Deuteronomy 9 & 10: Fearing The LORD
Verse of the Day: (10:12) And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

1. Fire (9:1-6)
Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee. (9:3)

God is a consuming fire, in other words, He is a holy Judge who shall destroy all the sins and wickedness of the people. Israel was chosen to be God’s special nation, not for their righteousness, but because the rest of the nations were evil and wicked. God chose Israel to be His example of righteousness so that the rest of the world shall see their good works, and glorify, believe and follow Him. Indeed, our righteousness is in God. In the Old Testament era, God’s righteousness was with all believed in Him by faith, that one day, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, shall come to this earth and offer Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Today, Jesus already came and died for our sins, and His righteousness is in us when we truly believe in Him. (Romans 5)
  
2. Forty (9:7-29)
When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water: (9:9)

The number forty means testing. Indeed, God tested Moses’ faith for forty days and nights, and he proved to be faithful to Him. Moses fasted and waited at the mountain for God’s Ten Commandments, in the form of tablets, so that he could bring them down to teach Israel to live by them. When Jesus came to earth, He too was tested for forty days and nights without food by the devil, and He passed the tests with flying colours. Let us be like Moses and Jesus, and endure God’s testing so that we shall come forth victoriously as gold tried in the furnace of fire of trials and tribulations. (Matthew 4:1-11)

3. Fear (10:1-22)
Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. (10:20)

Again, God through Moses reminded Israel to fear and obey Him and His holy Commandments, as this was the only way that His abundant blessings shall be upon them and their future generations. Indeed, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and let us fear and serve Him and give Him all the glory, honour and praise. (Proverbs 9:10)   

Prayer of the Day: 
Dearest God, please help me to fear and obey You and Your holy Commandments.