Deuteronomy 4

Chapter Introduction

Moses uses the historical recap to then call Israel to be obedient. In a sense, it was a call to learn from their forefather’s mistakes. The punishment of wandering was in the past. The land was before them and the inheritance of Yahweh’s promise was at hand.

Deuteronomy 4:1-4

Moses would deliver them a series of lessons that would detail the Lord’s statutes and judgments. This was a call to listen and observe these things, that they may:

Live
Go in
Possess the land

One of the first precepts delivered was that they were not to add to the word or take from it. In our sinful nature, we have the ability to deceive ourselves by making provisions to accommodate our sin, attitudes, desires, etc. We add exceptions where there are none. We tend to ignore those things that hit us directly and call for change in our heart.

This respect for God’s unchanging word is probably more specific to the worship of Yahweh and the life of one called to be his child. We get a glimpse of what ought not be when the Pharisees disregard the healing of a child of God to chastise Jesus and plot His demise because He did this beautiful work on the Sabbath.

Israel’s short history was rife with rebellion and disregard for God’s commands and word to them. They lacked faith to trust in what He promised them. In Baal Peor, they suffered His judgment against those who followed Baal of Peor.

Deuteronomy 4:5-6

Israel wasn’t called by God because they were special; they were special because they were called by God. They were to be a special people, set apart and an example to the world. By them, all the world was to come to know the Lord.

The statutes were regulations for life; the judgments were customs established by God. These statutes and customs were the wisdom and understanding of Yahweh. They were to be a testimony to an unbelieving world (Prov 1:7; Psalm 19:7).

Deuteronomy 4:7-10

Moses asked if they had any other examples of a great nation where God is near to them or that had such statutes and judgments in place. We can see this in our day. What makes a great nation? A nation where people are free to pursue life within liberty, to worship the Lord freely and live in His blessing doing what He’s called us to. There are great military nations where the people are oppressed. There are wealthy nations, where religion is not free. Nations that keep God out, or push Him out, are destined to failure. The further we get from God, the worse our culture suffers. We are more addicted, less educated, less healthy; we murder more babies, suffer more disease and are experiencing more “natural” disasters. We’ve forgotten God and are paying for it.

Moses reminded the children of Israel to take heed. They were not to forget where they came from and what they had seen. While the generation of warriors had died away, some younger folks likely still remembered the sight of being camped before the mountain of God. They had seen the cloud and pillar of fire. They had eaten manna. Now, as they stood listening to Moses, they had seen a generation pass away due to disobedience. These memories were to help keep them from straying. As such, they were to pass them on to the next generation. They were to teach them to their children and grandkids.

It was at the mountain of God that Moses was called to gather all of them to the Lord.

To let them hear His words
That they might fear Him every day
That they may establish that in their children and grandchildren.

Moses was being faithful to pass God’s statutes and judgments to this generation about to enter the land.

Deuteronomy 4:11-14

Moses addressed those who had been children of that generation that passed away. Some would remember, some would not. They stood at the mountain that burned with fire, darkness, cloud and thick cloud of darkness. Anyone hearing the Lord speak out of that fire would surely not forget, would they? Yet, here stood Moses reminding them because those who had seen it were gone. The Lord gave His law to be established among His people. The law would insure their life within the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 4:15-19

The call to “take heed” is ratcheted up a notch to “take careful heed.” This had already caused them serious problems. Their ancestors had made a golden calf at the base of the mountain. God cannot be represented accurately by any likeness of a created thing. He is not like any man, animal, bird, reptile or fish.

In the same way, they were to take heed not to worship the sun, moon or stars. These were also created by God for mankind. While we may look to the stars and feel awe, we ought to direct that awe to the creator, not celestial things.

Deuteronomy 4:20-24

The Lord used the iron furnace of Egypt as a refining fire. It was not a fire to consume or destroy but to construct a nation. This nation was to be His people, called to His land, living in His covenant.

Moses was an example. Disobedience to the Lord could leave one in exile and outside the land. Moses used his life to call them to take heed to themselves. They were not to forget their covenant relationship and fall into idolatry before graven images.

The Lord is jealous, not willing to share his people with another God. This is good for us. We don’t want Him to let go of us and allow the enemies of God to have access to our lives. The Lord is a consuming fire.

The fire of the Lord can be both constructive and destructive. Our response to His call to us determines its use and purpose.

Deuteronomy 4:25-31

This passage almost seems prophetic. It begins with “when.” The “when” seems to be after they’ve lived in the land for a time. But also indicates they will be corrupted and worship other gods. They will provoke Yahweh to anger. Of course, the bible records these very things.

Moses called heaven and earth against them. This indicates the promise of the land was conditional on their obedience to the Lord that gave it to them. This went beyond the witness of man, for it would span across lifetimes. If they failed to possess the land properly, honoring Yahweh and worshiping Him only, then they would be exiled. Israel would be scattered among the nations.

They would go live in the lands of the gods they worshiped. They would, in a sense, reject the blessing of Yahweh to go experience these gods that were not gods at all. These gods were fabricated by men of wood and stone. They had no life.

Israel is promised that from exile, they might seek Yahweh with all their heart and soul and that He would hear them in their distress. The latter days are these days of captivity in Babylon and Persia.

Thus says the Lord: ‘If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season, ²¹then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levites, the priests, My ministers

NKJV: Jeremiah 33:20-21; 1982, Thomas Nelson

My mercy I will keep for him forever,

And My covenant shall stand firm with him.

His seed also I will make to endure forever,

And his throne as the days of heaven.

NKJV: Psalm 89:28-29; 1982, Thomas Nelson

My covenant I will not break,

Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.

³⁵Once I have sworn by My holiness;

I will not lie to David:

³⁶His seed shall endure forever,

And his throne as the sun before Me;

³⁷It shall be established forever like the moon,

Even like the faithful witness in the sky.”

NKJV: Psalm 89:34-37; 1982, Thomas Nelson

Deuteronomy 4:32-40

Moses challenged the children to ask the question across time and across the land:

Has anything like this ever happened before?
Has anyone ever heard God’s voice and live?
Has any God taken a nation for himself out of the midst of another nation?

These things were all shown to Israel that they might know that the Lord is the only God. He let them hear His voice and see the fire of his presence. They should never forget these things. This displays the Lord’s election and revelation.

Because there is no other God and the Lord established them and brought them to the land, they should keep His statutes and commandments. Then it would go well with them and their children. Their days in the land would be prolonged. The land was given for all time. However, their presence in the land was not a given.

Deuteronomy 4:41-43

Cities of refuge were established for a place of asylum for the manslayer. This was for the man who accidentally killed another. He had to stay there till the high priest died, implying his death provided a kind of atonement – a picture or type of Christ.

Three cities were established in the Transjordan region and three in Israel proper. Bezer, Ramoth and Golan were named. The exact locations of these are not known exactly.

Deuteronomy 4:44-49

This group of verses begins Moses’ second speech which introduce the next major part of Deuteronomy. This begins the main body of the stipulations of the law the people were to know and by which to live.

The Transjordan area that they now possessed is documented and becomes the place in which the laws would be conveyed to Israel.

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