Deuteronomy 4:40

Thou shalt keep therefore His statutes, and His commandments,. .. that it may go well with thee.

A command and a promise

I. Moses enjoins an obligation, which is really the highest privilege.

1. Israel’s relation to God.

(1) In contrast with Gentile beliefs--polytheistic--each nation its own God; mostly debased forms of human passion.

(2) Jehovah proclaims Himself only God, others His subjects (Jeremiah 10:7; Psalms 22:28); but they, His one people (chap. 32:9).

(3) Moses bids them realise that they are the prerogative nation of the world (Exodus 19:6).

(a) By His presence among them.

(b) By keeping commandments.

(c) Of this, love of God must be the root.

2. The grounds of this relation.

(1) “Not thy righteousness.”

(2) “Love for thy fathers.”

II. Moses holds out a promise. Each Israelite had--

1. A full life--long share of temporal blessings.

2. Then partly realised by--

(1) Rescue from Egypt (Deuteronomy 4:20); and

(2) Then their recent first victory, taking possession of the land (Numbers 21:33).

3. But partly in store.

(1) Jordan to be crossed, and

(2) Canaan won.

4. Thus, in spite of their dastardly unworthiness, promise ripened to performance. (H. Hayman, D. D.)

Penalty of disregarding commands

On the bridge of a good steamer was the captain giving the right course, N-by-W. 67°. He bad taken account of eddies and currents. The second officer, leaving, perhaps, the currents out of consideration, came and directed the helmsman to make it N-by-W. 57°, but to bring the ship round so gently that the captain would not notice it. The result was a disastrous wreck. If we refuse to hearken to God’s voice, and we disobey His commands, our lives will be wrecked, and all our hopes of happiness shattered.

Obedience indispensable

Suppose I have a son, say ten years old, and I want him to go to school until he is fifteen or twenty years, but he has just set his will against mine. He says, “I refuse to go to school for another day.” I tell you that that child will be unable to do one thing to please me until he goes to school. He may make all the sacrifices he may have a mind to, he may go out and earn two or three shillings a day, and bring every penny to me; but I do not want his money, I want his obedience. What God wants is obedience. (D. L. Moody.)

Obedience to God is conducive to our welfare

Another peculiar excellency of our religion is, that it prescribes an accurate rule of life,--most agreeable to reason and to our nature; most conducive to our welfare and content, tending to procure each man’s private good, and to promote the public benefit of all, by the strict observance whereof we bring our human nature to a resemblance of the Divine; and we shall also thereby obtain God’s favour, oblige and benefit men, and procure to ourselves the conveniences of a sober life and the pleasure of a good conscience. For if we examine the precepts which respect our duty to God, what can be more just, pleasant, or beneficial to us than are those duties of piety which our religion enjoins? What is more fit and reasonable than that we should most highly esteem and honour Him who is most excellent; that we should bear the sincerest affection for Him who is perfect goodness Himself, and most beneficial to us; that we should have the most awful dread of Him that is infinitely powerful, holy, and just; that we should be very grateful to Him from whom we received our being, with all the comforts and conveniences of it; that we should entirely trust and hope in Him who can and will do whatever we may in reason expect from His goodness--nor can He ever fail to perform His promises; that we should render all due obedience to Him whose children, servants, and subjects we are? The practice of such a piety, of a service so reasonable, cannot but be of vast advantage to us, as it procures peace of conscience, a comfortable hope, a freedom from all terrors and scruples of mind, from all tormenting cares and anxieties. (I. Barrow.)