Deuteronomy Chapter 4
These words spoken by Moses are like a beautiful sermon spoken on the precipice of the next great event in the life of Israel. Moses calls for God’s people to look to the past and remember all that God has instructed and commanded, so that as they live and look to the future it would go well with them. It is when we forget about our God and forget His laws and His commandments that we see our life go haywire and corrupt. If only we could get a glimpse of how great and awesome God is, would we fall on our faces and repent and strive to live pleasing to Him. What we don’t realize enough is that we have that opportunity to catch a glimpse of His greatness by becoming a wholehearted follower of Jesus and allowing the Holy Spirit to direct us in all truth and wisdom.
Moses admonished the people to “…keep your soul diligently lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart…” I believe Moses is warning the people to keep their hearts closely tuned in to God otherwise there is a danger of falling away. Today we call this condition backslidden. The best way to keep our hearts tuned in to our relationship with God is to spend time talking to Him, reading His Word, and allowing the Word to transform us.
Let's Reflect
1. What warning is given to the Israelites as well as us in verse 2 regarding God’s words?
2. How could the Israelites have great wisdom and understanding? This wisdom and understanding would be a marvel to the rest of the world.
3. What great benefit does a nation have when it is a nation that follows all of God’s statutes and laws and seeks His wisdom?
4. In verses 9-10 there was something that Moses admonished the people to do regarding all the things that the Lord God had done for them. What did he admonish them to do?
5. Moses reminded the people how God spoke to them out of the fire on the mountain. How did he describe the fire in verse 11?
6. Just because the people did not see God, nor did they see His image, it doesn’t mean that God isn’t real. Because the people have not seen God they might be tempted to create what?
7. Moses reminded the people that God rescued them out of Egypt. Why did He do this? See verse 20.
8. Oprah Winfrey once said that she could not become a Christian because of verse 24. She like many people think that there are many ways to get to God and to heaven not just one way. What does it mean that God is a jealous God?
9. Moses in the next section verses 25-31 prophesied about what would happen to the people when they turned their back on God. They would be scattered amongst other nations. What did Moses say God would do when at that time the people repented with their whole heart?
10. In verses 32-40 Moses presents an argument of whether there has ever been any other god as great as the LORD GOD. At different times in your life you may question whether God is there or if He even exists. What can you do, using the same formula that Moses gave in these verses, to bolster your faith?
