Hearing Gods Grace: Gods Commanding Word

Deuteronomy 4, verse 15 to 24, and that's on page 183.

Deuteronomy 4:15–24

You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire.

Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt

and make for yourself an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman,

or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air,

or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below.

And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars, all the heavenly array,

do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshipping things the Lord your God

has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.

But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron smelting furnace,

out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are.

The Lord was angry with me because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan

and enter the good land the Lord your God is giving to you as your inheritance.

I will die in this land. I will not cross the Jordan.

But you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land.

Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God has made with you.

Do not make for yourselves an idol in any form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden.

For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Continuing at verse 32.

Now ask 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?

Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire as you have and lived?

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?

You were shown these things so that you may know that the Lord is God.

Beside him there is no other.

From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you.

On earth he showed you his great fire,

and you heard his words out of the fire.

Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them,

he brought you out of Egypt by his presence and his great strength,

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.

Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above,

and on the earth below.

There is no other.

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.

Thank you.

Let's pray.

Assemble the people before me to hear my words,

so that they may learn to revere me.

And that they may teach them to their children.

Our Father, we gather around you through your word right now.

And we want you to speak to us afresh,

so that we too might revere you,

to know what it is to honour you,

to live lives of worship before you,

and that we might also teach these same things to our children,

and to our families,

so that they too might know the living God.

So please, by your Spirit,

speak into our lives,

and change us, we pray.

Amen.

Well, he has been their leader now for over 40 years.

As God's prophet to God's people,

Moses was God's chosen instrument

to speak God's commanding words into the lives of his people.

Without Moses,

they would never know what God had planned or promised.

Without Moses,

they would never hear from God.

He was God's mediator.

God would speak to the people through Moses.

He was that vital voice

that kept God and the people

in communication with one another.

Now they stand on the verge of entering the promised land.

But something very sad was about to happen.

Look at chapter 3, verse 27.

God is speaking

to Moses.

Chapter 3, verse 27.

And God said to Moses,

Go up to the top of Pisgah

and look west and north and south and east.

Look at the land

with your own eyes

since you are not

going to cross this Jordan.

In fact, later in chapter 4, verse 22,

Moses himself would say to the people,

I will die in this land.

I will not cross the Jordan,

but you are about to cross over

and take possession of that good land.

So the great leader

who spoke to the people

on God's behalf

was about to die.

He was not going with them

into the promised land.

So the big question is,

who is now going to speak

to God's people

because Moses is going to die

and he's not going to be there?

They're going to enter the promised land,

so who is going to be the one

who's going to speak for God?

Because without God's voice,

they will never know what to do.

Well, God's people

never need a new voice.

We need to hear

the same voice.

First,

God powerfully speaks

to his people.

Chapter 4, verse 1.

Moses speaking to the people.

Hear now, O Israel,

the decrees and laws

I am about to teach you.

Follow them

so that you may live

and may go in

and take possession of the land

that the Lord,

the God of your fathers,

is giving you.

Do not add

to what I command you

and do not subtract from it,

but keep the commands

of the Lord your God

that I give you.

You see,

with his death in mind

and knowing that

he's not going into

the promised land,

Moses reminds

God's word to them.

Hear what I teach you.

Follow what I give you.

Keep what I command you.

You see,

the people don't need

a new voice.

They need to keep hearing

the same voice

as they move

into the promised land.

Verse 5.

See,

I have taught you

decrees and laws

as the Lord my God

commanded me

so that you may

follow them

in the land

you are entering

to take possession of it.

God is always

a speaking God

and his voice

is continually heard

when his same word

is taught.

Look at the end

of verse 9.

He tells them

to teach them

these words

to your children

and to their children

after them.

So it's not a case

of hearing something new

but listening carefully

to what God

has said.

And this is always

primary

and it's foundational

for God's people.

There's two things

we want to look at

under this.

First,

that God

has spoken.

Look down at verse 10

still in chapter 4.

He's reminding them

of an event

that happened

40 years ago.

He says,

Remember the day

you stood before

the Lord your God

at Horeb.

This was Mount Sinai.

Remember what happened

when he said to me,

Assemble the people

before me

to hear my words

so that they may

learn to revere me

as long as they

live in the land

and may teach them

to their children.

You came near

and you stood

at the foot of the mountain

while it blazed

with fire

to the very heavens

with black clouds

and deep darkness.

Then the Lord

spoke to you

out of the fire.

You heard the sound

of words

but saw no form.

There was only

a voice.

Now you try

and picture yourself

there.

It must have been

an incredible

and memorable

sight.

Thousands

of God's people

gathered round

this mountain

which looked like

to them

that it was

on fire

but at the same time

it was covered

in this deep

dark

black cloud.

And as they're

watching all of this

suddenly

from this mountain

comes an audible

voice.

And who was speaking?

Well look at the

beginning of verse 12.

Then the Lord

spoke to you

out of the fire.

And what did God

look like

when he spoke?

Look at the rest

of verse 12.

You heard the sound

of words

but saw no form.

There was only

a voice.

You see

it's not what they

saw

that was important

but what they

heard.

They don't know

what God

looks like

but God

was speaking

to his

people.

Now

we need to ask

ourselves at this

point

is this the way

we should be

expecting God

to speak to us?

Do we all have

to take a

bus trip down

to

Cairn-Tool

and gather

round the base

and wait for

fire and dark

clouds and

for a voice

to come?

How is God

going to speak

to us?

Well

keep your finger

in Deuteronomy 4

and flick forward

to

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18 · chapter mention

chapter 18.

Deuteronomy

18.

Remember

the whole

of Deuteronomy

is a series

of sermons

if you like

or talks

that Moses

gives to the

people

just before

they cross

over into

the promised

land.

He's reminding

them of all

that God

has said

and here

he speaks

to them

again.

Chapter

18

verse 15

The Lord

your God

will raise

up for you

a prophet

like me

from among

your own

brothers.

You must

listen

to him.

down to

verse 17

The Lord

said to me

what they

say is

good.

I will

raise up

for them

a prophet

like you

from among

their brothers.

I will

put my

words

in his

mouth

and he

will tell

them

everything

I command

him.

If anyone

does not

listen

to my

words

that the

prophet

speaks

in

my

name

I

myself

will

call

him

to

account.

So God

is going

to raise

up other

prophets

other

speakers

like

Moses

who will

continue

to speak

God's

word

to the

people.

Not a

different

word

but the

same

word.

Not a

different

voice

but the

same

voice.

And so

again we

might ask

the question

well where

is this

prophet

today?

Who is

going to

speak to

God

for us?

Because

many people

claim to

speak to

us on

behalf of

God.

They might

say something

like well

God has

told me

or God

has said

to me

I've

heard God

speak to

me and

now I

must tell

you.

Well how

should God

speak to

us?

Well flick

further on

to Hebrews

Hebrews 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1.

I haven't

got a page

number.

Hebrews

Hebrews 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1.

You see

this is

the pattern

that God

takes his

people that

he speaks

through and

in Hebrews

Hebrews 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

and verse

1 we

read this

in the

past God

spoke to

our forefathers

through the

prophets.

So in the

past as in

the time of

Deuteronomy he

spoke through the

prophets at

many times and

in various

ways but in

these last

days and

we're in the

last days he

has spoken to

us by his

son whom he

appointed heir

of all things.

You see

the last and

ultimate and

if you like

final prophet

is Jesus.

He is God's

final and

complete word

to us today.

So like the

people of

Israel we

don't need

a new

word.

We need to

keep hearing

the same

word, the

voice of

God through

his son

Jesus Christ.

So God

has spoken

to us.

His word is

fulfilled

completely in

Jesus.

But let's go

back to

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4.

And the

second part

of this,

not only

has God

spoken,

but God

speaks

powerfully.

In chapter

4 verse

11 we have

this amazing

scene of

the mountain

and we read

in verse 11

you came

near and

you stood

at the foot

of the

mountain

while it

blazed

with fire.

And in

verse 12

then the

Lord spoke

to you

out of

the fire.

Or look

at verse

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.

Now I

hope we've

made the

connection.

Fire and

words.

Why did

God's word

come out

of the

fire?

Well one

commentator

helpfully

puts it

like this

that fire

can be

both

beautiful

and

dangerous.

There is

something

attractive

about a

fire.

A fire

can draw

you

and

warm

you.

But there

is something

destructive

about a

fire.

As we've

seen in

the fires

in Australia

it can

consume

you

and

destroy

you.

You see

God's

words are

both

beautiful

and

dangerous.

His words

bring life

and they

bring death.

Listen to

the words

of the

final and

ultimate and

great prophet

Jesus.

We opened

up with these

words at the

very beginning

this morning.

They come

from John

John 5:24

5 verse

24.

I tell

you the

truth

whoever

hears my

words

and believes

him who

sent me

has eternal

life

and will

not be

condemned.

He is

crossed over

from death

to life.

You see

to hear

God's

words

to obey

God's

words

is life

in all

its fullness.

To ignore

God's

words

and to

disobey

God's

word

is death

and chaos.

You see

we can't

treat God's

word with

indifference.

We can't

approach

God's

word and

read it

and say

it doesn't

matter.

We can't

kind of

pick and

choose the

bits that

we like

and say

well I

don't want

them saying

this but

I'm quite

happy with

this.

It does

matter.

It's the

difference

between

life and

death.

So we

don't need

a new

voice.

We need

to keep

hearing the

same voice

God

speaking

powerfully

to us

through

his

word.

So what

does God

actually

say to

us?

What is

his word

to us?

Well second

God's

binding

words

for his

people.

Look at

verse 15

chapter 4.

This is

what God

says to

them.

He said

God

says to

you

God

warns us

about

idolatry.

Idolatry

or an

idol as

we've often

said before

is a

God

substitute.

It can

be someone

or something

that we

put in

place of

God.

So your

family,

your spouse,

your husband

or wife

or your

children

can become

an idol.

Health

and beauty

can become

an idol.

Work,

education,

money,

leisure,

any of

these things,

anything

that is

more important

to you

than God

is an

idol.

So verse

19.

And when

you look

up to

the sky

and you

see the

sun,

the moon

and the

stars,

all the

heavenly

array,

do not

be enticed

into bowing

down to

them and

worshipping

things the

Lord your

God has

apportioned

to all

the nations

under

heaven.

In other

words,

we're not

to give

ourselves to

anyone or

anything

that God

has created.

We are

to worship

God,

not his

creation.

we are

to give

ourselves

completely

to God.

He owns

us,

he wants

us.

But why?

Why should

we give

ourselves to

this God?

Well,

the answer

is this,

because God

has given

himself

completely

to us.

Two

things.

First,

God is

jealous

for us.

look at

verse 23.

Be careful

not to

forget the

covenant

of the

Lord your

God that

he made

with you.

Do not

make for

yourselves an

idol in

the form of

anything the

Lord your

God has

forbidden,

for the

Lord your

God is a

consuming

fire,

a jealous

God.

Now,

all of

this is

said within

the context

of the

covenant.

A

covenant is

God's

binding

commitment

to his

people.

It's what

brings them

together and

unites them

together.

So God

is saying

to them,

I have

given

myself

to you.

I am

bound to

you.

That's what

the covenant

is.

I'm bound

to you.

I am

jealous

for you.

Now,

we often

see jealousy

as something

that's quite

negative.

And we

tell our

children,

you're not

to be

jealous.

I want

what you

have.

That's a

negative

jealousy.

It's not

healthy.

But there's

also a

positive

jealousy.

So let

me give

an example

of a

husband

and wife

who are

in that

loving,

passionate,

committed

relationship,

that covenant

where they

are bound

together.

Now,

that husband

and wife

don't share

that intimate

love with

other people.

It's for

themselves.

themselves.

So if I

discovered

Kirsty,

this isn't

true,

if I

discovered

Kirsty was

giving her

attention to

some other

man,

if she was

walking into

another room

and spending

all her time

talking to

them,

well,

I would

become very

jealous.

I would

become angry,

a right

kind of

anger,

because in

marriage you

don't share

that same

intimate

love with

somebody

else.

My love

is for

Kirsty,

and her

love is

for me.

And that

love is a

jealous love,

and we're

to protect

that love.

So God's

word to us

is this,

I have

bound

myself to

you,

I am

passionately

committed

to you,

I am

jealous for

you,

I've given

my life

for you,

I don't

share my

love easily

with other

people,

it's for

you.

So why,

going back

to verse

23,

24,

why would

you want

to give

yourself to

someone else

or something

else?

Why would

you replace

God?

Why would

you have a

God substitute?

Idols will

only corrupt

you and

destroy you,

but I'll

die for

you,

I'm

jealous for

you,

I'm

bound

to you.

But not

only is

he a

jealous

God,

he is

merciful

to us.

God's

word is

so honest

about what

we are

like.

Look at

verse 28.

Here Moses

actually

predicts,

having said

all of

that,

he predicts

the way

the people

are going

to go.

There you

will worship

man-made

gods of

wood and

stone

which

cannot

see or

hear or

eat or

smell.

In other

words,

they're

powerless.

But if

from there

you seek

the Lord

your God,

you will

find him

if you

look for

him with

all your

heart and

with all

your soul.

Verse 31,

for the

Lord your

God is

a merciful

God.

He will

not abandon

or destroy

you or

forget the

covenant

with your

forefathers

which he

confirmed to

them by

oath.

God

doesn't

quickly

forget

his

commitment,

his

covenant

to us.

In fact,

he will

do whatever

it takes

to keep

that

together.

Now

again,

to use

the illustration

of marriage,

the marriage

relationship,

the vows

for those

of you

who have

been married

or married

taken the

vow that

is eternal

till death

us do

part.

It's that

passionate

commitment

to be bound

together forever

and never

to break.

Now,

should I

fail in

my marriage

and should

I give

my love

to another,

well,

I would

deserve

to be

put out.

I would

deserve

to be

rejected,

to leave

one and

go to

another

would be

breaking it.

I would

deserve

to be

rejected.

But if

Kirsty,

in keeping

with her

promise to

that covenant,

would take

me back

again,

well,

that would

be sheer

mercy.

So God

is saying

to us

in this,

when you

fail me,

because we

will,

when you

replace me

with an

idol,

when you

set up a

God substitute

in your

life,

when you

make your

children

more important

to yourself

than me,

when you

make education

and your

career more

important than

me,

when your

happiness

becomes more

important,

when you

replace me

with something

else,

remember

this,

when you

turn back

to him

and look

for him,

verse 31,

remember

this,

the Lord

your God

is a

merciful God.

He will

not abandon

or destroy

you or

forget the

covenant with

your forefathers,

which he

confirmed to

them by

oath.

God has

made a

binding

commitment

to us.

He is

jealous for

us.

He is

merciful

towards us.

And that

binding

commitment

has been

sealed now

and for

all eternity

through the

death of

his son,

Jesus

Christ.

Christ.

So what

is our

response

to this

amazing

God?

Well,

third,

God's

gracious

demands

on his

people.

Look at

verse 33.

he's

reminding

them of

all that

God has

done.

Has

any

other

people

heard

the

voice

of God

speaking

out of

fire

as you

have

and

lived?

Has

any

God

ever

tried

to

take

you

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?

Has

anyone

done

this

for

you?

Have

they?

Has

anyone

ever done

this for

you,

what we've

just

read?

Well,

God

has done

this for

you,

and for

me,

and so

much

more.

The

word of

God

that

spoke

out of

the

fire,

that

very

word

that

spoke

from

the

mountain

to

the

people

all

those

years

ago,

that

word

became

flesh,

became

a human

being,

and

came to

earth

for

us.

That

very

word

that

spoke

from

the

fire,

Jesus

Christ,

the

voice

of

God,

came

into

the

world

for

us

and

called

us

out

so

that

we

might

belong

to

him.

By

miracles

and

signs

and

wonders,

Jesus

proved

that

he

was

God.

And

by a

mighty

hand

and

with

outstretched

arms,

he

died

on the

cross

for

you

and

for

me.

And

he

took

the

sin,

he

took

the

fire

of

God

which

fell

on

Jesus

and

he

was

destroyed

for

us.

He

was the

one

cast out

for us

so that

we

might

never

ever

be

destroyed,

that

we

might

never

be

abandoned

or

let

go.

Has

anyone

ever

done

this

for

you?

Would

you

find

anyone

on

this

planet

who

could

do

this

for

you?

The

fact

is

we

will

never

find

another

God

like

the

God

who

speaks

to

us.

Look

at

verse

35.

You

were

shown

these

things

so

that

you

might

know

that

the

Lord

is

God.

Besides

him

there

is

no

other.

Verse

39.

Acknowledge

and take

to heart

this day

that the

Lord

is God

in heaven

above

and on

earth

below.

There

is

no

other.

God

is

altogether

different.

He

is

altogether

wonderful,

altogether

gracious

and

good

and

great.

We

don't

find

another

God

other

than

the

one

who

speaks

to

us

like

this.

So

how

do

we

even

begin

to

respond

to

all

that

he

has

done?

What

are we

to do?

Well,

look at

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

and

that

you

may

live

long

in

the

land

the

Lord

your

God

gives

you

for

all

time.

You

see,

the

only

right

response

is

simply

to be

people

who

learn

to

listen,

who

learn

to

hear.

Over

50

times

in the

book of

Deuteronomy

it says

hear

or listen

and

in

Hebrew

the word

hear

also

means

to

obey.

So

hear

his

word,

read

it,

keep

his

word,

teach

it

to

your

children,

talk

to

them

about

it,

talk

to

each

other

about

God's

word.

And

if we

do,

we

will

discover

as

we

have

done

this

morning

an

almighty

God

who

is

jealous

for

you,

a

God

who

is

merciful

towards

you,

a

God

who

not

only

speaks

to

you,

but

a

God

who

came

and

died

for

you,

gave

his

life

for

you,

so

that

you

might

have

everything.

Hear

what

he

is

saying,

keep

his

word,

and

teach

this

word

to

your

children,

so

that

they

in

turn

can

teach

it

to

their

children.

Let's

pray

together.

Father,

we have

come to

gather

together,

and we

haven't been

standing around

a mountain,

there has

been no

fire,

but yet

you have

been

speaking

to us

through

your

word,

and

through

your

son,

the

Lord

Jesus,

reminding

us of

all that

you have

done,

and the

kind of

God

that you

are.

God

to

hear,

please

would

you

help

us

to

be

good

listeners,

to

hear

what

you

say,

so

that we

might

learn

more

about

you,

what

you

are

like.

Help

us

to

obey

your