Obedience vs Idolatry (Deuteronomy 4: 1-19)

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Welcome to the Episode!

Welcome to today's episode, "Obedience vs. Idolatry". As we journey through this pivotal chapter, we explore Moses’ urgent appeal to the Israelites to obey God’s commandments and avoid the pitfalls of idolatry. Moses' words, spoken to a generation on the brink of entering the Promised Land, resonate with us today as we navigate our own spiritual journeys. Let's unpack these truths and discover how obedience to God’s Word leads to a life of wisdom, freedom, and lasting joy.

Study Notes

1. Israel's Journey So Far (Deuteronomy 4:1-8):

• Background Recap: Moses recounts Israel’s journey from Egypt to the east side of the Jordan River, emphasizing the lessons learned from past failures and victories.
• Call to Obedience: Moses begins with an earnest appeal for obedience to God’s statutes and judgments, reminding the Israelites that their future success in the Promised Land depends on their faithfulness.
• Witness to the Nations: Israel is called to be a light to other nations, distinguished not by power or wealth but by their close relationship with God and their adherence to His commandments.

2. Remembering Sinai (Deuteronomy 4:9-14):

• The Experience at Sinai: Moses reminds the Israelites of their encounter with God at Mount Sinai, where they saw His power and heard His voice, but saw no form.
• Purpose of the Encounter: The fear and reverence inspired by this encounter were meant to instill a lifelong commitment to obeying God’s laws and to teach future generations to do the same.

3. Warning Against Idolatry (Deuteronomy 4:15-19):

• Avoiding Idolatry: Moses warns against creating and worshiping images or idols, emphasizing that God revealed Himself without form to prevent idolatry.
• Worshiping Creation vs. the Creator: The Israelites are cautioned against the temptation to worship created things like the sun, moon, and stars, which were given by God for all peoples, not as objects of worship but as reminders of His creative power.

Key Takeaways:

• Obedience as Life: Obedience to God’s commandments is presented not as a burden but as the pathway to life, wisdom, and joy.
• Impact on Others: Our obedience to God serves as a witness to others, showing the wisdom and understanding that comes from a relationship with God.
• Reverence for God: True reverence for God involves recognizing His holiness, fearing the consequences of disobedience, and avoiding the distractions of idolatry.

Conclusion: As Moses stood before the Israelites, urging them to choose obedience over idolatry, we too are called to make that choice daily. By holding fast to God’s Word and living in reverence to Him, we not only secure our own spiritual well-being but also become a light to the world around us. Let us commit to walking in obedience, trusting that in doing so, we will experience the fullness of God’s bless

Transcript

Obedience vs Idolatry.  (Deuteronomy 4: 1-29)

Full Transcript

As you know, we I started a series on the book of Deuteronomy, I have suggested that one of the ways that look at the whole book is that it is a series of sermons. 

The first of these sermons is found in the first 4 chapters. Now we've looked at the first 3 chapters so far, and those three are really doing nothing more than tracing Israel's journey. After they got out of Egypt, they went to Sinai's, and then they went to Kadish Barnea. 

After they sent spies to check out the promised land the grew fearful and decided not to enter the land, and God said that generation would perish in the wilderness, and they did. 

Now this first sermon reviews all of those events. Then we are told they made the journey up to the east side of the Jordan, and Moses recalls in detail some of the things that happen to get them to the east side of the Jordan.

One from where they were going to cross the Jordan and they conquered some of the territory on the east side of the Jordan and they divided it among 2 1/2 of the tribes.

Now, that's what Moses has done in this sermon thus far. He has simply had a flashback, so to speak. And he's talked about what has happened to them up to the point now when they are now camped on the east side of the Jordan, poised to go into the land.

The climax of that sermon is in Deuteronomy chapter 4, and in this case, he's not contemplating the past so much as he is giving them an encouragement to embrace their collective future.

This part of the sermon is talking about some of the things that happen, only it's different because now he's using that to talk to them about what they should do going forward. 

But it seems to me among these opening verses of chapter four are several reasons why we should obey the Lord.

That's what Moses is really after. He's trying to prepare them for their future by urging them to obey the Lord.

So, with that in mind, turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter 4 and let's look at verse on he says.

Oh 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 Father's is giving you.

(Deuteronomy 4: 1)

This is an appeal. It's an appeal to them for what they are about to do. The key in verse 1 is he say this call to listen is given so that you might hear and that you may continue to live and go in and possess the land. 

It's another way of saying I'm appealing to you to obey and what follows will be show to be the benefits of obeying. 

So, the first part of this chapter, beginning in verse one, is simply an appeal to obedience. 

This is the practical conclusion to be drawn from their experience in the wilderness and the ideas we shall see is it is because the Lord's want s to demonstrate his faithfulness and mercy?

In their recent history, they haven’t always done that so they should respond and obey him unconditionally in the future. That's the appeal that he is making saying for their future full enjoyment of life they need to be obedient to the Lord.

So, this that appeal Moses makes on behalf of the Lord. He continues in verse two and says, 

And you shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you.

So, he is simply saying. Don't add and don't take away from anything that I command you, but look right in the middle of the verse, in order that, “You may keep the commandments”. Again, he hits the notes of obedience in this verse. He is saying, those are the commandments and don't add anything to them and don't take anyway away from them. Don't add or subtract, just do what I commend you to do.

Of course, many years later. That's exactly what the Pharisee’s did. They added to the commandments. Fast forward to today and you get some legalistic Christians that want to do that today. They're going to add some man-made mandates to what the God ordained commandments. 

When you do that, whether it's ancient Israel, ancient Pharisees, or modern legalism, what you're going to do is you're going to subtract from focusing or you're going to add more than just focusing on the what the scripture says, you're going to focus on those things instead. 

You will present yourself as spiritual when what you've really done is you've been sidetracked from obeying the Lord.

So, the opening verses are an appeal to be obedient, and now to reinforce that and he makes a further appeal about this and says. 

Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal Peor; for the Lord your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor.

(Deuteronomy 4: 3)

Now he's going to repeat this point of what the Lord did recently, but why would you know what he says? This verse tells us by saying you saw it with your own eyes. That's key. 

Israel had seen the Lord do some important stuff. When they entered spiritual and physical adultery with the Moabite women, and they were put to death either by the sword or by plague. All that's recorded in Numbers chapter 25.

That's what he's referring to. 24,000 men died just in the plague. So, he's reminding them what they saw in the past when they were disobedient. All Israel witnessed that. Now look at verse 4. 

But you who held fast to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you.

(Deuteronomy 4: 4)

Not everybody participated in that, so those that are alive weren't killed. That's the idea. He goes on in verse 5 to say.

Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should not act according to them. I get this in the land which you go to possess.

(Deuteronomy 4: 5)

Now. That's the key in all of these verses. As I mentioned a minute ago, in the first 3 chapters, it was about what happened in the past. 

Now he's is going to be talking about the future. He said in verse 1, you may live and go and possess the land. And now he says again in verse 5, the land which you will possess. 

But now he just mentioned what happened and you saw it. This is your experience, he says. You saw what happened when you disobey the Lord. 

So just remember that when you go into the land because obey the Lord will be key to our future success as a nation. So, by pointing to what just happened it is a powerful reminder at a propitious moment that they needed to obey the Lord going forward. 

So, you are alive, you made it, you, this existing generation weren’t responsible for the decision not get to enter into the land that you should be obedient in the future, not like this last generation.

He continues this line he says in verse 6, 

6 Therefore be careful to observe them; (There's the note of obedience again, obedience to Gods laws) for this 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.

(Deuteronomy 4: 6)

This is an interesting reason why you should obey. Israel was not to be distinguished by her natural resources, her wealth, or her military might, but by her moral state and close relationship to God, both of which would come from the nations obedience to the moral commandments given by the Lord.

So, he's saying, look, you need to be obedient. Be careful to observe because when you get into the land you will be in the sight of everybody else, so behave that they might see and you can be a witness to the fact that you have this heavenly wisdom and understanding.

God's children will have an impact on unbelievers, if they obey and behave appropriately, that's his point. Verse seven. 

For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is with you, for whatever reason he may call upon him?

(Deuteronomy 4: 7)

Now he's just mentioned people in verse 6. So, he now says, just think about this, what make a nation great? 

In the ancient times and during Moses time all the nations, had gods, but their gods were remote and inaccessible But the God of Israel was the God who tabernacled among them, God lived among them, set up his tent of meeting amongst them, in their midst. 

So, God was near in stark contrast to all the other nations and the puny idols, and he says, you need to be obedient to embodying that principle so that these other nations ill see that your God, the one true God is nearby. 

He pursues this further in verse 8.

And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?

(Deuteronomy 4: 8)

Again, he's saying, look, you need to be obedient to me and one of the reasons is because of the impact that you will have on all these other nations by simply obeying Gods law. You will then become the envy of all these other nations. They would see Israel as being wise and understanding, and as having a God who is with them.

So, the Mosaic Law was given to Israel not to be a burden but to distinguish them from the others, making them a wise and great nation who was pleasing a holy God. So, Moses’ argument is you need to be obedient because of the impact you're going to have on other nations.

Now I'm going to suggest that these opening 8 verses are simply an appeal to obedience. If I were going to summarise them, I would say that they, since they have the word of God and have seen the work of God, they will be a witness for God,  and that is why they should obey him.

Moses is saying, look, we're talking about the future now, and we have the Word of God, statutes and judgments, he calls them, and you have seen the Lord work, so you have the wisdom of God and if you just follow my guidance and obey me, you will be a witness to other nations. 

Now that this part of the sermon, it's really the conclusion of the whole sermon, and now we're getting to the climax. It's an appeal to obey. 

But there is a second part to this embodied in the appearance at Sinai beginning in verse 9. And going through verse 14, he talks about what happened at Sinai. So, let's look at verse 9. 

Only take heed to yourselves and diligently keep yourselves, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen. I want you to tell us. I want you to take special note of this. I want you to take heed to yourself. I want you to diligently keep yourself less you forget. What your eyes have seen.

(Deuteronomy 4:9)

So, the point is making it You seen this in your experience, and I don't want you to forget it, 

Especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.

(Deuteronomy 4: 10)

So, Moses is talking about what they saw at Sinai. He said especially concerning the day when God said to him, gather the children and let them hear my words, so that you can fear me and you can teach your children.

So that was part of what was going on, at Sinai and you saw it and began to learn to live in the fear of the Lord. The Hebrew word translated fear has a bunch of nuances in it, that it means, for one thing, just to stand in awe. It has a a sense of reference and beyond that, it means to be afraid not so much of God but the consequence you will face in your life if you disobey the Lord. 

So, all that happened at Sinai, according to this passage, was designed so that you would fear the Lord, in the right way. Verse 11.

Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness.

(Deuteronomy 4: 11)

So, what they saw was a burning fire. Now hot on the heels of that, look at verse 12.

And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice.

(Deuteronomy 4: 12)

So verse 9 through to 11 they saw at Sinai. Verse 12 begins what they heard at Sinai. They had never. They did not see God, but they saw what He had done and they heard what He said, all of which was designed to create all reverence and fear in them. Verse 13 says.

So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.

(Deuteronomy 4: 13)

So, he declared to you, they heard that he commanded you to perform the 10 commandments, and he wrote them on 2 tablets of stone. So again, beginning in verse 12, including verse 13, he's talking about what they heard. Then in verse 14 it says.

And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.

(Deuteronomy 4: 14)

Now, once again striking the note of obedience, that is, I'm telling you what you heard and saw at Sinai, so that you might observe to be obedient when you get in the land.

So, Moses says. I taught you the statutes and judgments that you might obey them when you get into the Promised Land. 

So, the second thing he does in this passage is to motivate them to obey is He points them to their experience at Sinai and specifically what they heard and what they saw as a way to motivate them to obey the Lord when they get into the land.

The third thing he does in this passage is he talks about idolatry. 

He starts out giving an appeal to obedience. He then talks about the appearance of the Lord at Sinai, and now he talks about the fact that they should avoid. Adultery. Look at verse 15.

“Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth.

(Deuteronomy 4: 15-18)

Very simply, you didn't see any physical form of the Lord. Right, What you saw was fire. You didn't see the Lord himself. You heard him in the storm, and you saw his presence indicated by a pillar of fire by day and a pillar of smoke by night but you didn't see a form. 

So, because you didn’t see him in the form of something, don't go make one. 

That's again the point of verses 15 through 18. Don't participate in idolatry, avoid it is all cost because clearly if the Lord didn't allow you to see him in a physical form then he does not want you to go make a likeness to him and worship that thing.

Verse 19….

19 And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.

(Deuteronomy 4: 19)

Key to these this verse, this what he says at the end. Notice what he says God has given to all peoples, plural. Under the whole heaven as a heritage.

In other words, the stars were created for a benefit of everybody. But what did the pagans do to that? They worshipped the heavenly bodies, that's what they did. The sun God was worshipped in Egypt. In Jericho they worship the moon God. So the Israelites are told, don't be enticed by what you saw in Egypt or what you will see in Jericho. Don't be tempted to worship the heavenly bodies. 

God gave everybody those heavenly bodies as a benefit to witness his creative power. Not to suggest that these created things have some power over you in themselves.

They have no power to control you, so don't make an image avoid idolatry of even the worship of the stars and the heavenly bodies.

So, as we stand today at Verse 19 of Deuteronomy chapter 4 the precipice, what is about to be a great step forward by the children of Israel. Moses is addressing the Israelites on the brink of their entering the Promised Land. He urges them to listen, to obey, and to hold fast to the statutes and ordinances of the Lord. 

These words are not just for them—they are meant echo through the ages, into the heart of anyone who subsequently approaches and reads this text. Because is still calling us all to a life of obedience, reverence, and steadfast faith.

Moses warns against forgetting what God has done and the guidelines He has given. He knows the temptation that lies ahead—the allure of foreign gods and the pull of worldly distractions. 

He knows how easy it is to turn away from the Lord when we allow our hearts to stray. But here’s the truth that Moses presses upon the people: obedience to God’s Word saying is not a burden; it is our promise of a life well lived.

It is also the source of our wisdom and understanding, and the path to true freedom and lasting joy.

Today, my friends, you and I stand at a similar threshold. The world around us is filled with voices that promise fulfilment in things other than God, the pursuit of power, pleasure, possessions. But like the Israelites, we are called to be a people set apart, a people who cling to the Word of God with all our might. 

The commandments of God are not just rules—they are the pathway to life, the guardrails that keep us on the road to the abundant life Jesus promised.

So, let us hold fast to His Word. Let us live with the right sort of holy fear of the Lord, knowing that He is a consuming fire, but also a compassionate and gracious God. 

And as we do, we will find that His commandments are our delight, our shield, and our strength. In obedience, we will experience the fullness of His blessing, both now and in the future.