DIGGING DEEP NO. 905 – October 19th, 2021 THE GOD WE WORSHIP Deut 4: 1- 9.

The people of Israel were now preparing to enter the land God promised them when He called Abraham; and part of that preparation was listening carefully to a farewell speech by Moses, God’s prophet and their leader. Moses reminded the people of the character of the God of Israel and how they should respond to Him. If we don’t know the character of the God we worship, how can we worship Him in spirit and truth? Jh.4: 24.

1. God speaks – hear Him Deut.4: 1- 2. The eminent Jewish scholar Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote “To believe, we need God, a soul, and the Word”. Apostle Paul wrote “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” Rom.10: 17. The God who brought creation into existence by speaking the Word (Ps.33: 6- 9) has ordained that His people should live by hearing and obeying His Word.

Hearing God’s Word is a matter of focusing our whole being; mind, heart, and will on the Lord; receiving what He says to us, and obeying it. The Word of God must penetrate our hearts and become part of our inner being if it is to change our lives. Hearing and obeying the Word of God was to be Israel’s very life Deut.4: 1.  When God speaks, He sets before us life and death and our response determines which it will be Deut.30: 15- 20.

Not only was Israel’s life dependent on obedience to God’s Word, but so was their victory over the enemy Deut.4: 1. How could the Lord go before His people and give them victory if they weren’t following Him obediently?

Believers today must find their life and victory in God’s Word. Unless we know what God commands, we can’t obey Him; but if we know His commandments, believe them, and obey them, then His power goes to work in our lives and His commandments are not burdensome 1Jh.5: 3. Obeying the Lord becomes a joyful privilege when you realize that His commandments are expressions of His love; assurances of His strength; invitations to His blessing; opportunities to grow and bring Him glory; and occasions to enjoy His love and fellowship as we seek to please Him. In summary, God’s Word is the open door into the treasury of His grace.

There is a warning against changing the Word of God, either by adding to it or by taking from it Deut.4: 2, Prov.30: 5- 6, Rev.22: 18- 19. If God’s Word is our life, then we are jeopardizing our own future if we don’t honor the Word and obey it from the heart.

2. God is holy – fear Him Deut.4: 3- 4. Israel’s persistent sin was idolatry and the immoral practices associated with it. When Moses was with God on Mount Sinai, the people in the camp were worshipping a golden calf (Ex.32). It was a sin against God’s love as well as a violation of God’s law. The false prophet Baalam had been hired by King Balak to curse the people of Israel, but each time Baalam tried to curse the Jews, he ended up blessing them (Numb.22- 24). His curses didn’t work but he had a plan that did work. He and Balak invited the Jewish men to attend one of the Moabite religious feasts and encouraged them to participate to the full (Numb.25). This meant having intercourse with the temple prostitutes, and one man even brought a Moabite woman back into the Jewish camp; God killed 24000 men because of this unholy act. What the enemy couldn’t accomplish with curses and fighting; Balak accomplished with compromise and friendship. The Jews who refused the invitation and remained true to the Lord were still alive, because the Word is our life, and obeying God’s Word keeps us holy and in fellowship with the Lord 2Cor.6: 14- 16. God’s people must be careful not to become friendly with the world Jam.4: 4 or spotted by the world Jam.1: 27, because this leads to loving the world 1Jh.2: 15- 17, and being conformed to the world Rom.12: 2.

To fear the Lord means to respect who He is, and what He says, and by our submission and obedience show Him that we love Him and want to please Him. When we knowingly and willfully defy His authority, we tempt Him to discipline us, and our arrogance only leads to pain and tragic loss Deut.6: 24; Ps.25: 12; 31: 19; 34: 9; Ps,112; 145: 19; Heb.12: 28- 29.

3. God is wise – learn from Him Deut.4: 5- 9. God’s Word is the revelation of God’s wisdom, and we need to know and follow His wisdom if our lives are to please and glorify Him. In the Old Testament, the word wisdom has to do with character rather than human intelligence. Practicing God’s wisdom means you don’t just make a living; you make a life.

Why was it so important for Israel to know and obey God’s wisdom?

1. This was the guarantee of their success in taking possession of the promised land.

2. They would also be witnesses to the other nations Deut.4: 6- 8.

3. It helps to build godly homes Deut.4: 9- 10.

How can gospel-believing parents best influence their children to trust the Lord and live by His wisdom?

1. Be good examples to your children. The sins of parents; especially spiritual neglect and bad example may be imitated by the children and produce sad consequences later in life.

2. Don’t let God’s Word slip from your minds and hearts.

3. Remember what the Lord has done for you in the past and share these experiences with your children.