Deuteronomy 5:28-33 English Standard Version
28 “And the Lord heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the Lord said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. 29 Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants[a] forever! 30 Go and say to them, “Return to your tents.” 31 But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’ 32 You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Where does Deuteronomy 5:32-33 Lead Us?
Deuteronomy 5:32-33 in the King James Version of the Bible says:
“Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.”
This passage comes from the book of Deuteronomy, which is the fifth book of the Bible and is attributed to Moses. Deuteronomy is a book of laws and guidance for the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.
In this specific passage, Moses is reiterating the importance of explicitly following the commands and instructions of the Lord in order to live a prosperous and fulfilling life.
The themes present in this passage are obedience, guidance, and the promise of blessings. The overarching theme is the sheer importance of obedience to God’s commands in order to walk, to experience, a blessed, good and prosperous life.
The passage emphasizes the idea that following God’s instructions will lead to blessings and a fulfilling life.
The context of this passage is important to understand its significance.
The Israelites had been wandering in the wilderness for forty years, and they were about to enter the Promised Land.
Moses, their leader for the last 40 years, knew that they needed to be reminded of the importance of following God’s commands in order to succeed in their new land. The book of Deuteronomy is essentially Moses’ final speeches to the Israelites, and he is impressing upon them the importance of obedience to God’s laws as they enter the land that God had promised to their ancestors.
The symbolism in this passage lies in the instructions to “not turn aside to the right hand or to the left” and to “walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you.”
This symbolism represents the critical idea of our staying on the path that God has set for us, not straying nor walking neither to the left or to the right from it.
It also symbolizes the idea of being disciplined, devoted, focused and 10000% committed to following God’s commands in order to experience the blessings and prosperity that he has promised.
The ancient passage can also be interpreted on a much deeper, spiritual level.
It can be seen as a metaphor for the Christian journey, with the “land we are promised” representing the spiritual promised land that believers are striving towards.
In this context, the passage emphasizes the over abundance of importance of following God’s commands, neither straying nor walking to the right or left in order to experience the fullness of life and His blessings in the spiritual realm.
Overall, this ancient biblical text from Deuteronomy 5:32-33 is a powerful reminder of the importance of straight line obedience to God’s commands.
It serves as a travel guide for living a fulfilling and prosperous life, both in the physical and spiritual realms. The passage carries a message of deep hope and a sure and true promise, reminding all believers by following God’s instructions, they will experience abundant blessings and a spiritually rich, meaningful life.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 1
The Two Ways
1 How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked
or stand in the pathway with sinners
or sit in the company of mockers!
2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams[a]
that bears its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
4 The wicked are not like this;
instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand up in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 