Deuteronomy 5:22-27

b. ISRAEL'S REACTION: FEAR AND DEVOTION (Deuteronomy 5:22-27)

22 These words Jehovah spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them upon two tables of stone, and gave them unto me. 23 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders: 24 and ye said, Behold, Jehovah our God hath showed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth speak with man, and he liveth. 25 Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of Jehovah our God any more, then we shall die, 26 For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 27 Go thou near, and hear all that Jehovah our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that Jehovah our God shall speak unto thee: and we will hear it, and do it.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 5:22-27

120.

Who wrote the words on the two tablets of stone?

121.

Did God speak the ten commandments to the people before they were written?

122.

Why did God use fire, smoke, earthquake, darkness in manifesting Himself to Israel? Is there an example in this for us today?

123.

Why speak of dying, as in Deuteronomy 5:25-26?

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 5:22-27

22 These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly atthe mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He spoke not againadded no more. He wrote them on two tables of stone, and gave them to me [Moses].

23 And when you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
24 And you said, Behold, the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire; we have this day seen that God speaks with man and man still lives.
25 Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, we shall die.
26 For who is there of all flesh, who has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire, as we have, and lived?
27 Go near [Moses], and hear all that the Lord our God will say and speak to us all that the Lord our God will speak to you; and we will hear and do it.

COMMENT 5:22-27

THESE WORDS JEHOVAH SPAKE UNTO ALL YOUR ASSEMBLY (Deuteronomy 5:22)It appears God spoke the words of the Decalogue to the congregation before they were engraven on the tables of stone. Hence their fear (Deuteronomy 5:23; Deuteronomy 5:29).

AND HE WROTE THEM UPON TWO TABLES OF STONE, AND GAVE THEM UNTO ME (Deuteronomy 5:22)God is said to have written the ten commandments in both instances (Deuteronomy 4:13, Deuteronomy 10:1-4). See also Exodus 31:18; Exodus 32:15-16 (first set). Compare Exodus 34:1 (second sethewed out by Moses). But so is Moses: Exodus 24:4; Exodus 34:27-28. Our conclusion is, that what God instructed Moses to write, he did writeHe wrote precisely and exactly what he was told to. Thus the first tablets were said to have been written by the finger of God even though Moses did the writing. Regarding the statements of God writing and Moses writing, Francisco states, How is this to be interpreted? Do the statements contradict one another? Not if it is seen that when Moses wrote, it was just as if God was writing it with his own finger. Moses wrote the Decalogue word for word as God dictated it. It has been delivered by Moses just as it came from God.

Others would explain the passages concerning the writing and engraving thus: God wrote the ten commandments, Moses wrote the words in the book of the covenant (Exodus 24:7) and other laws and ordinances. But Exodus 34:28 specifically tells us Moses wrote the ten commandments upon the tables of stoneunless the he refers to God in that passage, Rotherham translates that scripture and He [God] wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten words. The Newberry Study Bible also refers the he to Jehovah, citing Deuteronomy 10:4. If the latter translations are accurate, it would erase the difficulty. But whether God wrote with or without human instrumentality, his writings nevertheless represent his will.

NOW THERERFORE WHY SHOULD WE DIE (Deuteronomy 5:25)Such an overwhelming demonstration (fire, quaking of the mountain, God's own voice speaking) they supposed to mean death. There was apparently a widely held view in Israel that any such revelation of God's glory and might meant death to the observers.