Deuteronômio 4
Bob Utley · Citado em PreceptAustin
Deuteronômio 4
Utley - SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD’S REVELATION (using DEUTERONOMY and PSALMS) I. “Statutes,” “an enactment, decree, or ordinance” A. Masculine, חק Deut. 4:1, 5, 6, 8, 14, 40, 45; 5:1; 6:1, 24, 25; 7:11; 11:32; 16:12; 17:19; 26:17; 27:10; Ps. 2:7; 50:16; 81:4; 99:7; 105:10, 45; 148:6 B. Feminine, חקה Deut. 6:2; 8:11; 10:13; 11:1; 28:15, 45; 30:10, 16; Ps. 89:31; 119:5, 8, 12, 16, 23, 26, 33, 48, 54, 64, 68, 71, 80, 83, 112, 124, 135, 145, 155, 171 II. “Law” “instruction” Deut. 1:5; 4:44; 17:11, 18, 19; 27:3, 8, 26; 28:58, 61; 29:21, 29; 30:10; 31:9; Ps. 1:2; 19:7; 78:10; 94:12; 105:45; 119:1, 18, 29, 34, 44, 51, 53, 55, 61, 70, 72, 77, 85, 92, 97, 109, 113, 126, 136, 142, 150, 153, 163, 165, 174 III. “Testimonies” “divine laws” A. PLURAL, עדה Deut. 4:45; 6:17, 20; Ps. 25:10; 78:56; 93:5; 99:7; 119:22, 24, 46, 59, 79, 95, 119, 125, 138, 146, 152, 167, 168 B. עדות or עדת Ps. 19:8; 78:5; 81:6; 119:2, 14, 31, 36, 88, 99, 111, 129, 144, 157 IV. “Precepts” “a charge” Ps. 19:8; 103:18; 111:7; 119:4, 15, 27, 40, 45, 56, 63, 69, 78, 87, 93, 94, 100, 104, 110, 128, 134, 141, 159, 168, 173 V. “Commandments” Deut. 4:2, 40; 5:29; 6:1, 2, 17, 25; 8:1, 2, 11; 10:13; 11:13; 15:5; 26:13, 17; 30:11, 16; Ps. 19:8; 119:6, 10, 19, 21, 32, 35, 47, 48, 60, 66, 73, 86, 96, 98, 115, 127, 131, 143, 151, 166, 176 VI. “Judgments/ordinances” “rulings” or “justice” Deut. 1:17; 4:1, 5, 8, 14, 45; 7:12; 16:18; 30:16; 33:10, 21; Ps. 10:5; 18:23; 19:10; 48:12; 89:30; 97:8; 105:5, 7; 119:7, 13, 20, 30, 39, 43, 52, 62, 75, 84, 102, 106, 120, 132, 137, 149, 156, 160, 164; 147:19; 149:9 VII. “His ways” YHWH’s guidelines for His people’s lifestyle Deut. 8:6; 10:12; 11:22, 28; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16; 32:4; Ps. 119:3, 5, 37, 59 VIII. “His words” A. Deut. 4:10, 13, 36; 9:10; 10:4; Ps. 119:9, 16, 17, 25, 28, 42, 43, 49, 57, 65, 74, 81, 89, 101, 105, 107, 114, 130, 139, 147, 160, 161, 169 B.BDB 57 1. “word” Deut. 17:19; 18:19; 33:9; Ps. 119:11, 67, 103, 162, 170, 172 2. “promise” Ps. 119:38, 41, 50, 58, 76, 82, 116, 133, 140, 148, 154 3. “command” Ps. 119:158 John Blanchard - OBEDIENCE—Importance (from Complete Gathered Gold) Whoever strives to withdraw from obedience withdraws from grace. Thomas à Kempis Becoming a Christian does not alter the fact that I am still a created being under obligation to obey. Richard Alderson The evidence of knowing God is obeying God. Eric Alexander Christ’s sheep are marked in the ear and the foot; they hear his voice and they follow him. Anon. Christianity is obedience. Anon. If God has called you, don’t spend time looking over your shoulder to see who is following. Anon. The proof of real saving faith is a persistent mindset to obey what Jesus has taught us in his Word, the Bible. Anon. When Christ takes the burden of guilt off a sinner’s shoulders he places the yoke of obedience upon his neck. Anon. Christian obedience is to be the response to our acceptance, not the reason for it. John Blanchard Obedience is not the essence of a right relationship with God, but it is the evidence of it. John Blanchard Obedience is the positive side of repentance. John Blanchard The evidence of saving faith is not how much you believe but how well you behave. John Blanchard Jesus has spoken; his is the Word, ours the obedience. Dietrich Bonhoeffer One act of obedience is better than a hundred sermons. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes. Dietrich Bonhoeffer God does not give us his power so that we might feel good about ourselves; he gives us his power so that we can obey him for his sake, for his glory. Jerry Bridges Just as obedience to the Lord is an indication of our love for him, so is it also a proof of our fear of God. Jerry Bridges Every man obeys Christ as he prizes Christ, and no otherwise. Thomas Brooks He who obeys sincerely endeavours to obey thoroughly. Thomas Brooks No man obeys God truly who does not endeavour to obey God fully. Thomas Brooks The obedience that springs from faith is the obedience of a son, not of a slave. Thomas Brooks Love to God and obedience to God are so completely involved in each other that any one of them implies the other too. F. F. Bruce No man will actually obey God but he who loves him. John Calvin Nothing is more fatal to us than to refuse to give ourselves in obedience to God. John Calvin Obedience is the end of our calling. John Calvin The basis of true religion is obedience. John Calvin We cannot rely on God’s promises without obeying his commandments. John Calvin God marks with sorrow the point in the history of any one of his servants where there is failure to yield him implicit, unquestioning, heroic obedience. Leslie Carter Faith is the starting-post of obedience. Thomas Chalmers The best measure of a spiritual life is not its ecstasies but its obedience. Oswald Chambers The golden rule for understanding in spiritual matters is not intellect, but obedience. Oswald Chambers The rugged obedience of the cross may still be seen in our creeds, but it is hard to find in our lives. Robert E. Coleman It is not what we do that matters, but what a sovereign God chooses to do through us. God doesn’t want our success; he wants us. He doesn’t demand our achievements; he demands our obedience. Charles Colson What God wants from his people is obedience, no matter what the circumstances, no matter how unknown the outcome. Charles Colson To obey is the proper office of a rational soul. Michel E. de Montaigne My gracious Lord, I own thy right To every service I can pay; And call it my supreme delight To hear thy dictates and obey. Philip Doddridge The scriptural doctrine of justification by faith alone, without any manner of goodness or excellency of ours, does in no wise diminish either the necessity or benefit of a sincere evangelical obedience. Jonathan Edwards Obedience to God is the most infallible evidence of sincere and supreme love to him. Nathanael Emmons Be obedient even when you do not know where obedience may lead you. Sinclair Ferguson There is no such thing as genuine knowledge of God that does not show itself in obedience to his Word and will. Sinclair Ferguson Faith that saves has one distinguishing quality: saving faith is a faith that produces obedience; it is a faith that brings about a way of life. Billy Graham Understanding can wait. Obedience cannot. Geoffrey Grogan One of the reasons people find it hard to be obedient to the commands of Christ is that they are uncomfortable taking orders from a stranger. Gary Gulbranson Sacrifice without obedience is sacrilege. William Gurnall Perfect obedience is God’s right as God. Graham Heaps God uses broken things: broken soil and broken clouds to produce rain; broken grain to produce bread; broken bread to feed our bodies. He wants our stubbornness broken into humble obedience. Vance Havner What our Lord said about cross-bearing and obedience is not in fine type. It is in bold print on the face of the contract. Vance Havner The opposite of ignorance in the spiritual realm is not knowledge but obedience. Howard Hendricks Love is the root, obedience is the fruit. Matthew Henry Those who would have the blessings of God’s testimonies must come under the bonds of his statutes. Matthew Henry God calls people to worship him with their obedience, and instead they try to fob him off with their religion. John Hercus All moral obligation resolves itself into the obligation of conformity to the will of God. Charles Hodge Obedience to legitimate authority is one of the fruits and evidences of Christian sincerity. Charles Hodge God is not otherwise to be enjoyed than as he is obeyed. John Howe Justification supplies the only efficient motive to obedience. Ernest F. Kevan The strongest inducement for a Christian to obey the divine law is the fact that he has been graciously pardoned for having broken it. Ernest F. Kevan God is a totalitarian Ruler who demands full allegiance from his subjects. R. B. Kuiper To know God is to know that our obedience is due to him. C. S. Lewis Evangelical obedience is fully a condition of justification but not a cause of justification. Sam Logan I had rather obey than work miracles. Martin Luther Obedience is the crown and honour of all virtue. Martin Luther Don’t throw God a bone of your love unless there’s the meat of obedience on it. John MacArthur Partial obedience is an argument of insincerity. Thomas Manton There is no experience of sanctification which absolves us from the responsibility of day-to-day obedience. David McKee Obedience is the best commentary on the Bible. Theodore Monod The life of sanctification is the life of obedience. J. A. Motyer The believer is not redeemed by obedience to the law but he is redeemed unto it. John Murray Legal obedience was approved by justice; evangelical obedience is acceptable unto mercy. A. W. Pink Not only does God require obedience, but an obedience which issues from, is animated by, and is an expression of, love. A. W. Pink Sincere obedience, though it be not sinless, is acceptable unto God; if it were not, then it would be impossible for any of his children to perform a single act in this life which was pleasing in his sight. A. W. Pink Love of the creature toward the Creator must include obedience or it is meaningless. Francis Schaeffer It is our bounden duty to live in obedience, but it would prove our utter ruin to live on obedience. William Secker We have been born under a monarchy; to obey God is freedom. Seneca God’s commands carry no RSVP—man indeed has the power to refuse the divine summons, but not the right. R. C. Sproul A life under the rule of Christ can alone prove that we are the objects of our Lord’s delight. C. H. Spurgeon Believing and obeying always run side by side. C. H. Spurgeon Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God, trusts God; and he that trusts God, obeys God. C. H. Spurgeon Obedience is the hallmark of faith. C. H. Spurgeon Though the heavens should fall through our doing right, we are not to sin in order to keep them up. C. H. Spurgeon It is the simplest things that are most difficult to understand and accept, and one of those which seems in my experience to have been most difficult for people to understand and accept has been the fact that the Lord demands of his servants, each and every one of them, to listen to him only and obey his will implicitly, irrespective of what it costs. William Still Christ’s lovers prove their love by their obedience. John R. W. Stott Where the right is absolute, the obedience must not be conditional. George Swinnock God being who he is must have obedience from his creatures. Man being who he is must render that obedience, and he owes God complete obedience whether or not he feels for him the slightest trace of love in his heart. A. W. Tozer Theological truth is useless until it is obeyed. The purpose behind all doctrine is to secure moral action! A. W. Tozer To escape the error of salvation by works we have fallen into the opposite error of salvation without obedience. A. W. Tozer True faith commits us to obedience. A. W. Tozer Doers of the Word are the best hearers. Thomas Watson Love without obedience is a satanic substitute for God’s plan. John C. Whitcomb Deuteronomy 4:2 "You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. De 12:32 Jos 1:7 Pr 30:6 Ec 12:13 Mt 5:18,43 15:2-9 Mk 7:1-13 Ga 3:15 Rev 22:18-19 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Resources: Deuteronomy 12:32+ “Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it. Proverbs 30:6 Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. DO NOT ADD TO OR SUBTRACT FROM GOD'S INSPIRED WORD You shall not add to the word - God's Word is eternal, immutable and stands as His final and sufficient declaration to men. God's instructions to Israel through Moses were clear and not to be negotiated but explicitly obeyed (keep the commandments). If God's Word does not need any additions or subtractions, the implication is that it is fully sufficient for our time on earth. Peter says it this way... (Christ's) divine power has granted to us EVERYTHING (Gk = pas = all without exceptions!) pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him (Implication? The better we know Him, the more we possess everything pertaining to life and godliness! And so Peter ends with a prayer - 2 Pe 3:18+) Who called us by His own glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:3+) Indeed in absolute assurance we can cry out in concert with the psalmist... Forever, O LORD, Thy Word is settled (stands, is established) in heaven. (Ps 119:89, cp Mt 5:18+) (Amplified 2015) Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven [standing firm and unchangeable].
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Utley - This does not refer to scribes updating the text of the Law, but rather that you cannot add to the essence of the Law (cf. 12:32; Pro. 30:5–6; Eccl. 3:14; Jer. 26:2). Commanding...commandments...command - The verb is tsavah (commanding...command - 06680) from which the noun commandments (mitsvah - 04687) is derived. In context these words refer to the whole body of the Mosaic Covenant regulations (cf. Dt 4:40; 5:10, 29, 31; 6:1, 2, 17, 25; 7:9, 11; 8:1, 2, 6, 11; 10:13). Grant - The word "command" is used more often in this book, both in noun and in verb form, than in any other book in the Pentateuch. This again stresses the nature of these statutes and judgments. It is of interest to note that the first act of God to man was to bless the male and the female (Ge 1:28) and the second was to command the man (Ge 2:16). As with this covenant, the enjoyment of the Lord's blessing of man, from the beginning, was dependent on obedience to the word of God..(What the Bible Teaches) Keep (give heed, guard, kept, observe, watch) (08104)(shamar) means to keep, watch, preserve, to guard, to be careful, to watch over, to watch carefully over, to be on one’s guard. and is rendered in the Septuagint (Lxx) with the Greek verb phulasso a vivid word calling for one to set up a watchman to guard and protect from enemy incursions. Shamar is a Key Word in chapter 4 and is used in Deut. 4:2; Deut. 4:6; Deut. 4:9; Deut. 4:15; Deut. 4:23; Deut. 4:40; Moses issues a clear warning against adding to or subtracting from the Holy Word of God, a warning repeated several other times in Scripture... Deuteronomy 12:32+ “Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it. Proverbs 30:6 Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. Jeremiah 26:2 “Thus says the LORD, ‘Stand in the court of the LORD’S house, and speak to all the cities of Judah who have come to worship in the LORD’S house all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them. Do not omit a word! Galatians 3:15+ Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. Revelation 22:18-19+ I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. This warning would have been especially important in ancient times for Scripture manuscripts were copied by hand. Sid Lidtke explains that.. The term “transmission” describes the ancient process of copying Hebrew and Greek manuscripts to preserve them for future generation and to distribute them for greater use. Since there were no copy machines, the texts had to be copies by hand. In this way they were “transmitted.”....The Masoretic scribes (A.D. 500-1000) in charge of the Old Testament manuscript copying used a very meticulous system of transcription and had a deep reverence for the text. God used their almost obsessive respect for the text to preserve the text’s accuracy. They had specific rules on the type of ink and the quality and size of parchment sheets. No individual letter could be written down without having looked back at the copy in front of them. The scribe could not write God’s name with a newly dipped pen (lest it blotch) and even if the king should address him, while writing God’s name, he should take no notice of him. They were so meticulous that they counted all the paragraphs, words and even letters, so they could know by counting, if they had done it perfectly. They knew the middle letter of each book so they could count back and see if they had missed anything. (Read this interesting article) In Jer 1:12 God says " I am watching over My word to perform it.” The tragedy of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day is that while they jealously guarded the Scriptures, they themselves were guilty of taking away from the Word of God with their traditions (Mark 7:1–13+). THOUGHT - Let me ask you -- Are you daily taking in truth that the Spirit might use it to renew your mind? Remember what Moses said about the vital nature and importance of God's holy Word... IT IS YOUR LIFE! Related Resources: Comparison of Bibles for literalness - for serious study a more literal version is recommended Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Truth About the Bible Multiple articles on Bibliology (What is Bibliology?) How Can I Understand The Bible? - Principles for practical Bible study Can I Really Trust The Bible? - Evidence for the Bible's inspiration Studies In Contrast: Resolving Alleged Contradictions In The Bible How Can I Know God Through His Book? - Learning from its plots, characters, and moods What We Believe? - A summary of 10 important doctrines The Greatest Story Ever Told - A re-telling of God's story for man The Holidays Of God: The Fall Feasts The Holidays Of God: The Spring Feasts How Can We Trust A Bible That Tolerated Slavery? Better Than Gold- The Life-Changing Wisdom Of The Bible What does it mean that the Bible is God-breathed? Who wrote the Bible? What does it mean that the Bible is inspired? Is the Bible truly God's Word? Why should I believe the Bible? Who wrote the Bible? Is the Bible true? Why should I trust the Bible? What is the value of group Bible study? Why are there so many Bible translations, and which is the best? What are the different English Bible versions? How and when was the canon of the Bible put together? What is the canon of Scripture? Every Word Matters Read: Deuteronomy 4:1-10 | 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. —Deuteronomy 4:2 Kim Peek was a savant (a person with extraordinary memory) who memorized all of Shakespeare’s plays. During a performance of Twelfth Night, Peek noticed that the actor had skipped a word from one of the lines. Peek suddenly stood up and shouted, “Stop!” The actor apologized and said he didn’t think anyone would mind. Peek replied, “Shakespeare would.” Today, when we value God’s Word, handle it with great care, and obey what it says, we give God the reverence He truly deserves. God’s Word needs no additions or subtractions. David Reed - Deuteronomy 4:2 - Mormons Answered Verse by Verse Revelation 22:18 warns: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.” When shown that verse by Christians objecting to the Book of Mormon, members of the LDS Church will often respond by turning to Deuteronomy 4:2 and say that if Revelation 22:18 rules out the Book of Mormon, Deuteronomy 4:2 rules out the remaining sixty-one books of the Bible that come after it. However, these words in Deuteronomy do not rule out additional revelation from God; they simply forbid men from adding anything on their own to what God has inspired. When the command came from God to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book” (Jer. 30:2), it was proper for Jeremiah to comply. What would have been wrong would have been for Jeremiah to add on his own to what the LORD told him to write. To see how this applies to the Book of Mormon and other latter-day scriptures of the LDS Church, see chapter 3, “Mormon Scripture,” and chapter 6, “Verse-by-Verse Answers for Mormons—Book of Mormon.” See also the discussion of Revelation 22:18. Misquote Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. —Proverbs 30:6 Today's Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:1-14 Imagine the frustration of a mother as she tries to gather her family for supper. Her 8-year-old son comes through the door smuggling a dead bird behind his back. “Call Ann for dinner,” says his mother. “Then wash your hands and come to the table.” A minute later the 4-year-old daughter comes running into the kitchen, sobbing uncontrollably. Her brother had just waved the stiff bird under her nose and told her that if she wasn’t at the table in 17 seconds, Mom wouldn’t let her go out and play for a whole week. This story about a misquoted mother doesn’t begin to capture the confusion that follows when we misquote the heavenly Father. Often we become preoccupied with our own ideas of how things should be, like Job’s friends, who didn’t speak rightly about the Lord (Job 42:7). The result is that we say more, or less, than God actually said in His Word (Deuteronomy 4:2). We need to make sure we know exactly where His words stop and our opinions begin. If we don’t, we may misrepresent Him, and Proverbs 30:6 warns that we are then in danger of being found liars before God. Lord, grant us wisdom to discern The truth that You've made known, And may we never teach one word Beyond what You have shown. —D. De Haan We must adjust our lives to the Bible—never the Bible to our lives. We asked a great soldier one day, the colonel of his regiment, "What is the chief asset of a soldier?" Immediately he said, "Obedience." "To obey is better than sacrifice." (1 Sa 15:22) (R Neighbour) Deuteronomy 4:3 "Your eyes have seen what the LORD has done in the case of Baal-peor, for all the men who followed Baal-peor, the LORD your God has destroyed them from among you. what the: Nu 25:1-9 31:16 Jos 22:17 Ps 106:28,29 Ho 9:10 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DREADFUL WARNING: DEADLY CONSEQUENCES OF DISOBEDIENCE Now Moses gives Israel a dramatic reminder of the consequences of covenant violation where 24,000 souls died! Thus the very name "Baal-peor" should have struck terror in the hearts of the second generation for they had literally witnessed these death of their fellow Israelites who choose to disobey! This should have served to arrest their attention to hear and motivate them to heed and thereby to possess and to live in their promised possession. Moses' lesson for them (and us) is that disobedience ALWAYS brings disaster! Paul echoes this warning (one of God's promises we do not usually list in books entitled "God's Promises!") writing Do not be deceived (present imperative with a negative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey), God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption (phthora = ruin, decay, decomposition like a dead body! cf Dt 4:16, 25), but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.(Gal 6:7-8+) Father grant every soul reading Moses' and Paul's warnings would lay aside the old and put on the new and cease sowing once and for all to their rotten flesh and enabled by Your Spirit begin sowing to the Spirit all the remaining days of their (my) life, for Your glory. In Christ. Amen Your eyes have seen what the LORD has done in the case of Baal-peor (see map) - Note carefully that this is not second hand information. The second generation listening to Moses had been alive and were eyewitnesses to the righteous wrath of the Holy God at Baal-peor. In fact Moses was recalling this event adjacent to the very place it had transpired! (cf Dt 3:29+). It is likely that many had relatives or associates that died in that divine plaque! One would think that would have left an indelible impression in their minds, but such was not to be the case as subsequent events in the promised land would demonstrate. THOUGHT- Forgetfulness is not a sin, but forgetfulness will often set one up for subsequent sins. The lesson is clear - remember the "Baal-peor's" in your life beloved, so that you do not repeat them! Peor is the name of the location in Moab. Baal is the Hebrew word which means lord, owner, possessor, husband. It is interesting to note how many cities and people were name after Baal in the Old Testament. Keeping in mind that a name in the OT conveyed a sense of the attributes and character of the entity by that name, it is clear that the diabolical influence of Baal had saturated the Canaanite culture. And Israel was repeatedly "infected" by this virulent strain of idolatry! Holman Bible Dictionary on Baal-peor - In Numbers 25:3 , a Moabite deity that the Israelites worshiped when they had illicit sexual relations with Moabite women. The guilty Israelites were severely punished for this transgression, and the incident became a paradigm of sin and divine judgment for later generations of Israelites (Deuteronomy 4:3 ; Psalm 106:28 ; Hosea 9:10 THOUGHT - Beloved, we should not be too critical of Israel, for our eyes have been allowed to see spiritual wonders they never witnessed, and yet we so quickly forget how great and how good is our God. O God this describes every one of us reading this note. Forgive us and strengthen us with power (dunamis) in our inner being by Your Spirit (Eph 3:16+) to "be (present imperative = direction, not perfection, necessitates continual filling with, dependence on the Holy Spirit!) steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Cor 15:58+) and to "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Cor 16:13-14+) In order to emphasize the importance of obedience Moses calls them to remember the disastrous consequences for their compromise at Baal-peor. Obedience would be especially critical so that the nation would have God's blessing as they went to take the Promised Land from the strong pagan inhabitants. It seems that this warning to remember went in one ear and out the other. As
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Utley on heart - In Hebrew psychology the emotions are centered in the bowels. The heart is the center of the intellect (especially memory) and personality. God is saying, “Do not forget the law!” (See Special Topic on Heart below) But - Whenever you encounter a term of contrast, pause to ask "What is being contrasted?" In this context instead of drifting from the Word, disciple with the Word! Consider the "5P's" - Pause to Ponder the Passage then Practice it in the Power of the Spirit Criswell - Not only were the people themselves to remember what God had done, but also they were to teach this to their children. Preparation of the next generation is one of the themes of Deuteronomy (cf. Deut 6:7). The covenant made with Abraham and passed on through the great patriarchs was sufficient, but its efficiency depended upon obedience on the part of the people. (Believer's Study Bible) Make them known to your sons and your grandsons - Parents are responsible for their children's spiritual education (Dt 4:9-10) Not only are parents responsible, but so are grandparents! Tell them the great and mighty deeds of the LORD which you have seen, those events in your life that can only be credited to a work of God! This responsibility to pass on one's experiences with God is repeated several times in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 6:7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:20 “When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What do the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments mean which the LORD our God commanded you?’ Deuteronomy 11:19 “You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 31:13 “Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.” Deuteronomy 32:46 he said to them, “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. THOUGHT - Dear parent/grandparent how are you doing? Are you passing on spiritual truth to those who follow you? If you have children or grandchildren let me encourage you pause a moment and listen to Steve Green's stirring, convicting ballad "Find Us Faithful?" Every time I listen to it, I am convicted as a dad of 4 and granddad of 8, that I have been given a privilege and a responsibility by God to pass on the baton. Indeed, my prayer for all us parents is "May all come behind us find us faithful; may the fire of our devotion light their way; may the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe and the life we live inspire them to obey. In the Name of Jesus. Amen" Utley on Make them known to your sons - This is a recurrent theme in Deuteronomy (cf. Dt 4:10; 6:7, 20–25; 11:19; 31:13; 32:46; and note Ex. 10:2; 12:26; Ex 13:8, 14). If believers do not teach their children about God, they are failures as parents (biblically speaking)! Faith runs through families (cf. 5:10; 7:9)! (THOUGHT - ARE YOU TEACHING THE BIBLE TO YOUR CHILDREN?) Cawdray - As Alexander the Great attained to have such a puissant army, whereby he conquered the world, by having children born and brought up in his camp, whereby they became so well acquainted and exercised with weapons from their swaddling clothes that they looked for no other wealth or country but to fight; even so, if thou wouldst have thy children either to do great matters, or to live honestly by their own virtuous endeavors, thou must acquaint them with painstaking in their youth, and so bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Thomas Fuller - "Let Mothers drop instruction into their children with their milke, and teach them to pray when they beginne to prattle." [spelling as in original, milke beginne] Life Application Study Bible makes a good point that telling one's children "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." Robert Neighbour - The only way that the faith is to be transmitted to succeeding generations is by its faithful proclamation in word and deed to each child of the present generation. Remember that the faith that was in Timothy was first in his grandmother and his mother (2 Ti 1:5-note, 2 Ti 3:14-15-note). (Wells of Living Water – Volume 3: Numbers 9 thru First Samuel 3) Warren
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Utley - Remembering God’s great acts of deliverance (i.e., exodus) is a recurrent theme (cf. Dt 5:15; 7:18; 8:2, 18; 9:7, 27; 11:2; 15:15; 16:3, 12; 24:9, 18, 22; 25:17; 32:7). The day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb - Mount Horeb = Mount Sinai - This was one of the supreme experiences that were to passed on to the next generation, the day when God revealed Himself to Israel on the mountain. Exodus 19:8-9+ All the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD.The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe in you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to the LORD. Grant - One would wonder that the significance of such a day could ever be forgotten, but certainly, although the historical facts might have been remembered, their real significance would be lost to the majority of the nation. Yet the seeds of this were seen to be present even on that day. Their declaration that they would do all that the Lord commanded revealed "sheer flippancy, betraying utter ignorance of the badness of the flesh and the holiness of the One with whom they had to do" (What the Bible Teaches) Exodus 19:16+ So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Grant - When faced with the evidences of the mighty power and glory of the Lord they reacted in the way that men do when they encounter powerful forces beyond the capability of anyone to create or control. But what they saw was much more than that. It was a revelation of the fact that the power, majesty, and glory of the Lord are far beyond the ability of any individual to understand. (What the Bible Teaches) Exodus 19:20+ The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. Hebrews 12:18; 19+ For you (JEWS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT) have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, 19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. That I may let them hear My words - (More literally "I will make them hear") That (so that) introduces purpose for their being assembled. In Dt 4:13 My Words is The Ten Commandments which is literally "the Ten Words." ("decalogue", cp Dt 5:22+) The purpose of assembling them was to hear from God which should be the goal of every church that assembles on Sunday. Not to hear the music, not even the pastor's eloquence and alliteration, etc, but to hear from God! That is every soul's greatest need! Dear pastor, it is sad if hear from you and fail to hear from God! The Septuagint (Lxx) translates may let them hear as a command "Let them hear!" Indeed, it is not a suggestion, not an optional "elective course" for God's children (then or now)! It is a must! And then Moses gives two reasons the hearing of God's words are so important (1) to learn to fear Him and (2) to teach the next generation. FEAR OF THE LORD IS LEARNED So (SO THAT - PURPOSE) they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth - As noted the purpose of this self-revelation by Yahweh at Mt Sinai was two fold. The first purpose of the mountain appearing as a "consuming fire" was to generate a holy fear, a holy reverence for God. In Ex 20:20+ Moses said “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.” Moses' point was that Israel was to have a holy fear, but not a holy terror or dread of Yahweh. The second purpose of the theophany was that the eyewitnesses might pass on this awesome testimony to their children that they too might have a reverential awe of the great and mighty God. Note that reverential fear of God should be part of our heart and mind every day of our life for the rest of our life. The modern church is in desperate need to have a revival of healthy, holy fear of the LORD! I have heard some believers say "We do not need to fear God today." In the sense of not fearing His wrath that is true (cf Ro 8:1+) but in terms of having a reverential awe of Him (or a fear that we might behave in a manner unpleasing to Him) they are wrong. Learn (03925) (lamad) primarily means to learn but in the Piel (intensive) stem it means to teach. Lamad conveys the idea of learning and teaching in the sense of educating and training. The first use of lamad in the OT is in Dt 4:1+ which emphasizes its importance (because Israel was being given instructions prior to entering the promised land). Biblical teaching seeks to guide people to follow the will of God, not by offering mere human opinions or suggestions but by bringing “the authoritative declaration of the Word of God. Most of the uses of lamad are in the book of Deuteronomy and the Psalms. Lamad can be used for training animals (Hos 10:11) where it refers metaphorically to Ephraim “a trained (lāmad) heifer.” THOUGHT - Notice also that reverential, awe inspiring fear of God does not come naturally but must be learned. Paul describes humanity's default mode - "There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Ro 3:18+, cp Ps 14:3+, Ps 36:1, Ge 20:11). Solomon writes that men "did not choose the fear of the LORD." (Pr 1:2-+), indicating it does involve a personal choice and personal responsibility. The basic sinful condition of men and of their spiritual deadness is evidenced by the fact that, for the unsaved, there is no fear of God before their eyes. Fear of the LORD can be refused and calls for one to make a conscious choice, a seeking if you will (see Pr 2:4-5+). Grant writes regarding the need for a holy fear that "To lose sight of this is not only a sign of a severely limited appreciation of God, it also results in a high opinion of self. A low appreciation of the greatness, holiness, power, and majesty of God brings about a low appreciation of sin. The fact that this is the day of grace, and that the Lord Jesus became a man, does not allow an unbecoming familiarity with Divine Persons. John, who had leaned on the breast of the Lord Jesus, fell at His feet as dead when he saw Him on the isle of Patmos (Rev 1:17+)." (What the Bible Teaches) In light of the importance of the Fear of the LORD, in the "second giving" of the Law preparatory to possessing their promised possessions, God repeatedly emphasized the need to learn to fear the LORD (THE PHRASE "LEARN TO FEAR" IS ONLY IN DEUTERONOMY) Deuteronomy 14:23+ “You shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn (Heb = lamad; Lxx = manthano) to fear the LORD your God always. Deuteronomy 17:19+ “It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn (Heb = lamad; Lxx = manthano) to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, Comment: Notice that while fearing the LORD is a mindset (heart attitude), it affects one's footstep (so to speak). In other words fear of the LORD is intimately associated with obedience to the LORD (His will revealed in His Word). For example observe the opening description in what many think is the oldest book in the Bible "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away (In Lxx apecho = present tense = continually choosing to turn away) from evil." (Job 1:1) In context, why did Job turn away from evil? "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil" (Pr 8:13) "The fear of the LORD prolongs life." (Pr 10:27) "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death." (Pr 14:27) "And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil." (Pr 16:6) "The fear of the LORD leads to life" (Pr 19:23) Notice that even in the NT fear of the LORD is still described - "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase." (Acts 9:31+) Therefore, having these promises (WHAT PROMISES? 2 Cor 6:14-16), beloved, (EXHORTATION BASED ON PREVIOUS TRUTH) let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness IN (LOCATIVE OF SPHERE) the fear of God. (2 Cor 7:1+) If (FIRST CLASS CONDITIONAL = SINCE = ASSUMED YOU DO THIS) you (present tense - continually) address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct (aorist imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) yourselves IN (LOCATIVE OF SPHERE) FEAR during the time of your stay on earth (WHICH IS VERY SHORT BELOVED - James 4:14+);(1 Peter 1:17+) Shortness of our lives: Job 7:6-7 Job 9:25, 26 Job 14:1-2 Ps 37:2 Ps 39:5-6 Ps 90:4-6, 9, 10 Ps 102:3, 11, Ps 103:15-16 Ps 144:4 Isa 38:12,13 Isa 40:6,7 Jas 1:10, 11 Jas 4:14 1Pe 1:24 2Ki 19:26 (THEREFORE - Redeem the Time!) Utley on 1 Peter 1:17 - God will call into account not only those who have never known Him, but also those who claim to know Him (cf. 4:5, 17–18; Rom. 14:12; 2 Cor. 5:10). Those to whom much is given, much is required (cf. Luke 12:48)! If we call Him Father, then we should reflect the family characteristic, as does the eldest Son! Our Father, the Holy One, is also an impartial judge (cf. Deut. 10:17; 2 Chr. 19:7; Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11; Gal. 2:6; Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:25; 1 Pet. 1:17). Human beings have a choice (cf. Deut. 30:15–20; Josh. 24:15; Ezek. 18:30–32) in how they will relate to God. He can be a loving Father if they trust in Christ (cf. John 1:12; Rom. 10:9–13) or He can be a holy judge if they rely on their own merits or performance of religious rites, rules, and procedures (cf. Matt. 25:31–46; Col. 2:20–23). Do you want mercy or justice? And fear is even described in heaven "And a voice came from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great." (Rev 19:5-+) In fact the last worldwide proclamation of the Gospel in Revelation 14:6-7-+ is a call to the earth to "“Fear God, and give Him glory." So clearly a proper fear of the LORD is part of the Gospel! Deuteronomy 31:12+ “Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn (Heb = lamad; Lxx = manthano) and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 31:13+ “Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn (Heb = lamad; Lxx = manthano) to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.” Related Resource: The Fear of the Lord Eugene Merrill on fearing God - The most important thing for Israel to remember was the decisive moment when Yahweh made covenant with them at Horeb (or Sinai; see note on 1:2). This was decisive because in this experience Israel learned two important lessons: To fear God and to know his will (4:10). To fear God primarily communicates the notion of reverence and not stark terror, but here both ideas come into view. Instruction in the covenant would instill a proper regard for the awesomeness and holiness of God (lit., "I will make them hear... so that they will learn to fear me," 4:10), but the encounter at Sinai was itself a cause of overwhelming terror (4:11), a point clearly made in the original narrative (Exod 19:16). The awful display of celestial and terrestrial upheaval testified to both God's transcendence and his immanence (Barth 1991:120-122). (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary) Thompson on fear of God - It is God-given and enables a man to reverence God’s person, to obey his commandments and to hate evil (Jer. 32:40; Heb. 5:7). It is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. 111:10), the secret of uprightness (Prov. 8:13), the whole duty of man (Eccl. 12:13). It is given as one of the characteristics of the Messiah (Isa. 11:2, 3). God’s people in every age were urged to cultivate the fear of the Lord and to walk in it (Ps. 34:11; Jer. 2:19; Acts 9:31; 10:2; Eph. 5:21; Phil. 2:12). Gentile adherents of the synagogue were called ‘God-fearers’ (Acts 10:2; 13:16, 26). In Deuteronomy in particular the verb occurs at 4:10; 5:29; 6:2, 13; 8:6; 10:12, 20; 14:23; 17:19; 28:58; 31:12, 13, etc. (Ibid) That they may teach their children (cp Dt 4:9 Make them known to your sons and your grandsons) -Remember at this time in history, Israel had no pocket Bibles of the Pentateuch and thus had to personally pass on these awesome experiences to the next generation. Israel was always only one generation from losing contact with the Word of God and apostasizing. It is no different today Christian parent - you must pass on the Word of Truth to your children and not depend on others to do it. Sunday Schools are fine but God gives the primary responsibility not to Sunday Schools but to the parents and we will be held responsible for this stewardship! Do you have any times during the week where you review the Word of God with your children? Do you have a "family altar?" A relatively simple method parents can participate in with their children (I wish I had done this more regularly) is memorization of verses together, making it a fun competition (grace not law) to spur each other on to love and good deeds. See also Al Troester's short discussion of a Family Altar (Bible Time) (including purpose, practical suggestions and methods). Allan M Harman - The knowledge of God's covenant was to be transmitted from generation to generation. Later Israel was to sing that 'the things... we have heard and known, things our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done' (Ps. 78:3-4). (Focus on the Bible Commentary – Deuteronomy: The Commands of a Covenant God) J
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Utley - Fire is a symbol of God’s presence (cf. Exod. 19:18; Deut. 5:23; 9:15; Heb. 12:18). It may symbolize purity The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3 So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”(Ex 3:2-4+). Thompson writes that "Human words are quite inadequate to describe the glory and the awful majesty of God. The best we can do is to make use of symbolic expressions. The present passage may be translated alternatively, The mountain was ablaze with flames to the very skies, dark with densest clouds (JPSA)." (Ibid) McIntosh - Clearly, God intended that this dramatic scene should make an impression on them, and it did. For many years afterward, the leaders of Israel reminded them of these events: "The earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel" (Ps. 68:8; see also Deut. 33:2; Jdg. 5:5; Hab. 3:3).(Holman Old Testament Commentary) Darkness, cloud and thick gloom - This entire atmosphere produced "shaking" fear in the people and spoke of the omnipotence of God. Moses describes the effect of this awesome encounter with Yahweh... All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.”(Ex 20:18-19+). Utley - Darkness, cloud and thick gloom - YHWH’s physical presence can be understood in two ways: volcanic activity—Exod. 19:18; Ps. 68:7–8; 77:18; 97:2–5; Jdgs. 5:4–5; 2 Sam. 22:8; Isa. 29:6; Jer. 10:10 storm—Exod. 19:16, 19; Ps. 68:8; 77:18; Jdgs. 5:4; Isa. 29:6; Nahum 1:3 Therefore, the deep darkness (cf. 5:22; 2 Sam. 22:10; 1 Kgs. 8:12; 2 Chr. 6:1) might be: ash clouds rain clouds This covering was for Israel’s protection (cf. Exod. 19:18). They thought that if humans looked upon God they would die (cf. Gen. 16:13; 32:30; Exod. 3:6; 20:19; 33:20; Jdgs. 6:22–23; 13:22). Utley's SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRE Fire has both positive and negative connotations in Scripture. A. Positive warms (cf. Isa. 44:15; John 18:18) lights (cf. Isa. 50:11; Matt. 25:1–13) cooks (cf. Exod. 12:8; Isa. 44:15–16; John 21:9) purifies (cf. Num. 31:22–23; Prov. 17:3; Isa. 1:25; 6:6–8; Jer. 6:29; Mal. 3:2–3) holiness (cf. Gen. 15:17; Exod. 3:2; 19:18; Ezek. 1:27; Heb. 12:29) God’s leadership (cf. Exod. 12:21; Num. 14:14; 1 Kgs. 18:24) God’s empowering (cf. Acts 2:3) B. Negative burns (cf. Josh. 6:24; 8:8; 11:11; Matt. 22:7) destroys (cf. Gen. 19:24; Lev. 10:1–2) anger (cf. Num. 21:28; Isa. 10:16; Zech. 12:6) punishment (cf. Gen. 38:24; Lev. 20:14; 21:9; Josh. 7:15) false eschatological sign (cf. Rev. 13:13) C. God’s anger against sin is expressed in fire metaphors His anger burns (cf. Hos. 8:5; Zeph. 3:8) He pours out fire (cf. Nah. 1:6) eternal fire (cf. Jer. 15:14; 17:4) eschatological judgment (cf. Matt. 3:10; 13:40; John 15:6; 2 Thess. 1:7; 2 Pet. 3:7–10; Rev. 8:7; 13:13; 16:8) D. Like so many metaphors in the Bible (i.e., leaven, lion) fire can be a blessing or a curse, depending on the context. Deuteronomy 4:12 "Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form--only a voice. the LORD: De 5:4,22 you saw no form.: De 4:15 Nu 12:8 Isa 40:18 Col 1:15 only a voice, De 4:33,36 Ex 20:22 1Ki 19:12,13 Isa 30:21 40:3,6 Mt 3:3,17 17:5 Joh 12:28-30 2Pe 1:17,18 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: John 4:24+ (SAW NO FORM) God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Colossians 1:15 He (JESUS) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. The LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire you heard - Even though the first generation had died in the wilderness journey, Moses says to the next generation that they heard God speak. Perhaps some were small children at the time. One writer has suggested that even if they were only in the parents loins, they effectively entered into the Mosaic Covenant because of they parents' oaths. But you saw no form--only a voice - He allowed Moses to see His “afterglow” in Ex 33:23+ but He desires no physical representation because of fallen mankind’s tendency toward idolatry (Dt 4:15–19). THOUGHT - How does God reveal Himself to us today? The same way as He did to Israel. He spoke to them. Today He speaks to us from His Holy Word. Hebrews 1:1-2+ says "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world." ESV Study Bible has an interesting note on you saw no form - The emphasis here, and in the second commandment (Dt 5:8-9), is that worship of an image is prohibited, since God’s self-revelation was audible, not visible. Despite this, notice “your eyes have seen” in Dt 4:3, 9, and “before your eyes” in Dt 4:34. One can deduce from this fact that since they did not see an image of God, that it would difficult to make a created image of Him for it would be nothing but the product of their futile imagination. (cf Ro 1:21-23+) To say it another way "Idolatry inherently confines the Lord to the artist's imagination." (NLT Study Bible). In fact any idol intended to resemble God would be a sinful misrepresentation of Him. This statement also alludes to the fact that God is Transcendent. Practically speaking, Moses is preparing Israel for his warning against making anything in the form of God.
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Utley- This is a reference to the golden calf (cf. Exod. 32) related to YHWH’s incorporality. The Israelites were not to represent YHWH by anything physical (cf. Dt 4:16–18, 23, 25; 5:8; Ex. 20:4). Wiersbe qualifies this prohibition against images - In the tabernacle and the temple, God did permit the Jews to have copies of various things in nature, but these were there to bring beauty to God’s house and not as objects of worship. God doesn’t prohibit the making of artistic things as such, for He’s the Author of beauty, but only the making of things that become gods to us. See Art and the Bible by Francis A. Schaeffer (Be Equipped) Act corruptly (also Dt 4:25-note)(07843)(shachath) means to decay, to go to ruin, to corrupt, to destroy (Sodom and Gomorrah = Ge 13:10, Ge 18:28, 31-32), to lay waste (Egypt from swarms of flies -Ex 8:24). Shachath is used of Israelites who worshiped the golden calf (Ex 32:7; Dt 9:12; 32:5, Hos 9:9 = "They have gone deep in depravity!"). God warned He would destroy Israel if they were turned away from following Him (Nu 32:15). Shachath describes Israel's behavior as being even more corrupt after a judge had died (Jdg 2:19-note). The Septuagint (Lxx) translates shachath here in Dt 4:16 with the verb anomeo (found only in the Lxx not the NT, used in Lxx of Ex 32:7 = "corrupted themselves," Isa 24:5 = "polluted") which means to act lawlessly. The first 3 uses of shachath are very instructive for they resulted in a worldwide flood, even as Israel's corruption would result in worldwide dispersion and shame at her ignominious defeat by godless pagans... Now the earth was corrupt (shachath; Lxx = phtheiro = cause loss of soundness, ruin, destroy, kill. Note that corruption is activated/energized by "the lusts of deceit" Eph 4:22+) in the sight of God (cp Pr 15:3+), and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt (shachath; Lxx = kataphtheiro = "rotten"!) for all flesh had corrupted (shachath; Septuagint - Lxx = kataphtheiro) their way upon the earth. 13 Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. (Ge 6:11-13) Graven image (idol) (06459)(pesel from pasal = to hew, cut as in Ex 34:1) is a noun that refers to something carved (graven) or cast image - normally carved from wood or chiseled from rock, but it can also be poured or cast (Isa 40:19; 44:10). Isa 40:19 describes the “casting” of an idol that is then plated or overlaid with gold. In sum, this kind of image, then, is one manufactured from wood, stone, or metal. The first use of pesel is Ex 20:4 (Lev 26:2, Dt 5:8) which is God's command "You shall not make for yourself an idol." In the Septuagint (Lxx) the Greek word used for pesel in Ex 20:4 is eidolon (from eídos = that which is seen, what is visible, figure, appearance) is primarily a phantom, form, image, shadow or likeness. Note that other uses of pesel are translated with a word found only in the Septuagint (Lxx), the adjective gluptos which means a thing carved or a graven image. (Used in Lxx of Lev 26:1, Dt 4:16, 23, 25). Pesel is used 31x in the OT and translated (NAS) as carved image (2x), graven image (14x), graven images (1x), idol (10x), idols (3x), image(1x). Here in Dt 4:16, the result of acting corruptly (lawlessly as if God had given them no law!) is that Israel would make idols. In Dt 4:23 the result of forgetting the Mosaic covenant is that they make a graven image. Dt 4:25 is a prophecy saying Israel would make idols. In Dt 27:15 God says the man who makes an idol is cursed! The concentration of uses of pesel in Judges 17:1-13 (note) and Judges 18:1-33 (note) shows the defiling, abominable effect of forgetting the LORD their God (Judges 3:7-note). The evil king Manasseh even became so depraved (sin will take you further than you ever dreamed you'd go beloved!) that he brazenly "set the carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the LORD (the HOLY TEMPLE!)" (2Ki 21:7, 2Chr 33:7) The most concentrated use of pesel is found in Isaiah (9x) where we see men will "be utterly put to shame who trust in idols," (Isaiah 42:17, 44:9) instead of the only Trustworthy God! Isa 44:17 says men will worship idols and vainly call on them for deliverance and salvation (Isa 45:20). Form (08544)(temunah) see above. The likeness of male or female - Practically this would include loving another person more than God. "The worship of people. Far too often a person admires, loves, and becomes attached or devoted to another person more than to God. Hero worship is a common form of idolatry. " (POSB) Utley - Mankind’s tendency has been to make God like a man or woman. If we put God in a human form, we have put Him into a form which we can manage. Christopher Wright - "The list of possible “shapes” that idols might take (Dt 4:16–19) is given in an order that precisely reverses the order of the creation narrative: human beings, land animals, birds, fish, the heavenly bodies.The point, probably being made deliberately through this literary feature, is that idolatry not only corrupts God’s redemptive achievement for God’s people (v. 20), but perverts and turns upside-down the whole created order. (Ibid) Likeness (08403) (tabnith) is used in Dt 4:16, 17, 18 and means pattern, figure (e.g.,Moses was instructed to make the Tabernacle according the pattern God showed him - Ex 25:9, 40). The Lxx translates likeness in all 3 uses here in chapter 4 with homoíoma (from homoios = similar) means resemblance or similitude (correspondence in kind or quality = a visible likeness, a thing or sometimes a person that is like or the counterpart of another). Correspondence in details. Jon Courson makes an interesting observation - When the Law was given, the children of Israel heard the Word, but saw nothing physical or tangible of God's Person. Therefore, they were not to make any images to represent Him. And because of this, of all cultures of antiquity, the Jewish people are the only culture without artistic treasures or monuments. Instead, they directed their energies elsewhere, which partially explains the fact that, although they constitute less than one-half of one percent of the world's population, the Jewish people as an ethnic group have won almost twenty-five percent of all Nobel prizes. (Ed: I would qualify this statement with the fact that some in Israel made and worshiped idols. It is just that the idols they made seem to have been destroyed.) THOUGHT - Why would anyone make an image of God? Ostensibly (assuming the purist of motives) it would be that we would think since I can "see Him" now, I can know Him better and worship Him more fully. But that is false reasoning for the best way to know and worship Him is to recall what He has already said in His Word and to believe and obey His Word. In John 14:21 Jesus gives us the Biblical "formula" for knowing God better declaring "He who has My commandments (EITHER READING THEM DAILY AND/OR MEMORIZING THEM SO THAT THEY ARE ALWAYS ACCESSIBLE) and keeps (OBEDIENCE) them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” Trust and obey for there is no better way to know Jesus than to trust and obey. It is not images, nor songs, nor devotional, etc. It is attention to and obedience to His Word of Truth. If you are reading His Word in the AM and go out into the world committing blatant disobedience (anger, off color jokes or words, etc) you are short-circuiting the Holy Spirit's desire which is to glorify Jesus to you through His Word. Warren Wiersbe on the foolishness and futility of idolatry - The nations around Israel worshiped many gods and goddesses, but Israel was to worship only the one true God. "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord" is the first and basic tenet in the Jewish confession of faith, "The Shema" (Dt 6:4-5); and the first of the Ten Commandments is, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Dt 5:7). Why? Because all other "gods" are only the creations of sinful imaginations and aren't gods at all (Ro 1:18ff). To worship other gods is to worship nothing and become nothing (Ps. 115:8). One of the Hebrew words for "idols" means "vanity, nothingness."...It was when Israel began to imitate the other nations and worship their detestable gods that Israel ceased to be a nation devoted wholly to the Lord. Because they forgot their distinctive privileges, they lost their distinctive blessings. The church today can learn a lesson from this. We’re called to be a separated people who are not conformed to this world (2 Cor. 6:14–7:1; Rom. 12:1–2), and yet the trend today is for churches to pattern ministry after what the world is doing. The philosophy is that the church will attract more people if the lost feel more comfortable with the services. The tragedy is that the sanctuary becomes a theater and “ministry” becomes entertainment. But Scripture and church history make it clear that what Campbell Morgan said is true: “The church did the most for the world when the church was the least like the world.” Jesus didn’t compromise with the world and yet He attracted sinners and ministered effectively to them (Luke 15:1–2). Unless we are a separated people, devoted wholly to the Lord, we can never follow His example." (Be Equipped) QUESTION - Why is idol worship such a powerful temptation? ANSWER - Ultimately, the answer to this question is “sin.” It is the sin nature of man that causes us to worship modern idols, all of which are, in reality, forms of self-worship. The temptation to worship ourselves in various ways is a powerful temptation indeed. In fact, it is so powerful that only those who belong to Christ and have the Holy Spirit within them can possibly hope to resist the temptation of modern idolatry. Even then, resisting the worship of idols is a lifelong battle that is part of the Christian life (Ephesians 6:11; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:3). When we hear the word idol, we often think of statues and objects reminiscent of those worshiped by pagans in ancient cultures. However, the idols of the 21st century often bear no resemblance to the artifacts used thousands of years ago. Today, many have replaced the “golden calf” with an insatiable drive for money or prestige or "success" in the eyes of the world. Some pursue the high regard of others as their ultimate goal. Some seek after comfort or a myriad of other passionate, yet empty, pursuits. Sadly, our societies often admire those serving such idols. In the end, however, it doesn’t matter what empty pleasure we chase after or what idol or which false god we bow down to; the result is the same—separation from the one true God. Understanding contemporary idols can help us to understand why they prove to be such a powerful temptation. An idol can be anything we place ahead of God in our lives, anything that takes God’s place in our hearts, such as possessions, careers, relationships, hobbies, sports, entertainment, goals, greed, addictions to alcohol/drugs/gambling/pornography, etc. Some of the things we idolize are clearly sinful. But many of the things we idolize can be very good, such as relationships or careers. Yet Scripture tells us that, whatever we do, we are to “do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31) and that we are to serve God only (Deuteronomy 6:13; Luke 16:13). Unfortunately, God is often shoved out of the way as we zealously pursue our idols. Worse yet, the significant amount of time we often spend in these idolatrous pursuits leaves us with little or no time to spend with the Lord. We sometimes also turn to idols seeking solace from the hardships of life and the turmoil present in our world. Addictive behaviors such as drug or alcohol use, or even something like excessive reading or television viewing, may be used as a means of temporarily “escaping” a difficult situation or the rigors of daily life. The psalmist, however, tells us that those who place their trust in this behavior will, essentially, become spiritually useless (Psalm 115:8). We need to place our trust in the Lord “who will keep [us] from all harm” (Psalm 121:7) and who has promised to supply all of our needs when we trust in Him. We also need to remember the words of Paul, who teaches us not to be anxious about anything, but rather to pray about everything so the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, can guard our hearts and our minds (Philippians 4:6–7). There is another form of idolatry prevalent today. Its growth is fostered by cultures that continue to drift away from sound biblical teaching, just as the apostle Paul warned us, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3). In these pluralistic, liberal times, many cultures have, to a large degree, redefined God. We have forsaken the God revealed to us in Scripture and have recast Him to comply with our own inclinations and desires—a “kinder and gentler” god who is infinitely more tolerant than the One revealed in Scripture. One who is less demanding and less judgmental and who will tolerate many lifestyles without placing guilt on anyone’s shoulders. As this idolatry is propagated by churches around the world, many congregants believe they are worshiping the one, true God. However, these made-over gods are created by man, and to worship them is to worship idols. worshiping a god of one’s own making is particularly tempting for many whose habits and lifestyles and drives and desires are not in harmony with Scripture. The things of this world will never fully satisfy the human heart. They were never meant to. The sinful things deceive us and ultimately lead only to death (Romans 6:23). The good things of this world are gifts from God, meant to be enjoyed with a thankful heart, in submission to Him and for His glory. But when the gift replaces the Giver or the created replaces the Creator in our lives, we have fallen into idolatry. And no idol can infuse our lives with meaning or worth or give us eternal hope. As Solomon beautifully conveys in the book of Ecclesiastes, apart from a right relationship with God, life is futile. We were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and designed to worship and glorify Him as He alone is worthy of our worship. God has placed “eternity in man’s heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and a relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way to fulfill this longing for eternal life. All of our idolatrous pursuits will leave us empty, unsatisfied, and, ultimately, on the broad road that most people take, the one that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13).GotQuestions.org QUESTION - Is religious iconography considered idolatry? What is an icon? ANSWER - Broadly speaking, religious iconography is the artistic depiction of religious figures, often using symbolism. In Christianity, iconography features subjects such as Christ, Mary, or the saints. An icon is an image, usually painted on wood, that is to be venerated as a sacred object. Icons can also be engravings, mosaics, or embroideries. Although people who use icons in their worship would deny that they are practicing idolatry, it is difficult to see how “venerating” an object as “sacred” is different from idolatry. Although Catholics also venerate religious images, iconography is most often associated with the Eastern or Orthodox Church, which teaches that the use of icons during prayer helps the worshiper know God, be united with the holy saints, and develop the fruit of the Spirit. When an Orthodox Christian enters his church, he lights a candle, makes the sign of the cross, and then kisses the icons of Christ, the Theotokos (Mary), and the saints. The church sanctuary will contain many other “Holy Icons,” as they’re called. Orthodox Christians are to have icons at home, too, and the place where the icons are kept is where family prayers are offered. Icons are seen as an illustration of the Incarnation of Christ, who left His spiritual abode to dwell in a material world. The devout also believe that an icon is a window into heaven, and their veneration passes straight to heaven, where it is received by the person depicted in the icon. Some claim that icons have facilitated miracles. John Calvin and the other Protestant Reformers were iconoclasts; that is, they demanded the removal of icons from churches and homes. According to the Reformers, the veneration of icons and other religious artifacts was idolatry, and they were right. Any kissing of, bowing down before, or praying toward an icon is certainly idolatrous. Members of the Orthodox Church insist that they are not worshiping the paint and wood, but they admit that they give veneration, adoration, and reverence to the saints and Mary depicted in the icons. They pray to men and women; they ascribe to the icons a spiritual power that it does not possess. This is unbiblical. There is nothing wrong with producing or enjoying religious art, per se. Viewing a painting of a biblical scene in an art gallery and admiring the artist’s technique cannot be considered idolatry. Having a picture of Jesus or of angels in one’s home may not be idolatry, either. Iconography can be studied as an art form, and icons can be viewed as fascinating examples of historical religious art. But using icons to aid one’s worship or viewing them as a “window to heaven” is definitely idolatry. The Bible strictly forbids idolatry (Leviticus 26:1; Deuteronomy 5:9). God alone deserves to be bowed down to and worshiped. Icons are not intercessors before the throne of grace, and neither are the saints they represent. People in heaven do not have the power to hear our prayers or grant our requests. Only Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit can intercede for us before the Father (Romans 8:26–27, 34). We should stay as far away as we can from anything that could possibly lead to idolatry .GotQuestions.org Related Resources: What is ministry idolatry? | GotQuestions.org What is the definition of idolatry? | GotQuestions.org What are some modern forms of idolatry? | GotQuestions.org Why is idol worship such a powerful temptation? | GotQuestions.org What is the true meaning of the second commandment? | GotQuestions.org Deuteronomy 4:17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky, In these verses there is an evident allusion to the idolatrous worship in Egypt. Among the Egyptians, almost everything in nature was the object of their idolatry; among beasts were oxen, heifers, sheep, goats, lions, dogs, monkeys, and cats; among birds, the ibis, crane, and hawk; among reptiles, the crocodile, serpents, frogs, flies, and beetles; all the fish of the Nile, and the Nile itself; besides the sun, moon, planets, stars, fire, light, air, darkness, and night. These are all included in the very circumstantial prohibition in the text, and very forcibly in the general terms of Ex 20:4, the reason of which prohibition becomes self-evident, when the various objects of Egyptian idolatry are considered. Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ANIMAL AND BIRD IDOLS FORBIDDEN Clearly this warning is needed because some 40 years earlier Israel had corrupted their worship by making a golden calf (Ex 32:1-35), not to mention the disastrous results of the idolatry that had just occurred at Baal-peor. Stephen adds a commentary on Israel's worship in the wilderness... ‘YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF THE GOD ROMPHA (cf Kiyyun in Amos 5:26), THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.’ (Acts 7:43+, cf Lev 18:21 Lev 20:2-5 1Ki 11:7 2Ki 23:10 Jer 32:35) POSB - Scripture declares that God is Spirit; therefore, no form, no image or idol, is ever to be made to represent God. God created man; man does not create God. Therefore, man must not devise false gods nor false worship. (The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Deuteronomy) As Jesus taught years later “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24+) Notice that the likeness descends from the highest (man made in the image of God - Dt 4:16) to the lowest creeping things (Dt 4:18) and then shifts to inanimate objects of God's creation - sun, moon, stars. This declension from making a likeness of the highest life form to making a likeness of an inanimate creation reflects the downward spiral of sin. Dearly beloved, if you "toying" with idols (including "secret sins") first, beware that your sin will find you out (Nu 32:23) and second sin is deceptive. Sin will take you further than you ever wanted to stray! Cost you more than you ever dreamed you would pay! Keep you longer than you ever thought you would stay! The danger for God's people was (and always is) that we become like the godless people around us. And so Paul described the downward spiral of rejection of the natural revelation of God For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools 23 (note) and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:19-25-note) Layman's Bible Commentary - Idolatry is by no means a problem for Old Testament Israel only. It is a constant danger to God’s people still today. By our very nature, we all worship something. It is in our nature to give our allegiance to something or someone. God made us this way so that we might worship and serve Him. Sin has corrupted this tendency, but it did not remove or destroy it. If a man or woman will not worship the living God, then he or she will worship someone or something else. The Bible takes full account of the fact that one can be an idolater in many other ways than by bowing down to figurines representative of an imaginary god. An idol is anything which claims from us the loyalty and the service we owe to God alone. Today, as in former times, many people worship many idols at the same time: pleasure, power, money, fame, political ideas, and so on. The church is likewise crammed full of idolaters. Every time we give loyalty to something else over God, we are idolaters. Deuteronomy 4:18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water below the earth. Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries The likeness of anything that creeps on the ground - Moses continues to warn Israel against worship of the creation rather than the Creator. Here he warns against worship of serpents! This is exactly what the great serpent (Ge 3:1ff-note, Rev 12:9-note) the devil has always desired (Luke 4:5-8-note) Peter Craigie on anything that creeps on the ground - If Egypt still provides the background, however, it is possible that this prohibition is against the equivalent of the Egyptian scarab. The Scarab beetle, formally, was a representation of the “dung-beetle,” but it could be used for a number of purposes. A common function of the scarab was to act as an amulet and as such it was considered to have certain magical qualities. It was not strictly an image, but its supposed magical qualities could easily result in its being treated with special awe. Alternatively, however, the creeping thing may refer to a snake, which could symbolize the power of an Egyptian goddess. (It is interesting to note that in the Proto-Sinaitic inscriptions, there are four references to a goddess known as the “Serpent Lady”....) Utley - “creeps on the ground” This possibly refers to the Egyptian Scarab beetle which was holy to them. K A Kitchens on serpents - In Canaanite, Mesopotamian, Anatolian and Egyptian mythology and cults, serpent deities are known, and serpents in various contexts are symbols of protection (Egyptian uraeus), of evil (e.g. Egyptian ‘Apep or Apopis), of fecundity (Egypto-Canaanite goddesses of sex; ANEP, figs. 471–474), or of continuing life (symbolized by repeated shedding of its skin, cf. A. Heidel, The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels, 1949, p. 92, n. 212) (New Bible Dictionary) In one of the more despicable descriptions of Judah's apostasy, the prophet Ezekiel is transported from Babylon back to Jerusalem when he witnesses and describes the unbelievable corruption of the elders occurring within the Holy Temple in Jerusalem... Then He said to me, “Son of man, raise your eyes now toward the north.” So I raised my eyes toward the north, and behold, to the north of the altar gate was this idol of jealousy (an idol which invoked God's jealousy - see Dt 4:24 note) at the entrance. 6 And He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will see still greater abominations.” 7 Then He brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, “Son of man, now dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance. 9 And He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here.” 10 So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of creeping things and beasts and detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around. 11 Standing in front of them were seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them, each man with his censer in his hand and the fragrance of the cloud of incense rising. 12 Then He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are committing in the dark, each man in the room of his carved images? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us (a clear indication of their degree of self-deception and total loss of reverential fear of God - Pr 15:3-note); the LORD has forsaken the land.’” (Ezekiel 8:5-12-note) Deuteronomy 4:19 "And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. when thou (KJV): De 17:3 2Ki 23:4,5,11 Job 31:26,27 Jer 8:2 Eze 8:16 Am 5:25,26 the host (KJV): Ge 2:1 2Ki 17:16 21:3 Jer 19:13 Zep 1:5 Ac 7:42 Ro 1:25 which the Lord (KJV): Ge 1:16-18 Jos 10:12,13 Ne 9:6 Ps 74:16,17 136:7-9 148:3-5 Jer 31:35 33:25 Mt 5:45 divided (KJV): or, imparted Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries NET When you look up to the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars– the whole heavenly creation– you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, for the LORD your God has assigned them to all the people of the world. KJV And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven. CSB When you look to the heavens and see the sun, moon, and stars-- all the array of heaven-- do not be led astray to bow down and worship them. The LORD your God has provided them for all people everywhere under heaven. ESV And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. NLT And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars-- all the forces of heaven-- don't be seduced into worshiping them. The LORD your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth. GWN Don't let yourselves be tempted to worship and serve what you see in the sky-the sun, the moon, the stars, or anything else. The LORD your God has given them to all people everywhere. NAB And when you look up to the heavens and behold the sun or the moon or any star among the heavenly hosts, do not be led astray into adoring them and serving them. These the LORD, your God, has let fall to the lot of all other nations under the heavens; NIV And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars--all the heavenly array--do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. NJB When you raise your eyes to heaven, when you see the sun, the moon, the stars -- the entire array of heaven -- do not be tempted to worship them and serve them. Yahweh your God has allotted these to all the other peoples under heaven, YLT 'And lest thou lift up thine eyes towards the heavens, and hast seen the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of the heavens, and thou hast been forced, and hast bowed thyself to them, and served them, which Jehovah thy God hath apportioned to all the peoples under the whole heavens. SOLAR, LUNAR AND ASTRAL WORSHIP FORBIDDEN Beware - Not in the Hebrew but added by the NAS translators. Here the warning is not so much against making an image of the sun, moon and stars as in worshiping the heavenly cosmos. What a perversion of the purpose of the heavenly bodies as proclaimed by David The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. - Psalm 19:1 The danger of godless culture is to imitate their practices. In Israel's case the ever present danger was to to follow their Near Eastern neighbors in worshiping the sun, moon, and stars. Craigie writes that "In all the Near Eastern religions, the sun and the moon, and to a different extent the stars, were thought of as divine and worthy of praise, and hence the temptation at this point was very dangerous. It should be noted that in the previous verses (Dt 4:17–18), the warning was against making an image, but in this verse (19), the warning is against a more subtle danger, that of taking something within the created universe (e.g., sun) and making it divine and the object of worship. The more sophisticated Egyptians and Canaanites no doubt understood that their physical images were not in themselves divine, but only representations of divinity. However, the sun (in Egypt, e.g.) was itself so awe-inspiring as to induce worship in its own right. In more sophisticated forms, the tendency to make the physical world divine and the object of worship is still present and constitutes a real danger to the Christian faith (Ed: The New Age Movement, see also "Mother Nature, Mother Earth or Mother Gaia" - subtle forms of these false beliefs have "crept in unnoticed" [Jude 1:4+] into the Church!). These false forms of worship...would be antithetic to the revelation of Israel’s true religion. (NICOT-Deuteronomy) Utley- The ancients, as well as the moderns (horoscope), felt that the stars represented forces or powers that control the lives of humans. The worship of astral bodies seems to have started in Babylon (Genesis 1 may represent a reaction to this type of idolatry, as Exodus 20 represents a reaction to Egyptian idolatry). Israel is to vigorously reject this kind of idolatry! Meredith Kline - The worship of the visible and creaturely was characteristic of the Gentile nations whom God had abandoned to their perverse folly (v. 19b; cf. Dt 29:26; Ro 1:21ff.). (Wycliffe Bible Commentary on Deuteronomy) Thompson - The Hittites regularly included astral deities among lists of deities who were invoked in their treaty documents to act as guarantors of the treaty. Nothing created can create the Creator, but everything created points to the Creator! Doug McIntosh makes a good point regarding the various forms of idolatry - Nothing that is created can picture the Creator, although everything that is created testifies in some way to his greatness. As a result, God had forbidden visual metaphors for Himself, even if the person who worshiped somehow could recognize that the true God was not present in the artifact itself....There is an element in man that concludes that whatever is distant and unattainable must be worthy of adoration. Moses warned Israel that they were to resist this tendency (Holman Old Testament Commentary) Beloved we can mark it down in indelible ink that.... False gods lead to fake worship. Continuing from the description in Dt 4:18, we read Then He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’S house. And behold, at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they were prostrating (shachah) themselves eastward toward the sun. (Ezekiel 8:16+) Be drawn away - (NIV = "do not be enticed"; NET = "you must not be seduced"; "do not be led astray" CSB) The Hebrew word nadach speaks of an action of forcibly driving or pushing something away. The Lxx translates nadach with planao = misled, caused to wander, cause to be deceived. Planao is in the passive voice which means this deception comes from outside the subject (probably from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes- 1 Jn 2:16-note) Notice the progression "look (lift...eyes) > see (sun, etc) > be drawn away (deceived) > worship (creation rather than Creator) > serve (the creation, the idols!)" Comment: We see a similar progression in Achan's sin - "when I SAW among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I COVETED them and TOOK them; and behold, they are CONCEALED (cf Pr 28:13+) in the earth inside my tent with the silver underneath it." (Joshua 7:21) Our sins do not "just happen" but are usually a product of a process that begins with lust. The antidote to this progressive corruption and distortion of worship should have been focus on God's righteous statutes and judgments. When Israel took their spiritual eyes off of Jehovah, they were in grave danger of idol worship for God has so created man that he needs to worship -- if it is not the Creator, by default it will be the creation. In our modern world this would include money, sex, power, "toys", and the list goes on and on. Anything that comes between the spiritual eyes of our heart and the One Who created our heart. That is an idol! And if you need further support that IDOLATRY is alive and well in cultured societies here is Paul's definition of idolatry - "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.." (Col 3:5+) Did you see it? GREED! Jack Deere - The sun was worshiped as the god Ra or Aten in Egypt, and in the new land to which the Israelites were going astral worship was also common. (E.g., the city of Jericho was dedicated to the worship of the moon god) (Ed: cp Yarikh) (Bible Knowledge Commentary) Worship (shachah - same verb used here in Ezek 8:16-note) them and serve them, those which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. Take a moment to worship in spirit and in truth - Play "All Creation Worship You (God)" And serve them (05647)(abad) means to work, to be a slave (as Israel did in Egypt - abad in Ge 15:14+ and Ex 1:13-14+, as Esau would serve Jacob - Ge 25:23, as Jacob served Laban 7 years - Ge 29:18). This servitude is the antithesis of what God desires for His people Israel (and us in the NT) where abad is used by God repeatedly charging Pharaoh to let His people go "that they may serve me" (Ge 7:16, 8:1, 20, 9:1, 13, 10:3, 7). The great passage Deuteronomy 10:12-13 sums up God's charge to Israel (and us in the NT) And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve (abad) the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? Bob Dylan was theologically "spot on" when he sang "You Gotta Serve Somebody" and if we don't serve God, we will serve idols! (cp Mt 6:24-note) As Merrill says "from humankind through the lowest life forms (Dt 4:16-18) and even to inanimate creation (Dt 4:19a) all...are physical, material, and created. How can they possibly capture the essence of the invisible, ineffable Creator? Thus, all creation—whether terrestrial or celestial—is off limits in terms of making likenesses for worship. Astral worship. (note on Dt 17:3) The worship of the celestial bodies (sun, moon, planets, stars) was common throughout the ancient Near East. One of the principal gods of Assyria and Babylonia was a sun god (Shamash), and a moon god (Thoth in Egypt; Sin in Mesopotamia; Yarah in Canaanite religion) was widely worshiped. During most of their history the Israelites would have been familiar with and heavily influenced by Assyrian culture and religion (see Deut 4:19; 2Ki 21:1–7; 2Ki 23:4–5). These forbidden practices continued to be a source of condemnation during the Neo-Babylonian period, as Israelites burned incense on altars placed on the roofs of their houses to the “starry hosts” (Jer 19:13). Because worship of the elements of nature diminished Yahweh’s position as the sole power in creation, they were outlawed. However, the popular nature of this type of worship continues to appear in prophetic literature and in Job (see Job 31:26–28; 38:7). (From Note on Dt 4:19) - The celestial gods (sun god, moon god and Venus particularly; in Babylonia, Shamash, Sin and Ishtar respectively) were primary in most ancient religions. Controlling calendar and time, seasons and weather, they were viewed as the most powerful of the gods. They provided signs by which omens were read, and they looked down on all. Yahweh has now warned the Israelites against fertility worship (Dt 4:3), magic and manipulation (idolatry, Dt 4:16–18), and omens and linking deities to cosmic phenomena (Dt 4:19), all the major characteristics of the pagan polytheism of the ancient world. (IVP Bible Background Commentary) Those which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven - In other words the creation is made to serve man not man to serve creation. That is inversion and perversion of God's righteous order. And so even in the beginning God declared Creation's purpose... "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. (Ge 1:14-15) Related Resources: Should a Christian consult horoscopes? | GotQuestions.org What does the Bible say about astrology and the zodiac? Is astrology something a Christian should study? | GotQuestions.org Deuteronomy 4:20 "But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession, as today. the iron: 1Ki 8:51 Jer 11:4 a people: Dt 9:26,29, Dt 32:9 Ex 19:5,6 Ps 28:9 Ps 33:12 Ps 135:4 Isa 63:17,18 Eph 1:18 Tit 2:14 1Pe 2:9 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 1 Kings 8:51 (for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought forth from Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace), Jeremiah 11:4 which I commanded your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, ‘Listen to My voice, and do according to all which I command you; so you shall be My people, and I will be your God,’ Isaiah 48:10 “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. Dt 7:6 “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. Dt 14:2 “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. ISRAEL'S RESCUE FROM THE EGYPTIAN FURNACE OF AFFLICTION In this passage we see two reasons for God's prohibition against idolatry - (1) He redeemed them from slavery in Egypt and (2) He owns them as His possession. Notice also that in preceding context Moses had just mentioned all the peoples under the whole heaven (Dt 4:19b). Here Moses reminds them that God brought Israel out of the world (as symbolized by Egypt) to be a distinctive, separated, holy people to the unholy world. The moment they began to intermingle with the pagan world, they began to lose their distinctive character as the possession of God! This principle of separation is repeatedly emphasized in both testaments... Leviticus 11:44+ ‘For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. 1 Peter 1:14-16+ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be (aorist imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” THOUGHT - The question one must ask is "Has the church in America lost her distinctiveness, her sense of being in the world but not of the world, her charge to be salt to preserve a morally crumbling society and her charge to be light to demonstrate holiness to an unholy world?" It was Spurgeon who said that "A holy church is an awful weapon in the hand of God." Brought you out of the iron furnace from Egypt - This "redemptive refrain" echoes throughout the Old Testament... Deuteronomy 9:26+ “I prayed to the LORD and said, ‘O Lord GOD, do not destroy Your people, even Your inheritance, whom You have redeemed through Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Deuteronomy 9:29+‘Yet they are Your people, even Your inheritance, whom You have brought out by Your great power and Your outstretched arm.’ THOUGHT - This truth recalls a NT passage from Col 1:13-14+ "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Bob Utley on iron furnace from Egypt - A furnace takes unusable ore, heats it and makes it usable metal. This is an analogy of what God did to Israel in Egypt (cf. 1 Ki. 8:51; Jer. 11:4 and the same metaphor in Isa. 48:10). Jack Deere - Another reason Israel was to denounce all forms of idolatry is that she was taken out of Egypt, an idolatrous land where the images of dozens of false gods were worshiped. (The fact that Israel was taken out of Egypt is mentioned about 20 times in Deut.) In slavery to Egypt, Israel's condition was like being in an iron-smelting furnace. But now Israel was God's inheritance, that is, His own unique possession (cf. Dt 9:26, 29; Ps 28:9; 33:12; 68:9; 78:62, 71; 79:1; 94:14; Joel 2:17; 3:2; Micah 7:14, 18). (Bible Knowledge Commentary) John