“And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you. Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor. But you who held fast to the LORD your God are all alive today. See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon Him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today? Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children…” Deut. 4:1-9
Many have asked what does Moses have to say to us in the 21st Century? And others have answered… “One’s view of Moses controls ones view of Christ.” Moses’ words are God’s Words and God’s Word come from the 2nd Person of the Godhead… Jesus Christ. This is why the Word of God is so powerful…something we need to work on convincing ourselves of in this New Year.
We are, because of our fallen nature, skeptical people. We shouldn’t be… because the Spirit of God is within us and is more powerful…but we all too often lean into our fallen nature because life is hard. The voices we listen to dictate how we will live all too often…that is why we hear this message so often in Scripture, “And now, O Israel, (read, Church) listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.” It is a simple formula really…listen to God’s Word…Do God’s Word…and you will live…be content, be as satisfied as one can be in this fallen world, rejoice, and even endure the dark nights of the soul.
He promises life… when we “listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you”— “Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ And the New Testament agrees (Scripture proves and interprets Scripture) Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” See how the Word of the Lord fits together and …holds us together?!?
They were to listen, keep and share by God’s command. We are to listen and do by fulfilling the purposes that are on our plate for the day (the good works that He determined beforehand for us to do). I don’t know what God might have for you to conqueror today…but by the power of His Word we live to do His bidding. We don’t have the option to make it up on our own…we don’t have the option to give up…we don’t have the option to change the rules…we don’t have the option to live in any other manner than what God has prescribed. “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you.” They like us were experts in changing God’s Word to fit their circumstances.
Since we and they have a tendency to “forget” that God does in fact keep His promises…He reminds them of Him keeping His promises because faith is not blind. “Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor. But you who held fast to the LORD your God are all alive today. See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.” Promises kept…He can be trusted and for those who do hold fast to His word there is life in Him. So when we forget and doubt Him…there are tangible things His Word points us to to remind us of His promises kept…the Bible is full of them.
But then he gives one last command, “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children…” As a believer in Christ filled with the Holy Spirit we do not have to worry about losing our salvation but what is spoken of here is the misery that we will receive when we chose not to follow His Word and His way as He prescribes…this takes hard work on our part since so often our default just wants to quit…so we must “take care and keep our soul diligently”…this is a command that means it is a full time job. Whenever we let our guard down we can and will falter. And, on top of this, you have to love God’s emphasis on family. One of the ways we take care and keep our souls diligently is by teaching these commands to our children.
The Word of God is powerful…it is life…life eternal. Samuel Coleridge once wrote: “I have found in the Bible words for my inmost thoughts, songs for my joys, utterances for my hidden griefs, and pleadings for my shame and feebleness.” And much closer to our time, Rosaria Butterfield testifies, “I had to lean and lean hard on the full weight of scripture, on the fullness of the Word of God…I had a pastor and friends in the Lord who asked nothing less of me than that I die to myself. Biblical orthodoxy can offer real compassion, because in our struggle against sin, we cannot undermine God’s power to change lives.”
God Bless y’all today.
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
