Deuteronomy 9:7-17
And the Mountain Burned with Fire
In today’s passage, Moses takes us through the account of what occurred when he was on Mount Sinai after the initial giving of the Ten Commandments. Moses is recounting this story to give weight to a point that he made in the passage we looked at last week.
For Israel, they should pay heed to what is said because it still applies to them today – in several ways. They have the same nature and character that Moses proclaimed then, and which he will explain today. They also have the same need for mercy that was needed towards the end of our passage.
It is the repeated theme of the Bible, man needs release from sin, sin comes through law, and therefore, man needs release from the law. If that doesn’t happen, all that man can expect is a sad ending when he is forever separated from the goodness of God.
But please understand, this is our default position because of what Adam did. God doesn’t want it this way. That is evidenced in the fact that He has gone through the entire plan of redemption, as is outlined in the Bible, to have our default setting changed. For those of us who have come to Christ, that is done. For Israel as a people, that time is yet ahead…
Text Verse: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Jeremiah 31:31-33
Israel, the people who God covenanted with, failed to see the importance of Christ Jesus. In their rejection of Him, they remained (and remain to this day) a people bound to the law. It is a law that demands a penalty for violating it.
Moses understood that, and today he will begin to take action to rectify it for his people. But they remained a people under the law. Yes, they were granted temporary release, year by year, under the provisions of the renewed covenant they received, but even that only anticipated a future, final, and full release that can only be found in their Messiah. Someday, they will get it right.
For now, the lesson of the law continues, as does a short chiasm that we began last week. We can look at that in review before we get into our sermon verses –
Deuteronomy 9:6-13 – Breaking the Covenant
While Moses was on the mountain of God (6/3/2008 – refined in 2020)
a 9:6 You are a stiff-necked people
—- b 9:7, 8 You who came out of Egypt provoked the LORD to wrath
——-c 9:9, 10 I received two tablets of stone when on the mountain 40 days and nights
X 9:10 the words which the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain from the
midst of the fire
——-c 9:11 At the end of 40 days and nights, the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone
—–b 9:12 The people who came out of Egypt acted corruptly and disobeyed the LORD
a 9:13: Indeed, they are a stiff-necked people
As you can see, the center of the chiasm speaks of the words of the Lord that were spoken from the midst of the fire. And, you can see that the outer parts of the chiasm speak of Israel as a stiff-necked people. The two thoughts together don’t bode very well for Israel.
Do they want to remain under this law? Do you? The very thought is suicidal because we are all a bit like Israel. We are stiff-necked and incapable of submitting ourselves to such a weight and a burden.
We all have choices to make, and we will continue to look over the choice of the law today. Hopefully you will decide to opt for another avenue, one with a light and easy yoke that you can readily submit to. That is the one Christ Jesus offers. It is a precious truth that is to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.
I. Written with the Finger of God (verses 7-10)
7 “Remember! Do not forget
The translation is correct. There is a stress on the words: zakor al tishkakh – “Remember! Do not forget.” The words are second person singular. Moses is speaking to the people collectively. He is heavily stressing his words in order to ensure that Israel does not ever feel they deserve what they have received. In fact, exactly the opposite is true. Not only did they not deserve being granted the inheritance, the opposite is the case.
The promise was to the fathers, and they, as a group, were the recipients of it. And yet, it is they, Israel, who should have been completely destroyed for their behavior. Moses wants them to not only know it for what he will convey concerning their past actions, but for their state at any given time in the future…
7 (con’t) how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath
The words of this verse take us back to last week’s passage –
“It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6 Therefore understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.” Deuteronomy 9:5, 6
Moses said that inheriting the land was not because they were righteous or upright in heart. Rather, they are a stiff-necked people. He is now reminding them of that fact. It is they, Israel, who provoked the Lord their God to wrath. Again, the words are in the singular. He is the Lord God of Israel, and it is they as a nation that provoked Him to wrath. But more, it was…
7 (con’t) in the wilderness.
Israel had been in bondage in Egypt. The fact that they were in the wilderness meant that they were not in Egypt any longer. That didn’t come about by their own power – for they had none. Rather, as Moses said to them in Chapter 7 –
“…you shall remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: 19 the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs and the wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out.” Deuteronomy 7:18, 19
Moses is building his case, step by step, to solidify the facts of Israel’s history, its state before the Lord, and their state as the people of the Lord. They are, but it is only because of His covenant promises, and not because of anything of value in them. They had proven it to be otherwise…
7 (con’t) From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place,
A transition takes place in these words. The Hebrew says, “l’min ha’yom asher yatsata meerets mitsrayim ad boakem ad ha’maqom hazeh – from the day which you (singular) departed from land Egypt until you (plural – you all) came to the place, the this.”
This change to the plural will continue into Chapter 10. He goes from speaking to all the people collectively to speaking to them all individually. In essence, “from the day that you, Israel, departed from the land of Egypt until all of you Israelis came to this place.”
The words of this clause define the term of the previous clause, “in the wilderness.” They provoked the Lord to wrath when they left Egypt, and they continued to do so, even until the place where they now sat, right on the border of the inheritance. The period extends throughout the entire time of their specific calling as a people.
As this is so, it also includes their time since the giving of the law. They had entered into the covenant with the Lord, and yet they continued to provoke Him to wrath after that.
7 (con’t) you have been rebellious against the Lord.
Rather than “’against’ the Lord,” it reads mamrim heyitem im Yehovah – “rebellious you have been with Yehovah.” Using the word im, or with, makes the act especially personal. They are His people, and He is their God, and yet they were constantly rebellious with Him.
It is reflective of the meaning of the name Israel, or He strives with God. The striving can be with God, for God, or with God, against God. Moses notes they had been rebellious with Him, against Him. As this happened even until the present time, it means that the law was not something that brought them any nearer to Him. Rather…
8 Also in Horeb
u-b’khorev – “And in Horeb.” The sense of the word “and” is “even.” In other words, “Even in the very sight of the mountain where the Lord’s glory was on display, and where you received the law. Even there…”
8 (con’t) you provoked the Lord to wrath,
It is the same word that was just used in verse 7 –
7 – “You (singular, Israel) provoked the Lord your God to wrath.”
8 – “You all (plural) provoked the Lord to wrath.
Moses is probably doing this to let every person know that they are equally to blame They cannot blame their fathers. They cannot blame “everyone else.” And, they cannot blame just a few miscreants. Rather, each and every person must shoulder a part of the blame of provoking the Lord to wrath. There He was, on top of the mountain, right in full sight. As it said in Exodus 24 –
“The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. 18 So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.” Exodus 24:17, 18
Just because Moses was the only one at that time receiving the law, the presence of the Lord was right there, in full sight. Despite this, they provoked the Lord to anger even then…
8 (con’t) so that the Lord was angry enough with you to have destroyed you.
Here Moses uses a word, anaph, that he introduced into the Bible in verse 1:37. He used it again in verse 4:21. It comes from a primitive root meaning, “to breathe hard.” In both instances, he was referring to the anger of the Lord against him, but on account of the doings of the people.
Now, he says that the anger was bakem, or “in you,” meaning with the people themselves. The Lord’s fury was so great that it was as if He was huffing against them for what they had done. Moses now recounts exactly what brought that about, saying…
9 When I went up into the mountain
ba’aloti ha’harah – “In my going up the mountain.” Saying, “In my going up,” it ties the words to the previous verse which said, u-b’khorev, or “And in Horeb.”
The last thing Moses would have considered is that in His going up the mountain, the very mountain in which the people were located and where they saw the awesome display of the Lord – while he was up there – they would fall into apostasy. In fact, Moses highlights the reason for his going up. It was…
9 (con’t) to receive the tablets of stone,
These words were specifically stated in Exodus 24 –
Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. 11 But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.
12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.” Exodus 24:9-12
Not only had the people seen the display of the Lord, but Aaron, Aaron’s two oldest sons, and seventy chosen leaders of Israel had also gone up and eaten a meal in the presence of the Lord. This is especially important to remember when we get to verse 20. It was only after these events that Moses then ascended alone with Joshua to receive…
9 (con’t) the tablets of the covenant which the Lord made with you,
lukhot ha’berit asher karat Yehovah imakem – “tablets the covenant which cut Yehovah with you (plural).” Moses is continuing to make this personal for each and every person before him now. It is true that many were born after the event happened, and yet he is indicating that they are all complicit in what occurred.
The Lord had cut a covenant with them, Moses was going to get the tablets that contained the very words of that covenant, and to bring them back as a witness to the people of what they had agreed to. Moses next describes his situation during that time…
9 (con’t) then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
This is recorded in Exodus 24:18. It was during this time that Moses received all of the details for the construction of the tabernacle and everything associated with it, including who would fabricate everything, who would minister as priest, and so on.
The number forty in Scripture signifies “a period of probation, trial, and chastisement.” This was certainly the case for Israel while Moses was on the mountain. They were under probation and they failed to measure up. They stayed below, eventually committed their great sin, and as it says in Exodus 32 –
“‘Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.’ 6 Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Exodus 32:5, 6
While they were below with their false god feasting, Moses was on the mountain with the Lord fasting. As he says…
9 (con’t) I neither ate bread nor drank water.
This was not previously recorded in the Exodus account. Moses fills this detail in for the people to see the contrast between themselves and their conduct, and him and his conduct, before the Lord. This time of probation and trial parallels that which Jesus faced after He was baptized –
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,
‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. Matthew 4:1-11
10 Then the Lord delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God,
After the Lord laid out the details of the law, He delivered a written copy of it to Moses. The words are similar to Exodus 31 –
“He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.” Exodus 31:18
In Exodus 31, it calls them shene lukhot even – “two tablets stone.” Here it says shene lukhot ha’abanim – “two tablets the stones.” This shows us that the words are not simply copied from Exodus, but that Moses is recalling to mind what he was given.
It is a subtle proof of Mosaic authorship. If this was written by another person who simply copied the Exodus account, it would have said the same thing both times. In both, however it says ketuvim b’etsbah Elohim – “written in finger of God.” This term, “in finger of God,” is then explained in Exodus 32 –
“The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. 16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.” Exodus 32:15, 16
It is God who accomplished the task of writing the words upon the stone. It is not that Moses received the words and then chiseled out what he was told, but that the Lord Himself engraved the words upon the stone. In this, the same word for write, katav, is used both here and in Jeremiah 31 – our text verse.
The Lord wrote the law upon the tablets of stone, and He promised that He would write His law upon the people’s hearts. Each step of the process is intended to show us our need for Christ, and of how God will work through Him to make our reconciliation complete.
10 (con’t) and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain
In other words, the tablets contained the Ten Commandments that were spoken out by the Lord in the presence of all of the people. Just what was conveyed to them was exactly what was written.
What this means is that what was recorded there was to be feared. The people feared the display of the Lord, but the display was to alert them to the nature of the Lord in relation to His law. The words of this clause and the next form the center of the chiasm we looked at earlier. The terror and power were conveyed because of the giving of the law. That is seen in the next words…
10 (con’t) from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
The people were assembled to hear the law. The fire accompanied the speaking forth of the law, and it is from where the words issued forth. The fire was to impress upon their minds the nature of the word of the Lord. As it says in Jeremiah 23:29, “‘Is not my word like a fire?’ says the Lord.”
The word of God, written on tablets of stone
It is His word and we must obey
But for our sins, He will atone
Yes, our transgressions and sin He will put away
This is possible when we have faith in His promise
It is what pleases Him – faith in His word
When we are not like a doubting Thomas
He grants forgiveness when our faith is heard
This is the marvel of what God has done in Christ
He offers us life where once death reigned
He set the value and the condition has been priced
Through faith in His Son, eternal life can now be gained
II. You Had Sinned Against the Lord Your God (verses 11-17)
11 And it came to pass, at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant.
One can see the purpose of the set period of forty days here. As noted, it is a period of probation, trial, and chastisement. Moses didn’t know this. He simply went up the mountain and received the law. He was totally unaware of what was occurring at the base of the mountain, and his reaction shows that he never expected such a thing to occur.
He, representing the law, thought that obedience to the law was possible. But the Lord already knew that this was not the case. The Lord had set the period of time, that period was now complete, and He gave to Moses the tablets as a witness to the fact that what the people heard was exactly what the people had violated.
In fact, He ties the handing over of the tablets to Moses in with exactly that thought, as is seen in the next words…
12 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Arise, go down quickly from here,
The words follow closely after Exodus 32:7, 8 and they carry a sense of urgency: qum red maher mizeh – “Arise! Descend quickly from this (place).” This is then followed by the same surprising words from Exodus…
12 (con’t) for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly;
The Lord says ammekha, “your people.” As seen in Exodus, this carries one of two possibilities – 1) The Lord is telling Moses that the people have sinned and they require a mediator to intercede for them. Or, 2) the Lord has disavowed them. The covenant which united them was broken and they are no longer His.
It is actually a mixture of both. The Lord distanced Himself from the people, but He knew the tie of Moses’ blood relationship was permanent. In verse 14, He offers a new beginning through Moses, but because of Moses’ faithfulness to his people, the Lord will continue the covenant between Himself and Israel. For now…
12 (con’t) they have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them;
saru maher – “they have turned aside quickly.” Using the same word, maher, or quickly, the Lord is tying in the command to Moses with the actions of the people. If they have turned so quickly from the proper path, you must quickly appear before them. Time is of the essence, because…
12 (con’t) they have made themselves a molded image.’
Not only had they made a molded image, but they had substituted it for the Lord. Aaron had said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” After that, he said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” In other words, he had equated the calf to Yehovah.
The irony of this action was immense. Israel had waited for the Lord’s promise to Abraham for over four hundred years. And yet, they could not wait for Moses’ return from the Lord for a mere forty days. Their shortsightedness and rebellion reflected the nature of their hearts. Moses continues, showing this…
13 “Furthermore the Lord spoke to me, saying, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed they are a stiff-necked people.
The Hebrew doesn’t say “spoke,” it says, “And the Lord said to me, saying.” The difference is minor but significant. When using amar, or said, it signifies participation by the one being addressed. In this case, the participation will be revealed in the next verse.
For now, these words close out the chiasm that began in verse 6. Moses told the people that they were stiff-necked. He then set about to explain to them why this was so. Even at the most important of all times, while camped around the mountain of God – and just after having received the law from the midst of the fire – the people rebelled against the Lord and provoked Him to anger.
If nothing else were to be held against them, this would be enough to prove that they were, in fact, stiff-necked, just as the Lord had said, and just as Moses had repeated. They were unwilling to bend their necks and submit to the yoke of the Lord’s law. Such an attitude rightly deserved the Lord’s punishment…
14 Let Me alone,
hereph mimeni – “Desist from me.” The word is raphah. It conveys the idea of letting go or to slacken. The Lord begins testing Moses through this word. “If you will back off, I will take action against them…”
14 (con’t) that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven;
The Hebrew is plural – “heavens.” It says in both Exodus and Deuteronomy that the Lord spoke to the assembly from the heavens. That was from the fire, and so now the meaning behind the fire is revealed. The Lord who spoke to them from the fire out of the heavens would turn that display of fire into judgment, blotting out their name from under those same heavens. Next…
14 (con’t) and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.’
This is where the use of amar is significant. The Lord “said” to Moses. That includes a sense of participation. After completing His destruction of Israel, the Lord would then build up a new nation through Moses. If Moses desisted from the Lord and stood back while He destroyed Israel, the Lord would then build up a house through him. But Moses was having none of that…
15 “So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire;
It is two separate clauses, but the symbolism has to be taken as a whole. The mountain represents the governmental authority of the Lord. Moses, or He Who Draws Out, draws out from the Lord the law of the Lord. It is he who descends from the place of governmental authority where, as it says, v’hahar boer baesh – “and the mountain is burning in the fire.”
The same fire of verse 10, where the Lord spoke mitok ha’esh, or “from midst the fire,” is referred to here. Moses represents the law coming from that place of government authority in judgment. As it says…
15 (con’t) and the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands.
u’shene lukhot ha’berit al shete yadai – “And two tablets the covenant upon two my hands.” The wording is precise and specific. The tablets were resting upon his hands. Unless they were teeny, or unless he worked out with Schwarzenegger – neither of which would be the case, and both for obvious reasons – they were on his hands and resting upon his breast as he carried them down the mountain.
The symbolism is perfectly clear. The law, the law broken by Isreal – open and in full view – is coming down the mountain of governmental authority from the fire of judgment, and thus only judgment should be expected. The voice spoke from the fire, the words of command were given, and the people feared greatly.
But their fear was misplaced. It wasn’t in the law, but in the display that accompanied the law. However, the display only came because of the giving of the law. Lesson: the law can only bring judgment; it cannot bring life.
16 And I looked, and behold,
The translation is precise. Moses was literally astonished at what he beheld. He had gone up the mountain to receive the word of the Lord at their request. When they made that petition, the Lord said –
“I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. 29 Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” Deuteronomy 5:28, 29
Moses was surely proud of them for their heart, and he left them feeling secure that they would persevere in that state while he was gone. And yet…
16 (con’t) you had sinned against the Lord your God—had made for yourselves a molded calf!
Here is Moses coming down, as instructed, with the tablets of stone. What is written in stone is permanent; it cannot be erased. The very words inscribed on the tablets were broken by the people who had agreed to them.
The law stood as a witness against them, and against what they had done. The first two of the Ten Commandments testified to this. They had another god before the Lord, and they had made it as an image, calling it the Lord. Within the span of a mere forty days, they had failed in their probationary test…
16 (con’t) You had turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you.
Moses repeats the word of the Lord to him from atop the mountain. The people had turned aside maher, or quickly. Earlier, we saw that Jesus was baptized and then He immediately went through his forty days of testing. This is what happened to Israel, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians –
“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.’” 1 Corinthians 10:1-7
The people had been baptized into Moses in the cloud and the sea. They were driven into the wilderness and presented with the law, and within forty days they failed. Jesus was baptized into Moses (to fulfill all righteousness) by John, a prophet of the Law of Moses. He was driven into the wilderness while under the law, and through forty days of testing, He prevailed. For now, Moses says…
* 17 (fin) Then I took the two tablets and threw them out of my two hands and broke them before your eyes.
In Exodus, it says that Moses broke these at the foot of the mountain. Here, it says that he broke them before their eyes. They must have seen him coming at some point, and jointly looked towards him. At this time, and because of his anger at what he saw, he threw them down in their sight.
This shows that his act was purposeful. He didn’t just drop them in a fit of passion, but what he did was intentional and specifically for them to see him do it. It, thus, signifies the annulment of the covenant.
In their agreeing to the law and then breaking it, the word of God was made of no effect. But just as important, it is actually a petition for mercy. If he wanted Israel destroyed, as the Lord suggested He would do, Moses would have brought the tablets forward and held them over the people, showing them that the coming punishment was just and asking for it to be meted out.
Rather, in their breaking of the covenant, Moses, as the designated mediator, was anticipating its annulment by destroying what the Lord had written on the tablets. This act of breaking the tablets is never mentioned in the negative by God later. In other words, it is to be considered as a justifiable act by Moses. As the mediator, the Lord has seen his actions and will next hear his petition for mercy.
But what we see here is giving us a picture of a portion of the story of redemption. It is a picture of our spiritual state. The laws of God are fixed and unchanging, but they can be annulled. In this, God knew that Moses would break them.
This first set of tablets pictures Adam. The tablets were made by God and engraved by God. Adam was created by God and he was given a law by God, but he broke that law. What Adam needed after that was mercy. What Israel needs is mercy as well. This is what Moses will petition for in our next set of verses and it is what will be granted.
In Chapter 10, we will see how this will be accomplished in another pictorial display. What is important to understand here is that the law of God is set. It cannot be amended by man. It can either be adhered to, or it can be annulled by God who gave it, but we either have to meet the law, or we will face the judgment of God. This is the message of the Bible.
God has given law to man, man has broken that law, and man stands condemned before God because of that. Israel’s reception of the Law of Moses only highlights that fact. It is God’s standard, and it must be met. But God gives us an option as to how that can come about.
We can attempt to meet His standard on our own, or we can meet it vicariously, through another. God does give us that option. In the first option, we will fail, and we will be condemned. In the case of the second option, if we choose the right Substitute to fulfill its demands for us, we will be saved.
And the only suitable Substitute for that to accomplish this is Jesus Christ. Only He was born without original sin, and only He fulfilled the law perfectly. It is only through Christ that we can meet God’s perfect standard, and so I would ask you today to consider this and to be sure that you settle your eternal destiny with God right away. Call on Christ, be forgiven for the sins of your soul, and be reconciled to God through the perfection of His Christ, our Lord Jesus.
Closing Verse: “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.” 2 Corinthians 3:2, 3
Next Week: Deuteronomy 9:18-29 During this time, will Israel be restored? (Forty Days and Forty Nights Before the Lord) (33rd Deuteronomy Sermon)
The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.
And the Mountain Burned with Fire
“Remember! Do not forget how you provoked
The LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness
From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt
———-until you came to this place
You have been rebellious against the LORD; you are such a mess
Also in Horeb you provoked the LORD to wrath
So you remember, and as you did do
So that the LORD was angry enough
With you to have destroyed you
When I went up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone
The tablets of the covenant which the LORD made with you
Then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights
I neither ate bread nor drank water; neither did I do
Then the LORD delivered to me two tablets of stone
———-written with the finger of God
And on them were all the words, from the day when you all
———-were trembly
Which the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain
From the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly
And it came to pass
At the end of forty days and forty nights, as time does track
That the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone
The tablets of the covenant, to take back
“Then the LORD said to me, ‘Arise, go down quickly from here
For your people whom you brought out of Egypt
Have acted corruptly; they have quickly turned aside from the way
———-which I commanded them
They have made themselves a molded image; into idolatry
———-they have tripped
“Furthermore the LORD spoke to me, saying
‘I have seen this people, and indeed they are a stiff-necked people
———-what more about them can I say?
Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name
———-from under heaven
And I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they
“So I turned and came down from the mountain
And the mountain burned with fire on that day
And the two tablets of the covenant
Were in my two hands as I headed your way
And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against
———-the LORD your God
Had made for yourselves a molded calf! A terrible thing to do
You had turned aside quickly from the way
Which the LORD had commanded you
Then I took the two tablets
And out of my two hands them I threw
And broke them before your eyes in my outburst
Because of my anger at you
Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true
And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days
Hallelujah and Amen…
7 “Remember! Do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord. 8 Also in Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry enough with you to have destroyed you. 9 When I went up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water. 10 Then the Lord delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. 11 And it came to pass, at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant.
12 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Arise, go down quickly from here, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly; they have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made themselves a molded image.’
13 “Furthermore the Lord spoke to me, saying, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed they are a stiff-necked people. 14 Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.’
15 “So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire; and the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands. 16 And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the Lord your God—had made for yourselves a molded calf! You had turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you. 17 Then I took the two tablets and threw them out of my two hands and broke them before your eyes.