Deuteronomy 4 -- Reason To Hear It Again

Moses makes sure to explain why they need to be listening to what God is telling them:  “I have taught you the laws and rules the Lord my God commanded me.  Now you CAN obey THE LAWS IN THE LAND YOU ARE ENTERING, IN THE LAND YOU WILL TAKE.  Obey these laws carefully, in order to show the other nations that you have wisdom and understanding…”

They had to know what to obey.  Now that they knew, obedience would be easier, and other nations would see how Israel benefited by obeying.

At a previous time while I was reading this, I noted the different descriptions of God in these verses:

1)      An approaching God in verse 7

2)      An adopting God in verse 20

3)      A jealous God in verse 24

4)      A just God in verse 25

5)      A discoverable God in verse 29

6)      A merciful God in verse 31

7)      A loving God in verse 37

8)      A teaching God in verse 36

9)      A rewarding God in verse 38

God had shown them enough about Himself that they should have trusted Him implicitly and never doubted.  Yet God reveals in verses 25-29 that, despite His love for them and His teaching them what to obey, their sinfulness will cause them not to obey.

Father, I too know these things about You, and yet despite all You do for me, despite the fact that Your Holy Spirit lives within me, guiding me toward obedience, my sin nature still causes me to want to rebel and disobey.  Beat it down, Father.  Help me to crush it.  Let me only obey You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford