Deuteronomy 4-6
Today's reading in our Bible in a Year study comes again from Deuteronomy.
Today we get:
The final piece of Moses first "sermon"
The start of the second "sermon"
The reiteration of the ethical decalogue
The one main Commandment
Deuteronomy 4
2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
Moses said, the law was given to him, by God. Therefore there is no interpretation of that law allowed. When God said kill people, you kill them. There is no ambiguity, you aren't allowed to make the verbiage less harsh. You aren't allowed to add to it... you take it for the WORD that it is!
5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
The laws are for the Jews in the promised land. Hmmm. Does that mean that these laws are not in effect for Jews outside of the land of Israel?
9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;
Does Moses even remember who he's talking to? These are the people who transgressed the LORD at least 10 times. They forgot the LORD when He was a pillar of smoke and fire, right in their midst. How well will they remember when God isn't guiding them daily?
12 And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.
13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
And then Moses broke them.
16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Moses talks about graven images for the next few verses, and not in the context of the 10 commandments. He makes a point that graven images are one of the worst things a person can do. Are you paying attention cathylicks?
21 Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and sware that I should not go over Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance:
22 But I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan: but ye shall go over, and possess that good land.
Poor Moses, he doesn't get to go.
24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
He sure is, just ask those 250 people, and the sons of Aaron who offered the strange incense.
Moses then promises the destruction of the people for making graven images.
25 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:
Here's his promise.
26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
27 And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.
28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
Scattered among the nations, serving other's gods, doing their work, oh and you'll perish!
Sound familiar?
But if you'll go back to worshiping him, he'll be nice.
31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God
he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
Does that emote there mean that he's just kidding?
Moses then reminds them that God brought them out of Egypt, and that He'll drive out the inhabitants of the promised land.
Here's something interesting. This is the first time that all other gods are called false and not real
39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.
Moses then mentions the names of the 3 manslayer cities on this side of Jordan.
Bezer (of Reuben); Ramoth (of Gad); and Golan (of Manasseh).
Deuteronomy 5
The reiteration of the Moral Decalogue.
1.
7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
2.
8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
3.
11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
4.
12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
5.
16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
6.
17 Thou shalt not kill.
7.
18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
8.
19 Neither shalt thou steal.
9.
20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
10.
21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Deuteronomy 6
1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:
Do the law.
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Love the LORD with ALL thine heart, soul and might.
13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
FEAR!!!
14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
Like in Numbers 16, when the earth swallowed Dathan and Abiram and their families.
24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.
Do it all, and God will love you, don't and He'll wipe you off the earth.
Does that seem to co-exist at all with the teachings of modern christianity?
So what have we learned today?
1. The ten commandments... again.
2. There is only one God, regardless of how many there may have been before Deuteronomy 4.
3. God will bless you, if you follow the law; if not, he'll do really bad things.
YIC
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