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Deuteronomy 5:29 O That there were such an heart in them…

  The first five books in the Old Testament of the Bible are the Books of Moses commonly called the Pentateuch which is Greek for five.  Pentagram, pentagon, etc…    The last book in the Pentateuch is Deuteronomy which means “second law”.  It is not really the second law, it is Moses giving the history of Israel to the second generation of people after the exodus from Egypt. 

  The first generation, the group of men and women who left Egypt with Moses, rebelled against God, questioned God’s ability to deliver what He promised and therefore forfeited their opportunity to enter into the promised land. 

   Three things about this generation:

  1. No Fear or Reverence for God.  It is gone in this day and age.
  2. No Faith or Reliance on God.  It is gone in this day and age.
  3. No Favor or Reward from God.  We are living on our own blessings.

  We pick up in Deut. 5:22-30 at the time Moses is telling about the second time God gave the ten commandments to them.    The first time God gave Moses the commandments Moses came down from the mountain and discovered they were not ready for God’s law.
  Kind of hard to teach people the things of God when their minds are in the world.  There is going to have to be repentance.  A change of mind.
  So here they are receiving the law for the second time.  This time by the hand of God himself.
  The thought I want to look at tonight is in verse 29. 

 

O That there were such an heart in them…

God is concerned about us.  He has our interest in mind.  He knows that if we were to follow His ways how much greater our life would be.  Truly.
  The Lord heard the words of their lips yet he knew the intentions of their heart.
Mat 15:7 –8  Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

 

Concerning the heart:

  God Detests

  1. A Forgetful Heart -  ( 24) Forget what God has done for you. Where God brought you from and where He is taking you.  Taking for granted the things of God.
  2. A Froward Heart - One who cannot be moved by the things of God.  Where is the compassion, where is the sorrow, where is the concern?  Not willing to yield or comply with what is required; unyielding; ungovernable;
  3. A Foolish Heart - In scripture, wicked; sinful; acting without regard to the divine law and glory, or to one's own eternal happiness.  More than unconcern, it reaches to unbelief.

 

  God Desires a

  1. Following Heart – (27) One who wants to listen and who wants to obey.  (James 1:22-25)
  2. Fervent Heart - One that is excited about the things of God.
  3. Fixed Heart – (32)  One who has made there mind up not to turn back.

 

The reason God is concerned with our heart is for our own sakes.  His heart is for us. 

John 3:16;  The greatest commandment of all  Mat 22:37-38  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.