◄ Deuteronomy 10:20 ►
You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name.
Study Bible
You are to fear the LORD your God
The command to fear the LORD is a central theme in Deuteronomy and the entire Old Testament. This fear is not about terror but reverence and awe for God's holiness, power, and authority. In the ancient Near Eastern context, fear of a deity was common, but the Israelites were called to a unique relationship with Yahweh, characterized by love and obedience. This fear is foundational to wisdom (Proverbs 9:10) and is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). It reflects a deep respect and acknowledgment of God's sovereignty and justice.

and serve Him.
Service to God in the Old Testament often involved worship, sacrifices, and obedience to His commandments. The Hebrew word for "serve" can also mean "worship," indicating that true service to God is an act of worship. This service is exclusive, as seen in the first commandment (Exodus 20:3), and is a response to God's deliverance and covenant relationship with Israel. Jesus reiterates this principle in Matthew 4:10, emphasizing that worship and service are due to God alone.

Hold fast to Him
Holding fast to God implies loyalty and commitment. In the covenantal context, it means clinging to God and His commandments, rejecting idolatry and other allegiances. This phrase suggests a relationship akin to a marriage, where faithfulness and devotion are paramount. Joshua 23:8 echoes this sentiment, urging Israel to cling to the LORD as they had done in the past. It is a call to steadfastness in faith and practice.

and take your oaths in His name.
Oaths in the ancient world were serious commitments, often invoking a deity as a witness to the truth of one's words. By instructing the Israelites to take oaths in God's name, the text underscores the importance of truthfulness and integrity. It also highlights the exclusivity of their relationship with Yahweh, as oaths were not to be made in the names of other gods. Jesus later addresses the issue of oaths in Matthew 5:33-37, emphasizing honesty and the importance of one's word without the need for swearing by anything.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The author of Deuteronomy, Moses is delivering God's commandments to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.

2. The Israelites
The chosen people of God, who are receiving these instructions as part of the covenant relationship with Yahweh.

3. The Promised Land
The land of Canaan, which God promised to Abraham and his descendants, and where the Israelites are about to enter.

4. Yahweh (The LORD)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal presence and faithfulness to His people.

5. Mount Sinai
The place where Moses received the Law from God, which forms the backdrop for the covenantal instructions in Deuteronomy.
Teaching Points
Fear of the LORD
The fear of the LORD is foundational to a life of faith. It involves reverence, awe, and a recognition of God's holiness and authority.

Service to God
Serving God is an act of worship and obedience. It requires dedication and a willingness to prioritize God's will over personal desires.

Holding Fast to God
Holding fast implies a deep, unwavering commitment to God. It involves clinging to His promises and trusting in His faithfulness.

Integrity in Oaths
Taking oaths in God's name underscores the importance of truthfulness and integrity. It reflects a life that honors God in word and deed.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does it mean to "fear the LORD" in the context of your daily life, and how can this fear influence your decisions and actions?

2. How can you actively serve God in your current circumstances, and what might be hindering you from doing so?

3. In what ways can you "hold fast" to God during times of trial or uncertainty, and what practical steps can you take to strengthen your faith?

4. How does the call to take oaths in God's name relate to the way you communicate and uphold your commitments to others?

5. How do the themes of fearing, serving, and holding fast to God in Deuteronomy 10:20 connect with Jesus' teachings in the New Testament, and how can these connections deepen your understanding of discipleship?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 20:2-3
The command to fear and serve God is rooted in the first commandment, emphasizing exclusive worship and allegiance to Yahweh.

Joshua 24:14-15
Joshua reiterates the call to fear and serve the LORD, challenging the Israelites to choose whom they will serve.

Matthew 4:10
Jesus quotes Deuteronomy in His response to Satan, affirming the importance of worshiping and serving God alone.

Hebrews 10:23
The call to "hold fast" is echoed in the New Testament, encouraging believers to maintain their confession of hope without wavering.
Sermons
Religion in BriefJ. Orr Deuteronomy 10:20
New ObedienceR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 10:10-22
Knowledge of God the Parent of Obedient FaithD. Davies Deuteronomy 10:12-22
The Supreme PersuasiveJ. Orr Deuteronomy 10:14-22
People
Aaron, Eleazar, Jaakanites, Jakan, Levi, Moses
Places
Beeroth Bene-jaakan, Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, Jotbathah, Moserah, Sinai
Topics
Cleave, Cling, Fast, Fear, Hold, Oaths, Serve, Swear, Taking, Worship
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 10:20

     1349   covenant, at Sinai
     7160   servants of the Lord
     8223   dedication

Deuteronomy 10:12-20

     1335   blessing

Deuteronomy 10:20-21

     8334   reverence, and God's nature

Library
Election and Holiness
Now, this morning it may be that some of you will not approve of what I have to say. You will remember, however, that I do not seek your approbation, that it will be sufficient for me if I have cleared my conscience concerning a grand truth and have preached the gospel faithfully. I am not accountable to you, nor you to me. You are accountable to God, if you reject a truth; I am accountable to Him if I preach an error. I am not afraid to stand before His bar with regard to the great doctrines which …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 6: 1860

Book iii. The Ascent: from the River Jordan to the Mount of Transfiguration.
{hebrew} In every passage of Scripture where thou findest the Majesty of God, thou also findest close by His Condescension (Humility). So it is written down in the Law [Deut. x. 17, followed by verse 18], repeated in the Prophets [Is. lvii. 15], and reiterated in the Hagiographa [Ps. lxviii. 4, followed by verse 5].' - Megill 31 a. …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet
We shall now, in conclusion, give a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet. After an introduction in vi. 1, 2, where the mountains serve only to give greater solemnity to the scene (in the fundamental passages Deut. xxxii. 1, and in Is. 1, 2, "heaven and earth" are mentioned for the same purposes, inasmuch as they are the most venerable parts of creation; "contend with the mountains" by taking them in and applying to [Pg 522] them as hearers), the prophet reminds the people of …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Commerce
The remarkable change which we have noticed in the views of Jewish authorities, from contempt to almost affectation of manual labour, could certainly not have been arbitrary. But as we fail to discover here any religious motive, we can only account for it on the score of altered political and social circumstances. So long as the people were, at least nominally, independent, and in possession of their own land, constant engagement in a trade would probably mark an inferior social stage, and imply …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Sanctification.
I. I will remind you of some points that have been settled in this course of study. 1. The true intent and meaning of the law of God has been, as I trust, ascertained in the lectures on moral government. Let this point if need be, be examined by reference to those lectures. 2. We have also seen, in those lectures, what is not, and what is implied in entire obedience to the moral law. 3. In those lectures, and also in the lectures on justification and repentance, it has been shown that nothing is …
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

Parable of the Importunate Widow.
^C Luke XVIII. 1-8. ^c 1 And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 saying, There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man [an utterly abandoned character]: 3 and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of [rather, Do justice to me as to] mine adversary. [In Scripture language widowhood is symbolic of defenselessness (Ex. xxii. 22-24; Deut. x. 18; xxvii. 19; Mal. iii. 5; Mark xii. 40), …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Covenanting a Duty.
The exercise of Covenanting with God is enjoined by Him as the Supreme Moral Governor of all. That his Covenant should be acceded to, by men in every age and condition, is ordained as a law, sanctioned by his high authority,--recorded in his law of perpetual moral obligation on men, as a statute decreed by him, and in virtue of his underived sovereignty, promulgated by his command. "He hath commanded his covenant for ever."[171] The exercise is inculcated according to the will of God, as King and …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Thirtieth Lesson. An Holy Priesthood;'
An holy priesthood;' Or, The Ministry of Intercession. An holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.'--I Peter ii. 5. Ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord.'--Isaiah lxi. 6. THE Spirit of the Lord God is upon me: because the Lord hath anointed me.' These are the words of Jesus in Isaiah. As the fruit of His work all redeemed ones are priests, fellow-partakers with Him of His anointing with the Spirit as High Priest. Like the precious ointment upon …
Andrew Murray—With Christ in the School of Prayer

Covenanting Confers Obligation.
As it has been shown that all duty, and that alone, ought to be vowed to God in covenant, it is manifest that what is lawfully engaged to in swearing by the name of God is enjoined in the moral law, and, because of the authority of that law, ought to be performed as a duty. But it is now to be proved that what is promised to God by vow or oath, ought to be performed also because of the act of Covenanting. The performance of that exercise is commanded, and the same law which enjoins that the duties …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Kadesh. Rekam, and that Double. Inquiry is Made, Whether the Doubling it in the Maps is Well Done.
The readers of the eastern interpreters will observe, that Kadesh is rendered by all Rekam, or in a sound very near it. In the Chaldee, it is 'Rekam': in the Syriac, 'Rekem': in the Arabic, 'Rakim'... There are two places noted by the name Rekam in the very bounds of the land,--to wit, the southern and eastern: that is, a double Kadesh. I. Of Kadesh, or Rekam, in the south part, there is no doubt. II. Of it, in the eastern part, there is this mention: "From Rekam to the east, and Rekam is as the …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

An Appendix to the Beatitudes
His commandments are not grievous 1 John 5:3 You have seen what Christ calls for poverty of spirit, pureness of heart, meekness, mercifulness, cheerfulness in suffering persecution, etc. Now that none may hesitate or be troubled at these commands of Christ, I thought good (as a closure to the former discourse) to take off the surmises and prejudices in men's spirits by this sweet, mollifying Scripture, His commandments are not grievous.' The censuring world objects against religion that it is difficult …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision B. Jesus Talks with Nicodemus. ^D John III. 1-21. ^d 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [Nicodemus is mentioned only by John. His character is marked by a prudence amounting almost to timidity. At John vii. 50-52 he defends Jesus, but without committing himself as in any way interested in him: at John xix. 38, 39 he brought spices for the body of Jesus, but only after Joseph of Arimathæa had secured the body. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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