Deuteronomy 4:9-14

2. THE TEMPTATION TO FORGET GOD'S UNIQUE REVELATION (Deuteronomy 4:9-31)

a. GOD APPEARED AT HOREB BY WORD, NOT BY PHYSICAL FORM (Deuteronomy 4:9-14)

9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but make them known unto thy children and thy children's children; 10 the day that thou stoodest before Jehovah thy God in Horeb, when Jehovah said unto me, Assemble me the people, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. 11 And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the heart of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness, 12 And Jehovah spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of words, but ye saw no form; only ye heard a voice. 13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even the ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. 14 And Jehovah commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 4:9-14

72.

How would one fulfill the injunction to keep thy soul diligently?

73.

Is there a difference between the soul and the heart? Discuss.

74.

What is meant in the expression they may learn to fear me?

75.

Why was it necessary to use the physical manifestations of darkness, cloud, fire, earthquake.

76.

How shall we understand references to God's face and back in Numbers 33:17-23, i.e., in light of the fact that God has not form?

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 4:9-14

9 Only take heed, and guard your life diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your [mind and] heart all the days of your life; teach them to your children, and your children's children;
10 Especially how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, the Lord said to me, Gather the people together to Me, and I will make them hear My words, that they may learn (reverently) to fear Me all the days they live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
11 And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire to the heart of Heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick gloom.
12 And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; you heard the voice of the words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.
13 And He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, the ten commandments; and He wrote them on two tables of stone.
14 And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and precepts, that you might do them in the land which you are going over to possess.

COMMENT 4:9-14

TAKE HEED TO THYSELF, AND KEEP THY SOUL DILIGENTLY (Deuteronomy 4:9)Note the personal responsibility! Take heed to thyself. (1 Timothy 4:16, Cf. Acts 20:28).

LEST THOU FORGET THE THINGS WHICH THINE EYES SAW (Deuteronomy 4:9)Another exhortation that is also given time and again as we proceed in this book. How easy to forget the blessings and chastisements of God, simply by not being reminded of them, or not making them known to the present generation.

These people had seen and experienced many miraculous and wonderful blessings from God. Their clothes and shoes did not wear out; their food was provided by God each day; the ones who had been young when they left Egypt had seen his powerful hand as they crossed the Red Sea, and again as they were encamped at mount Sinai (Deuteronomy 4:10). The plagues God brought upon them for their disobedience should also have been vividly remembered. But how very quickly it was all forgotten! See 2 Peter 1:9; 2 Peter 1:13; 2 Peter 3:1.

BUT MAKE THEM KNOWN UNTO THY CHILDREN (Deuteronomy 4:9)See Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Deuteronomy 11:18-21

AND THE MOUNTAIN [SINAI] BURNED WITH FIRE UNTO THE HEART OF HEAVEN (Deuteronomy 4:11)See Deuteronomy 5:5, Exodus 19:18; Exodus 20:18, Hebrews 12:18.

YE HEARD THE VOICE OF WORDS, BUT YE SAW NO FORM (Deuteronomy 4:12, see also Deuteronomy 4:15)No one has ever seen God, who is spirit: John 1:18; John 6:46, 1 Timothy 6:16, Hebrews 11:27, 1 John 4:12-13. The above scriptures are plain and outspoken on this point, and we take such expressions as God's face and back with reference to the events on Sinai (Exodus 33:17-23) to be anthropomorphic or figurativeespecially when the Holy Spirit here expressly states with reference to it that ye saw no form.