Although not all of them have been posted, I have now written in excess of thirty "Examining The Scripture" posts. I must admit that, of those I've written, this is my personal favorite so far. It really is a sermon(s) waiting to be preached on the glorious attributes of a mighty God. Perhaps some day I will better flesh them out and do just that. These few verses about to be outlined are so rich in theology that it is like marinading in holiness and wonder. When I say theology I mean exactly what theology is defined as: the study of God. We have a healthy window to God's attributes here. Obviously, it isn't all of them because God's attributes are infinite in quantity and infinite in quality. We do get a deep glimpse into the nature of God Himself. Glimpses that were available to the Israelites centuries before the incarnate arrival of the Messiah Jesus Christ. What a strange (in a mysterious way) and wonderous God we have. How great it is that He has chosen to reveal himself to us in this manner. It is a shame that words limit Him and don't do Him true justice but as flawed finite beings we get a vivid picture here.
There is a lot going on theologically in Deuteronomy 4:32-40. A smorgasbord of holy goodness, eight verses of densely packed theology. What we primarily learn here is that The Lord Alone is God. We also get a lot of his attributes and character in a very short space. I have broken them down to the best of my ability in an outline form. Where there is a repeat of a theological themes I have repeated it in its context. Seeing it once will allow you to recognize it elsewhere. Wow, this would make a great sermon!
(32) Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? (33) Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? (34) Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? (35) You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.(36) From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. (37) Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength, (38) to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today. (39) Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. (40) Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time.” Deuteronomy 4:32-40
1. Verse 32: “from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other”
1a. God is all omnipotent and creator of all
1b. God is omnipresent no matter where we are in the creation
2. Verse 33: "Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived?"
2a. A rhetorical question about a Theophany or a preincarnate appearance of God in the Old Testament
2b. A statement indirectly of the fact God is the only God
3. Verse 34: “Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation...”
3a. God has made Israel/Moses people a chosen people
4. Verse 35: “You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.”
4a. A direct monotheistic statement, there is only one God and he is omnipotent
4b. Sovereign/Providence/Grace: He has chosen to reveal things (shown) to the Isralites/Moses in His own time. He didn’t have to, it was by grace.
4c. "by testings" punishemnt of a just and merciful God that knows we are worthy of death for our sins
4d. "by miraculous signs and wonders" Miracles: a less common kind of God's activity in which he arouses people's awe and wonder and bears witness to Himself
4e. "by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds" An Omnipotent God, a God that cares about those he has created and who acts as a Suzerain over in a Suzerain-Vassal covenant (Sinai).
5. Verse 36: “From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you.”
5a. Israel was to obey Him and if they didn’t punishment was justified
5b. God is a just God
5c. Obedience is for Israelite’s own good because they are fallen and sinful
5d. God wants man holy because He is Holy
5e. To have a relationship with God as stated earlier.
5f. God cannot look upon evil without judging it as a just God
6. Verse 37: “Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them…”
6a. God loves because God is [perfect] love
6b. We love Him because He first loved us.
6C. "chose" denotes soveriegnty and/or providence
7. Verse 38: "to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance"
7a. God is forever faithful to his side of the covenants. To Him they are eternal.
8. Verse 39: "Acknowledge...that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below... there is no other."
8a. God is Omnipresent
8b. He is unique
9. Verse 40: "Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you"
9a. Believers in God are charged to obey his commands (it is a sign you fear and love Him).
9b. Beleivers are charged to do this for their own good. God doesn't need to obey, He is the Law.
9c. "and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time" is another statement of the eternal nature of God's side of the covenants he makes with man. An indirect alluding to the immutability and His steadfast unchanging nature.
Like I said, densely packed and marinaded. There is probably more in there that could be unpacked but I believe I hit the main theological underpinnings in each of the eight verses. Feel free to find more and tell me about them if you'd like. I'm sure there is something I may have missed. Unlike God, I am fallible.
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