Deuteronomy 4:1-49


As Moses continues his review of the law he reminds the people about who God is and what God has done.  However, besides the focus upon God Moses makes sure that the people understand that the commands and character of God are to have a profound impact on the people.  We must never simply seek to know God for the sake of knowledge.  Our knowledge of God must bring about the transformation of our lives.  Moses urges the people to look to God and remember all that He has done and said and then look at themselves to make sure that they are living accordingly.

GOD IS COMUNICATIVE SO BE RECEPTIVE: Moses reminds the people that God has reveled Himself to them on various occasions.  He gave them commandments, godly leaders who taught them the will of God and even spoke to them from the fire on the mountain.  No other people in the history of the world had received so much revelation from God.  However, this revelation implies responsibility, so the children of Israel were responsible to respond to this revelation through obedience.  Moses calls them to pay close attention to the Word of God, be receptive to the law and to obey it.  We certainly are a privileged people in the amount of revelation and instruction that we have concerning the person and will of God.  We must remember that with this blessing comes the responsibility to listen closely and then obey fully.

GOD IS CONSUMING SO BE RESPECTFUL: God is a jealous God and He will not share His glory with another.  Men are never to try to make an image that represents God and then worship that image.  Men are not to look at the creation of God and worship the creation as if it were God.  The wrath of God will come upon all those who do not respect the glory of God and begin to practice idolatry.  We must respect God for who He is and not try to make representatives of Him.  God has created us to worship Him and we must be faithful in this call to worship.  If we fail to do this we must beware of the fact that God is a consuming fire and a jealous God who will justly punish those who worship idols instead of Him.  God promised to scatter and destroy the people of Israel for their idolatry and we can see that He did just that.  We must never be deluded into thinking that He will allow our idolatry to go unchecked.

GOD IS COMPASSIONATE SO BE REPENTANT: One reason that God punishes sin so severely is that He wants to bring His people to repentance so they can be restored to His favor.  God loves His people and longs that they live to enjoy the blessings of fellowship with Him.  When God’s people sin; He disciplines them so that they will repent and return to Him. When they repent; God is compassionate to forgive them and restore them into the joy of fellowship with Him.  We must never allow the discipline of the Lord to cause us to seek distance from Him.  We must humbly repent of our sin in the face of discipline so that we can enjoy the glory of His grace and compassion.  God longs to forgive and restore us but He waits to see repentance in us.

GOD IS CONSTANT SO BE RESTFUL: Moses calls the people to look at all the other nations of the world and see if any of them has been as blessed as they have.  He points to the liberation from Egypt and the conquests that they have already seen God provide.  Moses urges the people to observe the power and strength of God and then trust fully in what He has done so that they can have confidence as the look to the future.  We must never allow the circumstances of our lives to overwhelm us.  We must always remember that God is in control and that He has the power to do whatever He chooses to do.  We must not give into the temptation to worry or fret or to cower away from the call of God because of fear.  If God wants us to accomplish something for His glory, He will empower and enable us to do it.  We can rest in Him no matter how difficult the circumstances of our life may be.

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