It’s no surprise that Christians are called to live distinctively for God. Some Christians, though, end up living life surrounded by “do’s and don’ts” and lacking joy. That doesn’t seem right. Others try to be cool and edgy, trying to be distinctive both from the world and from other Christians. Also not right.
Deuteronomy is full of laws, telling ancient Israel how they were to live. But before the laws are given, chapter 4 helps us understand why those laws are so good, so important, and so worth doing.
We’ll be helped to understand why we are to serve God, and how to serve him.
The chapter has a clear structure so we’ll look at it in its 5 parts.
These notes accompany a sermon on YouTube delivered at Bromborough Evangelical Church in April 2024. You can find more in the series in our Sermon Index.
Live visibly for God (1-8)
Deuteronomy is a series of speeches from Moses to Israel as they were about to enter Canaan, the Promised Land.
- In chapters 1-3, Moses was forcing them to look back on their own faithlessness compared with God’s power – encouraging them to trust God enough to step forward in mission.
- Chapter 4 is the conclusion of this first speech.
Read Deuteronomy 4:1-2.
- As so often, we see a call to faith and obedience together.
- They’re to step forward in faith to take hold of what God has promised to give.
- God’s word is sufficient and complete. It’s time to obey.
Now read Deuteronomy 4:3-5.
- A reminder that you know you can step forward in faith because you have known God by experience.
- And because you’ve seen what God has done for you, now “look” [see] what you are to do for God.
Read Deuteronomy 4:6. This is a key verse.
They were to live out God’s laws to “show wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples”…
- and this was so that people would see and comment on how “wise and understanding” God’s people were.
Remember that God called Israel to be a “kingdom of priests” (in Exodus 19) – a whole nation to make God known to the world.
Visible priorities
And also remember that that’s what you are too (1 Peter 2:9).
- You are to live out God’s laws in a world that rejects him.
- You’re to live with exemplary goodness, compassion, and action.
- Live in a way that surprises people with your priorities.
Demonstrate that to live for Christ is better than anything.
- Someone invites you to something on a Sunday. Do you say, “I’ll have to skip church” or “Sorry, I’ll be at church”?
- Will you holiday in the Bahamas or on Beach Mission?
- Even diligence and honesty in work, or giving time and energy to pop round, give lifts, do a little shopping.
- You’re to do all this not to be seen to be a wonderful person but to be seen to serve a wonderful saviour.
- Why? Because if you live your life like everyone else does how will they ever think they need Christ?
Now, the aim is that the world will see wisdom and understanding in how you live for Christ.
But Satan has blinded the eyes of the world: He’s twisted what people think is good. Society generally thinks that things like abortion, euthanasia, and same-sex relationships are “good” when God has declared them to be sinful. People won’t see your Christian ethics as wise and understanding, but rather bigoted and hate-filled.
But God is good and so is his law. So we have to work harder:
- Abortion → care for pregnant women and unwanted children.
- Euthanasia → care for mental health, people with disabilities; honouring the aged and infirm.
- Same sex relationships → Have a biblically high regard for marriage, churches celebrating and supporting celibacy for Christ (see The Plausibility Problem by Ed Shaw).
And the blessing of living under God’s laws is the blessing of God’s presence: Read Deuteronomy 4:7-8. And so:
Serve God (not law) (9-14)
No-one asks you to serve a law in isolation. You’re not a slave to law; you’re serving God who has given you laws for your good.
“Don’t touch that, it’s hot” is clearly a good law. That is how God’s laws work: They may be freeing or restricting, but they are always for your good. And they are emphatically from God.
Read Deuteronomy 4:9-10.
Remember who gave these laws. Remember God himself! So teach your children too. Not just laws, not just Bible stories, but tell them what God is like as you have experienced him. And gather to hear him speak (that’s what we’re doing week by week in church).
What did God do, when they gathered at Horeb (Mt Sinai)?
Read Deuteronomy 4:11-12.
He spoke. He didn’t appear in any visible form, being hidden from them. But they heard his voice. And that’s something you can still do today as these words are read. He still speaks.
Covenant laws and promises
Read Deuteronomy 4:13-14.
What did he speak? Not just laws for laws’ sake. God spoke covenant laws. Binding laws. God binds himself to sinful people in binding covenant. You’re not called to obey God’s laws as if they’re an end in themselves. You obey God because he has spoken, to you, personally. He called you. Also, he has bound himself to you, to bless you and do you good. So his laws will bless you and do you good (and cause you to do good in the world). Why disobey?
When you take your eyes off God and focus only on obedience then commands are a burden, a chore, a weight you can’t lift.
God’s laws show you how to live under his blessing, drive you to him for forgiveness, and display his nature to you and others. They’re robbed of meaning or purpose if they’re not done in his service.
So to serve God well, you need to be satisfied fully in him:
Be satisfied with God (15-24)
Our hearts are drawn to so many things, and we are sinful. We’re given warnings next about how to be satisfied with God.
Read Deuteronomy 4:15-18.
When God “appeared” at Sinai, they only heard his voice. No vision was given. Why?
- No visible image could possibly be lovely enough to display all his infinite splendour – at least, not without killing everyone who saw it!
- Worse, if people tried to make a physical representation of God then there starts to be worship of the object, not God. That’s readily seen in the superstitions of Roman Catholic icons and statues.
Now, of course, God has been revealed to us in Christ (though with his glory veiled). He is the visible image of the invisible God. His exact appearance, what he looked like, doesn’t matter. Jesus reveals the glory of God in a thousand ways, for those with eyes to see.
Is it ok to have books and films with images of Jesus? Jesus was a physically real person, so it’s historically accurate to portray him so. More importantly, we don’t worship him as we see his image in (say) a children’s Bible. The book isn’t an idol.
So don’t worship an image of God.
No substitutes
Equally, don’t worship anything in Creation – however glorious it might be: Read Deuteronomy 4:19.
Your focus is to be God, brought to you in Christ, revealed to you in the Bible. John Owen speaks of people who don’t understand such things: They can’t understand Christ, can’t see his glory by faith, and so their hearts aren’t warmed to contemplate him. They need substitute glory, so look to ornate buildings, incense, fancy robes, and pomp. Contemporary worship often does the same, with mood lighting, complex music performed on stage, graphics.
But your treasure is God in Christ. Not because he is yours, but because you are his: Read Deuteronomy 4:20.
Moses then reminds them that God takes his commands seriously. He lives and will act for his honour. Read Deuteronomy 4:21-24.
Worship nothing but God, and don’t even worship him through an idol or an image. He is a jealous God.
Jealousy isn’t the same as envy. Envy comes from covetousness, wanting what someone else has.
But jealousy comes from love. I know my wife loves me. If my head was turned to look at another woman then Julia’s love for me would burn in jealousy. That would be right, because the intensity of jealousy is fuelled by love. And hurt. And that’s what idolatry is to God. God doesn’t need you or your love. He loves you and you are blessed to love him! He loves you with a passionate intensity that inevitably and rightly becomes jealousy when your head is turned.
We’ll come back to how you can be satisfied with God in a moment. But first:
Don’t let sin keep you away (25-31)
God was giving them a covenant full of blessing. But disobedience would lead to covenant cursing.
Read Deuteronomy 4:25-28.
- They’re given a grim picture of exile.
- There are consequences for sin, and it’s as obvious that they would sin as you will.
- Heaven and earth are called as two witnesses to the covenant (like witnesses on a contract).
- In Psalm 50, heaven and earth are called as witnesses to the broken covenant, to sham worship, and to the rightness of exile for Israel.
You and I have idols. There are times when your worship is sham – your heart and mind are elsewhere.
- Homes, pensions, cars, holidays are often idols to the god of comfort, self, ease.
- Social media, wealth, reputation, status are often idols to the god of me, pride.
They had idols; you have idols; people are all the same. Thankfully, God does not change. Their God is your God.
Read Deuteronomy 4:29-31.
Years later, Israel’s sin had them exiled to Babylon. But Jeremiah wrote to the exiles to say that they would be there for 70 years, but that when they sought God he would be found and would restore them. 70 years later, Daniel sought God for restoration. Israel were restored to the Promised Land, to Jerusalem.
You have more idols than you know. In idolatry, you can expect to stir up God’s consuming fire and jealousy – precisely because he loves you so much. In repentance, you can expect his compassion. God is compassionate and gracious, abounding in faithful love and mercy. That’s his nature.
Whatever your failings, in your sin return to him for forgiveness.
And then you discover the ultimate grounds for loving obedience:
Meditate on Christ (32-40)
By “meditate” we don’t mean empty your mind – but rather fill your mind with Christ.
Read Deuteronomy 4:32-34.
It’s a call to meditate on all God has done. Now, in Christ, you have so much more to meditate on. God’s compassion for you is so great that he took on human flesh, lived a perfect life in your place, then died in your place – all so that you could become a child of God! “Has anything like this great event ever happened?”
Read Deuteronomy 4:35-36.
Again, you have even more. You have been shown God in Christ. More than a voice; he came to earth from heaven. When the Father’s voice did come, he said, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased; listen to him!” God has displayed his glory to you in Jesus Christ!
Read Deuteronomy 4:37-38. Meditate on what Christ has done for you – a full and free redemption!
And so there is truth to sink into your heart and bones: Read Deuteronomy 4:39-40.
- Jesus is Lord! He is God the Son, the Lord, active in heaven and earth.
- You are called to live for him, with him, in his strength.
- You’re to make this glorious saviour known to the world by living distinctively for God.
In summary
Live visibly, in distinctive holiness of life, so that everyone will know you’re a Christian, and they will see your joy in it.
Serve God personally, not as a slave to law but in joyful relationship with the God who has saved you.
Be satisfied in God, needing no substitute in life or in church: Christ is your goal and delight.
Live under grace, returning to the one who loves you and is ready to forgive you, pick you up, and help you get going again.
And live securely, remembering who Jesus is, in all his eternal heavenly splendour, amazed that he has done so much for you.