Deuteronomy 4:36-40 meaning

Since God is unique among the gods, Moses calls the Israelites to obey God’s precepts in order that they may live long in the Promised Land.

In the previous sections, Moses asked three rhetorical questions to demonstrate the uniqueness of God. (A rhetorical question is a question that one asks to make a point rather than to get an answer). In asking these questions, Moses presented three important truths. First, God is unique because what He has done has never been reproduced by any human being or any gods. Second, no other nation (besides Israel) has ever heard the voice of God speaking “from the midst of the fire” and has “survived.” Third, no other god (besides Yahweh) was powerful enough to take a nation for himself and to make her special among the nations. Therefore, Moses concluded that God’s powerful acts demonstrate His uniqueness. He alone is God and “there is no other besides Him” (v. 35). This makes it clear that Yahweh is a worthy Suzerain, the greatest of all powers. No other ruler could be as worthy to serve.

Having demonstrated the uniqueness of the true God, Moses moved on to elaborate on the three rhetorical questions from the prior verses. He said, “Out of heavens He [God] let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire.” Moses told the Israelites that the LORD’s purpose in speaking to them was to discipline them, that is, to provide them with the necessary training that would allow them to live in obedience to Him. The LORD spoke from heavens but manifested Himself on earth in the form of fire to give the people a sense of who He is.

Moreover, God chose the Israelites as His treasured possession not because they “were more in number than any of the peoples,” for they were the “fewest of all peoples” (Deuteronomy 7:7). Rather, God chose them based upon His love for Israel’s ancestors. Moses argued, “Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them. And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power, driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in and to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today.” God, the Great Suzerain, could demand obedience by His power. But He does much more: He loves.

God redeemed the Israelites from bondage in Egypt “with a strong hand and an outstretched arm” (Psalms 136:12) and led them through “the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions”(Deuteronomy 8:15). He also drove many great nations before the Israelites and settled them in their place. All these mighty acts demonstrate God’s power over His created universe as well as His love for Israel’s ancestors.

Therefore, Moses concluded his exhortation with a strong call to covenant submission. He asked the people to recognize God’s sovereignty over the whole creation. God is a worthy Suzerain who should be obeyed. Moses told Israel that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other. The words “heaven” and “earth” are employed as a figure of speech which combines two contrasting things to refer to an entirety. Here it shows that God is omnipresent; He is everywhere at the same time. Since God alone can be present everywhere, Moses urged the Israelites to keep God’s precepts. He declared, “So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today.”

The great and powerful Suzerain Yahweh is to be obeyed. But this Suzerain also has made a covenant that if Israel will live in obedience, they will be blessed, and that they may live long on the land which the LORD their God is giving them for all time.” This is the “deal” in the covenant. If the Israelites keep the law, they will be blessed and live in the land. If they do not, they will be expelled from the land and be chastised. Keeping the LORD’s ordinances will guarantee Israel’s success because they and their children would live long in the Promised Land and would enjoy all its benefits.

Biblical Text:

^36 “Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire. ³⁷Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them. And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power, ³⁸driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in and to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today. ³⁹Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the Lord, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other. ⁴⁰So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”

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Additional Resources

Book Theme

The book of Deuteronomy is the fifth and last book of the Torah (“law”). It continues the story of the first 4 books and picks up exactly where the book of Numbers ends (with the people on the plain of Moab). Therefore, as we set the context for the book of Deuteronomy, it is important that we briefly summarize the theme of the previous books to see how the story of God unfolds.

Genesis describes God’s plan to bless the Israelites and the world through one man named Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). Exodus focuses on God’s loving act by which He rescued the Israelites from Egypt in order to have a covenant relationship with them. Once the children of Israel are redeemed, Leviticus instructs them to live a holy life that reflects the life of their covenant redeemer (cf. Lev. 19). Since the first generation of the Israelites failed to obey God wholeheartedly, the book of Numbers displays a strong contrast between God’s faithfulness and the nation’s failure. That is why the book of Deuteronomy reiterates and expands on the covenant to a new generation of Israelites poised to enter and conquer the Promised Land. The message of the book is centered around two key terms: love and loyalty (Deut. 6:4-5).

Outline of Deuteronomy:

I. Introduction: Moses will explain the law (1:1 – 5)
II. Moses’ First Sermon – a Recounting of the LORD’s Faithfulness (1:6 – 4:43)
III. Introduction to Second Sermon on expositing the Law (4:44 – 49)
IV. Moses’ Second Sermon – an Exposition of the Law Given at Mt. Sinai (5:1 – 26:19)
V. Script for Covenant Renewal Ceremony Once they enter the land (27:1 – 29:1)
VI. Moses’ Third Sermon – a Call to Obedience (29:2 – 30:20)
VII. The Last Acts of Moses (31:1 – 34:12)

Chapter Context

The introduction to Deuteronomy includes an explanation on how the book reflects the pattern of the suzerain-vassal treaty, particularly the Hittite treaty of the second millennium BC. In this type of covenant, the suzerain, or superior (such as a king) provides the stipulations to the vassal who is the subject. In Deuteronomy, the suzerain is the true God (Yahweh) and the vassal is Israel. Chapter four contains the various features found in a suzerain-vassal treaty, thereby confirming the nature of Deuteronomy as a covenant document.

In Deuteronomy 4 the Suzerain (Ruler) God is mentioned many times, references are made to some historical acts, and stipulations regarding the covenant are outlined. Moreover, the vassal is exhorted to obey the covenant stipulations in order to receive blessings. Failure to do so results in curses. Finally, witnesses such as “heavens and earth” are mentioned, and the need to transfer the covenantal information to the next generation is stated. Thus, as this chapter concludes the first of the three speeches (or discourses) of Moses, it summarizes several points that will be discussed throughout the rest of the book.

Although Deuteronomy 4 is part of the first discourse, it differs from the previous chapters in at least two ways. Whereas chapters 1-3 offered a historical review describing how Israel reached the boundary of the Promised Land, chapter 4 sets forth the various precepts that must be obeyed by Israel (the vassal) in order to receive the blessing while dwelling in the land.
Whereas the historical narrative instructed the Israelites on how to follow military instructions to conquer Canaan, this chapter teaches them to obey permanent laws of God in order to remain in Canaan and be blessed. Essentially, Deuteronomy 4 teaches the people that whether they submit to God’s covenantal laws will determine the consequences they experience. Thus, this chapter serves as a bridge between the historical prologue of chapters 1-3 and the exposition of the law which starts in 5:1.

Deuteronomy 4:36-40 meaning

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Additional Resources

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The Bible Project - Deuteronomy Summary

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