What do you tell your problem children when you know this is the last goodbye? Moses faced that dilemma. This devotion starts looking at his goodbye recorded in Deuteronomy.
Nuggets
- Moses told the Wilderness Wanderers that they had to pay attention to what God’s laws and commandments said so they would remain faithful.
- Israel’s identity was wrapped up in being God’s chosen people, but it wasn’t a one-way street.
- Being God’s chosen people made the Israelites unique.
The Wilderness Wanderers are poised to enter the Promised Land. It has been a long 40 years. But the prize was in sight.
Moses won’t be going with his problem children. So, he had to prepare them for life without him as their leader. On what did he focus? How did he start saying goodbye?
Let's Put It into Context
“Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live, enter, and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you. Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal-peor, for the Lord your God destroyed every one of you who followed Baal of Peor” (Deut. 4: 1-3 CSB)
Deuteronomy is another book of law. But it is a restatement of the law, not necessarily new laws.
It is interesting how all my different translations for this verse approach the words used to identify what they are talking about.
- decrees and laws (NIV)
- decrees and regulations (NLT)
- statutes and rules (ESV)
- statutes and judgments (NASB, NKJV, KJV)
- statutes and ordinances (CSB, HCSB)
- laws and teachings (CEV)
- laws (GNT)
We get two things from this:
- They are not optional.
- There are consequences from breaking them.
This restatement was important because the Israelites were fixing to go from Wilderness Wanderers to landowners. That is a big culture change. They are going to experience new temptations.
This is probably why the listen in verse 1 means not only hear the laws, but also pay attention and follow them.
Moses had some really good advice for them — advice we need to be mindful of today. “You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you” (Deut. 4: 2 CSB). He didn’t say rewrite them. He didn’t tell them they could pick and choose or partially keep them.
It is important to note that the first reason Moses gave for keeping the statues and ordinances: their lives — and ours — depend upon obeying them. They had already had a demonstration of death that came as a consequence.
Law Keepers
“But you who have remained faithful to the Lord your God are all alive today. Look, I have taught you statutes and ordinances as the Lord my God has commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to possess” (Deut. 4: 4-5 CSB)
When we think of the Wilderness Wanderers, we think about how many times they disobeyed God. But here, Moses says some of them remained faithful. He is talking about Joshua and Caleb.
Along with himself, those were the only ones that lasted the 40 years. See, there are major consequences for not following the laws and commandments.
The King James Version uses the word cleave. It means “to adhere firmly and closely or loyally and unwaveringly.” God will reward those who are loyal to Him.
Because of that, Moses told the Wilderness Wanderers that they had to pay attention to what God’s laws and commandments said so they would remain faithful. Hearken from verse 1 has the following characteristics: duty, gratitude, ritual, and eager and fervent attention.
The Israelites were to harken to and cleave to the laws. God would provide for them if they did.
Law Followers
“Carefully follow them, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples. When they hear about all these statutes, they will say, ‘This great nation is indeed a wise and understanding people’” (Deut. 4: 6 CSB)
Are you scratching your head over the “… for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples …” line, too (Deut. 4: 6 CSB)? Let’s see if we can decipher it.
Israel’s identity was wrapped up in being God’s chosen people. But it wasn’t a one-way street. God didn’t just open the storehouse and lavish on them blessing after blessing.
The Israelites had to choose to follow God’s laws and commandments. They had to choose to accept His gifts and live according to His Will.
The wisdom part “… may refer to the statutes and judgments, the wise and well-ordered laws which were given to the people” (Edwards).
Still, it was wisdom on the Israelites part to keep the laws and commandments. “Look, today I set before you a blessing and a curse: there will be a blessing, if you obey the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you today, and a curse, if you do not obey the commands of the Lord your God and you turn aside from the path I command you today by following other gods you have not known” (Deut. 1: 26-28 CSB).
I read this, and my mind immediately goes to what Paul wrote. “The message about the cross doesn’t make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God’s power at work” (I Cor. 1: 18 CEV).
People who hold the worldview do not understand giving the Sovereign God control of our lives. They think it is foolish to worship a God that we do not see.
It is not foolish. It is very wise, as one day the Sovereign God is going to judge this world for its unbelief. Those who have not admitted their sins, believed on Jesus as Redeemer and Savior, and confessed Him as Sovereign Lord will learn the errors of their way.
But it will be too late.
To read a devotion in the Hell Does Have Fury series, click on the appropriate button below.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
National Law
“For what great nation is there that has a god near to it as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation has righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today?” (Deut. 4: 7-8 CSB)
Being God’s chosen people made the Israelites unique. No other nation could say that He was their protector.
These laws and commandments make us better people. Put us all together, it makes us better nations and a better world.
If we are following God’s laws and commandments.
If we are following the worldview, we get division and chaos. When we take a good look at recent history, we can see the condition of the world has gone downhill since we have moved away from God.
Let’s come at it from a different angle. What do we gain by following God and keeping His laws and commandments?
- Salvation
- Eternal life
- God’s grace
- God’s mercy
I almost put God’s love, but we’ve talked about that in the past. God does love non-believers.
God does love us before we put our faith and trust in Him — but He loves us so much more so afterwards.
Think of God loving us. Individually. As a nation. As a world.
What would this world be like if everyone followed God’s laws and commandments?
We’ll find out one day.
Champions of the Law
“Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren” (Deut. 4: 9 CSB)
We get three things out of this one verse:
- Watch out
- Remember
- Teach your descendants
In a recent devotion, we talked about watching. But here, we can take the watching from another angle. For what do we have to watch? Treffry gave us a good list:
- “Take heed to your character.
- “Take heed to your souls.
- “Take heed to your time.
- “Take heed to your conduct.”
If we follow God’s laws and commandments, our soul will continue to be changed from spiritually dead to spiritually alive. Our character will improve because we will be imitating God as the laws show us His character. We will conduct ourselves morally. We will want to spend time with God to strengthen our relationships with Him.
We’ve talked before how God wants us to remember. Yes, He wants us to remember His laws and commandments. He also wants us to remember how He has provided for us in past trials.
To read related devotion, click on the appropriate button below.
There are a couple of reasons to teach our children about God. One is so that they can admit their sins, believe on His Son Jesus as Redeemer, and confess Him as Sovereign Lord.
The other reason is we learn more when we teach something to others. I know I do a lot of research to put these devotions together – and they really aren’t that long. Some of the stuff I know, and some I learn myself.
Most importantly – as we have seen – if we don’t teach our children about God, our nations grow further and further away from Him. That was what Moses was trying to warn against.
Making the Connections
How we say goodbye is important. We had previous talked about the advice David gave Solomon. We as disciples need to encourage those we leave behind to live for God.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
What I also get from all of this is we have to have more than just a head knowledge. They need to be a part of us. But part of us for the right reason.
Take lying for example. It is easy to say, “I don’t lie because I am a person of integrity.” Disciples, however, need to say, “Because my God does not lie, and I want to imitate God and become holy and righteous, I will not lie.”
We can’t not lie just because that makes us a good person. Being good is not all for which God is looking.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
How Do We Apply This?
We have to follow God’s laws. Strictly follow God’s laws. To the letter. All the time.
If we don’t, we have to repent. Repentance is expressing sorrow for things we’ve done wrong. But it is not just feeling sorry for doing those things. It is making the commitment to changing ourselves so that we no longer do the wrong things.
God loves us. He has established these laws and commandments to show just how much. He did this for our benefit.
On day, when this heaven and earth has passed away (Rev. 21), we will be able to follow these laws and commandments to the letter. When we are changed to spiritual beings, we will be able to do that.
Father God. We want to follow Your laws and commandments — because they are for our good. Mainly, we want to imitate You. We want to grow in holiness and righteousness so that we are prepared for our eternal home. Help us because that is hard to do in this world. Strengthen us to withstand the temptations to break Your laws and commandments. Amen.
What do you think?
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