Deuteronomy 26:16-19 – Living as God’s Consecrated people

Deuteronomy 26:16-19 brought God’s instructions that Moses started in chapter 5 to a conclusion. As we have said, the foundation of these instructions was the Ten Commandments that God had given to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. These chapters showed the new generation of children of Israel how they were to apply the Ten Commandments in the everyday situations of their lives in the promised land.

God expected the children of Israel to be obedient to these instructions given to them through Moses. Verse 16 explicitly demanded that they must be careful to carry out the instructions with all their hearts and their souls. Perfunctory or cursory attention to them was unacceptable. They must give their wholehearted attention to them and be careful to do them. Their response with a heart of love for God and a willingness to walk in God’s way was required. And as they practiced these instructions, they would then be shaped in their attitude and desires to conduct a God-pleasing life.  

In verse 17, they were expected to make a public affirmation of acceptance and willingness to walk obediently in the instructions given to them. It was to be their promise to commit themselves to the Lord to walk in His ways. In response to their affirmation, God declared them to be His people. They were His treasured possession and that He would love, value, and set them above all the nations to be highly honored. God had consecrated them to be His people.

The children of Israel, whom God led out of Egypt through Moses, became God’s treasured possession and consecrated people. Like them, we whom God through Christ Jesus had called out of the world are His treasured possession and consecrated people. First Peter 2:9-10 tell us that like them, “we are God’s people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us  out of darkness into His marvelous light; for we once were not a people, but now we are the people of God; we had not received mercy, but now we have received mercy.” Just as He expected the people of Israel to respond to His instructions wholeheartedly, He also expects us to obey Him wholeheartedly. God through Christ is shaping our attitude to make us an obedient people who would live a God-fearing, God-pleasing life. Be transformed and become His treasured possession!