Study Desk

Then you will say to them, ‘We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his great power.

Do this because you are the Lord 's own people. From all the people on earth, the Lord your God chose you to be his special people—people who belong only to him.

"So remember that the Lord your God is the only God, and you can trust him! He keeps his agreement. He shows his love and kindness to all people who love him and obey his commands. He continues to show his love and kindness through a thousand generations,

"If you listen to these laws, and if you are careful to obey them, the Lord your God will keep his agreement of love with you. He promised this to your ancestors.

You saw the great troubles he gave them and the amazing things he did. You saw the Lord use his great power and strength to bring you out of Egypt. The Lord your God will use that same power against all the people you fear.

And you must remember the entire trip that the Lord your God has led you through these 40 years in the desert. He was testing you. He wanted to make you humble. He wanted to know what is in your heart. He wanted to know if you would obey his commands.

You must remember that the Lord your God teaches and corrects you as a father teaches and corrects his son.

The Lord gave me the two stone tablets. He wrote his commands on the stones with his finger. The Lord wrote everything he said to you from the fire when you were gathered together at the mountain.

And you did not obey when the Lord told you to leave Kadesh Barnea. He said, ‘Go up and take the land I am giving you.' But you refused to obey the Lord your God. You did not trust him. You did not listen to his command.

If you punish your people, the Egyptians might say, "The Lord was not able to take his people into the land he promised them. And he hated them. So he took them into the desert to kill them."

At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi from the other tribes for his special work. They had the work of carrying the Lord 's Box of the Agreement. They also served as priests before the Lord . And they had the work of blessing people in the Lord 's name. They still do this special work today.

The Lord loved your ancestors very much. He loved them so much that he chose you, their descendants, to be his people. He chose you instead of any other nation, and you are still his chosen people today.

The Lord is your God. He is the God of gods and the Lord of lords. He is the great God. He is the amazing and powerful fighter. To him everyone is the same. He does not accept money to change his mind.

"You must respect the Lord your God and worship only him. Never leave him. When you make promises, you must use his name only.

"So you must love the Lord your God. You must do what he tells you to do and always obey his laws, rules, and commands.

You, not your children, saw the miracles he did in Egypt. You saw what he did to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and to his whole country.

"Be careful to obey every command I have told you to follow: Love the Lord your God, follow all his ways, and be faithful to him.

The Lord your God will choose a special place among your tribes. That will be the home for his name. You must go to that place to worship him.

Then the Lord your God will choose a place that will be the home for his name. You must bring everything I command you to that place. Bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, one-tenth of your crops and animals, your special gifts, and any gifts that you promised to give to the Lord .

The Lord will choose his special place among your tribes. Offer your burnt offerings and do everything else I told you only in that place.