Deuteronomy 4:36

_(FOR THE LORD THY GOD IS A MERCIFUL GOD;) HE WILL NOT FORSAKE THEE, NEITHER DESTROY THEE, NOR FORGET THE_ _ COVENANT OF THY FATHERS WHICH HE SWARE UNTO THEM._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

24-40 Moses urged the greatness, glory, and goodness of God. Did we consider what a God he is with whom we have to do, we should surely make conscience of our duty to him, and not dare to sin against him. Shall we forsake a merciful God, who will never forsake us, if we are faithful unto him? Whither can we go? Let us be held to our duty by the bonds of love, and prevailed with by the mercies of God to cleave to him. Moses urged God's authority over them, and their obligations to him. In keeping God's commandments they would act wisely for themselves. The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. Those who enjoy the benefit of Divine light and laws, ought to support their character for wisdom and honour, that God may be glorified thereby. Those who call upon God, shall certainly find him within call, ready to give an answer of peace to every prayer of faith. All these statutes and judgments of...

Unwilling, as it might seem, to close his discourse with words of terror, Moses makes a last appeal to them in these verses in a different strain. Deuteronomy 4:34 TEMPTATIONS - Compare Deuteronomy 7:18; Deuteronomy 29:2; not, “i. e.” the tribulations and persecutions undergone by the Israelites, out the plagues miraculously inflicted on the Egyptians. Deuteronomy 4:37 HE CHOSE THEIR SEED AFTER THEM - literally, “his seed after him.” Speaking of the love of God to their fathers in genera

EXPOSITION DEUTERONOMY 4:25-5 Moses enforces the warning against idolatry, by predicting the evil that should come upon the nation through the apostasy of those who should in after times turn from Jehovah to strange gods. When they should have begotten children and children's children, and had been long in the land, _i_._e_._ _when in after years a generation should arise that had not known the things they had seen, or had forgotten them (Deuteronomy 4:9), and the nation should then become wanton and corrupt, and fall into idolatry (cf. Deuteronomy 6:10, etc.; D

OUT OF HEAVEN HE MADE THEE TO HEAR HIS VOICE, THAT HE MIGHT INSTRUCT THEE,.... Thunder is the voice of God, and by which he instructs men in the greatness of his power, Job 26:14, c. unless his voice in giving the law, which was for the instruction of Israel, is meant for that was heard on earth, on Mount Sinai, to which the following refers: AND UPON EARTH HE SHOWED THEE HIS GREAT FIRE; on Mount Sinai, which burned with it: AND THOU HEARDEST HIS WORDS OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE FIRE; the ten commands, and therefore may well be called, a fiery law; see Deuteronomy 4:12....

3. HEARKEN, O ISRAEL! CHAPTER 4 _ 1. Obedience demanded (Deuteronomy 4:1)_ 2. The covenant to be observed (Deuteronomy 4:9) 3. Take heed unto yourselves lest ye forget (Deuteronomy 4:15) 4. The warning (Deuteronomy 4:25) 5. Israel, the chosen nation (Deuteronomy 4:32) “Now therefore hearken, O Israel” marks the beginning of the exhortation to keep the law of the Lord. First he had shown the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord and upon that Moses admonishes them to

SECOND PART OF MOSES-' FIRST ADDRESS. This contains exhortations to obedience from motives of self-interest and of gratitude to Yahweh, and forms an apparent logical unity with Deuteronomy 1:6 to Deuteronomy 3:29: but the two pieces had probably a separate origin. The lessons in Deuteronomy 4:1 are not drawn immediately from chs. 1- 3. The writer of 1- 3 has in mind the events which followed the departure from Horeb: that of Deuteronomy 4:1 concentrates attention upon the theophany on Horeb. Deuteronomy 4:27 see

See on Deuteronomy 4:15. _that he might instruct thee_ DISCIPLINE THEE, -that the people might be brought to a temper of becoming reverence" (Driver)....

_VER._ 36. _OUT OF HEAVEN HE MADE THEE TO HEAR,—AND UPON EARTH HE SHEWED THEE_— God is said to _dwell in light inaccessible, and full of glory: i.e._ his throne is encompassed with such splendours, as would be insufferable to mortals, though they constitute a part of the glorious beatific vision of the celestial inhabitants. Now Moses here puts the Israelites in mind, that God had vouchsafed to communicate to them somewhat of this happiness, _shewing them even upon earth his great_ or _wonderful fire;_ some rays or glimpses of that transcendant brightness with which he is said to clothe himself, and which shines out in all its glory to the angels and saints in light. We must not wonder that mention is so frequently made of their deliverance from Egypt; for this was the highest national benefit, and in some sort the basis and commencement of their republic....

3. THE GLORY AND GREATNESS OF ISRAEL'S GOD (Deuteronomy 4:32-40) 32 For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and from the one end of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been _any such thing_ as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? 33 Did ever a people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? 34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that Jehovah your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 35 Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that Jehovah he is God; there is none else beside him. 36 Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he mig