Question 1

What does it mean not to add to or take away from God’s word in this passage?

Accepted Answer

When Moses says, “Ye shall not add unto the word… neither shall ye diminish ought from it,” he is warning the people not to change what God has said. They are not to soften any command, ignore any part, or add their own ideas as if they were from God. The point is that God’s law is complete and pure as He gave it. Their job is to hear it, keep it, and do it, not to edit or improve it. This guards their obedience and keeps their worship true.

Question 2

Why does Moses remind Israel about what happened at Baal-peor?

Accepted Answer

Moses brings up Baal-peor as a real example they had seen with their own eyes. Those who followed the idol there were destroyed, while those who clung to the LORD were still alive. This memory is meant to warn them about idolatry and show that turning from God leads to death, while staying faithful to Him brings life. It is not just a story; it is their own history, meant to keep them from repeating the same sin in the land they are about to enter.

Question 3

How does keeping God’s statutes make Israel a wise and understanding nation?

Accepted Answer

Moses says that if Israel keeps God’s statutes and judgments, other nations will see and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” The wisdom is not mainly in their own cleverness, but in living by God’s righteous laws. His commands show what is right and just. When they obey, their life together, their justice, and their closeness to God will stand out. Their obedience becomes a witness that their God is near to them and that His ways are good.

Question 4

What happened at Horeb when God spoke to Israel from the fire?

Accepted Answer

At Horeb, the people gathered and stood under the mountain. The mountain burned with fire up to the midst of heaven, with darkness and thick clouds. In that fearful scene, God spoke to them out of the midst of the fire. They heard the voice of words but saw no form, only a voice. There He declared His covenant, the ten commandments, and wrote them on two stone tablets. This event showed His greatness, His holiness, and that the law they received truly came from Him.

Question 5

Why does this passage stress remembering and teaching the things God did and said?

Accepted Answer

Moses tells them to take heed to themselves and keep their soul diligently so they do not forget what they have seen. If these things leave their heart, they will drift from God. Instead, they are to teach them to their sons and their sons’ sons. Remembering God’s works and words keeps faith alive. Teaching the next generation passes on the fear of the LORD and helps children learn to obey. Forgetting leads to unfaithfulness, but steady remembering and teaching guard the people.

Question 6

What does this passage teach about God’s nearness to His people?

Accepted Answer

Moses asks, “What nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?” This shows that Israel’s God is not distant. He listens when they call and answers them. His nearness is seen in giving them His law, hearing their prayers, and guiding them. Their closeness to God is part of what makes them a great nation. It is meant to stir gratitude and encourage them to stay faithful to Him alone.

Question 7

How should believers today think about obedience from this passage?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that obedience is not just knowing God’s commands but doing them. Moses links obedience with life and with entering and staying in the land. It also shows that God’s word is not to be adjusted to fit our ideas. For believers today, this encourages a careful, humble hearing of Scripture and a desire to put it into practice. It also reminds us to remember God’s past works, to guard our hearts from drifting, and to pass His ways on to the next generation.

Question 8

What is the connection between God’s covenant and the ten commandments here?

Accepted Answer

Moses says God “declared unto you his covenant… even ten commandments.” In this passage, the ten commandments are the heart of the covenant God made with Israel at Horeb. God did not just speak kindly to them; He bound them to Himself with clear commands written on stone. Keeping these commands was the way they were to live as His people in the land. The covenant is a relationship, but it is a relationship shaped by God’s own words and His righteous standards.

Deuteronomy 4:1

Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you.

An Exhortation to Obedience

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Deuteronomy 4:1

Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you.

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An Exhortation to Obedience

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