Deuteronômio 4
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Deuteronômio 4
Wiersbe writes that God's wisdom (Dt 4:6) "was the guarantee of their success in taking possession of the Promised Land (Deut. 4:5). When you read the Book of Joshua, you discover that God had the campaign all worked out and Joshua simply had to discern God's will and obey it. The two times Joshua didn't seek God's wisdom, the nation experienced humiliating failure (Josh. 7; Josh 9). (Be Equipped) Words To Live By Read: Deuteronomy 4:1-9 | Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments . . . that you should act according to them. —Deuteronomy 4:5 For many years I’ve maintained a file folder labeled “Speaking.” It has become thick with articles, quotations, and illustrations that might be useful. Recently I went through it to discard things that are out of date. I found it difficult to throw away many of the items, not because I haven’t used them in a talk but because I haven’t put them into practice. I closed the folder thinking, “These aren’t words to talk about; these are words to live by.” After 40 years in the desert, Moses addressed the people poised to enter the Promised Land: “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you” (Deut. 4:1). Moses’ repeated theme (Dt 4:1,2,5,6,9) is that God’s commandments are to be kept. He said it well, “Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments . . . that you should act according to them” (Dt 4:.5). It is so easy to talk about doing more than we actually do and to speak about truth we’re not living by. We can become bloated with words, yet starved for reality, forgetting that all of God’s commands flow from His heart of love for us. Help us, Lord, not to be just hearers of the Word; help us to be doers as well. Teach us to be honest with ourselves about who we really are. We want to walk in Your ways and to guide others to You. The strength of our actions should match the strength of our words. INSIGHT: Far from being a burden, the commands God gave to the Israelites were life-giving. They outlined a life lived in response to His love. In today’s text, Moses reminded the Israelites that the commands were for their wisdom and understanding (Dt 4:6). The result of living by the words of the Lord would be that the nations around them would recognize the one true God (Dt 4:7-8). Deuteronomy 4:6 "So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' this is your: Job 28:28 Ps 19:7 Ps 111:10 119:98-100 Pr 1:7 14:8 Jer 8:9 2Ti 3:15 Jas 3:13 Surely: 1Ki 4:34 10:6-9 Ps 119:99 Da 1:20 4:9 5:11-16 Zec 8:20-23 Mal 3:12 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever. Pr 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. James 3:13+ Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. Isaiah 49:6 He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Acts 13:47+ “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.’” Comment - Quoting Isa 42:6, Paul showed that he clearly understood God's intention for the Jewish nation to be a light to the Gentiles. Instead of quoting his own commission to the Gentiles given to him on the road to Damascus, he chose to quote God's commission of all Jews as found in the Old Testament. ISRAEL WAS TO BE A WITNESS OF GOD'S WISDOM If Israel obeyed the covenant stipulations what would result is that their wisdom and understanding would be apparent to the pagan world! The same principle applies to us as believers, for our obedience will give us a Spirit enabled, Word centered wisdom and understanding that the pagan world does not have (and cannot even understand, but which might be attractive to some of the pagans living in the futility of their godless wisdom). Keep and do - (keep = shamar; Lxx =phulasso = guard, protect, watch over) Again we see the reiteration of the need to guard the truth and walk the talk (so to speak). One is reminded of Paul's last words to his young disciple Timothy "Guard (phulasso in the aorist imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) through the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you." (2 Ti 1:14+) Not only would Israel's obedience assure God's blessing on their endeavor to possess the land, but His good hand of blessing on them would be like a megaphone shouting to the pagans "Our God the only true and living God, the omnipotent One, a truth that stands in dramatic contrast to your impotent, dead, deceptive idols." Is this the message your life "sounds forth" before the pagans in your circle? (cf 1 Th 1:8+, 2 Cor 2:14-16). Jesus said "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them." (John 13:17) How would the nations know the statutes and judgments unless they saw them lived out. It was true then and it is true today -- the pagans need to see authentic Christianity, but sadly, much of the professing church in America is so intermingled and entangled with the ways of the world that the world cannot see any distinction between their conduct and our conduct. This is tragic. If there are (as some suggest) up to 25% of American which are evangelical then why is there no significant impact on our culture? I think we know the answer! (See Are You Entangled?) As Robert Neighbour asks "What use is a pure creed when it is environed with bad conduct? Some of us live so carelessly that no one will pay attention to what we say." (Ibid) Jesus said "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and observe it." (Luke 11:28) Hearing and knowing God's Word MUST be shown to a skeptical, cynical world to be real by Spirit enabled doing and observing! That is your wisdom and your understanding - "That will testify of your wise understanding." (NET) What is Moses saying? He is saying that to keep and do the statutes and judgments is a visual picture (if you will) to others of God's wisdom and understanding. One of the ultimate purposes of God's wisdom is salvation and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Ti 3:15+) Contrast the world's wisdom - For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”;(1 Cor 3:19+) POSB Israel would "bear a strong testimony and witness to their neighbors. The law of God is full of wisdom and understanding. Any person who studies God's law clearly sees the wisdom lying behind the law, the impact the law would have upon human behavior. Any people who would adopt and obey the Ten Commandments would be declared a great nation, a wise and understanding people. This was exactly what God was declaring to the Israelites: if they obeyed His law, they would bear a strong testimony and witness before the world. The world would declare that they were a great nation, a wise and understanding people. Note that Israel's greatness was not to lie in military strength nor economic wealth; their greatness would lie in the great laws that governed their nation, even the law of God itself, in particular the Ten Commandments. (Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Deuteronomy) Brian Bell - Just obey and the other nations will think you’re smart! 1. Don’t be smart be obedient. And through your obedience He will give you wisdom & understanding. Eugene Merrill comments that "the very essence of wisdom is conformity with the will of God. Even the pagan nations—by whom wisdom was prized and highly sought after—would see in Israel's covenant provisions a wisdom of a higher order, one to be eagerly emulated. This, of course, was part of the attraction of Israel by which they were to become a means of blessing the whole earth (cf. 1 Kgs 10:4, 7, 23–24). (Ibid) Wiersbe - God's Word is the revelation of God's wisdom, and we need to know and follow His wisdom if our lives are to please and glorify Him. The world's wisdom is foolishness with God (1 Cor. 3:19), and those who follow it will be disappointed. In the Old Testament, the word "wisdom" has to do with character rather than human intelligence and describes the right use of knowledge. "Wisdom means being skillful and successful in one's relationships and responsibilities, observing and following the Creator's principles of order in the moral universe," says Dr. Roy Zuck. Practicing God's wisdom means you don't just make a living, you make a life. (Be Equipped) In the sight of the peoples - Israel was "on mission" from God to the nations. THOUGHT The pagans are always watching the people of God. They were watching Israel and they are watching Christ followers today. Does your life proclaim divine "statutes" to a godless culture? Those of us who possess "spiritual light" are to be light transmitters! As believers, we are to let our actions speak louder than our words. Our "Gospel" life should open doors of opportunity for our lips to speak the Gospel (cp 1Pe 3:15+). But first we must "speak" the Gospel with our lives so that it will validate the Gospel we speak with our lips! What is the "Gospel" your life is proclaiming to all you encounter?
Deuteronômio 4
Wiersbe - People who live according to God's wisdom can't help but demonstrate to those around them that God is real and that following His wisdom brings blessing. Everything about Israel's religion was so far superior to that of the surrounding nations that the unbelieving pagans couldn't help but be impressed: the presence of God in Israel's sanctuary, the divine laws governing their life, the guidance of God, and the absence of cruelty and impurity. The tragedy is that Israel got so accustomed to these blessings that they began to imitate their neighbors and lost their witness. (Be Equipped) Israel was blessed to be a blessing to the nations of the world, Moses recording God's promise And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. Genesis 12:3+ NLT Study Bible - Wisdom is linked to obedience—obeying the Lord is the essence of wisdom (see Dt 10:12-13; Prov 1:7; 9:10; 15:33). If God's people were wise and prudent enough to keep the Lord's perfect covenant, all the world would marvel. Neighbour - God's Laws and Statutes are altogether righteous. They are more than that. They are marvelously illuminating. Do we not remember how David said that he was wiser than all the ancients because he kept all God's Statutes? Do ye not know that the entrance of His Word gives light? It also gives understanding to the simple. David said, also, "Through Thy precepts I get understanding." Here is another statement, "Thou through Thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies." Have you ever wondered how Moses, Joshua, Daniel, and others, have stood out in such marvelous colors of wisdom and understanding? It was because God's Statutes were their meditation and their joy. Israel was meant to be a light to the nations... Isaiah 49:6 He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” His Lamps God's lamps we are, To shine where He shall say: And lamps are not for sunny rooms, Nor for the light of day; But for the dark places of the earth, Where shame and wrong and crime have birth, Or for the murky twilight grey, Where wandering sheep have gone astray, Or where the Lamp of Faith grows dim, And souls are groping after Him. And as sometimes a flame we find, Clear-shining through the night, So dark we do not see the lamp But only see the Light, So may we shine, God's love the flame, That men may glorify His Name --Annie Johnson Flint Deuteronomy 4:7 "For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him? what great nation: Nu 23:9,21 2Sa 7:23 Isa 43:4 has a god so near to it : De 5:26 Ps 46:1 Ps 73:28 Ps 145:18 Ps 148:14 Isa 55:6 Eph 2:12-22 Jas 4:8 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries A GREAT GOD MAKES A GREAT NATION For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it - This is what the pagans would see when Israel obeyed the Word of God. Another implication is that the Israelites always had access to the LORD God in prayer. In fact for 40 years they had a constant reminder of His presence in their midst symbolized by the tabernacle in the center of the camp, and by the pillar of cloud (Shekinah glory cloud) over the Tabernacle (Ex 40:34-38+) and later the ark of the covenant after they entered the land. Merrill comments that "Admiration of Israel's spiritual sagacity (Dt 4:6) should naturally elicit the admiration of God, the source of such wisdom, especially in his immanence or relatedness (ED: THAT IS GOD'S INTIMACY WITH HIS PEOPLE ISRAEL SOMETHING PAGANS DO NOT EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR SO-CALLED "GODS"!)." (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary) The LORD our God whenever we call on Him - That is whenever we pray to Him. This speaks of Israel's intimacy with Yahweh which should be an encouragement to obedience. THOUGHT- Do you call on Him regularly? Jeremiah 33:3+ should encourage you for the prophet quotes Jehovah's invitation to "Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." The psalmist attest to a God so near Psalm 148:14 And He has lifted up a horn for His people, Praise for all His godly ones; Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the LORD! Psalm 73:28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works. POSB - Israel will have the presence and the power of God when they pray. Obedience will result in answered prayer. A personal, intimate relationship will be established with God. If a person kept the Ten Commandments, the presence and power of God would be with him, looking after and taking care of him. (Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Deuteronomy) (cf Jn 15:7, 1 Jn 3:22, contrast Ps 66:18, Isa 59:2) As MacIntosh points out "Pagan peoples engaged in the appeasement of remote and angry deities, but Yahweh was near to His people whenever they prayed to Him." (Holman Old Testament Commentary) Constable (quoting Eliade) writes "The theology of the nations at large taught that the supreme gods were remote and inaccessible. Though they were perceived in highly anthropomorphic terms (see Anthropomorphic Language), they also were thought to be so busy and preoccupied with their own affairs that they could scarcely take notice of their devotees except when they needed them." (Deuteronomy 4) Bible Background Commentary - In Mesopotamia the laws were presented to the god of justice (Shamash) by the king as evidence that he was a just king. The king had been given the authority to make laws by the gods, the guardians of cosmic law. Law was seen as something inherent in the universe, and laws were supposed to somehow reflect that impersonal cosmic law. In Israelite thinking, however, law emanated from the character of God and he was seen as the source of the laws. Moses was not the lawmaker, Yahweh was. By proclaiming laws, the Lord is therefore revealing himself in an act that distinguished him from the other gods of the ancient world. This is the "nearness" that the text remarks on. (The IVP Bible Background Commentary) Right Beside You The Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him. Deuteronomy 4:7 Today's Scripture & Insight: Deuteronomy 4:5–8 Each day at a post office in Jerusalem, workers sort through piles of undeliverable letters in an attempt to guide each to its recipient. Many end up in a specially marked box labeled “Letters to God.” About a thousand such letters reach Jerusalem each year, addressed simply to God or Jesus. Puzzled by what to do with them, one worker began taking the letters to Jerusalem’s Western Wall to have them placed between its stone blocks with other written prayers. Most of the letters ask for a job, a spouse, or good health. Some request forgiveness, others just offer thanks. One man asked God if his deceased wife could appear in his dreams because he longed to see her again. Each sender believed God would listen, if only He could be reached. The Israelites learned much as they journeyed through the wilderness. One lesson was that their God wasn’t like the other gods known at the time—distant, deaf, geographically bound, reached only by lengthy pilgrimage or international mail. No, “the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him” (Deuteronomy 4:7). What other people could claim that? This was revolutionary news! God doesn’t live in Jerusalem. He’s close by us, wherever we are. Some still need to discover this radical truth. If only each of those letters could be sent the reply: God is right beside you. Just talk to Him. By: Sheridan Voysey God’s accessibility to us is a profound gift. How can you avoid taking it for granted? Who in your life needs to know of God’s readiness to hear their prayer? God, You are bigger than the universe yet closer than a breath. Thank You for being so interested in us, attending to every prayer. Deuteronomy 4:8 "Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today? Dt 10:12,13 Ps 19:7-11 119:86,96,127,128 147:19,20 Ro 7:12-14 2Ti 3:16,17 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Romans 7:12-14+ So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. 13Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. 14For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 1 Timothy 1:8 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, Psalm 19:9-11+ The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. Psalm 147:19-20+ He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. 20 He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His ordinances, they have not known them. Praise the LORD! THE PRIVILEGE OF HIS PRECEPTS Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today - Other nations had law but God's law was different because it was righteous, a word that means at its root means conformed to an ethical or moral standard, in this case the standard being the perfect, holy God. Thus the pagan nations would see that Israel’s law was distinctive, for its source was the Lord and His character was righteous. The fact that the statutes and judgments were righteous would encourage Israel to seek to obey them. POSB - You will learn to cherish the law of God—all because the law was righteous and fair and just (Deut. 4:8). The law of God established fair and just treatment between neighbors. By obeying the law, every person will be treated fairly and justly. No partiality or favoritism will be shown; no lawlessness or violence will be tolerated; no unjust weight or treatment will be allowed. (Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Deuteronomy) Ryrie - The Mosaic Law was given to the nation Israel not to be a burden but to distinguish that people from all others by making her wise, great, and pleasing to a holy God. As a rule of life for God's people, the Mosaic code has been replaced for the Christian by the law of Christ (see 2 Co 3:11), though some of the specific commands of the old code are reincorporated as requirements of the new code (cf. Ro 13:9). As part of the inspired Scripture, the old as well as the new code is profitable to people of all times (cf. 1 Tim. 1:8-10; 2 Tim. 3:16). (Ryrie Study Bible) Henry
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Wiersbe - Surrounded as they were by heathen people, Israel was always one generation short of losing God's blessing, and so it is with the church today (2 Tim. 2:2). If we don't teach our children about God and His Word, the day will come when a generation will arise that doesn't know the Lord, which is what eventually happened to Israel (Judges 2:7-15). "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8, nkjv) How can believing parents best influence their children to trust the Lord and live by His wisdom? Moses gives the adults three suggestions: be examples to your children; don't let God's Word slip from your minds and hearts; remember what the Lord has done for you in the past and share these experiences with your children. Every Jewish child in Moses' day was supposed to know the story of the Exodus (Deut. 6:20-25; Ex. 10:1-2; 12:24-28; 13:1-16), and in the future, every child was supposed to know the significance of Israel's crossing the Jordan River (Josh. 4:1-7, 21-24). It's the responsibility of the older generation to instruct the younger generation and be an example and an encouragement to them (Deut. 6:1-3; 32:44-47; Pss. 34:11; 44:1; 71:17-19; 78:1-8; Titus 2:1-8). Parents must not turn this responsibility over to Sunday School teachers or Bible club leaders, as important as those ministries are; for dedicated Christian parents are God's first choice as teachers of their children. The sins of parents—especially spiritual neglect and bad example—may be imitated by the children and produce sad consequences later in life (Dt. 5:8-10; Ex. 20:5-6; Nu 14:17-18). (Be Equipped) Bob Utley's Special Topic - Heart - The Greek term kardia is used in the Septuagint and NT to reflect the Hebrew term lēb. It is used in several ways (cf. Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich and Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon, pp. 403–404): 1. the center of physical life, a metaphor for the person (cf. Acts 14:17; 2 Cor. 3:2–3; James 5:5) 2. the center of spiritual (moral) life God knows the heart (cf. Luke 16:15; Rom. 8:27; 1 Cor. 14:25; 1 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 2:23) used of mankind’s spiritual life (cf. Matt. 15:18–19; 18:35; Rom. 6:17; 1 Tim. 1:5; 2 Tim. 2:22; 1 Pet. 1:22) 3. the center of the thought life (i.e., intellect, cf. Matt. 13:15; 24:48; Acts 7:23; 16:14; 28:27; Rom. 1:21; 10:6; 16:18; 2 Cor. 4:6; Eph. 1:18; 4:18; James 1:26; 2 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 18:7; heart is synonymous with mind in 2 Cor. 3:14–15 and Phil. 4:7) 4. the center of the volition (i.e., will, cf. Acts 5:4; 11:23; 1 Cor. 4:5; 7:37; 2 Cor. 9:7) 5. the center of the emotions (cf. Matt. 5:28; Acts 2:26, 37; 7:54; 21:13; Rom. 1:24; 2 Cor. 2:4; 7:3; Eph. 6:22; Phil. 1:7) 6. unique place of the Spirit’s activity (cf. Rom. 5:5; 2 Cor. 1:22; Gal. 4:6 [i.e., Christ in our hearts, Eph. 3:17]) 7. The heart is a metaphorical way of referring to the entire person (cf. Matt. 22:37, quoting Deut. 6:5). The thoughts, motives, and actions attributed to the heart fully reveal the type of individual. The OT has some striking usages of the terms: Gen. 6:6; 8:21, “God was grieved to His heart” (also notice Hosea 11:8–9) Deut. 4:29; 6:5, “with all your heart and all your soul” Deut. 10:16, “uncircumcised heart” and Rom. 2:29 Ezek. 18:31–32, “a new heart” Ezek. 36:26, “a new heart” vs. “a heart of stone” Tom Haggai touches a sensitive nerve when he suggests: "Life would be more pleasant if we could forget our troubles as easily as we forget our blessings." A Day Wasted? - In The Effective Father, Gordon
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Wiersbe - The people heard God speak the word but they didn’t see any form of God. The Lord was making it very clear that Israel would be a people of the word, hearing their God speak but not beholding any form that could be copied and then worshiped (Deut. 4:12, 15). “He who can hear can see,” said a Jewish sage; and he was right. (Be Equipped) Merrill comments on fire and form - From the fire He spoke, just as He had spoken to Moses from the burning bush (Ex 3:1-6), but his openness to the people was balanced by his hiddenness....This tension of divine accessibility and inaccessibility is a major theme of biblical theology (cf. Ex 33:17-23; 1 Ki 19:9-14), one that reaches its climax in the incarnation of our Lord who, as the God-man, bridged the two ideas (Ed: Cp Jn 1:1-note with Jn 1:14-note where the some ethereal "Word" became tangible "flesh"). Form (08544)(temunah) is translated form (7x) and likeness(3x). The first use of temunah is in the Second Commandment from God in which He states "You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness" (Ex 20:4) In Job 4:16 it describes a nocturnal apparition of a spirit without discernible form. Moses did behold "the form of the LORD" (Nu 12:8) where temunah is translated in the Lxx with doxa which is a manifestation of light (radiance, brightness, splendor), a manifestation of God's excellent power (glory, majesty) which would parallel the description in Ex 33:22 where God promises "My glory (Heb = kabod; Lxx = doxa) is passing by." From this the "form" that Moses saw in Nu 12:8 is more accurately described as a manifestation of God's glory. And how could men even begin to make a manifestation of God's incomprehensible glory! David alludes to the resurrection from the dead declaring he would see God's "likeness when" he awakes, the glorious time that John says "we shall be like Him." (1 John 3:2-note). Temunah is a key word in this section Deut 4:12-25 where we encounter 5 of the 6 uses in the entire book. Exodus 20:4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. Numbers 12:8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?" 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. Deuteronomy 4:15 "So watch yourselves carefully, since you did not see any form on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, Deuteronomy 4:16 so that you do not act corruptly and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, Deuteronomy 4:23 "So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you. Deuteronomy 4:25 "When you become the father of children and children's children and have remained long in the land, and act corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD your God so as to provoke Him to anger, Deuteronomy 5:8 'You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. Job 4:16 "It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; A form was before my eyes; There was silence, then I heard a voice: Psalm 17:15 As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake. Eugene Merrill explains that "Moses's argument is a fortiori: Since the people of Israel saw no form (temunah) of God in his most glorious self-revelation at Sinai (Dt 4:15), why should they think they could capture his essence in any kind of image (pesel; cf. Dt 4:16-note)?"
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Wiersbe - God proved Himself greater than all the gods of Egypt, so why worship them? (A RHETORICAL QUESTION! ANSWER - DON'T!) (Be Equipped) Bible Background Commentary on furnace - The ancient world did not have the blast furnace, which is used today to produce cast iron. Iron has a melting point of 1,537 degrees C., a temperature that could not be consistently achieved with ancient technology. But once the iron is heated beyond 1,100 degrees C., it takes a spongy, semisolid form that can be forged. The furnace was usually fueled by charcoal to provide the carbon necessary for the chemical process. The strength of the steel is dependent on the amount of carbon it is able to absorb. The lower the temperature, the more often the process has to be repeated in order to get rid of enough slag to achieve a usable product. While a furnace can certainly be a metaphor of oppression, the fire of the smelting furnace is not destructive but constructive. It is the furnace that transforms the malleable ore to the durable iron product. The exodus experience transformed Israel into the covenant people of God. (The IVP Bible Background Commentary) Earl S Kalland on furnace - "The earliest "furnaces" were holes in the ground into which the ore and charcoal were placed. This mixture was set afire and superheated through blow pipes. Such pipes were later replaced by bellows.....The use of metal by heating certain ores and then hammering the metallic residue or welding it to other parts while still hot may have appeared in the Near East in the first half of the third millennium B.C., but the manufacture of iron objects (usually weapons) was very limited till 1500 B.C. and later. Though the 'furnaces' of the OT world could not be heated sufficiently to make molten iron, artisans had learned to use bellows to make the hottest fire then known; and they knew that the hottest fire they could produce was necessary for their iron productions. 'Out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt' does not mean to imply that iron-smelting furnaces were in Egypt at that time. Rather, bringing Israel out of Egypt was like bringing her out of an iron-smelting furnace-the heavy bondage of Egypt with its accompanying difficulties and tensions being likened to the hottest fire then known." (The Expositor's Bible Commentary – Volume 3: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel) POSB - Egypt is a symbol of the enslavement of the world. Being enslaved is a terrible experience: it is just like living in an iron furnace. But God had saved His people out of enslavement, saved them to be His very special people, His very special inheritance and possession. Furnace (03564)(kur) means kiln, furnace, smelter's furnace for the refining of metal. All uses refer to a figurative furnace - testing of hearts (Pr 17:3), analogous to the test of praise (Pr 27:21), refined by affliction (Isa 48:10), land of Egypt as place Israel was subjected to affliction (Dt 4:20, 1 Ki 8:51, Jer 11:4) Kur is "cognate to Akkadian kuru and, like it, refers not to a source of heat but to a crucible in which precious metals were melted down and freed of their impurities. Egypt was such a crucible, a place God used to purify his people and make them more fit for servanthood (cf. Gen 15:13-16; 50:19-21; 1 Kgs 8:50-51)." (Merrill) "The term is a metaphor for intense heat. Here it refers to the oppression and suffering Israel endured in Egypt. Since a crucible was used to burn away impurities, it is possible that the metaphor views Egypt as a place of refinement to bring Israel to a place of submission to divine sovereignty." (NET Note) John Oswalt - Three times kur is used of Egypt, from which Israel was delivered (Deut. 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51; Jeremiah 11:4). In these references there seems to be no stress upon refinement, but merely on the heat symbolizing affliction. On the other hand, the furnace of the exile is definitely depicted as one of refinement (Ezekiel 22:18, 20, 22) from which Israel will once more emerge as God's chosen (Isaiah 48:10). (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) Gilbrant on kur - Occurring nine times in the Hebrew Bible, the noun kûr has cognates meaning "hearth" (Arabic, Christian Palestinian Aramaic, Syriac) and "smelting furnace" (Akkadian, Old South Arabian, Ethiopic, Middle Hebrew and Targumic). The latter is the meaning of this noun in the Hebrew Bible. Kur refers to a furnace which is used exclusively to process metallic ores. It is never used in a narrative sense, but instead as a simile or metaphor. Three times kur is found in construct with the noun "iron" (Deut. 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51; Jer. 11:4). In each case, it refers to the act of Yahweh in freeing the Israelites from "Egypt, from the iron furnace." The syntactical construction demonstrates the function of the furnace, rather than its construction. Furnaces were made of brick or stone. The same type of linguistic construction is found in Isa. 48:10, as the prophet explains the political calamities which were to befall Judah as a refining process, a way to extract dross, in which Yahweh "tried [them] in the furnace of affliction." The metaphor is indeed appropriate, as the people were defiled, unworthy of being in Yahweh's presence. This is akin to the concept of ritual purification, as any hint of corruption must leave the individual who approached the Temple or lived in the desert camp. Ezekiel uses the noun in the course of a simile repeatedly in Ezek. 22. All of the house of Israel had become dross in the furnace in the eyes of Yahweh (Ezek 22:18). Yahweh's wrath would fuel the furnace to purify the people (Ezek 22:20, 22). (Complete Biblical Library - Incredible Resource) Kur - 9v in the OT all translated furnace 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. 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), Proverbs 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts. Proverbs 27:21 The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, And each is tested by the praise accorded him. Isaiah 48:10 "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 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,' Ezekiel 22:18 "Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are the dross of silver. Ezekiel 22:20 'As they gather silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into the furnace to blow fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in My anger and in My wrath and I will lay you there and melt you. Ezekiel 22:22 'As silver is melted in the furnace, so you will be melted in the midst of it; and you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out My wrath on you.'" THOUGHT - These truths about the iron furnace beg the question beloved - "Are you in God's crucible of affliction or trial?" Dr Wiersbe has one of my favorite descriptions to help understand why God's children must go through the "furnace of affliction"... When God puts His own people into the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat. He knows how long and how much. (If we rebel, He may have to reset the clock; but if we submit, He will not permit us to suffer one minute too long. The important thing is that we learn the lesson He wants to teach us and that we bring glory to Him alone.) We may question why He does it to begin with, or why He doesn’t turn down the heat or even turn it off; but our questions are only evidences of unbelief. (Job 23:10-note) is the answer: “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come come forth as gold” (NKJV). Gold does not fear the fire. The furnace can only make the gold purer and brighter." (Wiersbe, W. Be Patient. An Old Testament study) (For more on Why God tests His beloved children see notes on 1 Peter 1:7) (One more illustration) ARE YOU IN GOD'S "POUNDER ROOM"? - The Most High God is in control of all the adverse and difficult circumstances of our lives. You may be going through an adverse experience as you read these notes. Let's call it ,for illustration purposes, a "STEINWAY EXPERIENCE" (read on). If you had to name the most famous piano, the one that produced the most beautiful sound in the world which one would you name? Most people would say "Steinway". The Steinway piano has been preferred by keyboard masters such as Rachmaninoff, Horowitz, Cliburn, and Liszt and for good reason. It is a skillfully crafted instrument that produces a phenomenal sound. Steinway pianos are built today the same way they were 140 years ago when Henry Steinway started his business. 200 craftsmen and 12,000 parts are required to produce one of these magnificent instruments. Most crucial is the rim-bending process, where 18 layers of maple are bent around an iron press to create the shape of a Steinway grand. Five coats of lacquer are applied and then hand-rubbed to give the piano its outer glow. The instrument then goes into the "Pounder Room", where each key is pounded 10,000 times to ensure quality and durability. Followers of Jesus Christ, much like the grand Steinway, are being "handcrafted" with all of the steps being watched over and directed by our Most High God, El Elyon, the One Who is in sovereign control of every detail of this process often referred to as (progressive) "sanctification". We are being pressed and formed and shaped for a divine purpose, that we might "become conformed (molded with an inner and essential and not merely superficial conformity) to the image of His Son" (Ro 8:29-note). We are being polished, sometimes with what seems like excessive "rubbing of affliction", until we "glow." We are then being continually tested in the laboratory of everyday human experience. The process of sanctification is not always pleasant, but we can persevere with hope (absolute assurance of future good), knowing that our lives will increasingly reflect the beauty of holiness to the eternal praise of the Most High God. Amen. Are you going through a Steinway Piano experience? Is the Most High God bending, shaping, or polishing you right now? Can I trust El Elyon Who is in control of circumstances, demonic spirits, life/death, kings & nations? Knowing the truth about His Name El Elyon can I thank Him even in the painful times? Remember that He does not allow trials to provoke us or destroy us but to refine us & ultimately make us more like Jesus…Never forget the grand purpose for which He created you – to give Him glory. God brought Israel out of Egypt, but could not get Egypt (and her idols) out of Israel. Later Moses affirms that Israel belongs to God "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 (Hebrew = cegullah = treasured possession = valued personal property, what is owned by someone, which the owner has special affection or holds special value) out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. (Dt 7:6) "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 (Hebrew = cegullah - see above) out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. (Dt 14:2) ISRAEL GOD'S TREASURED POSSESSION Thompson - The recognition of their high status in God’s sight should have had profound consequences for their behaviour. THOUGHT - Knowing who we are in Christ and who we will be in Him forever should be a strong motivator to godly living. E.g., see the hope (hope sure, not hope so) that we will be like Him is a purifying hope - "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. " (1 John 3:2-3+) His own possession - This truth is also described in terms of sonship several times in Deuteronomy. Inheritance language presupposes sonship, for the heir was the firstborn son, a description already used of Israel in Ex 4:22 where God describes them as "Israel is My son, My firstborn." Deuteronomy 1:31 and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.’ Deuteronomy 8:5 “Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. Deuteronomy 14:1 “You are the sons of the LORD your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave your forehead for the sake of the dead. Deuteronomy 32:6 “Do you thus repay the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is not He your Father who has bought you? He has made you and established you. Utley on His own possession - This was a special title for YHWH’s covenant people (e.g., Ex 19:5; Dt. 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; Titus 2:14; and 1 Pet. 2:9). They have a divine inheritance (YHWH and land) because YHWH had chosen them even before creation (cf. 32:8–9; Ps. 33:6–12; Jer. 10:16; 51:19) to represent Himself to the world. - Possession (gift, heritage) (05159)(nachalah from nāḥal = signifies giving or receiving property which is part of a permanent possession and as a result of succession) means Inheritance, heritage, possession. A possession is any piece of property that passes by law to an heir on the death of the owner. It also speaks of God's promises to His people, such as the promise of the land to national (redeemed remnant) Israel. NET Note - "to be his people of inheritance." The Lord compares his people to valued property inherited from one's ancestors and passed on to one's descendants. (ED: IS THIS NOT AMAZING GRACE!) Gilbrant on nachalah - Land in Israelite society was understood as the possession of Yahweh, Who led the people into the land and conquered the territory for them. This land was then divided among the estates of the people of the day. This redistribution was understood to be permanent (Lev. 25:23). Thus, land could not permanently change hands (which explains the function of the Day of Jubilee, which insured that all land would return to those who had original access to the land). The point of this permanent division was to prevent the formation of large estates, which would necessarily create a subordinate landless peasantry. This same system reached the zenith early in the history of Babylon, its death witnessed by a genre of inscriptions known as kudurrus. The result of laws about the land is that the land became non-transferable. The best illustration of this legal custom is attested in the account of Ahab's desire to obtain Naboth's vineyard (1 Ki. 21). Though Ahab was the king of the northern kingdom of Israel, his attempts to get Naboth's land were rebuffed, for the land was his nachălāh, and thus, not for sale. Only by falsely accusing Naboth of blasphemy did Ahab obtain the land, for it would be forfeited, as his estate and inheritance would be seized by the crown. After Naboth and his family were stoned as a result of this perjury, Ahab took possession of the land. Redeeming of land was also allowed for within Israelite society. This was to keep land and persons within the tribal structure. A person who was closely related to an individual who was in dire financial straits was to pay to keep the land from being taken away from the kin group. Discretion was allowed in pursuing redemption (cf. Ruth 4). Thus, the land would remain distributed in a way to reduce gross imbalances in wealth. Indeed, Ezekiel's vision of the eschatological kingdom is a world in which even the resident-aliens have access to a nachălāh (47:22f). Other possessions are denoted by this noun. For example, Israel is a people of inalienable possession for Yahweh (Deut. 4:20). Likewise, the Levites received no property as nachălāh, but instead had Yahweh as their inheritance (Num. 26:62). They had access to the wealth given to the Temple, as many of the offerings went to them rather than being consumed during the ritual activity. Nachălāh also has non-legal nuances. An extension from the concept of inheritance, a relegated possession, is found in the concept of divine punishment. It is the inheritance of those who have done evil that they should have a perpetually horrible existence (cf. Job 20:29). Conversely a blessing will be given to the righteous (Ps. 37:18). Children (Ps. 127:3) were the nachălāh of the people from Yahweh. (Complete Biblical Library - Incredible Resource) Leonard Coppes - Involved in a study of this root is the extensive biblical teaching on "inheritance." Our summary will be grouped around the inheritance God gives the godly, the social and legal regulations governing the land. Jehovah's possession, and God as the inheritance/heritage of the godly. The whole earth belongs to its Creator (Psalm 47:4 [H 5]) and he so governs all things that Israel received his special possession (Deut. 32:8f.; Exodus 15:17) the land fit for kings flowing with milk and honey (Deut. 31:20), the place representing true salvation (Deut. 12:9; Cf. Hebrews 3:17—4:13, and nûaḥ). Thus, the Bible represents God as the great King (Judges 8:23; 1 Samuel 12:12), the feudal Lord (Deut. 32:8) who sovereignly partitions his land to man (cf. KD; Isaiah 49:8; Isaiah 57:13), and obligates his subjects to render personal services. As deVaux says, the widely spread ancient near eastern feudal idea was in Israel transferred to the theological plane (AI, p. 164). Hence, he promised (Genesis 12:7; Exodus 32:13), and gave Palestine (Joshua 21:43ff., etc.) to Israel as a perpetual inheritance (Exodus 32:13) contingent upon obedience to his law (e.g. Numbers 33:50-54). Little by little God would drive out the inhabitants of Canaan (Exodus 23:30). This gift, however, was to be conquered (Josh) by stages. Once inhabited, the land was to be recognized as God's, and was to be preserved as holy by cleansing it (Deut. 20:16), keeping it cleansed (e.g. Deut. 21:23), and dedicating it to God (Deut. 26:1ff.). Disobedience was sovereignly punished (Jeremiah 16:9; Jeremiah 17:4). The eschaton will see reoccupation of the land which is conceived either literally or in its spiritual reality according to one's viewpoint about the millennium (KD; Ezekiel 47:14; Isaiah 57:13; cf. Hebrews 12:25-29). The division of the land by lot prior to its conquest expressed divine sovereignty (Numbers 26:56) as was well known in the ancient near east (AI, p. 165). For a brief summary of the laws governing the partition and inheritance of the land, cf. R. E. Nixon, "Inheritance," in NBD, pp. 562-63. For a treatment of the theological significance, see R. J. Rushdoony, The Institutes of Biblical Law, Nutley, Craig Press, 1973. He treats of family economics (p. 174ff.), responsibility of firstborn including family responsibility to care for single women (p. 179f.: also D. Leggett, The Levirate and Goel Institutions, Cherry Hill: Mack 1974, limited primogeniture (p. 180f.), landmarks as representative of social, moral, and spiritual inheritance (p. 328ff.: Hosea 5:10), indeed, representative of life itself (pp. 166, 169: cf. KD: Deut. 19:14; Deut. 20:19-20). God's special created, chosen heritage is the people of Israel (Deut. 4:20; Exodus 34:9; cf. Acts 15:16ff.: Ephes. 1:3-4). This blessed position (Psalm 33:12) was the basis for special petitions (Deut. 9:26, 29; Psalm 28:9) and confidence (Micah 7:14, 18; Psalm 94:14; cf. Psalm 37:18). Because God is their Lord they should not own/possess one another as property (Leviticus 25:47ff.; cf. KD; Isaiah 14:2; Zeph. 2:9). God also has special permanent rights over all the nations (Psalm 82:8; Psalm 2:8-9; cf. KD). The true spiritual heritage of the godly (Psalm 111:6f.; Psalm 37:18; KD; Jeremiah 12:14-17) was especially and figuratively represented by Aaron, the priests, and the Levites who had no property to class on to their sons (however, note KD on Numbers 18:20f.), but who really had the greatest heritage of all—the Lord himself (Joshua 18:7; KD; Ezekiel 47:22). (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) Nachlah - 192 v - gift(1), give(1), hereditary(1), heritage(14), heritages(1), inheritance(197), inheritances(1), portion(1), possession(7). Gen. 31:14; 48:6; Exod. 15:17; Num. 16:14; 18:20f,23f,26; 26:53f,56,62; 27:7ff; 32:18f,32; 33:54; 34:2,14f; 35:2,8; 36:2ff,7ff,12; Deut. 3:28; 4:20f,38; 9:26,29; 10:9; 12:9,12; 14:27,29; 15:4; 18:1f; 19:10,14; 20:16; 21:23; 24:4; 25:19; 26:1; 29:8; 32:9; Jos. 11:23; 13:6ff,14,23,28,33; 14:2f,9,13f; 15:20; 16:5,8f; 17:4,6,14; 18:2,4,7,20,28; 19:1f,8ff,16,23,31,39,41,48f,51; 21:3; 23:4; 24:28,30,32; Jdg. 2:6,9; 18:1; 20:6; 21:23f; Ruth 4:5f,10; 1 Sam. 10:1; 26:19; 2 Sam. 14:16; 20:1,19; 21:3; 1 Ki. 8:36,51,53; 12:16; 21:3f; 2 Ki. 21:14; 1 Chr. 16:18; 2 Chr. 6:27; 10:16; Neh. 11:20; Job 20:29; 27:13; 31:2; 42:15; Ps. 2:8; 16:6; 28:9; 33:12; 37:18; 47:4; 68:9; 74:2; 78:55,62,71; 79:1; 94:5,14; 105:11; 106:5,40; 111:6; 127:3; 135:12; 136:21f; Prov. 17:2; 19:14; 20:21; Eccl. 7:11; Isa. 19:25; 47:6; 49:8; 54:17; 58:14; 63:17; Jer. 2:7; 3:19; 10:16; 12:7ff,14f; 16:18; 17:4; 50:11; 51:19; Lam. 5:2; Ezek. 35:15; 36:12; 44:28; 45:1; 46:16ff; 47:14,22f; 48:29; Joel 2:17; 3:2; Mic. 2:2; 7:14,18; Mal. 1:3 Below are few representative uses Psalm 2:8 'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your (Messiah) possession. Psalm 74:2 Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, Which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your inheritance; And this Mount Zion, where You have dwelt. Psalm 78:55 He also drove out the nations before them And apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents. Psalm 79:1 A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance; They have defiled Your holy temple; They have laid Jerusalem in ruins. Psalm 94:14 For the LORD will not abandon His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance. Psalm 105:11 Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan As the portion of your inheritance," (THE LAND TO ISRAEL NOT THE CHURCH) Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalm 135:12 And He gave their land as a heritage, A heritage to Israel His people. (THE LAND TO ISRAEL NOT THE CHURCH) Isaiah 54:17 "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD. Isaiah 58:14 Then you will take delight in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." Jeremiah 12:15 "And it will come about that after I have uprooted them, I will again have compassion on them; and I will bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land. Ezekiel 48:29 "This is the land which you shall divide by lot to the tribes of Israel for an inheritance, and these are their several portions," declares the Lord GOD. Comment: Given the fact that Ezekiel 40-48 describes the time of the Millennium (if the Bible is read and interpreted literally), it is notable that THE LAND is not specified as being divided by lot to the CHURCH. The land promise here in Ge 12:7-note are for national (redeemed remnant) Israel, not the Church. To be a people for His own possession, as today - (NET - "His special people"; NLT - "His special possession," ESV - "a people for His own inheritance") When Israel was redeemed (symbolically by the blood of a lamb Ex 12:7, 12, 13, 14, cp 1 Cor 5:7, 1 Pe 1:18-19) they were no longer their own for they had been bought with a price (which is what redemption is = paying the ransom to set the slaves free) and had a new Lord or Master, a foreshadowing of the truth about believers in the New Testament... OLD TESTAMENT Exodus 19:5-6 After God had ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” Deuteronomy 32:9“For the LORD’S portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance. Psalm 135:4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His own possession. Psalm 78:62 He also delivered His people to the sword, And was filled with wrath at His inheritance. Psalm 78:71 From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. (See also - Dt 9:26, 29; Ps. 28:9; Ps 33:12; Ps 68:9; Ps 79:1; Ps 94:14; Joel 2:17; 3:2; Micah 7:14, 18). NEW TESTAMENT 1 Corinthians 6:19-20-note Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. Titus 2:14-note (Christ) Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. 1 Peter 2:9-note But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; As today - (CSB, NET - "as you are today", Amplified, ESV = "as you are this day." NLT = "which is what you are today") - Kalland has an interesting observation on this little phrase "as today" - In vv.15 and 23 Moses strongly exhorted the people to watch themselves very carefully (see Notes on v.9). Idolatry corrupts and the nature of that corruption is infidelity to the Lord. This infidelity is not consonant with their standing as the people of his inheritance, the citation of which is followed by the simple, common (but here delightful) phrase "as you now are." In the same way in the NT, the apostle John writes: "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1-note); the latter clause is missing in the KJV). Here in Deuteronomy it has just been said that Israel had been brought out of Egypt "to be the people of his inheritance." "As you now are" says that the expectation had been realized. At that moment Israel was "the people of his inheritance" in actuality."(The Expositor's Bible Commentary – Volume 3: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel) F B
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Wiersbe - When Moses smote the rock instead of speaking to it, God graciously supplied an abundance of water for His thirsty people, but He disciplined His servant who glorified himself instead of glorifying the Lord. God alone is God, and He alone must be glorified. “I am the Lord; that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another” (Isa. 42:8). (Be Equipped) McIntosh - Moses thus became a picture of privileges lost by compromise. His relationship with God was fully functional. His sins were forgiven, and he was being used by God in worthwhile ministry. Still, his experience shows that our choices have enduring consequences that cannot be overcome even by godly sorrow and repentance. (Holman Old Testament Commentary – Deuteronomy) R C
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Wiersbe - He wants the very best for us, but when we deliberately go our own way, we grieve His heart and miss all He wants to do for us. (Be Equipped) Jealous (07067)(qanna related to qin'ah from the verb qana = to jealous or zealous) is an adjective which means jealous. When it describes God it means He is fiercely protective of what is justly His possession and unaccepting of disloyalty. Qanna describes a very strong emotion whereby some quality or possession of the object is desired by the subject. Every use of this adjective has God as the subject. In fact His very Name is Jealous (Ex 34:14) which speaks of the essence of His character as jealous. Divine jealousy does not refer to a shallow, childish human emotion. To the contrary God's jealousy emphasizes that He will not tolerate a divided loyalty in our hearts. We owe it Him to honor Him as the one true God and give Him more than lip service. Webster's defines jealous = intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness, hostile toward a rival, vigilant in guarding a possession The Septuagint always translates qanna with zelotes (from zeo = to boil, be hot or glow) which describes one zealous (fervent and enthusiastically devoted) for or eagerly desirous of something. A zelotes is one who is earnestly committed to a side or cause and thus could be described as an enthusiast, an adherent, or a loyalist. Jehovah is zealous for those who belong to Him!
Deuteronômio 4
Wiersbe - God made a covenant with His people and He expected them to keep it (Ed: See Covenant: Abrahamic versus Mosaic). The word “covenant” is used at least twenty-seven times in Deuteronomy (Ed: Deut. 4:13, 23, 31; 5:2f; 7:2, 9, 12; 8:18; 9:9, 11, 15; 10:8; 17:2; 29:1, 9, 12, 14, 21, 25; 31:9, 16, 20, 25f; 33:9) and comes from the Hebrew word beriyth which some scholars say means “to eat bread.” In the East, when people broke bread together, they formed a covenant or treaty that they would help and protect each other (see Ge 26:26–35) (Ed: See Table Summary of Biblical Covenants). When God established His covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai, Moses and the Jewish elders ate before God on the mountain (Ex. 24:11+). The terms of the covenant were simple: if Israel obeyed God’s laws, He would bless them; it they disobeyed, He would chasten them. He would show His love to them in both the blessing and the chastening, “for whom the Lord loves, He chastens” (Heb. 12:6+ NKJV). (Be Equipped) Idol (06459) see below for discussion of pesel. John Butler rightly reminds us that "Idolatry corrupts. It leads to low morals and cruel deeds. Corrupt creed leads to corrupt conduct. This explains the corruption that prevails in our country. Bad doctrine precedes bad deportment." (Analytical Bible Exposition) Have you done an "idol check" in your life lately? You might consider praying Psalm 139:23, 24 periodically. Do that which is evil is more literally "the evil thing." Block notes that "this idiom commonly occurs with the article (“the evil”) suggests a particular kind of evil; violating the Supreme Command (“You shall have no other gods before me,” Dt 5:7) by manufacturing competing images of worship, which “provoke” Yahweh’s ire." (Ibid) Brian Bell - Tough Yet Tender - Every conscientious parent recognizes how difficult it is to exercise his God-given authority over his children. The delicate balance of being tough yet tender is not easy to maintain. Many parents intensify a rebellious spirit by being dictatorial and harsh. Others yield when their authority is tested. When a strong-willed child resists, the pressure to give in for the sake of peace and harmony can become overpowering. I am reminded of the mother who wanted to have the last word but couldn’t handle the hassle that resulted whenever she said no to her young son. After an especially trying day, she finally flung up her hands and shouted, “All right, Billy, do whatever you want! Now let me see you disobey THAT!” Actually, Billy can’t disobey that. Because as Jonathan Edwards said in his great work on “The Will”, we choose according to that which we desire most. Motives have a certain weight with you, motives for and against. a) Reading a book, for example, are weighed in the balance of your mind; the motives that outweigh all others, are what you indeed choose to follow. b) You, being a rational person, will always choose what seems to you to be the right thing, the wise thing, the most advisable thing to do at that moment. c) If you choose not to do the right thing, the advisable thing, the thing that you are inclined to do, you would, of coarse, be insane. (You would be choosing something that you did not choose). Deuteronomy 4:26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you shall surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but shall be utterly destroyed. De 30:18,19 31:28 32:1 Isa 1:2 Jer 2:12 6:19 22:29 Eze 36:4 Mic 1:2 6:2 You shall: De 29:28 Lev 18:28 26:31-35 Jos 23:16 Isa 6:11 24:1-3 Jer 44:22 Eze 33:28 Lu 21:24 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries GOD CALLS THE UNIVERSE AS WITNESS! SEPARATION FROM THE LAND Deut 4:26 continues the proclamation of divine consequences, for the unfaithful behavior of Israel described in Dt 4:25. Moses acting as God's spokesman (prophet) begins this section with the solemn words "I call heaven and earth to witness" (they are the "witnesses" in the courtroom setting). Moses is acting the part of the judge over a trial reading the divine sentence against Israel because of her status as "Guilty as Charged!" I call heaven and earth to witness against you today - "Moses invoked heaven and earth as witnesses because of their permanence and unchanging character in contrast with the fickleness of human hearts." (Deere) Driver - heaven and earth, representing the unchangeable and ever-present fabric of the universe, are solemnly appealed to (Dt 30:19, Dt 31:28) as witnesses of the fact that the consequences of Israel’s disobedience have thus been foretold to it (cf. Dt 8:19, Dt 30:17f.). Bratcher on calling heaven and earth - the punishment that Moses is about to describe is so severe that he calls the whole universe to listen to what he is about to say. Among other peoples at that time it was common to call upon the gods to witness to what someone was about to say or do; here the whole world, as God’s creation, is to be witness. (Handbook on Deuteronomy) Merrill puts it this way stating that God's "wrath, in turn, will impel Him to bring Israel to trial on the charge of breach of (covenant) contract. The whole creation, having witnessed the establishment of the covenant in the first place (cf. Dt 30:19), will testify with one voice to Israel's perfidy. If convicted—as surely she will be, given such testimony—Israel will be sentenced to utter ruin and absolute destruction. The intensity suggested by the use of synonymous verbs and their infinitives is overpowering. God's judgment for idolatry will be swift and awful (Dt 4:26). (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary) KJV Bible Commentary on "I call heaven and earth" - (This) is in the accusative case, which means to give a witness against a person under oath. Heaven and earth are personified, not as the instruments of judgment if they disobey, but as witnesses that God had warned His people against idols. NET Note - I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you. This stock formula introduces what is known form-critically as a רִיב (riv or rib) or controversy pattern. It is commonly used in the ancient Near Eastern world in legal contexts and in the OT as a forensic or judicial device to draw attention to Israel’s violation of the LORD’s covenant with them (see Dt 30:19; Isa 1:2; 3:13 = "The LORD arises to contend, And stands to judge the people."; Jer 2:9 = "Therefore I will yet contend with you,” declares the LORD, “And with your sons’ sons I will contend."). Since court proceedings required the testimony of witnesses, the LORD here summons heaven and earth (that is, all creation) to testify to His faithfulness, Israel’s disobedience, and the threat of judgment. Eugene Merrill - Though the full form is lacking here, the very phrase “I call heaven and earth against you this day” (v. 26) is sufficient to show that Moses was invoking, vestigially at least, the so-called “Rîb-pattern” as a vehicle by which to communicate the formal process of dealing with covenant violation on the part of an indicted vassal. (The New American Commentary: Deuteronomy). Bob Utley on "I call heaven and earth to witness" - This was part of the Suzerain Hittite Treaties (need for powerful spiritual witnesses, cf. Intro. to Book, VII). These are the two most permanent things in physical creation. They are often called on by God to act as witnesses. It also reflects the Israeli legal system’s need for two witnesses in a court case (cf. Ex 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15). The phrase is used often in connection with the ratification of the covenant with YHWH (cf. Dt 4:26; 30:19; 31:28). IVP Bible Background Commentary heaven and earth as witnesses. In ancient Near Eastern treaties the gods are typically called to witness as ones who would be able to adjudicate any failures to adhere to the terms. Here heaven and earth are not understood as deified, but, representing the entire created universe, they signify that the agreement is intended to endure long beyond human life spans. A clearer indication of the implications can be seen in the fuller wording of Psalm 89:28–29, 34–37 (see also Jer 33:20–21). Treasury of Scripture Knowledge Notes says this oath is "A most solemn method of adjuration, in use among all the nations in the world; God and man being called upon to bear testimony to the truth of what was spoken, that if there was any flaw or insincerity it might be detected, and if any crime, it might not go unpunished. Such appeals to God shew at once the origin and use of oaths." That you shall surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it - (Dt 7:4, 11:17, 28:20, Jos. 23:16) The divine sentence on guilty Israel is to be expulsion from the promised land that they had not yet even possessed! THE SENTENCE: ISRAEL WILL BE RUINED Will...Perish (be lost, destroyed, ruined) (06)(abad; cp abaddon) is a verb meaning to perish, to be destroyed, to be ruined, to be lost, to in a state of ruin and destruction pertaining to an object, including the death (Ex 10:7). In particular, abad constitutes the inevitable fate of the Israelite people, who will perish in the process of being sent into exile (cf. Lev. 26:38; Dt 4:26; 8:20; 30:18; Jos. 23:13; Jer. 4: 9; 27:10; Eze. 25: 7). The people will also perish on account of their idolatry (cf. Dt 8:19; Jos. 23:16). The Septuagint (LXX) translates abad in Dt 4:27 with the Greek verb apollumi (see notes) which speaks of destruction but not annihilation. Apollumi basically has to do with that which is ruined and is no longer usable for its intended purpose. All men and women are created in the image of God and have the potential to bring glory to God, but this is only possible if one is born again ("re-created" as it were in Christ). Only the redeemed can properly bring glory to their Creator. Isaiah speaks of this privilege believers have to bring glory to God writing that "Everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, even whom I have made." (Isaiah 43:7) If men fail to be born again by grace through faith they remain dead in their trespasses and sins and when they die, their soul will exist forever in a state of ruin (not annihilation). As one might expect, apollumi is the verb Jesus used to describe those who are thrown into hell (Mt 10:28). As He makes clear elsewhere, hell is not a place or state of nothingness or unconscious existence, as is the Hindu Nirvana. It is the place of everlasting torment, the place of eternal spiritual death, where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (see Mt 13:42, 50). All people are created by God for His glory, but when they refuse to come to Him for salvation they lose their opportunity for redemption and for becoming what God intends for them to be. They are then fit only for condemnation and eternal destruction. This tragic truth should motivate every believer to seek to present the Gospel with their life and then their lips to all around them who are still dead in their trespasses and sins. You shall not live long on it, but shall be utterly destroyed - He repeats the divine judgment to make sure Israel hears and is without excuse! Not live long or not prolong days (לא תאריבן ימים) upon it] is a favourite Deuteronomic expression = Dt 4:40, Dt 5:16, Dt 5:33 Dt 6:2, Dt 11:9, Dt 17:20, Dt 22:7, Dt 25:15, Dt 30:18, Dt 32:47. Utterly destroyed (demolished, exterminated) (08045)(shamad) means ruin or waste and is a primary root which refers to a desolation caused by some great disaster, usually a result of divine judgment. This Hebrew verb is used in twice in Leviticus 26 to describe what God would do to faithless, idol worshiping Israel... I will lay waste your cities as well and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your soothing aromas. I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it. (Leviticus 26:31; 32-note) Deuteronomy 4:27 "And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the nations, where the LORD shall drive you. De 28:62-64 Ne 1:3,8,9 Eze 12:15 32:26 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: Deuteronomy 28:62-64+ “Then you shall be left few in number, whereas you were as numerous as the stars of heaven, because you did not obey the LORD your God. 63 “It shall come about that as the LORD delighted over you to prosper you, and multiply you, so the LORD will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you; and you will be torn from the land where you are entering to possess it. 64 “Moreover, the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known. GOD'S PROMISE TO SCATTER IS SURE The LORD will scatter you among the peoples (Gentiles) - Compare similar promises in Dt 28:64-67. This is one of those promises we don't usually see in a collection like "God's Promises for Your Every Need." Ryrie - Here is Moses' first prophecy of Israel's removal from the land if she proved disobedient. Brian Bell - Promised exile for disobedience. Like when Adam & Eve (Ge 3:24) & Cain (Ge 4:16) were exiled from their special lands. He now anticipated the future exile of Israel to Assyria & Judah to Babylon. The LORD will scatter you...the LORD shall drive you - Note God's personal involvement in this punishment. Jehovah would use the Gentile nations to fulfill this promised punishment. Scatter (06327)(puts) means to be dispersed and is used two more times in this book - Same verb used in Dt 28:64, Dt 30:3. You shall be left few in number among the nations (Gentiles) (see the contrast in Dt 28:62) - Jews are located throughout the world today but their numbers are relatively small (13.9 million in 2014). The number of Jewish believers, while increasing in recent years, is still a small percentage of the population. However God had promised that there would always be a remnant of Jews who were genuine believers in the Messiah. Israel's disobedience provoked the LORD's anger which brought His righteous punishment and the scattering of the nation among the peoples (the Gentile nations). The Hebrew verb scatter is translated in the Septuagint with the verb diaspeiro which means to scatter abroad which calls to mind the Jewish disapora. (see Greek word diaspora used in NT) This prophecy was first fulfilled when the 10 northern tribes were carried into exile in Assyria in 722BC (2 Kings 17:6) and the 2 Southern tribes, Judah and Benjamin, were taken into exile in Babylon in 586BC (2Chr 36:15-21 - note the tragic phrase "until there was no remedy" - no 'healing" in 2 Chr 36:16!, cp fall of Jerusalem - 2Ki 24:14ff, 2KI 25:10ff). In addition, the nation of Israel was scattered from her land after her rejection of Christ, this dispersion occurring at the hands of the Romans.
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Wiersbe - During the closing years of Solomon’s reign, to please his many wives he introduced idolatry into the land (1 Kings 11:1-12) and this led to God’s judgment and the division and deterioration of the nation (1 Kings 12:1-33). In 722 B.C., Assyria captured the ten tribes that formed the Northern Kingdom of Samaria, and Babylon took the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 586 B.C. From A.D. 70 until May 14, 1948, when the modern nation of Israel was recognized (Ed: See summary of events leading to nationhood), the Jewish people were dispersed throughout the world and had no national homeland. (Be Equipped) J
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Wiersbe - He also warned them that disobedience would bring chastening. God forgives His people when they repent (Dt 4:29–31), but read Hebrews 12:25–29 before making plans to disobey God. He is a merciful God (Dt 4:31), but He is also a jealous God (Dt 4:24 note); He will not permit His children to sin successfully. (With the Word Bible Commentary) Andrew Fuller - Great Sinners Encouraged to Return to God Deuteronomy 4:29-31 But if from there you shall seek the LORD your God, you shall find him, if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.… THERE is a mixture of mercy and judgment in all the sacred writings. The New Testament contains some awful threatenings. “He that believeth not shall be damned.”—“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha.” On the other hand, the law of Moses is interspersed with mercy. As the whole passage has immediate respect to Israel, it doubtless refers to their sins, their captivity and troubles, and to God’s great mercy to them in remembrance of the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And as mention is made of “the latter days,” it seems to be not merely an encouragement to them to return, but a prophecy which has yet to be accomplished. Yes, when the Spirit of grace and supplication is poured out upon them, it shall be fulfilled. But though it may specially refer to Israel, it is no less applicable to us Gentiles. We are sinners, and have brought innumerable miseries on ourselves, and there is but one refuge for us to seek to—and if we seek him with all our heart and soul, we shall find mercy; for the Lord our God is a merciful God. I. NOTICE A FEW CASES TO WHICH THIS LANGUAGE APPLIES.—The description given of an impenitent people is—“No man spoke aright, saying, What have I done?” Were we to institute such an inquiry, and answer according to truth, what would the answer be? 1. One would say, I have gone great lengths in sin: I lived without restraint; I was a drunkard, a blasphemer, an injurious person to all I had to do with; and now God has brought me into troubles—I am hated and despised by my relations and neighbours—I cannot live long, and yet fear to die. Yet, “if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” 2. Another says, I was born of religious parents; I was long weary of religion, and wished to be free. At length my father died, and I gave myself up to evil; and now my troubles are come upon me, no one respects me, nor careth for my soul; I was undutiful to my parents, and now my children are so to me. But, “if from thence,” &c. 3. Another may say, My conduct has been correct and orderly, so as to obtain the approbation of those about me; but I have valued myself upon it, have lived without God, and never sought mercy as a guilty creature; I have lived a Pharisee; and now I feel the want of something in which to appear before God. Well, “if from thence,” &c. 4. Another—I have made a profession of religion and thought well of my state, and talked to others, and was thought well of by others; but I indulged first in little and secret sins, and after this they became greater and more exposed; and now I am an outcast—every one shuns me. Yet, “if from thence,” &c. 5. Though I have not lost my character, yet I have lost my peace of mind; I have not walked with God, and God seems to have departed from me; I cannot pray, nor read, nor hear to profit: I can enjoy no pleasure in the world nor in religion; I feel myself a backslider in heart, and God has filled me with my own ways. But, “if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” II. OBSERVE THE GROUNDS ON WHICH THE ENCOURAGEMENT RESTS. 1. The merciful character of God. Isa. 55:7, “Let the wicked forsake his ways,” &c. No sins are so great or numerous but that he can forgive them: “if—with all thy heart,” &c. 2. The covenant which God made with the fathers, and much more with his Son. There is this difference between uncovenanted and covenanted mercy; the one has no promises, the other has many. God has pledged his perfections, that whosoever believeth in him shall be saved. No ground therefore to despair; whatever thy condition, how far soever from God, return to him through his dear Son, and you will obtain mercy. Deuteronomy 4:30 "When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days, you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. All these: 1Ki 8:46-53 2Ch 6:36-39 Da 9:11-19 Have come upon you: Hebrew = "have found you" De 31:17 Ex 18:8 In the latter days: De 31:29 Ge 49:1 Nu 24:20 Jer 23:20 Da 10:14 Ho 3:5 Heb 1:2 You will: De 30:10 La 3:40 Ho 14:2,3 Joe 2:12,13 Ac 3:19 26:20 Listen: Isa 1:19 Jer 7:23 Zec 6:15 Heb 5:9 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries CSB When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, you will return to the LORD your God in later days and obey Him. ESV When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the LORD your God and obey his voice. NLT "In the distant future, when you are suffering all these things, you will finally return to the LORD your God and listen to what he tells you. IN THE LATTER DAYS OF ISRAEL: "HERE COMES TROUBLE!" NOTE: For a more detailed exposition of this passage, especially as it relates to future prophecy for the nation of Israel see the notes on one passage = Deuteronomy 4:30 Commentary (there is some repetition). The prophetic promises in Dt 4:25-31 (especially the promise here in Dt 4:30) is echoed in Moses' prophecy in Dt 30: 1-6 So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you (WHEN IS WHEN? THIS REFERS TO THE TIME FULFILLMENT WHICH IS DESCRIBED IN THE PROPHECY IN Zechariah 12:10-note WHEN THE NATION (1/3 - Zech 13:8-9-note) REPENTS AND BELIEVES IN MESSIAH), the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, 2 and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons (BELOVED THIS HAS NOT YET HAPPENED FOR THE NATION OF ISRAEL! THIS HAS TO BE A FUTURE EVENT!), 3 then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4 “If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth (NOTE ALL OVER THE EARTH NOT JUST ASSYRIA AND BABYLON), from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. 5 “The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. 6 “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart (SEE EXPLANATION) and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live (CLEARLY THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED AND AWAITS THE RETURN OF THE MESSIAH AS PROPHESIED in Zechariah 12:10+!). When - Note Moses does not say "if" but "when" -- Israel will be "in distress" and then he gives the time frame in the latter days. This is a key time phrase! Notice it is made more specific by the phrase "in the latter days" - so this is a prophecy that speaks of the "end times" prior to Messiah's return. So the "when" makes two things clear - Israel will suffer in the future but Israel will repent in the future! When you are in distress (KJV, ESV = in tribulation) - Israel will experience a time of national distress. Of course, as a general statement that distress could refer to many horrific events in Israel's history, including the unspeakable, inexcusable carnage wrought by the so-called Crusades in the Middle Ages (who slaughtered whole villages of Jews ostensibly in the name of Christ [see documentation here] -- clearly these Crusaders were ABSOLUTELY NOT born again Christ followers but were manifesting a Satanically inspired Anti-Semitism! As an aside when you witness to a Jew, he may remind you of these "Christian Crusades" which you need to explain), the Russian pogroms, the Nazi holocaust, etc. The Jews have been in distress literally for millennia! But this time of distress is unique because of (1) Its timing = in the latter days and (2) Its result = return to God, describing national repentance, an event which has not transpired in world history and which therefore describes a future event. In the context of the Bible this will come to pass in Daniel's Seventieth Week, specifically during the time of the Great Tribulation (Begins - Mt 24:15-note, named - Mt 24:21+), described by Jeremiah as the Time of Jacob's Distress (Jeremiah 30:7+), and described by Daniel as "a time of distress" - Da 12:1+. Distress (ESV - tribulation) (06862) (for in depth word study click tsar) (See study of related noun tsarah) The word for distress in the Septuagint (Lxx) translation for some reason is placed as the last phrase of the Greek translation of the previous passage (en te thlipsei sou = "in your distress"). Dt 4:29 ends with "all your soul" not "in your distress." So more accurately the Greek phrase "in your distress" should be included in the Septuagint translation of Dt 4:30. This verse begins with "when you are in distress." Here's the point -- The Greek noun thlipsis translates "distress" and literally describes a pressing together, figuratively as used in this passage referring to trouble that inflicts distress. In this case it will distress on the entire nation of Israel. Thilipsis is also used in the Septuagint translation of Daniel 12 which is clearly a reference to the Great Tribulation predicted by Jesus in Matthew 24..."Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people (Jews), will arise. And there will be a time of distress (Hebrew = tsarah, cognate of tsar used here in Dt 4:30; Lxx = thlipsis) such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. (Daniel 12:1-note) Thlipsis is the word used in the Septuagint translation of the great prophecy in Hosea 5:15 "I will go away and return to My place (MESSIAH'S ASCENSION AFTER HIS CRUCIFIXION) Until (EVEN THIS WORD SIGNIFIES THERE WILL BE AN END TO ISRAEL'S UNBELIEF) they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction (Hebrew - tsar; Greek - thlipsis) they will earnestly seek Me. Thlipsis is used by Jesus to describe the Great Tribulation in Mt 24:21-note (thlipsis megale) where Jesus warned His Jewish audience "For then (When? He had just given them a crystal clear, unequivocal sign in Mt 24:15-note) there will be a great tribulation, (HOW GREAT?) such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will." (See Daniel's seventieth week where the last half or 3.5 years represents the actual Great Tribulation). The question is "WHEN IS THEN?" When does the alarm go off marking the beginning of this never seen before and never to be seen again Great Tribulation? As usual, it pays to check the context, and in the preceding passages (Mt 24:16-20) Jesus clearly describes a situation demanding a sense of urgency. For more prophetic treatment of the Great Tribulation see the commentary on Zechariah 12-14. So what is the sign that marks the beginning of this horrible time? In Mt 24:15 Jesus declared "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)" (Mt 24:15-see in depth analysis and commentary). Then Jesus calls for an urgent response upon seeing this sign because it was the beginning of the distress, the Great Tribulation, the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer 30:7-note), "a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time" (Da 12:1-note). J
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Wiersbe - God doesn't want His children obeying Him just to get blessings or to avoid chastening, but because they love Him from the heart. The word "heart" is mentioned more than forty times in Moses' speech, and the Shema (Dt 6:4-5) emphasizes love for the Lord. (See also Dt 10:12; 11:1, 13, 22; 13:3; 19:9; 30:6, 16, 20.) When Moses gave the law to the older generation at Sinai, the emphasis was on the fear of the Lord (Ex. 19:10-25; 20:20), but his application of the Law to the new generation magnifies God's love for Israel and the importance of Israel loving the Lord. They were now to be a mature people who obeyed God from the heart. The Lord is a merciful God (Deut. 4:31), but we shouldn't tempt Him because He is also a jealous God (Dt 4:24). (Be Equipped) He is God in heaven above and on the earth below - He is God everywhere. There is no place for any other so-called God. He will not allow it. As such He can do what He pleases (Ps 115:3, 135:6). Jos 2:11 (EVEN THE PAGANS RECOGNIZED HE WAS GOD OF ALL CREATION) "And when we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Walter Kaiser - The acts and deeds of God on behalf of his people had opened a line of witness. If the Canaanites living in Jericho had gotten word of God’s saving work on behalf of Israel, you can be sure the other nations around Israel had heard the same thing. This work of God demonstrated that he was “God in heaven above and on the earth below.” What could idols do that would match works such as these? This work called for repentance and a trust and belief in this Lord above any other gods or goddesses. That is what Rahab did; she believed, and thus she is in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11, where we read: “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient” (Heb 11:31). James 2:25 agreed with this same point, as it too declared that she was considered righteous ("Rahab the harlot also justified by works") for what she did. Rahab had come to know the Lord God. (Mission in the OT) 1Ch 29:11 "Thine, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O LORD, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. 2Ch 20:6 and he said, "O LORD, the God of our fathers, art Thou not God in the heavens? And art Thou not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Thy hand so that no one can stand against Thee. Ps 115:3 But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. Ps 135:6 Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. Dan 4:35+ (KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR AFTER BEING HUMBLED DECLARED) "And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, What hast Thou done? There is no other - "The ability of Yahweh to instruct or discipline Israel (Dt 4:36), to love her fathers, to choose their descendants and to deliver them from Egypt (Dt 4:37), and to drive out the peoples of Canaan in order to give the land to Israel for an inheritance (Dt 4:38), leads to the conclusion that he is God in heaven and earth. No other has such powers." (Thompson) The truth that there is no other is paralleled in Dt 4:35-note - "the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him." In Isaiah God declares... Isaiah 45:5-6 “I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; 6That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, Isaiah 45:21 "Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. Isaiah 45:22 "Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other As a young man Charles H Spurgeon "turned to" Him and acknowledged that He was God and there was no other. Read "Spurgeon's Testimony" Isaiah 46:9 "Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Joel 2:27 "Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, And that I am the LORD your God And there is no other; And My people will never be put to shame. Acts 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." June Hunt on there is no other - Ultimately, whose opinion really matters? Do the opinions of skeptics really matter? Does my opinion really matter? Does yours? A bumper sticker reads, “God said it! I believe it! That settles it!” On the surface, that looks like a wise saying: God has declared, and the believer has accepted His declaration. However, it might be better to say, “God said it! That settles it!” What really matters is what God says about Himself. The reverential fear of the Lord is the starting point for understanding the God of the Scriptures. Only then can you answer questions such as, “What difference can God make in my life?” “Is God a personal God—does He even care?” “Can God be known?” The answers are worth pondering. Richards writes "Moses concludes this preamble to the constitution of Israel with a call to reject all idols in favor of the living God.Like him we are to “acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Deut. 4:39). Mark Dever - The book (of Deuteronomy) is replete with such references to God’s uniqueness: “the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God” (7:21). Or later: “There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand” (32:39). In Deuteronomy, God’s uniqueness shines out. This book is about the only God who is. I acknowledge this day and take it to my heart that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other. (Deuteronomy 4:39) O my soul, above all things and in all things always rest in the Lord, for He is the eternal rest of the saints. Grant me most sweet and loving Jesus, to rest in You above every other creature, above all health and beauty, above all glory and honor, above all power and dignity, above all knowledge and precise thought, above all wealth and talent, above all joy and exultation, above all fame and praise, above all sweetness and consolation, above all hope and promise, above all merit and desire, above all gifts and favors You give and shower upon me, above all happiness and joy that the mind can understand and feel, and finally, above all angels and archangels, above all the hosts of heaven, above all things visible and invisible, and above all that is not You, my God. —Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ Today in the Word - In many jobs, it’s difficult to imagine life without a photocopier. So it might be hard for you to believe that this vital piece of office equipment has been around less than fifty years. In 1959, Xerox introduced its 914 copier machine, the first to make copies on plain paper. The 914 was a quick success, and soon “Xerox” became a virtual synonym for “copy.” When it comes to worship, however, nothing but the “real thing” will do! The great “I Am” is the one true God, and all the idols of the nations are just cheap copies. As he concluded his first sermon (in today’s reading), this was the key lesson Moses wanted Israel to learn from his historical review. God is not any created thing--He is the Creator. He is transcendent. At Sinai, the nation had seen that they could not fashion anything into an image for worship, so they should not be deceived and drawn into the Canaanite religions. God is also personal, and He had put Himself on display, so to speak, in His actions toward Israel. He rescued them from slavery. He made a personal covenant and was personally present with them. He sovereignly chose them, provided for their needs, and gave them holy laws. His uniqueness is the most important truth the people were to remember and obey. This truth is spelled out in the verses just before the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:3, 4, 5, 6). The metaphor of a furnace conveys that the period of slavery in Egypt was a time of purification, or preparation, against the corruption of idolatry, to be the Lord’s special inheritance (Dt 4:20; cf. Dt 8:2, 3, 4, 5). If they fail to do this--after all, that was the historical pattern--they’ll be punished, but when they wholeheartedly repent and return to God, He’ll show mercy. TODAY ALONG THE WAY - Who is like unto our Lord? He and He alone is God! Respond to this truth from today’s devotional with heartfelt worship. Seek out hymns and choruses that exalt God’s greatness and lift up His name. We might suggest such songs as “O Worship the King,” “Glorify Thy Name,” “O Magnify the Lord,” and “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty.” Singing these could be part of your personal worship time, or an experience you share with your family or small group. Deuteronomy 4:40 "So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time." keep (KJV): De 4:1,6 Dt 28:1-14 Lev 22:31 Lev 26:1-13 Jer 11:4 Joh 14:15,21-24 it may go (KJV): De 5:16 6:3,18 Dt 12:25,28 22:7 Eph 6:3 1Ti 4:8 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries NET Keep his statutes and commandments that I am setting forth today so that it may go well with you and your descendants and that you may enjoy longevity in the land that the LORD your God is about to give you as a permanent possession. KJV Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever. CSB Keep His statutes and commands, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper and so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you for all time." ESV Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for all time." NLT If you obey all the decrees and commands I am giving you today, all will be well with you and your children. I am giving you these instructions so you will enjoy a long life in the land the LORD your God is giving you for all time." GWN Obey his laws and commands which I'm giving you today. Then things will go well for you and your descendants. You will live for a long time in the land. The LORD your God is giving you the land for as long as you live. NAB You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may have long life on the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever." NIV Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time. NJB Keep his laws and commandments as I give them to you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper and live long in the country that Yahweh your God is giving you for ever.' GOD'S FORMULA FOR PROSPERITY AND LONG LIFE So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today - If you know...and take to your heart the magnificence of God, you should be motivated by love and reverential fear to obey Him without question or doubt.
Deuteronômio 4:25-31
Wiersbe - God made a covenant with His people and He expected them to keep it (Ed: See Covenant: Abrahamic versus Mosaic). The word “covenant” is used at least twenty-seven times in Deuteronomy and comes from the Hebrew word beriyth which some scholars say means “to eat bread.” In the East, when people broke bread together, they formed a covenant or treaty that they would help and protect each other (see Ge 26:26–35) (Ed: See Table Summary of Biblical Covenants). When God established His covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai, Moses and the Jewish elders ate before God on the mountain (Ex. 24:11). The terms of the covenant were simple: if Israel obeyed God’s laws, He would bless them; it they disobeyed, He would chasten them. He would show His love to them in both the blessing and the chastening, “for whom the Lord loves, He chastens” (Heb. 12:6-note, NKJV). (Be Equipped) John Butler rightly reminds us that "Idolatry corrupts. It leads to low morals and cruel deeds. Corrupt creed leads to corrupt conduct. This explains the corruption that prevails in our country. Bad doctrine precedes bad deportment." (Analytical Bible Exposition) Have you done an "idol check" in your life lately? You might consider praying Psalm 139:23, 24 periodically. Deuteronomy 4:26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you shall surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but shall be utterly destroyed. GOD CALLS THE UNIVERSE AS A WITNESS! Moses acting as God's spokesman (prophet) begins this section with the solemn words "I call heaven and earth to witness". KJV Bible Commentary on "I call heaven and earth" - (This) is in the accusative case, which means to give a witness against a person under oath. Heaven and earth are personified, not as the instruments of judgment if they disobey, but as witnesses that God had warned His people against idols. Bratcher on calling heaven and earth - the punishment that Moses is about to describe is so severe that he calls the whole universe to listen to what he is about to say. Among other peoples at that time it was common to call upon the gods to witness to what someone was about to say or do; here the whole world, as God’s creation, is to be witness. (Handbook on Deuteronomy) Bob Utley on "I call heaven and earth to witness" - This was part of the Suzerain Hittite Treaties (need for powerful spiritual witnesses, cf. Intro. to Book, VII). These are the two most permanent things in physical creation. They are often called on by God to act as witnesses. It also reflects the Israeli legal system’s need for two witnesses in a court case (cf. Ex 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15). The phrase is used often in connection with the ratification of the covenant with YHWH (cf. Dt 4:26; 30:19; 31:28). Treasury of Scripture Knowledge Notes says this oath is "A most solemn method of adjuration, in use among all the nations in the world; God and man being called upon to bear testimony to the truth of what was spoken, that if there was any flaw or insincerity it might be detected, and if any crime, it might not go unpunished. Such appeals to God shew at once the origin and use of oaths." Deuteronomy 4:27 "And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the nations, where the LORD shall drive you. GOD'S PROMISE TO SCATTER IS SURE The LORD will scatter you (see more detailed description of this punishment in Deut 28:64-68) - Compare similar promises in Deut 28:64-67. This is one of those promises we don't usually see in a collection like "God's Promises for Your Every Need." The LORD will scatter...shall drive you - Jehovah Himself would in His sovereign control of the Gentile nations inflict this promised punishment. You shall be left few in number among the nations (Gentiles) (see the contrast in Dt 28:62) - Jews are located throughout the world today but their numbers are relatively (13.9 million in 2014). The number of Jewish believers, while increasing in recent years, is still a small percentage of the population. However God had promised that there would always be a remnant of Jews who were genuine believers in the Messiah. Israel's disobedience provoked the LORD's anger which brought His righteous punishment and the scattering of the nation among the peoples (the Gentile nations). The Hebrew verb scatter is translated in the Septuagint with the verb diaspeiro which means to scatter abroad which calls to mind the Jewish disapora. (see Greek word diaspora used in NT) This prophecy was first fulfilled when the 10 northern tribes were carried into exile in Assyria in 722BC (2 Kings 17:6) and the 2 Southern tribes, Judah and Benjamin, were taken into exile in Babylon in 586BC (2Chr 36:15-21 - note the tragic phrase "until there was no remedy" - no 'healing" in 2 Chr 36:16!). In addition, the nation of Israel was scattered from her land after her rejection of Christ, this dispersion occurring at the hands of the Romans. John MacArthur sums up Deut 4:25-31 - In fact, this briefly outlined the future judgment of Israel, which culminated in the northern 10 tribes being exiled to Assyria (ca. 722 B.C.; 2Ki 17) and the southern two tribes being deported to Babylon (ca. 605–586 B.C.; 2Ki 24, 25). Although the Jews returned in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah (ca. 538–445 B.C.), they never regained their autonomy or dominance. Thus, the days of promised restoration and return look forward to Messiah’s return to set up the millennial kingdom. (Study Bible) Warren Wiersbe - During the closing years of Solomon’s reign, to please his many wives he introduced idolatry into the land (1 Kings 11:1-12) and this led to God’s judgment and the division and deterioration of the nation (1 Kings 12). In 722 B.C., Assyria captured the ten tribes that formed the Northern Kingdom of Samaria, and Babylon took the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 586 B.C. From A.D. 70 until May 14, 1948, when the modern nation of Israel was recognized (Ed: See summary of events leading to nationhood), the Jewish people were dispersed throughout the world and had no national homeland. (Be Equipped) Deuteronomy 4:28 "And there you will serve gods, the work of man's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY! GOD OR IDOLS The title of this section comes from Bob Dylan's classic "Gotta Serve Somebody!" It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody! You will serve gods - What a pitiful description for God's Chosen People! Another divine promise. The truth of this passage applies to all men of all ethnicity. If man does not serve God, he will by default serve gods! Jesus made this quite clear when He declared “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You (absolutely) cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24-note) Serve - The Jews were set free from the bondage of slavery in Egypt so that they might serve Jehovah (Ex 7:16, 8:1, 20, 9:1, 13, 10:3, 7) but they rejected God as their Master instead choosing to serve dumb idols! In this passage God says in essence" If you want idols, not Me, then I will give you what you want!" That is personally my greatest fear when I commit a presumptuous ("high handed") sin against God (Ps 19:12-13-note) - that He may say "Okay, you want it. Go for it!" That would be horrible! Deuteronomy 4:29 "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. A BLESSED "BUT"! But - Note this blessed term of contrast!!! This blessed contrast reminds us the wonderful "but God" in Ephesians 2:4-note where in the face of our spiritually dead condition, God, because of His rich mercy and great love, "made us alive together with Christ." (Ephesians 2:5-note). From there - From where? From their worldwide dispersion. Seek the LORD - Do you see God's great covenant mercy, His abundant lovingkindness? No man, Jew or Gentile, seeks for God (Ro 3:11, Ps 14:2), so in order for the dispersed Jews in the latter days to seek for Him, God Himself (His Spirit) must put that desire in their heart. Of course, they still have the responsibility to follow through and "seek for Him" -- this is a great mystery - God's sovereign provision, man's responsibility. With all your heart and all your soul - Try accomplishing this in reliance on your natural strength, the Old Man! This description is of a heart which has been touched by God's grace and mercy (see Zech 12:10 in summary below). Deuteronomy 4:30 "When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days, you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. IN THE LATTER DAYS IN TRIBULATION NOTE: For a more detailed discussion of this passage, especially as it relates to future prophecy for the nation of Israel see Deuteronomy 4:30 Commentary (there is some repetition). When - Note Moses does not say "if" but "when" -- Israel will be "in distress" and then he gives the time frame in the latter days. This is a key time phrase! Notice it is made more specific by the phrase "in the latter days" - so this is a prophecy that speaks of the "end times" prior to Messiah's return When you are in distress (KJV, ESV = in tribulation) - Distress - The Hebrew word for distress is tsar (06862) (See study of related noun tsarah) In the Septuagint (Lxx) the phrase "in your affliction" is found in the last section of the previous passage Dt 4:29. In the Septuagint (Lxx) the word for affliction is the noun thlipsis which literally describes a pressing together, and figuratively refers to trouble that inflicts distress. Thlipsis is the same Greek word used by Jesus to describe the Great Tribulation in Mt 24:21-note (thlipsis megale) where Jesus warned His Jewish audience "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will." (See Daniel's seventieth week where the last half or 3.5 years represents the Great Tribulation). The question is "When is then?" When does the alarm go off marking the beginning of this never seen before and never to be seen after Great Tribulation? As usual, it pays to check the context, and in the preceding passages (Mt 24:16-20) Jesus clearly describes a situation demanding a sense of urgency. So what is the sign that marks the beginning of this horrible time? In Mt 24:15 Jesus declared "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)" (Mt 24:15-see in depth analysis and commentary). Then Jesus calls for an urgent response upon seeing this sign because it was the beginning of the distress, the Great Tribulation, the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer 30:7-note), "a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time" (Da 12:1-note). SUMMARY OF INTERPRETATION In the last days prior to (and including) the return of Israel's Messiah, Israel will undergo a time of distress that Jesus referred to as the Great Tribulation in Matthew 24:21. He explained in Matthew 24:15 (see excursus below) a clear sign that would signal to the Jews the beginning of this time of distress, a time which would last for only 3.5 years (1260 days, 42 months or "time, times, and half a time"). Jeremiah 30:7 referred to this time period as the "time of Jacob's trouble." Daniel 12:1 said "there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your (Daniel's) people (in context clearly referring to Israel), everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued." Paul spoke of this "rescue operation" in Romans 11:26-27 explaining that "all Israel will be saved (or "rescued" as in Daniel 12:1); just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER (Messiah) WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. "AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” At that time Zechariah 12:10 says "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me (Messiah) Whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born." So the reason these Jews in the latter days will mourn is because they have been given the Spirit of grace. No man seeks for God and they would not be broken if they had not received God's great grace! Nor would you or I dear fellow believer! Zechariah 13 goes on to explains that in the latter days "it will come about in all the land (Israel),” Declares the LORD, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it. 9“And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them (referring to the Jewish remnant who will be saved) as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested (cp Deut 4:30 "a time of distress"). They will call on My name (Why? Because they have received a Spirit of grace and supplication), And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God (This is clearly covenant language, and describes the remnant of 1/3 of the Jews in the latter days who will enter into the New Covenant by grace through faith) .’” Deuteronomy 4:31 "For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them. IN THE MIDST OF WRATH GOD REMEMBERS MERCY For - term of explanation A compassionate God (cp the "moral definition" of God in Exodus 34:6) - Compassionate is the adjective rachum (see in depth study of the noun racham) The psalmist records that But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath. (Psalm 73:38) Nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them - This is not the conditional Mosaic Covenant, the covenant of law which Israel could not keep, but repeatedly broke, but is a reference to the unconditional promises of the Abrahamic Covenant with was made first with Abraham and then reaffirmed both to Isaac and then to Jacob ("with your fathers."). The New Covenant is in a very real sense an extension of the Abrahamic Covenant, which Abraham entered by faith in Genesis 15:6 and thus was reckoned as righteous, just as we were when we believed the Gospel and entered into the New Covenant.
Deuteronômio 4:30
Wiersbe - God made a covenant with His people and He expected them to keep it (Ed: See Covenant: Abrahamic versus Mosaic). The word “covenant” is used at least twenty-seven times in Deuteronomy and comes from the Hebrew word beriyth which some scholars say means “to eat bread.” In the East, when people broke bread together, they formed a covenant or treaty that they would help and protect each other (see Ge 26:26–35) (Ed: See Table Summary of Biblical Covenants). When God established His covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai, Moses and the Jewish elders ate before God on the mountain (Ex. 24:11). The terms of the covenant were simple: if Israel obeyed God’s laws, He would bless them; it they disobeyed, He would chasten them. He would show His love to them in both the blessing and the chastening, “for whom the Lord loves, He chastens” (Heb. 12:6-note, NKJV). (Be Equipped) John Butler rightly reminds us that "Idolatry corrupts. It leads to low morals and cruel deeds. Corrupt creed leads to corrupt conduct. This explains the corruption that prevails in our country. Bad doctrine precedes bad deportment." (Analytical Bible Exposition) Have you done an "idol check" in your life lately? You might consider praying Psalm 139:23, 24 periodically. Deut 4:26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you shall surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but shall be utterly destroyed. A SOLEMN WARNING Moses acting as God's spokesman (prophet) begins this section with the solemn words "I call heaven and earth to witness". KJV Bible Commentary on "I call heaven and earth" - (This) is in the accusative case, which means to give a witness against a person under oath. Heaven and earth are personified, not as the instruments of judgment if they disobey, but as witnesses that God had warned His people against idols. Bratcher on calling heaven and earth - the punishment that Moses is about to describe is so severe that he calls the whole universe to listen to what he is about to say. Among other peoples at that time it was common to call upon the gods to witness to what someone was about to say or do; here the whole world, as God’s creation, is to be witness. (Handbook on Deuteronomy) Bob Utley on "I call heaven and earth to witness" - This was part of the Suzerain Hittite Treaties (need for powerful spiritual witnesses, cf. Intro. to Book, VII). These are the two most permanent things in physical creation. They are often called on by God to act as witnesses. It also reflects the Israeli legal system’s need for two witnesses in a court case (cf. Ex 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15). The phrase is used often in connection with the ratification of the covenant with YHWH (cf. Dt 4:26; 30:19; 31:28). Treasury of Scripture Knowledge Notes says this oath is "A most solemn method of adjuration, in use among all the nations in the world; God and man being called upon to bear testimony to the truth of what was spoken, that if there was any flaw or insincerity it might be detected, and if any crime, it might not go unpunished. Such appeals to God shew at once the origin and use of oaths." Deut 4:27 "And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the nations, where the LORD shall drive you. A SURE SCATTERING The LORD will scatter you (see more detailed description of this punishment in Deut 28:64-68) - Compare similar promises in Deut 28:64-67. This is one of those promises we don't usually see in a collection like "God's Promises for Your Every Need." The LORD will scatter...shall drive you - Jehovah Himself would in His sovereign control of the Gentile nations inflict this promised punishment. You shall be left few in number among the nations (Gentiles) (see the contrast in Dt 28:62) - Jews are located throughout the world today but their numbers are relatively (13.9 million in 2014). The number of Jewish believers, while increasing in recent years, is still a small percentage of the population. However God had promised that there would always be a remnant of Jews who were genuine believers in the Messiah. Israel's disobedience provoked the LORD's anger which brought His righteous punishment and the scattering of the nation among the peoples (the Gentile nations). The Hebrew verb scatter is translated in the Septuagint with the verb diaspeiro which means to scatter abroad which calls to mind the Jewish disapora. (see Greek word diaspora used in NT) This prophecy was first fulfilled when the 10 northern tribes were carried into exile in Assyria in 722BC (2 Kings 17:6) and the 2 Southern tribes, Judah and Benjamin, were taken into exile in Babylon in 586BC (2Chr 36:15-21 - note the tragic phrase "until there was no remedy" - no 'healing" in 2 Chr 36:16!). In addition, the nation of Israel was scattered from her land after her rejection of Christ, this dispersion occurring at the hands of the Romans. John MacArthur sums up Deut 4:25-31 - In fact, this briefly outlined the future judgment of Israel, which culminated in the northern 10 tribes being exiled to Assyria (ca. 722 B.C.; 2Ki 17) and the southern two tribes being deported to Babylon (ca. 605–586 B.C.; 2Ki 24, 25). Although the Jews returned in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah (ca. 538–445 B.C.), they never regained their autonomy or dominance. Thus, the days of promised restoration and return look forward to Messiah’s return to set up the millennial kingdom. (Study Bible) Warren Wiersbe - During the closing years of Solomon’s reign, to please his many wives he introduced idolatry into the land (1 Kings 11:1-12) and this led to God’s judgment and the division and deterioration of the nation (1 Kings 12). In 722 B.C., Assyria captured the ten tribes that formed the Northern Kingdom of Samaria, and Babylon took the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 586 B.C. From A.D. 70 until May 14, 1948, when the modern nation of Israel was recognized (Ed: See summary of events leading to nationhood), the Jewish people were dispersed throughout the world and had no national homeland. (Be Equipped) Deut 4:28 "And there you will serve gods, the work of man's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY! GOD OR IDOLS The title of this section comes from Bob Dylan's classic "Gotta Serve Somebody!" It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody! You will serve gods - What a pitiful description for God's Chosen People! Another divine promise. The truth of this passage applies to all men of all ethnicity. If man does not serve God, he will by default serve gods! Jesus made this quite clear when He declared “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You (absolutely) cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24-note) Serve - The Jews were set free from the bondage of slavery in Egypt so that they might serve Jehovah (Ex 7:16, 8:1, 20, 9:1, 13, 10:3, 7) but they rejected God as their Master instead choosing to serve dumb idols! In this passage God says in essence" If you want idols, not Me, then I will give you what you want!" That is personally my greatest fear when I commit a presumptuous ("high handed") sin against God (Ps 19:12-13-note) - that He may say "Okay, you want it. Go for it!" That would be horrible! Deut 4:29 "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. A BLESSED "BUT"! But - Note this blessed term of contrast!!! This blessed contrast reminds us the wonderful "but God" in Ephesians 2:4-note where in the face of our spiritually dead condition, God, because of His rich mercy and great love, "made us alive together with Christ." (Ephesians 2:5-note). From there - From where? From their worldwide dispersion. Seek the LORD - Do you see God's great covenant mercy, His abundant lovingkindness? No man, Jew or Gentile, seeks for God (Ro 3:11, Ps 14:2), so in order for the dispersed Jews in the latter days to seek for Him, God Himself (His Spirit) must put that desire in their heart. Of course, they still have the responsibility to follow through and "seek for Him" -- this is a great mystery - God's sovereign provision, man's responsibility. With all your heart and all your soul - Try accomplishing this in reliance on your natural strength, the Old Man! This description is of a heart which has been touched by God's grace and mercy (see Zech 12:10 in summary below). Deut 4:30 "When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days, you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. English Translation of Septuagint (NETS) - And all these words shall find you in the end of days, and you will return to the Lord your God and listen to his voice. KJV - When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; NET - In your distress when all these things happen to you in the latter days, if you return to the LORD your God and obey him ESV - When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the LORD your God and obey his voice. NIV - When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. NLT - "In the distant future, when you are suffering all these things, you will finally return to the LORD your God and listen to what he tells you. YLT - in distress being to thee, and all these things have found thee, in the latter end of the days, and thou hast turned back unto Jehovah thy God, and hast hearkened to His voice; IN THE LATTER DAYS IN TRIBULATION When - Note Moses does not say "if" but "when" -- Israel will be "in distress" and then he gives the time frame in the latter days. This is a key time phrase! Notice it is made more specific by the phrase "in the latter days" - so this is a prophecy that speaks of the "end times" prior to Messiah's return When you are in distress (KJV, ESV = in tribulation) - Not IF but WHEN - Israel will experience a time of national distress. Of course, as a general statement that distress could refer to many horrific events in Israel's history, including horrible carnage wrought by the so-called Crusades in the Middle Ages (who slaughtered whole villages of Jews ostensibly in the name of Christ [see documentation here] -- clearly these Crusaders were ABSOLUTELY NOT born again, Christ followers but were manifesting a Satanically inspired Anti-Semitism! As an aside when you witness to a Jew, he may remind you of these "Christian Crusades" which you need to explain), the Russian pogroms, the Nazi holocaust, etc. Indeed, the Jews have been in distress for millennia! But this time of distress is unique because of (1) Its timing = in the latter days and (2) Its result = return to God, describing national repentance, an event which has not transpired in world history and which therefore describes a future event. In the context of the Bible this will come to pass in Daniel's Seventieth Week, specifically during the time of the Great Tribulation (Begins - Mt 24:15-note, named - Mt 24:21-note), described by Jeremiah as the Time of Jacob's Distress (Jeremiah 30:7-note), and described by Daniel as "a time of distress" - Da 12:1-note. Distress (ESV - tribulation) (06862) (tsar from tsarar = to bind, tie up, be restricted, be cramped; see related tsarah) is a masculine noun indicating narrowness, tightness, distress, application, misery. It refers to a narrow space or object, not wide, with a small distance across it, this meaning being vividly depicted when the Angel of the Lord confronted Balaam and stood in such a narrow space that Balaam could not pass by (Nu 22:26). Tsar is used figuratively of the personal anguish one encounters in adverse circumstances; e.g. the great distress which comes from the death of a close friend (2 Sa 1:26) or from God's refusal to give help or direction (Job 7:11; cf 1 Sa 28:15; Isa 25:4; 63:9). Tsar describes a person's pain and distress; oppression, a feeling of being hemmed in (Dt 4:30; Job 7:11; 15:24). The Lord delivers the faithful from affliction and distress (Ps 4:1). Tsar describes oppressive political, economic, and military conditions suffered by a group, a people, or a nation (Jdg. 11:7). Tsar describes the threats and destruction that come on something, especially the Lord's house (1 Sa 2:32). It indicates conditions during times of judgment on Israel (Isa. 5:30). Tsar refers to the time, trouble, and effort given to consider an issue (Esth. 7:4). Tsar is used figuratively to describe an adulterous woman as a narrow well with no escape (Pr 23:27). Tsar depicts a cry of destruction as one of great anguish (Jer. 48:5). Affliction may cause a person to seek God (Hos. 5:15). The word for distress in the Septuagint (Lxx) translation of Deut 4:30 for some reason is placed as the last phrase of the Greek translation of the previous passage Deut 4:29 (en te thlipsei sou = "in your distress"). But in English Dt 4:29 ends with the phrase "all your soul" not "in your distress," which is the first phrase in English in Deut 4:30. So more accurately the Greek translation of "in your distress" (en te thlipsei sou) should be included in the Septuagint translation of Dt 4:30. Hopefully this explanation makes sense to you. Here is the point -- The Greek noun thlipsis translates "distress" in Dt 4:30 and literally describes a pressing together, but figuratively as used in this passage refers to trouble that inflicts distress. In this case it will distress on the entire nation of Israel in the future Great Tribulation. And so it should come as no surprise that the same Greek word thlipsis is used by Jesus to describe the Great Tribulation (thlipsis megale) in Mt 24:21-note where Jesus warned His Jewish audience "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will." Comment: See also Daniel's seventieth week where the last half or 3.5 year period represents the Great Tribulation. The question then is "When is then?" When does the alarm go off (so to speak) giving the world (and especially Israel) a "wake up call," an alarm which clearly identifies the beginning of this never seen before and never to be seen again Great Tribulation? As usual, it pays to check the context, and in the preceding passages (Mt 24:16-20) Jesus clearly describes a situation demanding a sense of urgency. So what is the sign that calls for such urgency and which marks the beginning of this horrible time for the nation of Israel? In Mt 24:15 Jesus tells us... "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)" (Mt 24:15-see in depth analysis and commentary). Jesus calls for an urgent response (Mt 26:16-20) upon seeing this sign because it was the beginning of the distress, the Great Tribulation, synonymous with the "time of Jacob's trouble (Heb = tsarah; Lxx = stenos = narrow space, figuratively here of distress)" (Jer 30:7-note), and synonymous with "a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time" (Da 12:1-note). Tsar - 37x in 37v - afflicted(1), affliction(1), anguish(1), anguished(1), distress(17), privation(1), strait(1), trouble(7). For completeness the KJV lists 102 uses of tsar but does not separate the words when it means narrow or affliction from when it is used to mean enemy or adversary - Click here and look under KJV for these uses These are the 37 uses of tsar with the meaning of narrow, distress, etc - Numbers 22:26 The angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left. Deuteronomy 4:30 "When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. 1 Samuel 2:32 'You will see the distress of My dwelling, in spite of all the good that I do for Israel; and an old man will not be in your house forever. 1 Samuel 13:6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait for the people were hard-pressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits. 2 Samuel 22:7 "In my distress I called upon the LORD, Yes, I cried to my God; And from His temple He heard my voice, And my cry for help came into His ears. 2 Kings 6:1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too limited for us. 2 Chronicles 15:4 "But in their distress they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him. Esther 7:4 for we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed and to be annihilated. Now if we had only been sold as slaves, men and women, I would have remained silent, for the trouble would not be commensurate with the annoyance to the king." Job 7:11 "Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Job 15:24 "Distress and anguish terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for the attack, Job 36:16 "Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distress, Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint; And that which was set on your table was full of fatness. Job 36:19 "Will your riches keep you from distress, Or all the forces of your strength? Job 38:23 Which I have reserved for the time of distress, For the day of war and battle? Job 41:15 “His strong scales are his pride, Shut up as with a tight seal. Psalm 4:1 For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears. Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. Psalm 59:16 But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, For You have been my stronghold And a refuge in the day of my distress. Psalm 66:14 Which my lips uttered And my mouth spoke when I was in distress. Psalm 102:2 Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress; Incline Your ear to me; In the day when I call answer me quickly. Psalm 106:44 Nevertheless He looked upon their distress When He heard their cry; Psalm 107:6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses. Psalm 107:13 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. Psalm 107:19 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. Psalm 107:28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, And He brought them out of their distresses. Psalm 119:143 Trouble and anguish have come upon me, Yet Your commandments are my delight. Proverbs 23:27 For a harlot is a deep pit And an adulterous woman is a narrow well. Proverbs 24:10 If you are slack in the day of distress, Your strength is limited. Isaiah 5:30 And it will growl over it in that day like the roaring of the sea. If one looks to the land, behold, there is darkness and distress; Even the light is darkened by its clouds. Isaiah 25:4 For You have been a defense for the helpless, A defense for the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; For the breath of the ruthless Is like a rain storm against a wall. Isaiah 26:16 O LORD, they sought You in distress; They could only whisper a prayer, Your chastening was upon them. Isaiah 30:20 Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Isaiah 49:20 “The children of whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears, ‘The place is too cramped for me; Make room for me that I may live here.’ Isaiah 59:19 So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing (narrow) stream Which the wind of the LORD drives. Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction (tsarah) He was afflicted, And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old. Jeremiah 48:5 "For by the ascent of Luhith They will ascend with continual weeping; For at the descent of Horonaim They have heard the anguished cry of destruction. Hosea 5:15 I will go away and return to My place Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me. You will return to the LORD - When? In the latter days, when they are in the Great Tribulation. Why? Because of His great compassion (Dt 4:31), not because they are good or they deserve it. Bible Knowledge Commentary: “The later days (Dt 4:30) may refer to any time after the initial dispersions, but the ultimate reference is to the time when the Lord Jesus will return to earth to establish His 1,000-year kingdom (Rev. 20:4). At that time a repentant Israel will finally seek the Lord… look for Him with all her heart and… soul and will obey Him (Dt 4:29). (Bolding added) John MacArthur on "latter days" - Lit. “the end of days.” Moses saw in the distant future a time when repentant Israel would turn again to the Lord and obey Him. Throughout the Pentateuch, “the latter days” refers to the time when Messiah will establish His kingdom (see Ge 49:1, 8–12; Nu 24:14–24; Dt 32:39–43). John Calvin on when thou art in tribulation - He here shews the advantage of punishments, on the ground of their usefulness and profit; for what the Apostle says is confirmed by experience, that “no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby.”(Hebrews 12:11.) Lest, therefore, they should be provoked to wrath by God’s stripes, he reminds them of their usefulness to them, because they would never turn to God unless aided by this remedy. He tells them that, after they shall have been afflicted by the curses of God, if they sought after Him, they should find Him: and further, he gives them grounds for hope both in God’s nature and in His covenant. He assures them that God will be willing to be appeased, because He is by nature merciful; but he adds another confirmation of this, which is more certain and familiar, viz., because God had adopted them by a perpetual covenant. All these things have come upon you - To what does Moses refer? In context all of the things that are associated with this time of distress. Ultimately, in the context of the blessings and cursings in the book of Deuteronomy, all these things speak of all the curses as a result of breaking their covenant promises. In the latter days - Greek = "ep eschato ton hemeron" (eschatos) - More literally this reads " in the latter end of the days." Jamieson, Fausset, Brown (one of the more literal pre-1900 commentaries) on the latter days - either towards the destined close of their captivities, when they evinced a returning spirit of repentance and faith, or in the age of Messiah, which is commonly called “the latter days,” and when the scattered tribes of Israel shall be converted to the Gospel of Christ. The occurrence of this auspicious event will be the most illustrious proof of the truth of the promise made in Deuteronomy 4:31. SUMMARY OF INTERPRETATION In the last days prior to (and including) the return of Israel's Messiah, Israel will undergo a time of distress that Jesus referred to as the Great Tribulation in Matthew 24:21. He explained in Matthew 24:15 (see excursus below) a clear sign that would signal to the Jews the beginning of this time of distress, a time which would last for only 3.5 years (1260 days, 42 months or "time, times, and half a time"). Jeremiah 30:7 referred to this time period as the "time of Jacob's trouble." Daniel 12:1 said "there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your (Daniel's) people (in context clearly referring to Israel), everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued." Paul spoke of this "rescue operation" in Romans 11:26-27 explaining that "all Israel will be saved (or "rescued" as in Daniel 12:1); just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER (Messiah) WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. "AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” At that time Zechariah 12:10 says "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me (Messiah) Whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born." So the reason these Jews in the latter days will mourn is because they have been given the Spirit of grace. No man seeks for God and they would not be broken if they had not received God's great grace! Nor would you or I dear fellow believer! Zechariah 13:8-9+ goes on to explains that in the latter days "it will come about in all the land (Israel),” Declares the LORD, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it. 9 “And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them (referring to the Jewish remnant who will be saved) as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested (cp Deut 4:30 "a time of distress"). They will call on My name (cf Dt 4:29+) (Why? Because they have received a Spirit of grace and supplication), And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God (This is clearly covenant language, and describes the remnant of 1/3 of the Jews in the latter days who will enter into the New Covenant by grace through faith) .’” Deuteronomy 4:31 "For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them. GOD REMEMBERS MERCY IN WRATH For - term of explanation A compassionate God (cp the "moral definition" of God in Exodus 34:6) - Compassionate is the adjective rachum (see in depth study of the noun racham) The psalmist records that But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath. (Psalm 73:38) Nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them - This is not the conditional Mosaic Covenant, the covenant of law which Israel could not keep, but repeatedly broke, but is a reference to the unconditional promises of the Abrahamic Covenant with was made first with Abraham and then reaffirmed both to Isaac and then to Jacob ("with your fathers."). The New Covenant is in a very real sense an extension of the Abrahamic Covenant, which Abraham entered by faith in Genesis 15:6 and thus was reckoned as righteous, just as we were when we believed the Gospel and entered into the New Covenant.