Deuteronomy 5:3
He did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with all of us who are alive here today.
He did not make this covenant
The phrase emphasizes the direct and personal nature of God's covenant with the Israelites present at that time. The Hebrew word for "covenant" is "בְּרִית" (berit), which signifies a solemn agreement or promise. This covenant is not merely a continuation of past agreements but a fresh, living commitment. It underscores the immediacy and relevance of God's promises to each generation, reminding believers that God's word is ever-present and applicable to their lives today.

with our fathers
This phrase refers to the patriarchs and previous generations of Israelites. Historically, it highlights the transition from the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to the formalized covenant at Sinai. The distinction made here serves to remind the Israelites that while their ancestors had a relationship with God, this covenant is uniquely theirs, emphasizing personal responsibility and the need for each generation to embrace God's laws anew.

but with all of us
This phrase underscores the inclusivity of the covenant. The Hebrew word "כֻּלָּנוּ" (kullanu) means "all of us," indicating that every individual present is a participant in this divine agreement. It speaks to the communal aspect of faith, where each member of the community is bound together under God's law. This collective responsibility is a cornerstone of the Israelite identity and serves as a model for the Church, where believers are united in Christ.

who are alive here today
The emphasis on "alive" and "today" brings a sense of urgency and immediacy to the covenant. The Hebrew word "חַי" (chai) for "alive" signifies not just physical life but a vibrant, active participation in God's plan. "Today" (הַיּוֹם, hayom) stresses the present moment, urging the Israelites to recognize the importance of their current relationship with God. This serves as a powerful reminder for Christians to live out their faith actively and intentionally, recognizing that God's promises and commands are relevant and vital in every moment of their lives.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who is delivering God's commandments and laws to the people. He serves as the mediator between God and Israel.

2. Israelites
The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are the recipients of God's covenant and laws. They are gathered to hear Moses' reiteration of the covenant.

3. Mount Sinai (Horeb)
The place where God originally gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. It is a significant location for the giving of the Law.

4. Covenant
The agreement established by God with the Israelites, which includes the Ten Commandments and other laws. It signifies a special relationship between God and His people.

5. The LORD (Yahweh)
The God of Israel, who establishes the covenant with His people, demonstrating His faithfulness and desire for a relationship with them.
Teaching Points
The Personal Nature of God's Covenant
God's covenant is not just a historical event but a living agreement with each generation. It calls for personal commitment and obedience from every believer.

The Continuity of God's Promises
The covenant made with the Israelites is part of God's ongoing plan of redemption, which finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Believers today are part of this redemptive history.

The Importance of Remembering and Teaching
Just as Moses reminded the Israelites of God's covenant, believers are called to remember and teach God's Word to future generations, ensuring the continuity of faith.

Active Participation in God's Covenant
The phrase "with all of us who are alive here today" emphasizes the active role each believer has in God's covenant. It is a call to live out one's faith daily.

The Call to Obedience and Faithfulness
The covenant requires a response of obedience and faithfulness. Believers are encouraged to examine their lives and align their actions with God's commandments.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the personal nature of God's covenant in Deuteronomy 5:3 impact your daily walk with God?

2. In what ways can you actively participate in God's covenant today, as emphasized in this verse?

3. How does the continuity of God's promises, from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant in Christ, influence your understanding of the Bible as a whole?

4. What practical steps can you take to ensure that you are remembering and teaching God's Word to the next generation?

5. Reflect on your life and identify areas where you need to align more closely with God's commandments. How can you take steps toward greater obedience and faithfulness?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 19-20
These chapters describe the original giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, providing context for the covenant mentioned in Deuteronomy 5:3.

Hebrews 8:6-13
This passage discusses the new covenant established through Jesus Christ, highlighting the continuity and fulfillment of God's promises.

Jeremiah 31:31-34
This prophecy speaks of a new covenant that God will make with His people, emphasizing a deeper, internalized relationship with God.
For the Last Day of the YearJ. Burns, D. D.Deuteronomy 5:1-5
The Abrahamic Covenant RenewedD. Davies Deuteronomy 5:1-5
The Promulgation of the LawBp. Hall.Deuteronomy 5:1-5
The DecalogueR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 5:1-21
Reminiscences of HorebJ. Orr Deuteronomy 5:1-33
The Covenant At HorebJ. Orr Deuteronomy 5:2, 3
People
Moses
Places
Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, Horeb
Topics
Agreement, Alive, Covenant, Didn't, Fathers, Present, To-day
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 5:2-4

     1443   revelation, OT

Deuteronomy 5:3-4

     5854   experience, of God

Library
Prayer and Obedience
"An obedience discovered itself in Fletcher of Madeley, which I wish I could describe or imitate. It produced in him a ready mind to embrace every cross with alacrity and pleasure. He had a singular love for the lambs of the flock, and applied himself with the greatest diligence to their instruction, for which he had a peculiar gift. . . . All his intercourse with me was so mingled with prayer and praise, that every employment, and every meal was, as it were, perfumed therewith." -- JOHN WESLEY.
Edward M. Bounds—The Necessity of Prayer

The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

"They have Corrupted Themselves; their Spot is not the Spot of his Children; they are a Perverse and Crooked Generation. "
Deut. xxxii. 5.--"They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his children; they are a perverse and crooked generation." We doubt this people would take well with such a description of themselves as Moses gives. It might seem strange to us, that God should have chosen such a people out of all the nations of the earth, and they to be so rebellious and perverse, if our own experience did not teach us how free his choice is, and how long-suffering he is, and constant in his choice.
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The True Manner of Keeping Holy the Lord's Day.
Now the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things--First, In resting from all servile and common business pertaining to our natural life; Secondly, In consecrating that rest wholly to the service of God, and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life. For the First. 1. The servile and common works from which we are to cease are, generally, all civil works, from the least to the greatest (Exod. xxxi. 12, 13, 15, &c.) More particularly-- First, From all the works of our
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Everlasting Covenant of the Spirit
"They shall be My people, and l will be their God. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me."--JER. xxxii. 38, 40. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition. (Galilee, Probably Capernaum, Spring a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 1-20; ^B Mark VII. 1-23; ^D John VII. 1. ^d 1 And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. [John told us in his last chapter that the passover was near at hand. He here makes a general statement which shows that Jesus did not attend this passover. The reason for his absence is given at John v. 18.] ^a 1 Then there
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Mount Zion.
"For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them: for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Foundations of Good Citizenship.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.--Ex. 20:1-17. Parallel Readings. Hist. Bible I, 194-198. Prin. of Politics, Chap. II. Lowell, Essay on "Democracy." Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image. Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation

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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