Deuteronomy 4:1-14
“And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules
that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take
possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2 You shall not add to
the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the
commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. 3 Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at
Baal-peor, for the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who
followed the Baal of Peor. 4 But
you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today. 5 See, I have taught
you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do
them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 6 Keep them and do
them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the
peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great
nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7 For what great nation is there that has a god so
near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? 8 And what great nation
is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set
before you today?
9 “Only
take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your
eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.
Make them known to your children and your children’s children— 10 how on the day that
you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the
people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear
me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their
children so.’ 11 And
you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned
with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom. 12 Then the Lord spoke
to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no
form; there was only a voice. 13 And
he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is,
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 rules, that you might do
them in the land that you are going over to possess.
The LORD our God speaks from Mount Horeb in order to strike
fear into people for generations. The formless voice shouts through smoke,
fire, and gloom commanding his children what they are supposed to do. He
establishes statutes and rules that people will follow for generations. God
even go so far to engrave them in stone so they could not be changed or
altered.
My favorite part about this is God wants you to fear him. CS
Lewis could not leave the image of a cuddly Lion in his narrative. Some have
complained that the God of the Bible is a god of wrath, well I agree! He is a
God that wants people to know that there are worse things out there. There is something
greater to fear than your name printed in a tabloid or newspaper or facebook. Your
deeds will be exposed by the Light of God.
God knows all the times you have not done what you were
supposed to do. He knows every evil thought and desire you have. He despises
you for it. He hates you on account of it. But this God desires you to fear
him, because he Loves you. His Love is revealed in the God of your fathers
delivering people out of slavery. His Love is shown in the sacrifice of his
only begotten Son for you. There is no greater Love than one laying down their
life for another. Fear and Love God above all things, because He feared for you
and Loved you enough to rescue you.
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