W. Robert Godfrey

Then we've looked at warnings, step two of our pyramid.

And now we'll come to the heart of the book, the center of the book, which is an exposition of the law.

And we'll see that law first in terms of the laws to love God,

and then laws relative to the leaders of the people, and laws about loving the neighbor.

And so we're going to have a fair bit of law, but all of it is, I hope, we'll find interesting and spiritually profitable, and causing us to think about what does love look like, and how does love relate to commandment, and to see that love and commandment are not set against each other.

Our Lord said, didn't he, if you love me,

You'll keep my commandments.

These are not things in conflict, but things that should encourage us to learn more about what it really means to love God and love our neighbor.

So we'll return to that third step of our step pyramid, laws about the love of God, next time.

Now that I'm forgiven freely by grace, I can live pretty much any way I like.

The Lord doesn't really care.

And Deuteronomy reminds us the Lord really does care and that the law is critical for Christians in the living of the Christian life.

We are looking at this final chapter of the first section of our step pyramid, the history section.

Chapter 4 is rehearsing some of the history of Israel as they're about to enter the Promised Land and is reiterating what the Lord taught them at Horeb about the importance of avoiding idolatry.

And there at verse 15, we really come to the central teaching of this fourth chapter.

And you remember we've seen in Hebrew literature how important centers are much of the time.

And it begins with that repeated word, therefore watch yourselves very carefully.

You saw no form on the day when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire.

Beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves in the form of… And then he goes on to be very specific.

He doesn't want to leave any room for doubt.