The Lord Renews His Covenant and Calls for Wholehearted Obedience

10:1 At that same time the Lord said to me, “Carve out for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones and come up the mountain to me; also make for yourself a wooden ark. 10:2 I will write on the tablets the same words that were on the first tablets you broke, and you must put them into the ark.” 10:3 So I made an ark of acacia wood and carved out two stone tablets just like the first ones. Then I went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hands. 10:4 The Lord then wrote on the tablets the same words, the ten commandments, which he had spoken to you at the mountain from the middle of the fire at the time of that assembly, and he gave them to me. 10:5 Then I turned, went down the mountain, and placed the tablets into the ark I had made – they are still there, just as the Lord commanded me. 10:6 “During those days the Israelites traveled from Beeroth Bene-Yaaqan to Moserah. There Aaron died and was buried, and his son Eleazar became priest in his place. 10:7 From there they traveled to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a place of flowing streams. 10:8 At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand before the Lord to serve him, and to formulate blessings in his name, as they do to this very day. 10:9 Therefore Levi has no allotment or inheritance among his brothers; the Lord is his inheritance just as the Lord your God told him. 10:10 As for me, I stayed at the mountain as I did the first time, forty days and nights. The Lord listened to me that time as well and decided not to destroy you. 10:11 Then he said to me, “Get up, set out leading the people so they may go and possess the land I promised to give to their ancestors.” 10:12 Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you except to revere him, to obey all his commandments, to love him, to serve him with all your mind and being, 10:13 and to keep the Lord’s commandments and statutes that I am giving you today for your own good? 10:14 The heavens – indeed the highest heavens – belong to the Lord your God, as does the earth and everything in it. 10:15 However, only to your ancestors did he show his loving favor, and he chose you, their descendants, from all peoples – as is apparent today. 10:16 Therefore, cleanse your heart and stop being so stubborn! 10:17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God who is unbiased and takes no bribe, 10:18 who justly treats the orphan and widow, and who loves resident foreigners, giving them food and clothing. 10:19 So you must love the resident foreigner because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. 10:20 Revere the Lord your God, serve him, be loyal to him and take oaths only in his name. 10:21 He is the one you should praise; he is your God, the one who has done these great and awesome things for you that you have seen. 10:22 When your ancestors went down to Egypt, they numbered only seventy, but now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky.

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The Lord gives the tablets again after Israel’s sin. He renews his covenant, keeps his word, and calls his people to fear him, love him, serve him, and obey him for their good.

After Israel’s failure with the golden calf, the Lord tells Moses to make new stone tablets and an ark. The Lord writes the same words again and gives the tablets back to Moses. This shows mercy, but it also shows that God’s covenant word remains firm.

The passage then briefly recalls Aaron’s death and the setting apart of Levi. Levi is chosen to carry the ark, stand before the Lord, and serve in his name. Levi has no land inheritance, because the Lord himself is their inheritance.

Moses also remembers how the Lord heard his prayer and did not destroy Israel. Mercy does not cancel duty. The people must still go forward and possess the land God promised.

The heart of the passage is the call in verses 12-13: fear the Lord, love him, serve him with all your heart and soul, and keep his commandments. These commands are for Israel’s good, even when they are demanding.

The Lord owns heaven and earth, yet he set his love on Israel’s ancestors and chose their descendants by grace. Therefore Israel must not be proud or stubborn. They must cleanse their hearts and turn from hardness.

The Lord is great, mighty, and just. He shows no partiality and takes no bribe. He defends the orphan and widow and loves the resident foreigner. So Israel must also love the foreigner, because they once were foreigners in Egypt.

The passage ends with praise. God had made Israel grow from seventy people to a nation as numerous as the stars. Their growth was a gift from him, not a cause for boasting.

• God renewed the covenant tablets after Israel’s sin.
• The Lord wrote the commandments again, showing mercy and authority.
• Levi was set apart for sacred service, and the Lord was Levi’s inheritance.
• The Lord heard Moses’ prayer and spared Israel from destruction.
• Covenant life requires fear, love, service, obedience, and wholehearted loyalty.
• God’s commands are for his people’s good, even when they are demanding.
• The Lord owns all things, yet he chose Israel by grace.
• God calls his people to cleanse their hearts and stop being stubborn.
• The Lord is just, impartial, and cannot be bribed.
• He defends the orphan, widow, and resident foreigner.
• Israel must love the resident foreigner because they were foreigners in Egypt.
• Israel’s growth from seventy to a great nation was the Lord’s gift.

• Warning: do not be stubborn; cleanse your heart.
• Warning: do not take God lightly or treat his commands as optional.
• Promise: the Lord heard Moses and did not destroy Israel.
• Promise: the Lord is the inheritance of Levi.
• Command: fear the Lord, love him, serve him, and keep his commandments.
• Command: go forward and possess the land the Lord promised.
• Command: love the resident foreigner.
• Command: take oaths only in the Lord’s name.
• Command: praise the Lord for his great works.

The Lord preserves Israel after sin, renews his covenant, and brings them toward the promised land. His mercy and his commands belong together. His people are to live under his word, showing justice and compassion because he is that kind of God.

God’s people should respond to mercy with obedience, not pride. They should worship with all their heart, reject stubbornness, and care for the vulnerable, including the outsider. They should remember that all they have comes from the Lord.

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