Deuteronomy 4:28
And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
In its setting of the law and covenant given at Sinai, the verse warns that breaking the covenant and disobeying God's commandments would lead to being scattered and exiled among other nations to serve handmade idols of wood and stone. Those gods are lifeless and powerless objects made by human hands, without sight or hearing or any capacity of living beings, set in contrast to the living God to whom worship belongs. The warning was fulfilled in part in the time of the judges and more completely when departure from God into image worship led to the captivity of Israel in Assyria and of Judah in Babylon. That instruction in Deuteronomy 4-8 upholds the sacredness of God's law and still applies to God's people today, calling them to keep His commandments so that it may go well with them and warning that turning from them brings consequences.
Words and Covenant Warning
Moses spoke the warning in the setting of the Lord's law, promises, statutes and commandments given at Sinai, declaring that disobedience, breaking the covenant, and failing to keep His commandments would lead to being scattered and exiled among other nations. There, among the nations to which they would be driven, they would serve handmade idols of wood and stone.
Those gods are the work of men's hands, lifeless and powerless objects without the senses or capacities of living beings, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. In contrast to the living God, they expose the folly of idolatry and warn against giving created things the place that belongs to Him.
The warning was given with heaven and earth called to witness what would follow after dwelling long in the promised land. If the people introduced corrupt forms of worship, bowed down to graven images, and refused to return to the worship of the true God, the anger of the Lord would be aroused against them. He would carry them away captive and scatter them among the heathen, cause them soon to utterly perish from the land and not prolong their days upon it, and leave them few in number.
Prophecy and Historical Fulfillment
The verse means literal exile into idol worship as the punishment for turning away from God. After long dwelling in the promised land, the introduction of corrupt worship and bowing to carved images, with refusal to return to true worship, would stir divine anger to carry the people captive, scatter them among heathen nations, cause them soon to perish utterly from the land without prolonging days upon it, and leave them few in number, there serving lifeless gods fashioned by human hands. That threatened captivity among the nations came because of departure from God and worship of carved images, ending in service to powerless idols made by hands.
Its foretelling was fulfilled in part in the era of the judges and met a more complete and literal fulfillment in the Assyrian captivity of Israel and the Babylonian captivity of Judah. Israel's exile fulfilled the warning, leaving only a small remnant to repent, renew covenant with God, and return to rebuild what disobedience had destroyed. Because the people failed to act as missionaries and built walls of separation between themselves and those around them, Jerusalem was permitted to be destroyed by fire and the people were permitted to be overcome by enemies and carried into heathen lands to serve false gods. They were scattered so that knowledge of the truth might be carried to the world, with the promise that loyalty, faithfulness, and submission would bring them again into their own land. The word spoken was verified when disobedience kept all but two of the adults who left Egypt from entering Canaan, the rest dying in the wilderness.
Lasting Instruction for Today
The verse belongs to the whole fourth chapter and to the broader instruction in Deuteronomy 4-8. That instruction upholds the sacredness of God's law and shows what God required of His ancient people that they might be a holy people unto Himself. It commands them to keep His statutes and commandments so that it may go well with them and that their days may be prolonged on the earth.
That instruction is to be studied today and to be read with profit now. Its lessons apply to God's people as surely as they applied to Israel. It warns that disobedience and turning from God's commandments bring consequences, and it calls God's people to keep His commandments. God will today vindicate His word in the same way if leaders depart from His commandments.
The instruction in Deuteronomy 4 and 5, including this verse, is what children should learn from the Scriptures. The verse warns that Israel would serve idols made by human hands, which have none of the senses or capacities of living beings. That instruction is to be read now because the world is nearing the day of God's great final review. Then all must stand before the Judge of all the earth to answer for their deeds, in the present time of investigation when every character will be investigated and every case decided for eternity.
The verse is part of sacred directions spoken by the voice of God from the pillar of cloud, giving what to do and what not to do. It expresses the same principles as James 3 and the principles of the law of God. Its specifications never lose their force because they are expressions of the mind of the infinite God. Every word is to be cherished and preached and represented by correct principles in everything, and not made a thing of naught.
All who depart from His word in their actions misrepresent the character of God who will not be trifled with. These directions are to be acted out in principle in all religious service toward God and toward one another. That means being Christian gentlemen, loving as brethren, doing no injustice, and showing liberality, tenderness, compassion, and true courtesy.