Life Application Study BibleDeuteronomyChapter 4

Deuteronomy 4

New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 268, 269, 270, 271

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4Deuteronomy 4

1“And now, Israel, listen carefully to these decrees and regulations that I am about Deut 5:32-33; 8:1;to teach you. Obey them so that you may live, so you may enter and occupy the land L8203511°3:11 Hebrew 9 cubits [4.1 meters] long and 4 cubits {1.8 meters] wide. 3:14 Hebrew Havvoth-jair, 3:17 Hebrew Rom 10:5from Kinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea.3:21, 22 What encouraging news for Joshua, who was to leadhis men against the persistent forces of evil in the PromisedLand! Since God promised to help him win every battle, he hadnothing to fear. Our battles may not be against godless armies,but they are just as real as Joshua's. Whether we are resistingtemptation or battling fear, God has promised to fight with andfor us as we place our hope and confidence in him.3:26-28 God had made it clear that Moses would not enter thePromised Land (Numbers 20:12). So God told Moses to commis-sion Joshua as the new leader and encourage him in this newrole. This is a good example to churches and organizations whomust eventually replace their leaders. Good leaders prepare theirpeople to function without them by discovering those with jeader-ship potential, providing the training they need, and looking forways to encourage them.

that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you. 3“You saw for yourself what the LORD did to you at Baal-peor. There the LORD your God destroyed everyone who had worshiped Baal, the god of Peor. 4But all of you who were faithful to the LORD your God are still alive today—every one of you. 5“Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy. Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, ‘How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!’ For what great nation has a god as near to them as the LORD our God is near to us whenever we call on him? 8And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today? 9“But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. ‘Never forget the day when you stood before the LORD your God at Mount Sinai,* where he told me, 10Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.’ 11“You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while flames from the mountain shot into the sky. The mountain was shrouded in black clouds and deep darkness. t2And the LORD spoke to you from the heart of the fire. You heard the sound of his words but didn’t see his form; there was only a voice. 13He proclaimed his covenant—the Ten Commandments*—which he commanded you to keep, and which he wrote on two stone tablets. 14It was at that time that the LORD commanded me to teach you his decrees and regulations so you would obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

A Warning against Idolatry

1515“But be very careful! You did not see the LORD’s form on the day he spoke to you from the heart of the fire at Mount Sinai. 16So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form—whether of a man or a woman, 17an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky, 18a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea. 19And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don’t be seduced

Z2/UDEUTERONOMY 4to all the peoples of the earth. 4:20ing furnace of Egypt in order to 1 Kgs 8:61his what you are today. a2d that I would not cross the Num 20:12your special possession. Deut 1:37ad, I will die here on the oad 20:4-5into worshiping them. The LorpD your God gave them

20Remember that the LORD rescued you from the iron-smeltiwn people and his special possession, whicmake you his very 0'

21"But the LORD was angry with me because of you. He voweJordan River into the good land the LORD your God is giving you as

22You will cross the Jordan to occupy the land, but I will not. Inste:east side of the river. 2% So be careful not to break the covenant the LORD your God hasmade 4:24with you. Donot make idols of any shape or form, for the Lop your God has forbidden this. Exod eo. 34:14

24The LORD your God is a devouring fire; he is a jealous God. 4:25ren and have lived in the landa Deut 4:16; 31:29

25In the future, when you have children and grandchild:long time, do not corrupt yourselves by making idols of any kind. This is evil inthe sight of #26 04. 519;the LORD your God and will arouse his anger. 3129

26" Today I call on heaven and earth as witnesses against you. If you break my covenant, 4:27you will quickly disappear from the jand you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. You willlive oe 26:64there only a short time; then you will be utterly destroyed.

27For the LORD will scatter you Deut 28:36, 64;among the nations, where onlya few of you will survive.

28There, in a foreign land, you will 70:17 54-8worship idols made from wood and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.,

29But from there you will search again for the LORD your God. And if you search for him withall your heart and soul, you will find him.

30“Tp the distant future, when you are sud and listen to what he tells you.

31For the4:29Deut 6:5; 10:12;30:1-3; 2Chr 15:4ffering all these things, you willfinallyreturnto 4:31LORD your God is a merciful ssh $16.8the LORD your GoGod; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with Heb 13:5your ancestors.There Is Only One God 432earth untilnow, and Gen 1-27from the time God created people on theheavens to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been £33) 0:00heard the voice of God* speaking from fire— Deut 5:24, 26d dared to take a nation for himself out ofan- #34ar,a strong hand, a powerful Deut 5:15; 6:21;7:19; 33:29

32“Now search all of history,search from one end of theseen or heard before? 9SHas any nation everas you did—and survived?

34Has any other goother nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, warm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what the LORD your God did for you in Egypt, rightbefore your eyes.

35“He showed you these things so you would knother. 2¢He let you hear his voice from heaven so he could instrugreat fire hereon earth so he could speak to you from it.

37Becausehe chose to bless their descendants, and he personally brought you out of Egypt with a greatdisplay of power.

38He drove out nations far greater than you, So he could bring you in and £38 0:4give you their land as your special possession, as it is today.

39"So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The LORD is God both in heaven andonearth, and there is no other. 40} f you obey all the decrees and commands J am. givingyou 4:40today, all will be well with you and your children. 1am giving you these instructions so you Exod 28 Fe 16, 29will enjoy a long life in the land the LORD your God is giving you for all time.” 33:32:474:35.. Exod 8:10; 9:14ow that the LORD is God and there is no Deut 4:39ct you. He let you see his Mok 12:32heloved your ancestors, 4:37Deut 7:8

Eastern Cities of Refuge

4141Then Moses set apart three cities of refuge east of the Jordan River. 42@Anyone who Killed another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, could flee there to live in safety. 43These were the cities: Bezer on the wilderness plateau for the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead for the tribe of Gad; Golan in Bashan for the tribe of Manasseh. B. PRINCIPLES FOR GODLY LIVING: MOSES’ SECOND ADDRESS (4:44—29:1) After reviewing the history of Israel's journey, Moses recounts the Ten Commandments and the other laws given to the Israelites at Mount Sinai. He urges them to obey the law and reminds them of the consequences of disobeying God’s laws. The Ten Commandments and ail of God’s laws point out to us where we fall short and show us how we should act as God's people.

Introduction to Moses’ Second Address

4444This is the body of instruction that Moses presented to the Israelites. 4SThese are the laws, decrees, and regulations that Moses gave to the people of Israel when they left Egypt, #6and as they camped in the valley near Beth-peor east of the Jordan River. (This land was formerly occupied by the Amorites under King Sihon, who ruled from Heshbon. But Moses and the Israelites destroyed him and his people when they came up from Egypt. 47Israel took possession of his land and that of King Og of Bashan—the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. 48So Israel conquered the entire area from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon Gorge all the way to Mount Sirion,* also called Mount Hermon. 49And they conquered the eastern bank of the Jordan River as far south as the Dead Sea,* below the slopes of Pisgah.)

Textual footnotes

he hates sin and cannot accept those who practice it. Moses’ that they would find him when they searched with all their hearts
sin kept him from entering the Promised Land, and no sacrifice and souls. God is knowable and wants to be known—but we
could remove that judgment. Sin kept us from entering God's have to want to know him. Acts of service and worship must
presence, but Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin and be accompanied by sincere devotion of the heart. As Hebrews
removed God's judgment forever by his death. Trusting in Jesus 11:6 says, “Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that
Christ will save you from God’s anger and allow you to begin God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
a personal relationship with him. God will reward those who pursue a relationship with him.
tion or loyalty. Some jealousy is bad. It is destructive for a person for our guidance and leadership! We trust medical doctors, finan-
to get upset when his or her spouse talks to someone of the cial advisers, and news commentators, but do we trust God?
opposite sex. But other jealousy is good. It is right for a man to Get God's advice first (4:39, 40), and recognize his authority
demand that his wife treat him, and only him, as her husband. over every dimension of life.
Usually we use the word jeafousy only for the bad reaction. But 4:40 Was Israel guaranteed prosperity for obeying God’s laws?
God's kind of jealousy is appropriate and good. He is defending Yes—but we have to look carefully at what that means. God's laws
his word and guarding his high honor. He makes a strong, exclu- were designed to make his chosen nation devout, healthy, just,
sive demand on us: We must treat only the LORD—and no one and merciful. When the people followed those laws, they pros-
alse in all the universe—as God. pered, This does not mean, however, that no sickness, no
4:10 Hebrew Horeb, another name for Sinai; also in 4:15.
4:13 Hebrew the ten words.
4:24 God is a devouring fire. Because he is morally perfect, 4:29 Do you want to know God? God promised the Israelites
4:24 Jealousy is a demand for someone else's exclusive affec- 4:32 How tempted we are to look everywhere else Dut to God
4:33 Or voice of a god.
4:48 As in Syriac version (see also 3:9); Hebrew reads Mount Sion.
4:49 Hebrew took the Arabah on the east side

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Study feature · page 269

4:2 What is meant by adding to or subtracting from God's - Commands? These laws were the word of God, and they were : £omplete. How could any human being, with limited wisdom “and knowledge, edit God’s perfect laws? To add to the laws “would make them a burden; to subtract from the laws would Take them incomplete. Thus the laws were to remain unchanged. - To presume to make changes in God's law is to assume a posi- © fon of authority over God who gave the laws (Matthew 5:17-19; 15:3-9; Revelation 22:18, 19). The religious teaders at the time “of Christ did exactly this; they elevated their own laws to the same level as God's. Jesus rebuked them for this {Matthew 23:1-4). 48 Do the laws God gave to the Israelites still apply to Chris- Tans today? God's laws are designed to guide all people toward - Mife-styles that are healthy, upright, and devoted to God. Their "Purpose was to point out sin (or potential sin) and show the » Broper way to deal with that sin. The Ten Commandments, the heart of God’s law, are just as applicable today as they were 3,000 years ago because they proclaim a life-style endorsed . by God. They are the perfect expression of who God is and how he wants people to live. .,” But God gave other jaws besides the Ten Commandments. Are these just as important? God never issued a law that didn’t é have a purpose. However, many of the laws we read in the Pentaa ch were directed specifically to people of that time and culture. “Mthough a specific law may not apply to us, the timeless truth principle behind the law does. I For example, Christians do not practice animal sacrifice in hip, However, the principles behind the sacrifices—forgive- Fess for sin and thankfulness to God-—still apply. The sacrifices

pointed to the ultimate sacrifice made for us by Jesus Christ. The New Testament says that with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Old Testament laws were fulfilled. This means that while the Old Testament laws help us recognize our sins and correct our wrongdoings, it is Jesus Christ who takes our sins away. Jesus is now our primary example to follow because he alone perfectly obeyed the law and modeled its true intent. 4:9 Moses wanted to make sure that the people did not forget ail they had seen God do, so he urged parents to teach their children about God's great miracles. This helped parents remember God’s faithfulness and provided the means for passing on from One generation to the next the stories recounting God’s great acts. It is easy to forget the wonderful ways God has worked in the lives of his people. But you can remember God's great acts of faithfulness by telling your children, friends, or associates what you have seen him do. 4:19 God was not excusing the other nations for their idol worship. He was simply saying that while judgment might be delayed for those other nations, it would be swift and complete for Israel because Israel knew Gad’s laws. We must remember that idol worship was not just keeping statues around the house—harmless jumps of clay, wood, or iron. It was the commitment to the other evil qualities and practices the idol represented (such as murder, prostitution, cruelty in war, or self-centeredness). When the strengths and attributes of powerful humans or animals are revered or the cycles of nature are honored without reference to God who created them, this is idolatry. Because God had so Clearly revealed himself in Israel’s history, the Israelites had no excuse for worshiping any person or power but the one true God.

Study feature · page 271

• Sadness, and no misunderstandings existed among them. Rather, it means that as a nation they prospered and that individuals’ Problems were handled as fairly as possible. Today God’s promise Of prosperity—his constant presence, comfort, and the resources -® live as we should—extends to all believers. We will face trials; ’ Jesus told us that. But we will avoid the misery that directly results from intentional sin, and we will know that a great treasure awaits Us in heaven. 5:1 The people had entered into a covenant with God, and Moses Commanded them to hear, learn, and obey his regulations. Chris- tians also have entered into a covenant with God through Jesus - Christ and should be responsive to what God expects. Moses’ ' threefold command to the Israelites provides excellent advice ‘for all God’s followers. Listening is absorbing and accepting infor- + Mation about God. Learning is understanding its meaning and ‘Implications. Obeying is putting into action all we have learned jind understood. All three parts are essential to a growing relation- Ship with God.

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