CHAPTER 4 - Parts ONE & TWO
Contributing commentaries by pastors Sonny Islas, Albert Lopez, and James Fire 
DEUTERONOMY 4: “TRINITY of TRUTH, TRIUMPH and TERROR” by James Fire
To hear a teaching on DEUTERONOMY 4, listen to pastor Sonny of SHINE BRIGHT Church!
INTRODUCTION: The revelation that GOD has provided for us within the completed canon of Scripture brings to us a progressive understanding as we traverse from GENESIS to REVELATION.
We learn that the Creator is “GOD” in GENESIS 1, and then He is referred to as “LORD GOD” in GENESIS 2 (but take note that Satan doesn’t refer to Him as “LORD GOD” but only as “GOD”.
As we proceed, we learn of Him as the Holy Judge, and then as Redeemer, and the fullness of this revelation is brought before us in the Person of Jesus Christ. This is why the last book of the Bible is referred to as “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”: Observe:
REVELATION 1:1a
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants…
In this fifth and last book of the Torah, the LORD reveals all the more about Himself, His intentions with Israel, their unfortunate response, and in spite of all this, the LORD’s faithfulness to them because of His promise (and oath HEB 6:13-18) to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the 12 patriarchs (GEN 15:18; 50:1-33; PSALM 105; DEUT 7:12; ACTS 7:8). We also get some insight into the very nature of GOD!
~ PART ONE ~
DEUTERONOMY 4:1-2
1 "Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you. 2 "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
Doctrine means “teaching”, either teaching taught or teaching received. As I often point out, the first two letters of that word are “D-O”. Doctrine isn’t just to learn, but to put into practice. Remember that Dr. Luke started out the book of ACTS with the following:
As long as Israel did these things, they would remain in the land, to serve and worship the only GOD, the Creator GOD Who is LORD, Judge and Redeemer! It’s when they failed to do these things, and their hearts turned to the false gods of the nations surrounding them in Canaan land, that they tried the longsuffering and patience of the LORD GOD, Who finally brought judgment and expelled them (temporarily) from the land – a good analogy is, the people being put in “the penalty box” – intended as a temporary location of a player who broke the rules of the game. It’s the obvious intention to bring the player back into the game after a certain amount of time-out has transpired.
It’s the same with Israel: after the first expulsion from the land (mainly because of their idolatry), Israel was brought back during the days of Nehemiah and Ezra (by order of the pagan ruler of Persia, Cyrus). They were expelled again the second time for rejecting their Messiah King and placed in their allegorical ‘penalty box’ but have been recently brought back into play in 1948 (by the pagan UN and nations of this world, even wicked men behind the scenes who have their own agenda for the Jews).
Now that they are once again a nation repossessing their land, GOD can now proceed and fulfill all of the covenant promises that He made with Abraham and David (both of which are unconditional, where GOD has obligated Himself alone to fulfill them)!
See Israelology:
WHY ISRAEL Is IMPORTANT to the BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN: Parts ONE and Part TWO.
Also COVENANT KEEPER For the KING
And consider in vs. 2: “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it”.
We see the same admonition in PROV 30:5-6 and REV 22:18-19. In the beginning of this “special revelation”, in the middle and at the end, we have this same warning and the reference in REVELATION is most dire!
Such things are merely the fruitless wisdom of humanity (1 COR 2:4-5,12-14), whose philosophy is vain (COL 2:8) and as such are vulnerable to the iniquitous inception of demonic doctrine (1 TIM 4:1; JAM 3:15).
False doctrine (“leaven” MATT 16:6), founded upon human pride which in it’s audacious arrogance would presume to equal GOD’s wisdom with their own, brings division to the body of Christ as well as ruin just as if you’d feed poison to your children.
Our adding of new doctrines to the Holy Scriptures are just as inappropriate, indeed, as blasphemous as trying to add our own dead works to the work of salvation that Christ wrought for us on Calvary’s Cross! The Word of GOD is pure but add to it and you’ve polluted it (PROV 30:5). Add to it in the last days of humanity’s reign on this Earth and you will have added to you the plagues written of in the book of REVELATION. Take away from the Word, and your name will be taken out of the LAMB’s book of Life!
Listen to this vitally important and excellent message by pastor Sonny Islas of SHINE BRIGHT Church “Do Not Diminish A Word” (see the Facebook video here) – a very somber warning, especially to pastors, teachers, etc.!
DEUTERONOMY 4:3-4
3 "Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal Peor; for the LORD your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor. 4 "But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive today, every one of you.
Holding fast to the LORD GOD, and to His Word of truth got Israel through those challenges in confronting the pagan nations of Canaan. As we likewise “hold fast the form of sound (spiritually healthy) words” (2 TIM 1:13-14) of the LORD in Holy Scripture will get us through any and every challenge that confronts us! We shall endure, even thrive in the face of such (perilous?) challenges!
DEUTERONOMY 4:5-6
5 "Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. 6 "Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'
Remembering that this is the first of three sermons that Moses is delivering to the next generation of Israel (the first having perished in the wilderness – not because the LORD failed to be faithful to them, but rather the reverse!), the Lawgiver is rehearsing these vital commandments and statutes that the LORD requires of His people, for He is their GOD, and they are indeed His people (with no possibility of revocation!)!
So, they were to be “careful to observe” these commandments which requires a reverence for the LORD, a holy respect that leads to absolute attentiveness, paying close attention to the details, but with a heart of loving obedience – that’s the prime motivator – love for the LORD Who chose to love Israel simply because He loves them (See DEUT 7:7-8).
Hearkening (in the biblical sense described above) to the Word of GOD will inevitably bless GOD’s people with wisdom. The entire book of PROVERBS will testify to this truth!
7 "For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? 8 "And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?
The Law of GOD reveals to us two things: the absolutely sinful heart of mankind and the absolute holiness of GOD’s own heart. We use the Law “lawfully” (1 TIM 1:8) when we point people to it and prove that they have not obeyed it, but rather intentionally and willfully – or because of their inability to keep it, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of GOD” (ROM 3:23).
Those of us who have tasted of the heavenly gift, greatly desire to live up to the glorious ideals, the supreme standard, the holy law of GOD but we find this other law of sin that burdens our sin nature (“flesh” ROM 7:25) and takes us captive. It’s not until we receive the heavenly gift of salvation (and not merely taste it), and follow after the Spirit, yielding to His sweet influences afforded us by Christ, that we find our liberty!
DEUTERONOMY 4:9-12
9 "Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, 10 "especially concerning the day you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, 'Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.' 11 "Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. 12 "And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words but saw no form; you only heard a voice.
Moses reminds the people of the enormously awesome events that took place at Mount Sinai (EXOD 19:14-25); they were in such terror that they begged Moses to speak to GOD alone, and for him only to hear the words of the LORD.
The admonition here is to “heed” and to “keep” so that the things seen aren’t forgotten and the hearts of the people won’t depart from following after the LORD. One generation was to teach the next.
Likewise we are to keep sincerity and truth (1 COR 5:8); to keep our bodily appetites that can lead to sin under control and keep ourselves pure (1 COR 9:27; 1 TIM 5:22; JAM 1:27); to keep the true gospel and sound doctrine (1 COR 15:2). We are to keep the unity of the Spirit (EPH 4:3); to keep the faith (1 TIM 6:12-14); keep integrity in the ministry (2 TIM 1:14). To keep the commandments of the LORD Jesus Christ under the New Testament (JOHN 13:34-35; 1 JOHN 2:3; 3:22; 5:2-3) and to keep ourselves in the love of GOD, Who Himself is able to keep us from falling (JUDE 1:21,24).
In many of the above passages, two different Greek words are used: phulasso and tereo.
Phulasso means “to keep in isolation, to watch, be on guard, to preserve, observe.
Tereo means “to watch, to guard from loss or injury, keeping an eye upon, to detain, to withhold.”
Worthy of note is JUDE, verse 24: the word there for keep is phulasso. He is able to watch, guard, preserve us “from falling and to present us faultless” to GOD. This renders us securely in the LORD’s care, Who will watch over us, guard us, keep us from harm or ruin (as we no doubt would, if we were to lose our condition of salvation).
Where seeing GOD was a terror for the children of Israel, we ourselves as New Testament saints are blessed with a kind of ‘filter’ in the LORD Jesus, in Whose Face we see the glorious, almighty, absolute likeness for the Father (2 COR 4:6; JOHN 14:7-11)!!
DEUTERONOMY 4:13-19
13 "So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14 "And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess. 15 "Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 "lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female, 17 "the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 "the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth. 19 "And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.
The Ten Commandments are based on a moral authority, itself based on the Sovereignty of GOD as LORD. As has been said before, because GOD is Creator GOD, all things belong to Him, and therefore He is LORD. Since He is the Sovereign LORD of all, He gets to “make the rules” in His Kingdom, and these are codified (and simplified) in these Ten Commandments. If any object to them, don’t like them, think them too strict, rigid, or confining, then let them create their own universe and make their own rules!
Until then, the Law of GOD, just as is the Truth of GOD, is immutable, steadfast, resilient, and undeniable (that is, not without dire consequences – such as eternal damnation!).
In medieval days, if an edict of any king was willfully disobeyed, that person would be charged with treason, punishable by death – no questions asked!
How much more so should the Absolute, Holy, Almighty King of all creation be revered and obeyed?! The consequences of disobedience, that is, sin, is “death” (ROM 6:23a; EZEK 18:4) but in its eternal state, a perpetual death, an ongoing destruction, an everlastingly dire ruination: the absolute deprivation of life and the Source of life, YHWH. See the article, As Sure As Hell.
Yet it’s because mankind is abjectly poor in spirit, that we are born rebels and powerless to be holy and acceptable to the LORD, that He then must preside over us as the JUDGE of all the Earth, and in justice, condemn us (JOHN 3:18-20).
However, His heart is such that He wills to save us from damnation: so He Who is Creator GOD, Sovereign LORD and JUDGE has taken upon Himself flesh, dwelt among us, and we have witnessed the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (JOHN 1:14) – and was delivered for our offenses, provided us with justification based on His own merit and worth as the Holy Son of GOD, and washed away our sins! OH, WHAT A SAVIOR!!
For His majesty and mercy, He is utterly worthy to be worshiped; which makes the offense of worshiping created things in the forms of idols all the more offensive to YHWH. And lest we look down upon the nation of Israel who were guilty of worshiping idols, let’s remember that if we love anyone or anything more – or even as much as – the LORD GOD our Redeemer (MATT 22:37), that by definition is an idol!
What do our time commitments look like? We spend the most time on the things that matter most to us, do we not? Something to meditate on and repent of if this is applicable!
DEUTERONOMY 4:20-22
20 "But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day. 21 "Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes and swore that I would not cross over the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. 22 "But I must die in this land, I must not cross over the Jordan; but you shall cross over and possess that good land.
See now the goodness and severity of the LORD (such as seen in ROM 11:22): He delivered the Hebrew slaves from “the iron furnace of Egypt” and brought them to their inheritance. This same GOD forbid His faithful servant Moses (who didn’t ask for this job, and had to deal with these people who aggravated both him and the LORD) from entering into this land of promise – and why? Because he (just once!) misrepresented the LORD before the people!
Let’s not indulge in the grace of GOD to such a degree that we begin to abuse it (2 COR 6:1), and we begin to neglect the truth: that He is a Holy GOD and worthy of our obedient, loving hearts (PSA 18:31; EPH 4:1-3; COL 1:10; REV 4:11)!
~ PART TWO ~
DEUTERONOMY 4:23-25
23 "Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the LORD your God has forbidden you. 24 "For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. 25 "When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything and do evil in the sight of the LORD your God to provoke Him to anger,
It was paramount that the nation of Israel observed that they were in sacred covenant with the LORD GOD of creation, established by GOD Himself in the days of Abraham, when this covenant was initiated (GEN 15:1-21; esp. vs.9-10). This was the unconditional promise from GOD to Abraham and his descendants who expressed faith comparable to Abraham's (these who are Jews “inwardly” (ROM 2:29).
On the matter of jealousy: we tend to think of jealousy in a sinful way, but where the LORD is concerned: He is our Maker, and He created us for His good pleasure (think about how YOU can bring good pleasure to the Almighty! What an honor!!) and when we set our affections on others, or things, the kind of affection that should be reserved exclusively for our Abba Father, He has every right to be jealous (we for the most part, never do!).
GOD here predicts the unfaithfulness of His people!
DEUTERONOMY 4:26-28
26 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it but will be utterly destroyed. 27 "And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will drive you. 28 "And there you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.
We learn that the Creator is “GOD” in GENESIS 1, and then He is referred to as “LORD GOD” in GENESIS 2 (but take note that Satan doesn’t refer to Him as “LORD GOD” but only as “GOD”.
As we proceed, we learn of Him as the Holy Judge, and then as Redeemer, and the fullness of this revelation is brought before us in the Person of Jesus Christ. This is why the last book of the Bible is referred to as “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”: Observe:
REVELATION 1:1a
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants…
In this fifth and last book of the Torah, the LORD reveals all the more about Himself, His intentions with Israel, their unfortunate response, and in spite of all this, the LORD’s faithfulness to them because of His promise (and oath HEB 6:13-18) to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the 12 patriarchs (GEN 15:18; 50:1-33; PSALM 105; DEUT 7:12; ACTS 7:8). We also get some insight into the very nature of GOD!
~ PART ONE ~
DEUTERONOMY 4:1-2
1 "Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you. 2 "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
Doctrine means “teaching”, either teaching taught or teaching received. As I often point out, the first two letters of that word are “D-O”. Doctrine isn’t just to learn, but to put into practice. Remember that Dr. Luke started out the book of ACTS with the following:
ACTS 1:1The obedience of Israel would ensure their dwelling in the land: that is, to hearken to the commandments of the LORD and when they failed to do so and sinned, that they would render the appropriate sacrifices required by the Law. It must be pointed out that to “hearken” (KJV for “listen”) means more than simply “to hear” but “to hear with the intention to obey”. It’s the difference between a student listening to a lecture in school (that may have nothing “to do” for the student) and a soldier listening to the orders of a superior officer.
The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
As long as Israel did these things, they would remain in the land, to serve and worship the only GOD, the Creator GOD Who is LORD, Judge and Redeemer! It’s when they failed to do these things, and their hearts turned to the false gods of the nations surrounding them in Canaan land, that they tried the longsuffering and patience of the LORD GOD, Who finally brought judgment and expelled them (temporarily) from the land – a good analogy is, the people being put in “the penalty box” – intended as a temporary location of a player who broke the rules of the game. It’s the obvious intention to bring the player back into the game after a certain amount of time-out has transpired.
It’s the same with Israel: after the first expulsion from the land (mainly because of their idolatry), Israel was brought back during the days of Nehemiah and Ezra (by order of the pagan ruler of Persia, Cyrus). They were expelled again the second time for rejecting their Messiah King and placed in their allegorical ‘penalty box’ but have been recently brought back into play in 1948 (by the pagan UN and nations of this world, even wicked men behind the scenes who have their own agenda for the Jews).
Now that they are once again a nation repossessing their land, GOD can now proceed and fulfill all of the covenant promises that He made with Abraham and David (both of which are unconditional, where GOD has obligated Himself alone to fulfill them)!
See Israelology:
WHY ISRAEL Is IMPORTANT to the BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN: Parts ONE and Part TWO.
Also COVENANT KEEPER For the KING
And consider in vs. 2: “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it”.
We see the same admonition in PROV 30:5-6 and REV 22:18-19. In the beginning of this “special revelation”, in the middle and at the end, we have this same warning and the reference in REVELATION is most dire!
REVELATION 22:18-19I love what Charles Spurgeon said about adding to the WORD of GOD, and I paraphrase:
18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
“… would you add rags to a royal vestment? Would you sweep the trash of the street into the treasury of the king?”Most especially in this day in which the apostasy had grown exponentially to the terror of those who love and live the truth, we see the opinions and philosophies of people being received as though they were GOD-breathed wisdom.
Such things are merely the fruitless wisdom of humanity (1 COR 2:4-5,12-14), whose philosophy is vain (COL 2:8) and as such are vulnerable to the iniquitous inception of demonic doctrine (1 TIM 4:1; JAM 3:15).
False doctrine (“leaven” MATT 16:6), founded upon human pride which in it’s audacious arrogance would presume to equal GOD’s wisdom with their own, brings division to the body of Christ as well as ruin just as if you’d feed poison to your children.
Our adding of new doctrines to the Holy Scriptures are just as inappropriate, indeed, as blasphemous as trying to add our own dead works to the work of salvation that Christ wrought for us on Calvary’s Cross! The Word of GOD is pure but add to it and you’ve polluted it (PROV 30:5). Add to it in the last days of humanity’s reign on this Earth and you will have added to you the plagues written of in the book of REVELATION. Take away from the Word, and your name will be taken out of the LAMB’s book of Life!
Listen to this vitally important and excellent message by pastor Sonny Islas of SHINE BRIGHT Church “Do Not Diminish A Word” (see the Facebook video here) – a very somber warning, especially to pastors, teachers, etc.!
DEUTERONOMY 4:3-4
3 "Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal Peor; for the LORD your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor. 4 "But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive today, every one of you.
Holding fast to the LORD GOD, and to His Word of truth got Israel through those challenges in confronting the pagan nations of Canaan. As we likewise “hold fast the form of sound (spiritually healthy) words” (2 TIM 1:13-14) of the LORD in Holy Scripture will get us through any and every challenge that confronts us! We shall endure, even thrive in the face of such (perilous?) challenges!
DEUTERONOMY 4:5-6
5 "Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. 6 "Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'
Remembering that this is the first of three sermons that Moses is delivering to the next generation of Israel (the first having perished in the wilderness – not because the LORD failed to be faithful to them, but rather the reverse!), the Lawgiver is rehearsing these vital commandments and statutes that the LORD requires of His people, for He is their GOD, and they are indeed His people (with no possibility of revocation!)!
So, they were to be “careful to observe” these commandments which requires a reverence for the LORD, a holy respect that leads to absolute attentiveness, paying close attention to the details, but with a heart of loving obedience – that’s the prime motivator – love for the LORD Who chose to love Israel simply because He loves them (See DEUT 7:7-8).
Hearkening (in the biblical sense described above) to the Word of GOD will inevitably bless GOD’s people with wisdom. The entire book of PROVERBS will testify to this truth!
PROVERBS 1:2-5,33May it be said of us saints by those who observe our words and lives that we likewise are a “wise and understanding people”! And that we glory in that we understand the LORD, we know Him and His precious heart!!
2To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding, 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity; 4 To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion- 5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, 33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.
PROVERBS 4:5-9
5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.
JEREMIAH 9:24DEUTERONOMY 4:7-8
But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.
7 "For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? 8 "And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?
The Law of GOD reveals to us two things: the absolutely sinful heart of mankind and the absolute holiness of GOD’s own heart. We use the Law “lawfully” (1 TIM 1:8) when we point people to it and prove that they have not obeyed it, but rather intentionally and willfully – or because of their inability to keep it, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of GOD” (ROM 3:23).
Those of us who have tasted of the heavenly gift, greatly desire to live up to the glorious ideals, the supreme standard, the holy law of GOD but we find this other law of sin that burdens our sin nature (“flesh” ROM 7:25) and takes us captive. It’s not until we receive the heavenly gift of salvation (and not merely taste it), and follow after the Spirit, yielding to His sweet influences afforded us by Christ, that we find our liberty!
ROMANS 7:24-25Blessed is the nation whose GOD is the LORD! GOD chose the nation of Israel by His grace, and this is a testament to the LORD’s graciousness and kindness (PSA 33:12) even though they were/are an obstinate, stubborn people “prone to sin”, exampled in EXOD 32 (and PSA 78:8; ISA 46:12; 48:4).
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
GALATIANS 5:1-2,6
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
DEUTERONOMY 4:9-12
9 "Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, 10 "especially concerning the day you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, 'Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.' 11 "Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. 12 "And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words but saw no form; you only heard a voice.
Moses reminds the people of the enormously awesome events that took place at Mount Sinai (EXOD 19:14-25); they were in such terror that they begged Moses to speak to GOD alone, and for him only to hear the words of the LORD.
The admonition here is to “heed” and to “keep” so that the things seen aren’t forgotten and the hearts of the people won’t depart from following after the LORD. One generation was to teach the next.
Likewise we are to keep sincerity and truth (1 COR 5:8); to keep our bodily appetites that can lead to sin under control and keep ourselves pure (1 COR 9:27; 1 TIM 5:22; JAM 1:27); to keep the true gospel and sound doctrine (1 COR 15:2). We are to keep the unity of the Spirit (EPH 4:3); to keep the faith (1 TIM 6:12-14); keep integrity in the ministry (2 TIM 1:14). To keep the commandments of the LORD Jesus Christ under the New Testament (JOHN 13:34-35; 1 JOHN 2:3; 3:22; 5:2-3) and to keep ourselves in the love of GOD, Who Himself is able to keep us from falling (JUDE 1:21,24).
In many of the above passages, two different Greek words are used: phulasso and tereo.
Phulasso means “to keep in isolation, to watch, be on guard, to preserve, observe.
Tereo means “to watch, to guard from loss or injury, keeping an eye upon, to detain, to withhold.”
Worthy of note is JUDE, verse 24: the word there for keep is phulasso. He is able to watch, guard, preserve us “from falling and to present us faultless” to GOD. This renders us securely in the LORD’s care, Who will watch over us, guard us, keep us from harm or ruin (as we no doubt would, if we were to lose our condition of salvation).
Where seeing GOD was a terror for the children of Israel, we ourselves as New Testament saints are blessed with a kind of ‘filter’ in the LORD Jesus, in Whose Face we see the glorious, almighty, absolute likeness for the Father (2 COR 4:6; JOHN 14:7-11)!!
DEUTERONOMY 4:13-19
13 "So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14 "And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess. 15 "Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 "lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female, 17 "the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 "the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth. 19 "And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.
The Ten Commandments are based on a moral authority, itself based on the Sovereignty of GOD as LORD. As has been said before, because GOD is Creator GOD, all things belong to Him, and therefore He is LORD. Since He is the Sovereign LORD of all, He gets to “make the rules” in His Kingdom, and these are codified (and simplified) in these Ten Commandments. If any object to them, don’t like them, think them too strict, rigid, or confining, then let them create their own universe and make their own rules!
Until then, the Law of GOD, just as is the Truth of GOD, is immutable, steadfast, resilient, and undeniable (that is, not without dire consequences – such as eternal damnation!).
In medieval days, if an edict of any king was willfully disobeyed, that person would be charged with treason, punishable by death – no questions asked!
How much more so should the Absolute, Holy, Almighty King of all creation be revered and obeyed?! The consequences of disobedience, that is, sin, is “death” (ROM 6:23a; EZEK 18:4) but in its eternal state, a perpetual death, an ongoing destruction, an everlastingly dire ruination: the absolute deprivation of life and the Source of life, YHWH. See the article, As Sure As Hell.
Yet it’s because mankind is abjectly poor in spirit, that we are born rebels and powerless to be holy and acceptable to the LORD, that He then must preside over us as the JUDGE of all the Earth, and in justice, condemn us (JOHN 3:18-20).
However, His heart is such that He wills to save us from damnation: so He Who is Creator GOD, Sovereign LORD and JUDGE has taken upon Himself flesh, dwelt among us, and we have witnessed the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (JOHN 1:14) – and was delivered for our offenses, provided us with justification based on His own merit and worth as the Holy Son of GOD, and washed away our sins! OH, WHAT A SAVIOR!!
For His majesty and mercy, He is utterly worthy to be worshiped; which makes the offense of worshiping created things in the forms of idols all the more offensive to YHWH. And lest we look down upon the nation of Israel who were guilty of worshiping idols, let’s remember that if we love anyone or anything more – or even as much as – the LORD GOD our Redeemer (MATT 22:37), that by definition is an idol!
What do our time commitments look like? We spend the most time on the things that matter most to us, do we not? Something to meditate on and repent of if this is applicable!
DEUTERONOMY 4:20-22
20 "But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day. 21 "Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes and swore that I would not cross over the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. 22 "But I must die in this land, I must not cross over the Jordan; but you shall cross over and possess that good land.
See now the goodness and severity of the LORD (such as seen in ROM 11:22): He delivered the Hebrew slaves from “the iron furnace of Egypt” and brought them to their inheritance. This same GOD forbid His faithful servant Moses (who didn’t ask for this job, and had to deal with these people who aggravated both him and the LORD) from entering into this land of promise – and why? Because he (just once!) misrepresented the LORD before the people!
Let’s not indulge in the grace of GOD to such a degree that we begin to abuse it (2 COR 6:1), and we begin to neglect the truth: that He is a Holy GOD and worthy of our obedient, loving hearts (PSA 18:31; EPH 4:1-3; COL 1:10; REV 4:11)!
~ PART TWO ~
DEUTERONOMY 4:23-25
23 "Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the LORD your God has forbidden you. 24 "For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. 25 "When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything and do evil in the sight of the LORD your God to provoke Him to anger,
It was paramount that the nation of Israel observed that they were in sacred covenant with the LORD GOD of creation, established by GOD Himself in the days of Abraham, when this covenant was initiated (GEN 15:1-21; esp. vs.9-10). This was the unconditional promise from GOD to Abraham and his descendants who expressed faith comparable to Abraham's (these who are Jews “inwardly” (ROM 2:29).
On the matter of jealousy: we tend to think of jealousy in a sinful way, but where the LORD is concerned: He is our Maker, and He created us for His good pleasure (think about how YOU can bring good pleasure to the Almighty! What an honor!!) and when we set our affections on others, or things, the kind of affection that should be reserved exclusively for our Abba Father, He has every right to be jealous (we for the most part, never do!).
GOD here predicts the unfaithfulness of His people!
DEUTERONOMY 4:26-28
26 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it but will be utterly destroyed. 27 "And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will drive you. 28 "And there you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.
It's incredibly offensive to GOD that people would turn away from He Who is Almighty, All-Seeing, All-knowing GOD for mere idols that have no might, and see and know nothing!
The LORD calls heaven and earth as a witness again in:
And the same for the rest of this world, that runs after idolatry and rejects the LORD Jesus Christ Who suffered for their sins on the Cross! Besides the which, the entire canon of Scripture is available to the people on this side of the Cross – 40,000 Bible apps all on their own – at their fingertips. And still the LORD Jesus and His Gospel are pushed away, even vilified!
As much judgment as the unspiritual, unfaithful descendants of Abraham will be rendered, how much MORE will those who know of the Cross and still reject it be judged!?
As predicted, the Hebrew people were scattered over the face of the planet, persecuted, hated by the Gentiles, bringing them to the Holocaust when 1 out of every 3 Jews were killed, including over 1 million children!
It’s been said that the Jewish people are the most blessed people (because of the covenant with Abraham) and also the most cursed people (because they’ve rejected their Messiah). According to Scripture however, the faithfulness of GOD and His Word will prevail – His people will seek Him (“with all their heart … and soul”), and they will be restored in their land as a kingdom, over which the Messiah will rule forever (EZEK 36:24-27; JER 32:37-42).
DEUTERONOMY 4:29-32
29 "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 "When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice 31 '(for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. 32 "For ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard.
There are those who claim that GOD is finished with Israel – that the church is now Israel. This is known as Replacement Theology (super-sessionism; see the following 6 min video) and is entirely unbiblical. As one takes in the entirety of Scripture, particularly the post-exile prophets in their last chapters and verses in light of what the New Testament teaches us, the promises of GOD to Israel become quite apparent and enduring.
We’ve covered this in our in-depth study of the Millennial Reign of Christ, examining both Old and New Testament Scriptures.
It must be acknowledged however that before Israel draws near in whole-heartedly seeking, finding, and obeying the voice of the LORD their GOD (whereupon the LORD will plant them in all of the land He has promised to them with all His heart and soul; JER 32:42), she will be “in distress in the latter days” – during the Time of Jacob’s Trouble. We expect that this time of tribulation is soon, and that prior to Israel entering into the last of these “labor pangs” that the church, the bride of Christ will be removed. Judgment will be poured out on this world for their rejection of Jesus Christ, to the Jew first and then to the Gentile.
Though has Israel has given every reason for the LORD to abandon them for their unfaithfulness and failure in keeping His covenants, He is a merciful GOD Who will bless His people beyond any reckoning of any nation in all of human history! Consider once again the following:
DEUTERONOMY 4:33-35
33 "Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live? 34 "Or did God ever try to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 35 "To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none other besides Him.
GOD has proven Himself by His revelation, and for those who seek Him in sincerity and truth, He will reveal Himself to such hearts!
DEUTERONOMY 4:36-40
36 "Out of heaven He let you hear His voice, that He might instruct you; on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire. 37 "And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them; and He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power, 38 "driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is this day. 39 "Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. 40 "You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time."
GOD once again calls Israel to be faithful in the covenant that He established with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as the twelve patriarchs!
Can you imagine being one of these ex-slaves, these Hebrews who were delivered from Egypt by ten powerful plagues that pummeled the princes of Egypt? And then be escorted by GOD Himself, Who took them by the hand and led them through the wilderness (HEB 8:9) with a literal, visible pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day (EXOD 13:21-22)?
It's when we’re made aware of our utter weakness, and then faced with insurmountable challenges that our LORD comes through and levels every mountain, to show Himself strong on behalf of His beloved children with sincere, worshipful hearts devoted to Him (2 CHRON 16:9)! Israel learned this lesson when they were confronted with “nations greater and mightier” than they!
GOD testifies that He is the Only One in all heaven and earth – just as the LORD Jesus declared (MATT 28:18); also by His Spirit through the apostle Peter (ACTS 2:36)! Therefore He is worthy to be adored and worshiped – evidenced by loving obedience (1 SAM 15:22)!
DEUTERONOMY 4:41-44
41 Then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun, 42 that the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without having hated him in time past, and that by fleeing to one of these cities he might live: 43 Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites. 44 Now this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel.
On these cities of refuge, consider this study we’ve done previously on NUMBERS 35.
DEUTERONOMY 4:45-49
45 These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which Moses spoke to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt, 46 on this side of the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel defeated after they came out of Egypt. 47 And they took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, who were on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun, 48 from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, even to Mount Sion (that is, Hermon), 49 and all the plain on the east side of the Jordan as far as the Sea of the Arabah, below the slopes of Pisgah.
The conquests of these pagan kingdoms was a token from GOD to prove His Word – as always – is trustworthy. He visited and gathered together the descendants of Abraham (GEN 15:13-14,18-21) and return them to the land of promise, which will know their greatest time with the greatest expansion of borders never before known (from the river Nile in Egypt, through the Sinai Peninsula, covering all the territory of Israel presently known today, and into Iraq and the Euphrates river; GEN 15:18)! These borders will be established during the Messianic Reign over all the world, ruling from the world capital of Jerusalem!
The LORD calls heaven and earth as a witness again in:
DEUTERONOMY 30:15-20, esp. vs.19-20Those to whom the LORD has been faithful – those who reside in heaven as well as on earth, will be able to testify against the unfaithfulness of these Hebrews who had forsaken the LORD GOD to serve idols, and on the Day of Judgment, they most certainly will – confirming the LORD’s own witness and His justified rendering of judgment.
15 "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 "in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 "But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 "I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 "that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."
And again in DEUTERONOMY 31:28-29
28 "Gather to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29 "For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands."
And the same for the rest of this world, that runs after idolatry and rejects the LORD Jesus Christ Who suffered for their sins on the Cross! Besides the which, the entire canon of Scripture is available to the people on this side of the Cross – 40,000 Bible apps all on their own – at their fingertips. And still the LORD Jesus and His Gospel are pushed away, even vilified!
As much judgment as the unspiritual, unfaithful descendants of Abraham will be rendered, how much MORE will those who know of the Cross and still reject it be judged!?
As predicted, the Hebrew people were scattered over the face of the planet, persecuted, hated by the Gentiles, bringing them to the Holocaust when 1 out of every 3 Jews were killed, including over 1 million children!
It’s been said that the Jewish people are the most blessed people (because of the covenant with Abraham) and also the most cursed people (because they’ve rejected their Messiah). According to Scripture however, the faithfulness of GOD and His Word will prevail – His people will seek Him (“with all their heart … and soul”), and they will be restored in their land as a kingdom, over which the Messiah will rule forever (EZEK 36:24-27; JER 32:37-42).
DEUTERONOMY 4:29-32
29 "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 "When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice 31 '(for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. 32 "For ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard.
There are those who claim that GOD is finished with Israel – that the church is now Israel. This is known as Replacement Theology (super-sessionism; see the following 6 min video) and is entirely unbiblical. As one takes in the entirety of Scripture, particularly the post-exile prophets in their last chapters and verses in light of what the New Testament teaches us, the promises of GOD to Israel become quite apparent and enduring.
We’ve covered this in our in-depth study of the Millennial Reign of Christ, examining both Old and New Testament Scriptures.
It must be acknowledged however that before Israel draws near in whole-heartedly seeking, finding, and obeying the voice of the LORD their GOD (whereupon the LORD will plant them in all of the land He has promised to them with all His heart and soul; JER 32:42), she will be “in distress in the latter days” – during the Time of Jacob’s Trouble. We expect that this time of tribulation is soon, and that prior to Israel entering into the last of these “labor pangs” that the church, the bride of Christ will be removed. Judgment will be poured out on this world for their rejection of Jesus Christ, to the Jew first and then to the Gentile.
Though has Israel has given every reason for the LORD to abandon them for their unfaithfulness and failure in keeping His covenants, He is a merciful GOD Who will bless His people beyond any reckoning of any nation in all of human history! Consider once again the following:
DEUTERONOMY 4:33-35
33 "Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live? 34 "Or did God ever try to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 35 "To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none other besides Him.
GOD has proven Himself by His revelation, and for those who seek Him in sincerity and truth, He will reveal Himself to such hearts!
DEUTERONOMY 4:36-40
36 "Out of heaven He let you hear His voice, that He might instruct you; on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire. 37 "And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them; and He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power, 38 "driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is this day. 39 "Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. 40 "You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time."
GOD once again calls Israel to be faithful in the covenant that He established with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as the twelve patriarchs!
Can you imagine being one of these ex-slaves, these Hebrews who were delivered from Egypt by ten powerful plagues that pummeled the princes of Egypt? And then be escorted by GOD Himself, Who took them by the hand and led them through the wilderness (HEB 8:9) with a literal, visible pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day (EXOD 13:21-22)?
It's when we’re made aware of our utter weakness, and then faced with insurmountable challenges that our LORD comes through and levels every mountain, to show Himself strong on behalf of His beloved children with sincere, worshipful hearts devoted to Him (2 CHRON 16:9)! Israel learned this lesson when they were confronted with “nations greater and mightier” than they!
GOD testifies that He is the Only One in all heaven and earth – just as the LORD Jesus declared (MATT 28:18); also by His Spirit through the apostle Peter (ACTS 2:36)! Therefore He is worthy to be adored and worshiped – evidenced by loving obedience (1 SAM 15:22)!
DEUTERONOMY 4:41-44
41 Then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun, 42 that the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without having hated him in time past, and that by fleeing to one of these cities he might live: 43 Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites. 44 Now this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel.
On these cities of refuge, consider this study we’ve done previously on NUMBERS 35.
DEUTERONOMY 4:45-49
45 These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which Moses spoke to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt, 46 on this side of the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel defeated after they came out of Egypt. 47 And they took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, who were on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun, 48 from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, even to Mount Sion (that is, Hermon), 49 and all the plain on the east side of the Jordan as far as the Sea of the Arabah, below the slopes of Pisgah.
The conquests of these pagan kingdoms was a token from GOD to prove His Word – as always – is trustworthy. He visited and gathered together the descendants of Abraham (GEN 15:13-14,18-21) and return them to the land of promise, which will know their greatest time with the greatest expansion of borders never before known (from the river Nile in Egypt, through the Sinai Peninsula, covering all the territory of Israel presently known today, and into Iraq and the Euphrates river; GEN 15:18)! These borders will be established during the Messianic Reign over all the world, ruling from the world capital of Jerusalem!
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