Deuteronomy: At Journey's EndSample

On being unique

In the beautiful way Moses’ sermon in Deuteronomy 4 is presented, verses 32–38 take up the theme of Israel being a unique people: matching the same theme in verses 5–20; the call to obedience in verses 39–40 matches the call in verses 1–5; and verses 21–31 at the centre emphasize they mustn’t disobey. Please read the whole sermon with this outline in mind. It is a great piece of literature and a real treat. 

There are some strands of truth that come in for special emphasis. 

First, and foremost, there is the fact of special revelation; God revealed his truth in his own words (vv. 1–2, 5, 10, 12–15, 36, 40). He spoke through Moses, but the words that came naturally to Moses were the very words the Lord would have used had he spoken in his own person. This is the miracle of ‘verbal inspiration’. 

Secondly, the Lord, Yahweh, is revealed as the only God (vv. 35, 39) – a God of fiery holiness (vv. 11–12, 36), burning with the fire of true love and expressing himself in jealousy to have the full affection of his people (v. 24), so consequently a God of wrath against sin (v. 3, 26). Yet, at the same time, he is a God responding in mercy (v. 31) to repentance (vv. 29–30). Why then, we might ask, was not Moses forgiven and restored at once (vv. 21–22)? His own answer is that the Lord acted ‘on your account’ (3:26, NKJV), meaning ‘out of consideration for you’. The people had to be taught the seriousness of disobedience, and the Lord chose to do this through the example of Moses – not by injustice, however, because Moses, we may say, only received the due reward of his deeds. 

Thirdly, matching the only God, there is the unique people (vv. 7–8, 20, 33–34, 37–38) – unique in their possession of a revealed way of life and a power of prayer. They are separated from the nations (v. 20) by their possession of revealed truth (v. 33) and their unique way of salvation (v. 34), and their deliverance was by his personal presence (v. 37; literally, ‘his face’ – all he had to do was show his face!) and mighty victories (v. 38). 

Fourthly, this relationship was sealed by a covenant (vv. 23, 31), which involved, among all else in the way of life it commanded, a strict rule of ‘imageless’ worship (vv. 15–18, 23). 

Fifthly, and finally, children were underlined as especially important within the covenant family (vv. 9, 25, 40; cf. Ex. 12:26– 27), with a parental obligation to teach the coming generations.

Reflection

Dwell on the fact the Bible is God’s revealed word (2 Tim. 3:16–17; 2 Pet.1:19–21).