10:16
10:12-22 can be viewed as having a chiasmic structure, with 10:16 at the centre. "Therefore, circumcise your hearts and don't be stiff-necked any longer". Circumcision was very soon seen as more than a mere physical act. It is concerned with a change at the heart of our being. And "heart" in the Bible does not just mean our emotions, but includes our will, it is the driving force in our lives. The heart of our being needs to be dedicated to God. And we need to get rid of the stubbornness that persists within us. This is the heart of what we need. It is what Israel needed (and still needs), and what each one of us needs. Yet it is the very thing that we cannot do, as Paul so eloquently describes in Rom 7.
10:17
We now descend down the other side of the chiasm with 10:17 paralleling 10:14,15. The Lord is Lord of lords and God of gods. There is nothing that can be compared to Him. As well as His power, His justice is now highlighted. He shows no partiality, and takes no bribes. Peter and James emphasise the impartiality of God. He acts with perfect justice. So God having chosen us does not mean that we can live how we like, how we live matters. And while a human judge may be persuaded to look the other way by the offer of a bribe, this is not the case with the Lord.
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