Deuteronomy: At Journey's EndSample

The magnetic people

Deuteronomy 4 is a central statement of the message of Deuteronomy, and deserves close thought. Today’s verses are in four sections: verses 1–5 offer a basic principle; verses 5, 9 and 15 introduce three ‘cautions’ to safeguard this principle. 

The people of God have and hold the word of God. This is their distinguishing mark – where the word of God is, there the people of God are – and honouring and guarding this word is their first duty. It is a word with a human voice and a divine origin (vv. 1, 5). Verse 1 shows us further that obedience to the word is the key to life (‘live’), progress (‘go in’), and possession/victory (‘take possession’). It is designed for obedience, and is to be guarded against addition or subtraction (v. 2). Its dominance in the life of the people is always tested (vv. 3–4; cf. Mark 4:17). The Lord’s people are not seekers after the truth – they already possess it – but are researchers and guardians of given truth. What Moses thus said and claimed for the words he mediated, we assert of the whole Bible. 

Now for the first of the three ‘cautions’: 

Israel is a magnetic people (vv. 6–8). When the Lord’s people are known for their devotion to his word (vv. 6, 8), and when the Lord’s presence among them is displayed by their commitment to solving their problems by prayer and by his answers (v. 7), they become a magnet to the watching world. ‘Near’ (v. 7) is part of the ‘next-of-kin’ vocabulary of the Old Testament; the Lord has, in grace, related himself in the closest terms to us. 

Secondly, the unique word (vv. 9–14). Looking back to the basic Sinai revelation of God (Ex. 19); yes, there was fire, cloud and darkness, but it was by God’s word alone that the Lord made himself and his will known. His word was spoken in perpetuity (v.9). The actual words were from God himself (vv. 10, 12), given for their obedience (v. 13) and mediated intact through Moses (v. 14). 

Thirdly, the irreplaceable word (vv. 15– 20). There was a total embargo on any and every sort of visual representation of the Lord. All such represent merely human ideas (v. 16), or draw on created life – and therefore what is beneath God in glory (vv. 17–18). Even the most exalted aspects of the creation would only serve to reduce the Lord’s people to the level of the nations from whom he has separated them to belong to him alone (vv. 19, 20).

Reflection

Only Jesus is the image of the invisible God (John 12:42–50; 14:9; Col. 1:15–18).