Deuteronomy 4:25-49 God Will Never Forsake You

Intro

As we work our way through this chapter I want you to see the heart of God through Moses

The first three chapters were about Israel’s past and present

Chapter four is about preparing Israel’s heart for the future

He wants them to know the challenges as well as the promises

We should walk away with the assurance that God never forsakes you

Read Deuteronomy 4:25-31

I. vs. 25-31 God will not Leave You

God made a covenant with His people and He expected them to keep it.

The word “covenant” is used at least 27 times in Deuteronomy

It comes from the Hebrew word berith 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 Gen. 26:26–35).

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 warned the people that they would be punished, scattered, and destroyed as a nation if they didn’t take their covenant responsibilities seriously

This is a situation where part of God’s punishment is permitting the sinners to do what they want to do

Vs. 25 When you have grown old

There is a temptation when we get old to become lazy in our obedience

Solomon introduced foreign gods his many wives worshipped when he was old

Moses warns Israel that there will be severe consequences

Anticipating Forgiveness before Sinning

This brings up a conundrum

Some people worry about telling people they will be forgiven before they sin

There is a thought process where people rationalize their sins by knowing they will be forgiven

Three factors play into this:

First, many Israelites who sinned in the way Moses predicted did not receive forgiveness.

They were destroyed before they repented (4:26).

There is no guarantee that people will be spared in order to have an opportunity to repent. It is therefore dangerous to dabble in sin!

Second, those who repent in this passage do so from the bitterness of their chastised state. They are suffering intensely from the consequences of their sin

Finally, there is the hurdle of overcoming our pride and admitting we were wrong

If we do that and seek the Lord with all of heart He will be there

Three Promises we can stand on

First, the Lord is merciful

Second, He will not leave you or destroy you

Third, He will not forget the covenant He swore to your fathers

II. vs. 32-40 Lord alone is God

Moses finishes up his speech by asking them to think of a people who have been as blessed as them

Vs. 32 Ask now of the days past

Since creation, no people have been better treated than you

vs. 33 Did any people ever hear the voice of god speaking out of the midst of the fire?

vs. 34 Has any god ever attempted to take a nation out of another with signs and wonders?

Vs. 35 To you this was shown that you might know that the Lord is God, there is no other

Moses wants them to know that whatever God you come in contact with will not be real

Jesus was asked what the greatest commandmenr was and he recited the Shema

Afterwards the Scribe recited this verse

Mark 12:32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him.

Paul used this verse when dealing with food offered to idols

1 Cor 8:4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.”

vs. 40 Keep his statutes that it may go well with you

When you’re raising small children, you use rewards and punishments to teach them to obey; but when they get older, you hope that character and love will motivate them to shun evil and do what’s right.

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 (6:4–5) emphasizes love for the Lord.

When Moses gave the law to the older generation at Sinai, the emphasis was on the fear of the Lord 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 but we shouldn’t tempt Him because He is also a jealous God.

III. vs. 41-49 Intro to the Law