In Deuteronomy chapter 5, we witness a powerful moment in the history of God’s people. God delivers His commandments to the Israelites at Mount Sinai—a defining moment that revealed His holy standard and His desire for a covenant relationship with His people. The Israelites, struck by the glory and fear of the Lord, respond with reverence and a pledge to obey all that He commands. But God, knowing the hearts of men, responds with a cry that should echo in all our ears:
“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 forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29, ESV)
This verse is deeply revealing. It shows us that God doesn’t merely want obedience—He wants our hearts. He desires love that is freely given, not compliance born of fear or obligation. This is the foundation of free will: that we are able to choose love, but never forced into it.
Love Is a Choice, and a Command
God created us with the capacity to choose. From the beginning, in Eden, He gave Adam and Eve the ability to obey—or not. He has never revoked that freedom. He does not coerce or manipulate our love, because love that is compelled is not love at all. This is the deep yearning in God’s lament at Sinai. The people said all the right things, but He knew their resolve would fade. Still, He longed for hearts that truly wanted Him.
Free will is a precious and dangerous gift. It means we can choose sin, rebellion, and indifference. But it also means we can choose righteousness, obedience, and love. God gave us this freedom not so we would run from Him, but so we could return to Him with sincerity.
God’s Desire Is for Our Good
When God says, “Oh that they had such a heart,” it’s not a cry of control—it’s a cry of compassion. He knows that obedience leads to life, peace, and blessing. His commandments are not a power trip; they are a guide to flourishing. Loving God is not something He asks because of vanity; it’s because He knows it’s best for us.
God desires our love because He is our Creator, our sustainer, our redeemer. He knows that when we love Him, we are most alive, most whole, most aligned with the purpose for which we were made. He doesn’t force us, because love must be a gift we give back.
Don’t Dwell on Their Failure—Respond with Your Heart
It’s easy to look at the Israelites and shake our heads. “How could they forget so quickly? How could they say one thing and do another?” But we are just like them. God knew it then, and He knows it now. And still—still—He commands us to love Him. Not because He thinks we’ll be perfect, but because He knows it’s right.
We are not called to dwell on Israel’s failure or our own. We are called to respond to God’s faithful invitation. Every day, He calls us to love Him and love one another. Every day, He gives us another chance to say, “Yes, Lord, I choose You—not because I’m forced, but because I want to.”
A Heart That Loves Freely
As followers of Christ, we are now empowered by the Holy Spirit to do what Israel could not. The law written on tablets of stone is now written on hearts of flesh. We can love Him—not perfectly, but genuinely. And when we fail, His grace is sufficient to lift us again.
Don’t live in fear of failure, but in faithfulness to His love. God has shown us the way. He has loved us first. Now, with the free will He has given us, answer His cry at Sinai with a true and humble heart.
Say today—not with fear, not with empty words, but with sincere love—“Yes, Lord. I love You. I choose You.”
And then go and love others as He has loved us.
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul…”
(Deuteronomy 10:12)
