AM Bible Study Group; March 30, 2011

Deuteronomy 4:25-43

Theme: Before giving the second generation a recitation of God’s commands to them, Moses gives a review of God’s gracious goodness to them.

Moses continues his heartfelt appeal to the second generation of the children of Israel just before their entry into the promised land. He had already reviewed to them much of their history (chapters 1-3); and in verses 1-24 of our chapter, he appealed to them to listen to, honor and observe God’s commands and to take careful heed to themselves with respect to them.

Now—immediately before giving a second recitation of God’s law to them—he calls them one last time to pause and consider the God who gives them. And what we find highlighted in this second recitation of the law is the greatness of God’s grace. Moses calls the people to carefully consider God in terms of . . .

I. HIS HOLY JEALOUSY FOR THEM (vv. 25-28).

A. Moses speaks to the people in a way that, we would have to say, was somewhat prophetic. The people did, eventually, turn away from God and to idols. Moses speaks of this turning-away in terms of "when" it would happen. When the people enter the land, begot children and grandchildren, and have grown comfortable in the land, they would forget God and turn to idols (v. 25a).

B. This would provoke God to anger (v. 25b). He is a God who is characterized by a holy jealousy for His people; and will not share their devotion with a false god—because there is no other than He (v. 39; see also Exodus 34:14). Moses calls into witness two things that would not change—heaven and earth; and affirms that when God’s people turned from Him, He would soon punish them. They would be utterly destroyed, and be driven from the land to other nations to serve false gods that cannot help them (vv. 26-28). The sin of unfaithfulness has terrible consequences; and this warning came to pass in the days of Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 25:1-11).

II. HIS GREAT MERCY TOWARD THEM (vv. 29-31).

A. But note also that, even after making this promise of judgment for unfaithfulness, God’s loving grace toward them is still affirmed. Just as the promise is made that they would turn away, so also is the promise made that they will turn back to Him. He says that from the place of their exile in judgment, they would seek Him. One of the most beautiful promises in all of Deuteronomy is: "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" (v. 29)—a promise that is as true today as it was then.

B. This is said to happen "in the latter days (v. 30)—not in the sense of the end times (although that’s not necessarily excluded), but more in the sense of the future in general. As the book of Judges shows us, there were may times when the people of Israel were in distress because of their sin, and God always heard their cry.

C. This is because "your God is a merciful God" (v. 31). He has made a promise to their fathers; and He will keep it—even though they prove often to be unfaithful to Him.

III. HIS UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM (vv. 32-39).

A. Moses now calls the people to consider their own history. Before hearing the law of God, and before entering into the land to take possession of it, Moses calls them to "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" (v. 32). History truly is "His Story"; and one of the greatest things we can do to affirm to our hearts God’s greatness is to pay careful attention to His work in history—particularly through His chosen people Israel.

B. The specifics of God’s great works toward them are reviewed in terms of the way He uniquely spoke to them (vv. 33, 36), and formed them as a nation (vv. 34, 37-38), and revealed Himself to them as the only God there is (vv. 35, 39).

IV. THEIR OBLIGATION TO HIM (vv. 40-43).

A. They were therefore to keep the commandments that they were about to receive and hear a second time. So long as they remembered the things that had just been told to them—and respond obediently to them—it would go well with them and with their children in the land that they were about to receive (v. 40).

B. As an immediate demonstration that they would receive the land, and as an immediate act of obedience, and even as an immediate demonstration of the provision of God’s grace, three cities of refuge were established on the east of the Jordan (vv. 41-43) for the safety of the accidental manslayer (19:1-13), in accordance with God’s law (Numbers 35:9-34).

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The same God who promised Israel both punishment for unfaithfulness and mercy upon repentance is our God today. As it says in 1 John 2:1-2; "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."