This small group Deuteronomy Bible study guide contains commentary, discussion questions, cross-references, and application to encourage life change. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Deuteronomy 4 Bible Study Commentary – Obedience And True Worship
Outline
I. Obey the Lord (1-14)
II. Reject idolatry (15-24)
III. The consequences of breaking the covenant (25-31)
IV. The Lord alone is God (32-40)
V. Cities of refuge (41-43)
VI. Introduction to the law (44-49)
I. Obey the Lord (1-14)
Discussion Questions
• What was Moses going to be teaching them about (verse 1)?
• What is the theme of the first fourteen verses of this chapter?
• What key words do you observe that are repeated throughout this section?
• What would be the results of obedience?
• What were the results of disobedience?
• How was God’s law unique at that time in history?
• How could they “take care to keep their soul diligently?”
• How can we do that today?
• What responsibility did they have toward the next generation?
• Who are we fighting with for the souls of our children?
• What advice would you give a new parent regarding teaching his children the things of God?
• What did the fire surrounding God represent? The darkness?
• What is the significance that the Ten Commandments were written on stone and not on papyrus?
Cross-References
Luke 11:28 – But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Psalms 119:60 – I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments.
James 1:22-25 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Listen to the statutes and rules that I am teaching you – Much of the book of Deuteronomy is a review of the law. It was given by Moses to the previous generation. That group had now passed away and a new generation had risen up in their place. They were in a transition period, finally about to enter and possess the Promised Land. Moses reminds them to “listen.” Perhaps they thought they had heard it before. But this was of vital importance.
This passage is primarily about obedience, but they had to know the standard before they could obey. Knowing the Word of God requires actively paying attention to it. Listening is not primarily a matter of hearing the sounds with your ears but of inclining your heart to understand and remember what is shared.
Application – How can you be a better listener in church? In Bible study? One way is to pray before those meetings and ask God to help you incline your heart to Him. Listening well starts with the right attitude.
One of my first jobs was teaching English as a second language in Chinese middle schools. It was straightforward to see who was listening and who was not. Some were playing on phones, playing games, or chatting in the back of the class. Others were on the edge of their seat, eyes glued to me and fervently taking notes. Guess who learned English better? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the ones who paid attention were the ones who learned. Those who have a heart to learn will be better listeners.
2. Do them – The key theme in this section is obedience. Here are some of the verses that talk about obedience.
• Do them (1)
• Keep the commandments (2)
• Held fast (4)
• Do them (5)
• Keep them and do them (6)
• Do them (14)
Listening is the first step. A person cannot obey unless he knows what to obey. But the goal of Biblical instruction is not head knowledge. God wants us to obey Him. The word “obey” appears 162 times in Scripture (in ESV, not counting other forms of the word “obey”).
The previous generation in Israel knew the law. It had been given to them in detail. But they didn’t obey and the consequences were disastrous.
Ezra realized that obedience to God was paramount. He saw firsthand the consequences of disobedience for the nation.
Ezra 7:10 – For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.
Jesus emphasized the importance of not just hearing but doing.
Matthew 7:24 – Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
This is one of the most critical principles in the Bible, being a doer, not only a hearer. We should study and obey! Christianity is not about head knowledge. It is not about how many doctrines you know, how many verses you have memorized, how well you know the Greek or Hebrew, or how many times you have read the Bible.
It is all about putting the principles that we learn in the Bible into practice. It is worse than worthless for us if we understand the Bible front to back but don’t do what it says. All that will do is cause God to judge us even more strictly because we have a higher level of knowledge.
You can go to a thousand Bible studies and listen to ten thousand sermons, but your life will never be transformed if you don’t decide to obey. No other person can make you do what God says. It is your own decision.
Many churchgoers know the Bible. They complain about their marriage, lamenting how unhappy they are. But they don’t obey the principles of love, respect, communication, forgiveness, selflessness, or humility. Going to church a thousand times will not help if they don’t obey the Word. Obedience to God’s design will bring positive change into the relationship.
Others complain about their children but refuse to follow Biblical principles in raising them. Still more are unhappy about themselves and their lack of progress.
All the knowledge in the world will not help if you don’t keep it. The Lord has given us a blueprint for life. He tells us all about how to have an abundant life (John 10:10). Many miss it because of a lack of commitment to apply what they learn in Scripture.
His Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). When we obey, it brings God’s blessings.
Application – Consider this an application to make an application. When you go to church, do you usually apply what you learn in the sermon? When you go to Bible study, do you make real life changes? Here is a simple way to open yourself up to be changed by what you are learning. Each time you study God’s Word write down one simple way you will obey what you have learned. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you to do it. Resolve to obey and regularly check yourself to see if you have done it. Your life will be transformed as you bring your thoughts and actions into conformity with God’s will.
3. You shall not add or take away from it – The law was given by God. It came from the mind of God. It reflects the character of God. The law was complete. It was sufficient for them.
By adding to or subtracting from it, people would be setting themselves up as a higher authority than God.
We see a similar instruction in Revelation 22.
Revelation 22:18-19 – I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
While this instruction in Deuteronomy refers explicitly to the Old Testament law found in the Pentateuch, the same principle is true regarding Scripture as a whole.
We should be very wary of those who explain away or ignore specific Biblical passages. People are rebellious at heart and have always been prone to do this. Thomas Jefferson cut away many portions of the Bible that he disagreed with or did not believe. What was left was dubbed the Jefferson Bible.
Many today do the same thing, creating a version of the Bible in their own image. Just as people have always created gods according to their own likeness, so they do the same with His Word. God’s followers cannot choose which Scripture portions they like.
Others add their own traditions to Scripture, elevating man’s ideas to become equal with the Biblical canon. We should be vigilant in studying the Scriptures so that we will understand what is of God and what is merely of man.
Application – Be a student of the Word. As you familiarize yourself with the Bible, it will be easier for you to identify false teachers. Make a habit of asking the question, “where does the Bible say that” when you listen to teaching, no matter the source.
4. That will be your wisdom – A wise person obeys God. The world often confuses intellect with wisdom. Wisdom is about the practical application of truth. A child who refuses to talk to a stranger saying, “My parents told me not to talk to strangers,” might be the wisest person around.
When an entire nation follows the Lord, that is a testimony to all around. Sadly, Israel did not do this for much of it its history.
Proverbs 9:10 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
When God is rejected, foolishness is the result.
5. Take care and keep your soul diligently – Our soul is the most precious thing we have. Yet many care little for it, choosing to exchange it to gain as much of the world as they can.
Matthew 16:26 – For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
The first step in keeping our soul is to acknowledge we have one. Evolutionists reject this.
Secondly, we need to protect it. That means we put in truth and go to battle against deception. Rather than passively accepting whatever the world teaches us, we must destroy all ideologies that are set up in opposition to God (2 Corinthians 10:4-6). A person who wants to keep fit watches what he puts into his body. Similarly, a person who wants to protect his soul is careful about what he feeds it.
Thirdly, it means that we take God’s warnings and commands seriously. We obey Him carefully because we know that in Him is protection.
Most importantly, we entrust our souls to Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:12 – But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
6. Make them known to your children and your children’s children – It was not enough for that generation to obey God; they needed to pass on what they had learned to the next one. Culture can change very quickly. One generation of lax parents can result in disaster. Sadly, there are many biblical examples of godly parents whose children did not follow the Lord (Eli, Samuel, David).
Application – Parents, consistently put in the time necessary to train up your children to know God. Once-a-week Sunday School is not enough. Nothing can replace the role of a parent. The best thing you can do for your children is to have regular family devotions with them.
7. God came to talk to them from the mountain – Never before had any god come to communicate with people in that manner. It proved God’s existence and His care for His people. The fire portrayed God’s intense holiness. The darkness reminded them that God, while condescending to be with them, was still transcendent. At the same time, it was an act of mercy. To see God would have resulted in death. God protected them from experiencing what they could not handle.
II. Reject idolatry (15-24)
Discussion Questions
• Share some practical ways to “watch yourselves very carefully.”
• What contrast can we see between God’s form and the form of idols?
• What is the appeal of making idols to worship?
• Why do people worship created things instead of the Creator?
• What does the historical prevalence of idolatry teach us about people?
• Why was God so strict in forbidding people to create any visible representation of Him?
• Are things like crucifixes or stained-glass window depictions of Jesus acceptable? Why or why not?
• What does verse 24 teach us about the nature of God?
• Is jealousy a good or bad thing? Explain.
Cross-References
Colossians 3:5 – Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Romans 1:21-23 – For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Isaiah 44:9 – All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. You saw no form – God is Spirit. He does not have a shape like we do. Moses warned the people not to create any image to use in worship. Images used to represent the form of God should not even be made as a means to worship Him.
The golden calf was actually called YHWH. The people claimed that this was what had delivered them from Egypt. Forms are very dangerous.
Firstly, no accurate form of God can ever be created because He is Spirit, and no person has seen Him.
Secondly, a physical form is likely to become the object of worship rather than a means to worship God.
To prevent this, the Lord totally forbade using any images in worship.
Exodus 20:4 – You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Unlike the Father, Jesus did come in the flesh. It is not necessarily wrong to have a representation of Jesus, for example, in a children’s storybook. However, we should be careful. We do not want to give an incorrect representation of Jesus. The white, blond-haired, blue-eyed depiction of Jesus has caused a lot of harm.
Also, it can entangle people. Some attach an almost magical significance to crucifixes and the like. People have prayed to statues of Jesus. This is the danger. Humans are visual. Satan will make use of everything he can to mislead and ensnare people. His goal will always be to keep us from worshiping the true Creator. One of the most effective ways to do this is to get us to worship something else.
2. Rejecting idolatry – The first four of the ten commandments all deal with the correct worship of God. Idol worship was strictly forbidden (Exodus 20:1-6). Israel struggled with this sin throughout much of the Old Testament. It was disobedience in this area that led God to send judgment upon His people.
Worship of idols is a sin that leads to many more sins. When a person rejects the true God and turns to idols, he has cast aside authority. He has spurned truth and righteousness. Idols don’t judge people for sin. Therefore a person who worships idols feels free to sin. That is why idol worship quickly leads to immorality, pride, greed, violence, and every other form of sin.
Worship of physical idols is less prevalent now than it was in the past. But Satan is cunning. He uses different methods of attack for various time periods and cultures. Idolatry is just as common as in the past. It simply comes in different forms.
Reflect – What are some forms of idolatry that are common today?
When we are willing to sin to get something, that thing is an idol.
An idol is anything that takes God’s rightful place as number one in our hearts. Sports, movies, entertainment, money, power, or sex could become an idol if we are not careful.
Application – Ask yourself if anything has become an idol in your life. If something comes to mind, take it to God in prayer. Ask Him to help you gain the right perspective and subjugate that to Him.
3. The appeal of idols – Romans 1 shows us the progression of sin and shows us that one of the first steps is substituting something else for the worship of the true God. I believe the reason for this substitution is that people want a “little god” they can control. By making an idol, they can also make up the standards of the idol. In other words, they are the boss and can still do whatever they want.
Because the idol has no real authority and will never judge anyone, the people who have created it then feel free to sin without guilt or fear of reprisal.
An idol is easy to create and easy to control. It is a master with exactly the same mind as its creator. For these reasons, idolatry in the Old Testament was almost always followed by gross immorality.
People are created in the image of God. He made us spiritual beings. He designed us to be spiritual so that we would seek Him. That spiritual side would push us to find something more. Idolatry is a fake and cheap substitute for the real thing.
Application – Make sure that you are not creating a God to worship in your own image. Rather than assigning our own qualities to the Lord, we need to study the Word to see what He is like. We should adjust to Him instead of the other way around.
4. Worshiping God only – The Jews were commanded not to abandon their covenant relationship with God.
Their obligation to worship Him only was laid out in the first of the ten commandments.
Exodus 20:3 – You shall have no other gods before me.
This command is the basis for the whole Jewish religion. It is monotheistic, meaning it only allows the worship of one God. To us, this seems very normal because as Christians we follow the same basic principle. However, at that time, this command was very radical. Most nations worshiped a plethora of gods. They had gods for each season and event. They had fertility gods, war gods, harvest gods, love gods, sun gods, weather gods, ocean gods, mountain gods, valley gods, afterlife gods, cow gods, bird gods, reptile gods, etc. etc.
The idea was the more the better. Having so many gods made people feel like they had a god for each situation, so all their bases were covered, or they would be protected in all kinds of situations that they might face. If one god was too weak or ill-equipped in one situation, hopefully one of the other gods could help. Polytheism was rampant and the Jewish religion was one of if not the first to be monotheistic.
Logically speaking, there can only be one God. God is the supreme being, the highest over everything. There can only be one at the top.
The command to worship only one God is exclusive. Make no mistake; God is exclusive. He seeks to exclude all things that are false and untrue.
5. A jealous God – God is not tame. He is not our pet, a heavenly Santa, a candy machine, a genie granting three wishes, or “the old man up there.” He is a consuming fire.
In the Chronicles of Narnia, the lion Aslan represents Jesus. CS Lewis writes that “of course he isn’t safe, but he is good.”
God is not safe, but He is good. He is jealous. In our minds, jealousy is often considered to be sin. We think of a jealous boyfriend who assaults the girl.
But there is a type of righteous jealousy. A husband who does not care if another man makes advances toward his wife has a problem. Righteous jealousy should drive him to protect his wife and improve his relationship with her. The husband-wife relationship is sacred and should be guarded. The wife should give her attention to her husband and vice-versa. It is unhealthy and sinful for either to go outside of this covenant relationship for intimacy.
Our relationship with God is similar. It is both unhealthy and sinful for us to worship anyone else. God is like the righteous husband who wants our affection. His jealousy stems from two things. Firstly, He is objectively true and deserves our reverence. Secondly, He desires to protect our best interests.
III. The consequences of breaking the covenant (25-31)
Discussion Questions
• What warning did Moses give the people?
• What were the consequences of breaking the covenant?
• Did this happen? If so, when?
• Was verse 29 fulfilled?
• What do these verses teach us about God?
• How can a person seek after God with all their heart?
• How did God show His faithfulness to Israel throughout history?
• How has God been faithful to you?
Cross-References
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 – Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Romans 11:25-27 – Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. The consequences of disobedience –
Deuteronomy 4:25-27 – When you father children and children’s children, and have grown old in the land, if you act corruptly by making a carved image in the form of anything, and by doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, so as to provoke him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. You will not live long in it, but will be utterly destroyed. And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you.
One of the most basic lessons in Scripture is that sin has consequences. It is human nature to try to avoid those consequences. This can be observed even in young children who hide when eating forbidden candy and lie when confronted about it.
While the fallen human condition tries to escape the consequences of sin, the holy divine God cannot allow it. Israel would serve as an object lesson for the rest of the world. Faith in and obedience to God would result in blessing. Disobedience to Him would result in judgment. This teaches us the clear truth that sin results in judgment.
Hebrews 9:27 – And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.
What God said would happen to Israel came to pass. They were scattered across the world. This happened twice, once during the Babylonian exile and once after Rome destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70.
2. Eventual repentance and restoration –
Deuteronomy 4:29-31 – But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.
Israel has already had two waves of return to the land. One occurred after the Babylonian exile and one occurred after World War II almost two thousand five hundred years later! In both cases, God remembered His covenant with His people.
However, Israel as a nation has still not sought the Lord with all their heart and soul. There are still almost eight million Jews scattered around the world (compared with about seven million in Israel). Here Moses prophesies that in the “latter days,” the Jews around the world will return to Him. The final fulfillment of this is still in the future. ‘
Paul writes about the same event in Romans 11. This will likely be fulfilled shortly before Jesus’ second coming.
Application – God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If you seek God with all your heart, you will find Him. He will welcome and forgive you. Are you seeking Him like that?
IV. The Lord alone is God (32-40)
Discussion Questions
• Summarize the main point of verses 32-40 in one sentence.
• In what ways did God show Himself to be unique?
• Finish the following sentence, “Since the LORD (YHWH) alone is God, I should…”
• Why do some people try so hard to deny the existence of God?
• What evidence would you share with a skeptic as to why you believe in God?
• What would be the results of obedience?
Cross-References
Isaiah 44:6 – Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.
Isaiah 37:16 – “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.
John 1:3 – All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. There is no other God – The Lord revealed Himself to the Jews in many ways. He spoke to them from the midst of the fire on Mt. Horeb. No other god had done anything like that. He miraculously saved them out of Egypt. No other god had done anything like that. They heard His voice out of heaven. They saw the pillar of fire. He delivered the two kings of the Amorites into their hands.
No one has a valid excuse to deny God’s existence.
Psalms 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Israel had even far fewer excuses. The miracles they had seen testified without any doubt that YHWH (written LORD in most English Bibles) is God. Moreover, there is no other God in heaven or on earth.
Application – He clearly gave the application. “Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments.” (Deuteronomy 4:40).
Those who did would be blessed with long life in the good land He prepared for them.
V. Cities of refuge (41-43)
Discussion Questions
• What were the cities of refuge for?
• How can God’s justice and mercy be seen in the establishment of these cities?
• Should a person be responsible for an accident? Why or why not?
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Cities of refuge – Cities of refuge were designated cities where manslayers could flee and be protected. A manslayer is a person who killed someone else but without intention or premeditation.
Most countries’ laws today also distinguish between premeditated murder and manslaughter.
A person guilty of manslaughter in the Old Testament was punished. He had to leave his home and live in one of these cities of refuge. He had to stay there until the high priest died. It was something like long-term probation.
This law highlighted the importance of being careful and taking responsibility. One couldn’t just say, “It was an accident,” and get off free as if nothing had happened.
At the same time, God is merciful. The guilty party could still live. Presumably, his family could move to the city as well, and they could start a new life together there.
These cities were established in each region of Israel and on both sides of the Jordan so that residents from all corners of the land could have access.
For more on cities of refuge, see Numbers 35.
VI. Introduction to the law (44-49)
Discussion Questions
• When verse 44 says, “this is the law,” what does “this” refer to?
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. This is the law that Moses set before the people – These verses are the preamble to the major section that will follow, in which the law is laid out in detail.
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