Deuteronomy 18:13

Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

Thou shalt be perfect {H8549} with the LORD {H3068} thy God {H430}.

You must be wholehearted with ADONAI your God.

You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God.

Commentary

Deuteronomy 18:13, "Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God," is a profound command given to the Israelites as they stood on the brink of entering the Promised Land. It encapsulates a call for total devotion and integrity in their relationship with God, distinguishing them from the surrounding pagan nations.

Context of Deuteronomy 18:13

This verse serves as a culmination of the preceding warnings against various abominable practices of the Canaanites, detailed in Deuteronomy 18:9-12. These forbidden acts included divination, sorcery, charming, consulting with familiar spirits, and necromancy. In stark contrast to nations that sought guidance and power through such dark arts, Israel was commanded to be singularly devoted to Yahweh, their God.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Undivided Devotion: The primary message is a call for complete, sincere, and exclusive loyalty to the LORD. It means having no divided heart or competing allegiances, and it sets the stage for the unique covenant relationship Israel was to have with God.
  • Integrity and Wholeness: The Hebrew word translated "perfect" is tฤmรฎm (ืชึผึธืžึดื™ื). This word signifies "complete," "whole," "sound," "blameless," or "sincere." It doesn't imply sinless perfection, but rather an unblemished character in one's walk with God, much like an unblemished sacrifice (e.g., Exodus 12:5). It speaks to living with integrity and without hypocrisy before God.
  • Trust in God Alone: Instead of relying on human or demonic sources for guidance, Israel was to fully trust in God's provision and revelation. This trust would later be affirmed by God's promise to raise up a prophet like Moses, a prophecy ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Deuteronomy 18:15).
  • Separation from Paganism: The command directly counters the syncretism and idolatry prevalent in the cultures surrounding Israel. It emphasizes their identity as a holy nation, set apart for God.

Practical Application

For believers today, Deuteronomy 18:13 remains a powerful call to a life of undivided devotion to God. It challenges us to:

  • Live with Integrity: To be genuine and sincere in our faith, ensuring our private lives align with our public profession. This reflects a desire to be complete and wholehearted in our commitment to Christ.
  • Seek God's Guidance First: To rely on God's Word and the Holy Spirit for direction, rather than turning to worldly wisdom, superstitions, or practices that contradict biblical truth. This means putting our trust fully in Him, as the Israelites were to do.
  • Maintain Exclusive Loyalty: To ensure that no person, possession, or pursuit takes precedence over our relationship with the LORD. Our commitment to Him should be wholehearted and without reservation, reflecting the call to spiritual wholeness.

This verse encourages us to pursue a consistent, sincere walk with God, striving for spiritual maturity and wholeness in every aspect of our lives, mirroring the heart of the psalmist who sought to walk blamelessly in the law of the Lord.

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Cross-References

  • Matthew 5:48 (8 votes)

    Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

  • Genesis 17:1 (7 votes)

    ยถ And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I [am] the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

  • Genesis 6:9 (5 votes)

    These [are] the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man [and] perfect in his generations, [and] Noah walked with God.

  • Psalms 37:37 (3 votes)

    Mark the perfect [man], and behold the upright: for the end of [that] man [is] peace.

  • Job 1:8 (3 votes)

    And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

  • Job 1:1 (3 votes)

    ยถ There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name [was] Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

  • Philippians 3:12 (3 votes)

    Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.