sinai and stayed there an additional forty days and forty nights as he interceded for Aaron and the people of Israel. YHWH listened to Moses and the lives of the people and Aaron were spared. God then told Moses to rise (remember Moses was down, fallen prostrate before God during this time, see Deuteronomy 9:25) and proceed to lead the people to the Promised Land.
Having a Heart for God
10:12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?
Moses now comes to what God requires in return. Previously specific instructions were given to Moses when the covenant was renewed, as recorded in Exodus, which included:
However, instead of relaying those specific instructions, Moses focuses on what might be described as their attitude towards God.
Moses calls them to fear, walk, love, and serve YHWH with all their hearts and soul. They are to obey and do as He instructs them to do. He is telling them that they should make God their priority in life. Everything they do and think about should embrace God, He is theirs and they are His. One way to look at this fellowship with God is to consider them being totally immersed in Him, completely dependent on God. This level of fellowship with God is still available today. Christians are considered righteous in God’s eyes and are indeed forgiven; they can enjoy His fellowship through obedience to Jesus. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17) This can be confusing as the Holy Spirit dwells in every Christian, even when sinning, however, that sin can push Jesus away. While this does not affect their salvation, it can affect their fellowship with Him, which is why a Christian should have a sincere desire to repent and ask God for forgiveness immediately after recognizing they sinned.[3]
10:14 Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. 15 Yet the LORD set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.
By using the demonstrative interjection ‘Behold’ (Hebrew ‘hēn’),[4] Moses is calling attention to something amazing, something that is truly incomprehensible, that would be God’s love for His people. He uses the contrast that YHWH is the true God, the God of the heavens and earth and everything that exists. Yet He loved their forefathers and chose them too, above all other people. The Creator of all, the Ruler of all, the Lord of all, chose the people of Israel.
It is truly remarkable that the Creator and God of the universe would have any desire, let alone love, for any people. This fact is exemplified in the book of John, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17) God desired fellowship with the people of Israel[5] and now since believers have been “grafted in,” Christians can enjoy the same fellowship (see Romans 11:11-24).
10:16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. 17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. 21 He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.
Moses relates the practice of circumcision to the hearts and minds of those listening to him. He is calling them to remove any barrier that prevents them from following God, and to stop being stubborn (see also Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; Acts 7:51; Romans 2:25-29; Philippians 3:3; Colossians 2:11). Moses then lists several additional reasons why they should follow YHWH: He is the God of all gods (this is not an admission that there are other real gods, just false gods);[6] He is Lord of lords; He is the great, mighty, and awesome God; He is not partial in His judgment and does not accept bribes; He executes justice fairly for everyone including the fatherless and the widow; and He loves the sojourner as demonstrated by Him giving them food and clothing. They too are to love the sojourner because they were once sojourners themselves in Egypt.
Moses once again calls them to fear YHWH and serve Him, to hold on to Him tightly and if they need to take an oath, it is to be in His name. He is to be their praise (Hebrew ‘ṯehil·lāṯ’,[7] refers to genuine appreciation) as He is their God who has done many great miracles, terrifying things like plagues and wondrous signs that the people of Israel have witnessed. They entered Egypt as a family of seventy people and came out as a nation with their population as numerous as the number of stars visible in the night sky.
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 727.
[2] Tigay, J. H. (1996). Deuteronomy (p. 105). Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.
[3] See Considerations under Exodus 21:32 regarding Why Obey God?
[4] Strong’s Hebrew 2005.
[5] See Sin Revisited under A Brief Introduction to God’s Law.
[6] See commentary under Deuteronomy 5:7.
[7] Strong’s Hebrew 8416.