Moses begins his second address to Israel in Deuteronomy 7:12, saying, “Because you are listening to these rulings, keeping and obeying them, ADONAI your God will keep with you the covenant and mercy He swore to your ancestors.” The Hebrew root for “because” (akav) means “heel,” evoking the image of following closely on the heels of God’s instruction. God promised they would be “blessed above all peoples” and need not fear the Canaanites, for He would go before the Israelites and drive out their enemies. The same truth applies today. When our steps stay in stride with God’s Word, we walk in the shadow of His promises, under the shelter of His covenant love.
Moses reminded Israel how God sustained them through 40 years in the wilderness. “He humbled you, allowing you to become hungry, and then fed you manna…to make you understand that a person does not live on food alone but on everything that comes from the mouth of ADONAI” (Deuteronomy 8:3). Jesus quoted this during His 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:4), succeeding where Israel had failed. God was bringing them into a good land—flowing with springs, wheat, barley, vines, figs, pomegranates, oil, and honey where they would lack nothing. In return, they were to bless the LORD for the good He had given (Deuteronomy 8:10). To bless God is not just to thank Him, but to invite His presence into every experience, great or small, revealing His goodness in the details of daily life.
Yet blessing follows obedience, and obedience flows from a willing heart. After recalling Israel’s past sins, Moses charged them to “fear the LORD your God” with reverential awe and to “circumcise your hearts” (Deuteronomy 10:12-16). This was a call to remove spiritual stubbornness and love Him with all their heart and soul (Deuteronomy 11:13). Paul later explained that true circumcision is inward, of the heart, by the Spirit, not merely outward in the flesh (Romans 2:28-29). God’s desire is not religious performance, but wholehearted devotion. The outward sign means nothing without the inward reality. To be circumcised in heart is to be tender toward God, quick to repent, eager to obey, and fully surrendered to His will.
From the heel of obedience to the heart of love, Moses’ message ends with the Shema: “Hear, O Israel…love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 6:4). This is the foundation of life and blessing. Practicing His commandments now is preparation for the world to come, and His precepts rejoice the heart and enlighten the eyes (Psalm 19:8). The question for us is the same as it was for Israel: are we walking closely to the heels of God, or going our own way? God’s blessings still flow today where faith and obedience meet as obedience is not about rules, but your relationship with Him.
