September 29, 2011 – Deuteronomy 10

I thought it was interesting that they talk about circumcising the foreskin of your hearts. Even know there is a foreshadowing that circumcision points to something deeper. God wants a change in our hearts, not just some physical sign of commitment or just our actions following a law. Christ brings this into fullness in His teaching and it becomes even clearer in the writings of Paul.

The Lord has no favorites. This goes along the same lines as the rain falling on the bad and the good. But doesn’t it appear the Israel is a favorite. I thought about this and have come to think that there is a difference between being chosen and being a favorite. Sometimes it might not seem that way. If we have a co-worker or sibling that appears to get pick for the best things, we may think that they are a favorite, and in dealing with human chooses, that may be the case. But in dealing with God, I don’t think we can be that quick. We are all chosen for a purpose in God’s plan and what that purpose is may be something easy or hard, but it does not show favoritism. Israel was a chosen people, not a favorite people. Yes they get land promised to them, but they also endured slavery, so whether they might appear to be favored at some points, it’s not that clear all the time. But I think there is a clear distinction between being chosen and being favored, even if it doesn’t appear to be different in human understanding.