Deuteronomy 5:1 - Meaning and Application

Moses calls the whole assembly together. He summoned all Israel, not only the elders, but likely as many people as could hear him (Deuteronomy 5:1). The greatest among them were not above God’s command, and the least were not beneath his notice. All of them were under the duty to listen and obey.

He also presses them to pay close attention: “Hear, O Israel.” That means hear, take it in, remember it, learn it, and do it. If hearing does not lead to learning and obedience, then it does no good at all. When we hear God’s word, we should set ourselves to learn it so we can use it when needed, and then put what we learn into practice. The goal is not to fill our minds with ideas or our mouths with talk, but to shape our hearts and conduct.

Moses then points them back to the covenant made with them at Horeb, which is Mount Sinai, as the rule they must live by. We should admire God’s gracious kindness in turning a command into a covenant. That makes obedience stronger, because we obey by our own consent, and it makes obedience more hopeful, because God’s promise stands behind it. The promises and warnings attached to some commands, such as the second, third, and fifth, make them part of that covenant.

Notice who this covenant was made with. It was not made with the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, though God had given them the covenant of circumcision (Acts 7:8). This was a later revelation, and God’s light was given step by step, so the children learned more of his will than their fathers had before. The covenant was made with them, or with their parents who stood for them, before Mount Sinai.

Notice also how the covenant was made known. God himself, as it were, read the terms to them (Deuteronomy 5:4). He spoke face to face, that is, plainly and directly, word for word, as the Chaldee says. He did not speak in dark visions, as he had sometimes done with the fathers (Job 4:12-13), but openly, so that all Israel could hear and understand. He spoke to them, and then received their answer, so the matter was handled face to face.

Moses was the mediator of this covenant. He stood between God and the people at the foot of the mountain (Deuteronomy 5:5), carrying messages back and forth as the covenant was arranged in Exodus 19 and confirmed in Exodus 24. In this, Moses pointed forward to Christ, who stands between God and man. Christ shows us God’s word and brings us near to him as a gracious go-between, so that we may hear from God and speak to him without fear.