Deuteronomy 4:26, commentary and pictures

Moses calls heaven and earth to witness that if Israel breaks the covenant by rebellion, corruption and making idols, they will soon utterly perish from the land beyond Jordan, be driven from it without prolonging their days, and be destroyed and scattered among the nations. Keeping the statutes and commandments given at Sinai brings well-being, long life in the land, and blessing to them and their children after them, because the Lord alone is God in heaven above and on earth beneath, while turning away brings a curse. The word was verified when through disobedience only two adults who left Egypt entered Canaan, and as a prophecy of exile for corrupt worship it was partly fulfilled in the judges and more fully in the Assyrian captivity of Israel and the Babylonian captivity of Judah, and with its surrounding verses it is a message for the latter days. The whole chapter and the words of Deuteronomy 4-8 are to be studied carefully and diligently by those who would belong to God's covenant-keeping people, heeded continually rather than taken up at times and laid aside at will, and connected with observing the law proclaimed at Sinai including the true Sabbath. The same vindication of God's word will follow today if leaders of His people depart from His commandments, so the warning is to be studied with profit now because the world is nearing God's great final review when every character will be investigated and every case decided for eternity.

Warning and Its Terms

Moses calls heaven and earth to witness the judgment that will fall for disobedience, and that solemn appeal marks how certain the warning is. The witnesses stand to the declaration that if Israel breaks faith, judgment will surely come upon them.

The condition for that judgment is breaking God's covenant through rebellion, corruption, unfaithfulness, and doing evil. It takes the concrete form of making idols and graven images and turning to corrupt worship. Disobedience to God's commandments and refusal to heed His directions and obey bring destruction and loss of the land being entered.

Such breach means forgetting the covenant and forgetting the Lord who brought Israel out of Egypt. It provokes God through idolatry. It gives created things the place that belongs to God alone instead of keeping His covenant. After settling in the land across the Jordan, it means turning to corrupt worship and refusing to return to the true God.

The consequence is that Israel would soon utterly perish from off the land across the Jordan they go over to possess. They would be driven from it, their time there cut short, not prolonging their days upon it nor remaining long in it. They would be destroyed. That destruction is followed by scattering and captivity among the nations.

Possession of the land is conditional on obedience to God's law given at Sinai and to the promises attached to observing His commandments. The Lord alone is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Keeping His statutes and commandments brings well-being, prolonged days and long life in the land, and blessing to Israel and to their children after them, while turning away from God brings a curse.

The setting is Moses' reminder not to forget the covenant, showing what God required of His ancient people in order to be a holy people to Himself. Jesus Christ as the light of the world and Son of the living God was commissioned to guide and protect Israel in the pillar of cloud, which halted over the place where they should rest and lifted when they should move, protecting them all the way while angels watched. Yet even then there were murmurers and complainers among them.

Fulfillment in Israel's History

The warning was verified in the wilderness generation, when disobedience kept Israel from the land beyond the Jordan so that only two of the adults who left Egypt entered Canaan and the rest died in the wilderness. Heaven and earth had been called to witness that disobedience to the commandments would cause Israel to soon utterly perish from that land and not prolong their days upon it, bringing destruction and loss of the land. The same vindication of the divine word will follow today if the leaders of the people depart from the commandments.

As a prophecy of exile for corrupt worship and refusal to return, the warning looked to what would happen after Israel settled in the land it crossed the Jordan to possess. If the people turned to corrupt worship, apostasy and idolatry, and to graven images, and refused to return to the true God, judgment would come, they would be driven from the land, would not remain long in it, but would perish from it, followed by captivity and scattering among other nations. This was partly fulfilled in the time of the judges and more fully in the Assyrian captivity of Israel and the Babylonian captivity of Judah. With its surrounding verses the warning is a message for the latter days, declaring that covenant unfaithfulness would bring destruction and loss of the land they were crossing the Jordan to possess.

Study and Present Application

The whole fourth chapter, and the words of Deuteronomy 4-8, are to be studied carefully and diligently by those who would belong to God's covenant-keeping people and be counted among them. Its lessons extend beyond Israel and are important for others to study. That study is to be shared so that truth may triumph. Those who have heard the truth are urged to heed its warnings continually, not to take them up at certain times and lay them aside at will.

In that study the chapter is a charge to heed God's directions and obey rather than rebel. Its teaching calls God's people back to the true platform and warns them not to be led away by Satan's deceptive influence. It is connected with observing the law God proclaimed at Sinai, including the true Sabbath and keeping His law.

The sacred directions given in the chapter never lose their force because they are expressions of the mind of the infinite God, whose every word is to be cherished and whose truth is to be preached. They are to be acted out in principle in all religious service toward God and toward one another. Lived in principle this means loving as brethren, doing no injustice, and always showing liberality, tenderness, compassion, and true courtesy as Christian gentlemen, which are the principles of the law of God. The infinite God will not be trifled with or made a thing of naught, and all who depart from His word in action misrepresent His character and fail to represent Him by correct principles in everything.

Those given great light and opportunities and privileges should know when God guides, and praise and honor Him and glorify His name. They should have been careful and kind and tender to give a right example to their children and to all. This is taught by the way Christ as the light of the world guided and protected Israel in the pillar of cloud that halted over the resting place and lifted when they should move, with angels watching, yet there were still murmurers and complainers.

The same vindication of God's word that fell on disobedient Israel will follow today if leaders of His people depart from His commandments, so the warning remains for leaders. Moses' words in Deuteronomy 4-8 showing what God required of His ancient people to be a holy people to Himself are to be studied with profit now. This is because the world is nearing God's great final review when all must stand before the Judge of all the earth to answer for deeds, and because the present is the time of investigation when every character will be investigated and every case decided for eternity.