Deuteronomy 4, verse 15 to 24, and that's on page 183.
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
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
chapter 1.
I haven't
got a page
number.
Hebrews
chapter 1.
You see
this is
the pattern
that God
takes his
people that
he speaks
through and
in Hebrews
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
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
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.
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.
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
word,
so
that we
might
become
more
like
you,
that
we
might
reflect
this
great
God
to
those
around
us.
Help
us
to
teach
this
word
to
one
another,
to
our
children,
to
our
families.
We
thank
you that
you are
a
jealous
God
for
us,
and
a
merciful
God
towards
us,
never
giving
up
on
us,
patient,
kind,
and
good.
we
praise
you for
who
you
are.
Help
us
to
walk
with
you,
to
worship
you,
to
take
out
all
the
God
substitutes,
all
the
things
we
replace
God
with
during
the
week,
and
may
we
find
our
only
hope
and
our
satisfaction
in
you.
Thank
you
for
who
you
are
and
for
what
you
have
done.
In
Jesus'
name,
Amen.