Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Deuteronomy 5:29-31
Yahweh's Additional Response (Deuteronomy 5:29).
In His response Yahweh declares His longing that what His people had said might be true, and allows them to return to their tents, but commands that Moses will remain before Him in order to receive His commandment, that is, His statutes and ordinances in order to teach them to them so that they would do them once they had entered the land which Yahweh was giving them as a possession.
Analysis:
a Yahweh longs that the people might have such a heart as to fear Him and always keep His commandments so that it might be well with them and with their children for ever (Deuteronomy 5:29).
b He tells them to return to their tents (Deuteronomy 5:30).
a But Moses is to stand by Yahweh so that He might speak to Him all the commandment that He would give, the statutes and the ordinance which Moses was to teach to the people so that they might do them in the land that He was giving them to possess (Deuteronomy 5:31).
“ Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!”
But at the same time He had yearned that their hearts might have been such that they had not requested it, or at least such that they had continued to hear Him and obey Him. If only their hearts had been such that they would fear Him like Moses did, and keep His commandments permanently, and might thus find that all was well with them and with their children for ever. That was His longing for them. He only wished them well. For He knew that the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding (Psalms 111:10 with Job 28:28).
This heart cry reveals that Yahweh was not deceived about this people. Even as He gave His word through Moses He knew what would finally result. Even their behaviour here had revealed the seeds of movement away from God and His covenant. The whole of the Old Testament history is contained within these words. They had found that knowing God was uncomfortable. But God never desires the death of the wicked. He longs that they might turn from their wickedness and live (Ezekiel 33:11). And He therefore longs that people may hear Him and fear Him. We do no good to ourselves when we seek to hide from God.
God cries out in the same way today. He looks at us and says the same, and speaks to us through His word. But He knows what we are, and that therefore we will constantly be totally dependent on His mercy. Yet He longs for those who will be fully taken up with Him, and seek Him more earnestly so as to enter into the deeper things of God.
“ Go, say to them, “Return to your tents.”
So He tells Moses that the people are free to return to their tents (compare Deuteronomy 16:7). How sad this was. It was not because they had obtained victory that they returned to them, but because they did not want to have to face up to God as He really was. From now on they would be making do with second hand experience. And the saddest thing was that they were satisfied with it. It was really the beginning of the end for Israel's hopes of fulfilling God's purposes through Abraham. It was only through the coming of a greater than Moses that such hope would be restored, when One came Who spoke continually with God face to face, and in Himself revealed the face of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). And if we would know God we must not be afraid to face Him.
Yet the returning to their tents also indicated that they must take Yahweh's instruction into their home lives as in Deuteronomy 16:7. The way was open to lives of obedience. We must not overlook the fact that God was giving them the opportunity that they had sought.
“ But as for you (thee), you stand here by me, and I will speak to you all the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which you (thou) shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.”
The stark contrast between Moses and the people (including initially Aaron) comes out here. This returning to his tent was not for Moses. He could not return to his tent. (How he must have wished sometimes that he could). He must face what his people were unwilling to face. He must constantly ‘face God and live', as he had at the bush (Exodus 3). He must ‘stand by' Yahweh and hear Him as He spoke to him ‘all the commandment, and the statutes and the ordinances'. Then he must teach them to the people so that they may fulfil them in the land to which they were going so that they might continue to possess it. See Deuteronomy 6:1 which introduces those ‘commandments, statutes and judgments'. This reminds us that the way of Moses was a costly way. It was not easy to be the messenger of God.
Here we learn quite plainly how God intended to teach Moses all that was required of his people. Here was the promise of one large ‘commandment', of statutes (recorded requirements) and ordinances (judgments), of legislation and instruction, which he would have to pass on as God's revelation to them. And such revelations from a god were always written down among ancient peoples, just as Moses would ensure that they were written down, sometimes by his own hand, and sometimes by his scribe. Exodus 17:14 would certainly have formed a precedent as Exodus 24:4 reveals. Moses did not need nudging twice on such matters.