In Deuteronomy 5, Moses reminds the new generation of the 10 Commandments. This generation will be entering a pagan land full of idolatry. He wants to ensure God's laws are written on the hearts of God's people. In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus sums up the commandments by saying First and foremost "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind". Secondly and "equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself." The commandments follow this exactly. The first set of commands all point to passionately loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The second set of commands point to loving the people around you just as much. He reminds them of how awe-stricken they were by the all consuming glory of God when He spoke to them from the heart of the fire at Mount Sinai. They said in vs. 24b "Today we have seen that God can speak to us humans, and yet we live!" God responded to them in vs. 29 by saying "Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever." God is calling us to have hearts like this. To have this sense of awe in the all consuming glory and holiness of God. He's calling us to lay down anything and everything that may be standing in the way of that so we can live fully and completely in Him. If just one link breaks in a chain when towing a truck, the truck will no longer be towed. God wants all our links whole and connected to Him.
