Revcort's Ramblings

Scripture Focus

“And the Lord heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the Lord said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!’” — Deuteronomy 5:28–29 (ESV)

Devotional Thought

Here in Deuteronomy 5, Moses recounts the Ten Commandments God had given to Israel at Mount Horeb. He reminds this new generation that their parents had actually heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire. Understandably, they were terrified. They feared that if they continued hearing God directly, they might be consumed, so they asked Moses to approach God on their behalf, hear what He had to say, and then return and tell them. They promised, “We will hear and do it.”

But Moses now tells them something they may not have heard before: God’s response to their words.

“And the Lord heard your words,” Moses tells them. And God said, “They are right in all that they have spoken.” Then comes a statement that gives us a beautiful glimpse into the heart of God: “Oh that they had such a heart as this always.”

If you listen to those words with the heart of a loving father, you can almost feel the emotion behind them. God wasn’t simply looking for people who would mechanically follow a list of rules. He desired a people whose hearts were turned toward Him—people who would know Him, fear Him, trust Him, listen to Him, and walk in His ways.

Sometimes people portray the God of Scripture as egocentric or demanding, as though His commandments exist simply because He enjoys controlling people. But passages like this reveal something entirely different. Notice why God wanted Israel to obey Him: “that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever.” His commands flowed from His love. He knew where obedience would lead, and He also knew where rebellion would lead.

Any loving parent can understand something of this feeling. You gain experience and wisdom through the years, and you desperately want to pass some of it along to your children. You warn them about dangers because you don’t want them to suffer. You encourage them toward what is good because you want them to flourish. Yet sometimes a child refuses to listen. They choose exactly what you warned them against and discover through painful experience why you warned them in the first place. The parent’s rules weren’t intended to steal their joy; they were intended to protect them.

How often Israel must have broken God’s heart in much the same way. Again and again, He stretched out His hands to a stubborn and rebellious people. He instructed them, warned them, provided for them, forgave them, and called them back to Himself. Yet they continually wandered away. So when they stood at Horeb with hearts receptive to His voice, God essentially said, “If only their hearts would remain like this.”

The problem, of course, is that they wouldn’t. Israel’s history would repeatedly demonstrate that the human heart cannot maintain this kind of faithfulness on its own. And that points us toward one of the great promises that comes later in Deuteronomy: “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart… so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 30:6). What God desired from His people, He would ultimately have to accomplish within them.

This points us beautifully toward the Gospel. In Christ, God doesn’t merely give us commands and tell us to try harder. He gives us new hearts. Through the Holy Spirit, God works within His people, changing our desires and enabling us to walk with Him. The Gospel isn’t simply about changing our behavior; God transforms the heart from which our behavior flows.

And yet the question Moses’ words raise is still deeply personal: What kind of heart do I have toward God?

Am I close enough to Him to hear what He is saying through His Word? When His Word corrects me, do I resist or listen? When I know what He has instructed me to do, do I trust Him enough to obey? God isn’t trying to keep something good from us. Like a loving Father, He calls us to Himself and leads us in the way that is ultimately for our good.

May God’s words about Israel describe us as well: “Oh that they had such a heart as this always.”

Reflection Questions

1. What does God’s statement, “Oh that they had such a heart as this always,” reveal to you about His heart toward His people?
2. Do you tend to view God’s commands as restrictions, or as the loving instruction of a Father who desires what is ultimately good for you?
3. When God’s Word challenges or corrects you, how do you normally respond?
4. Is there an area of your life where you already know what God has instructed you to do, but you have been reluctant to obey?

Closing Prayer

Father, give me a heart that desires to know You, hear Your voice through Your Word, and obey what You teach me. Forgive me for the times I have treated Your commands as burdens instead of trusting that You are a loving Father who desires what is good for me. Thank You that through Jesus Christ You do more than tell me how to live—you give me a new heart and Your Spirit to work within me. Keep my heart close to You, teach me to trust You, and help me to walk faithfully with You all my days. In Jesus’ name, amen.