Commentary on Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9

Deuteronomy (“second law”) is the last book in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). It recounts the previous leg of Israel’s journey to the Promised Land. On the eastern bank of the Jordan River, the Israelites can peer across into the land of which they have dreamed. Before they cross over, though, Moses addresses the people one last time, practically on his deathbed. 

Given the length of Deuteronomy (34 chapters), what we have here is a collection of different “sermons” gathered into one work. Since Moses is about to die and will not get to enter the Promised Land, he spends his last words recapping for the Israelites where they’ve been, reiterating the covenant they made with God, and exhorting them to remain faithful in the land the Lord their God had promised to their ancestors and is now giving to them.

Moses reminds the Israelites of the great responsibility that comes with being the chosen people and with the land the Lord is giving them. The Lord will judge them and their descendants according to very high standards, but they are not unknown expectations. The Lord, through Moses, has already told the Israelites what will be expected of them. 

Across the Jordan lies the potential for abundant life, but only if the people live according to the covenant they made with the Lord, which includes the commandments and lessons of the Torah, given to them through Moses. If they fail at this obligation, their time in the Promised Land will be short, and grave consequences will come their way. The choice is simple: life with God, or death; a future, or an end.

This passage joins the narrative of Israel’s journey to become a covenant community at a crucial moment. Having completed their difficult trek through the wilderness, the Israelites now stand at the edge of the Promised Land, which lies just across the Jordan River. Moses instructs them that they must keep the commandments he has taught them up to this point in preparation for entering the Promised Land. 

He also commands that they not add to or detract from what the Holy asks of them. While this might be seen as literalism, within the metanarrative of the Torah this indicates that people do not need any other statutes in order to live into the covenant that the Holy has made with them. We are certain there were amendments to these commandments as circumstances changed. A prime example of this is found in Numbers 27, where the inheritance laws were amended to address the possibility of a man dying without any sons, yet having daughters. However, at this point in the story, Moses says they have all they need. 

In the next set of verses (6–9), the people hear different motivations for why they should keep the commandments. While the most obvious is to be in right relationship with the Divine, neighbor, and self, we learn that their behavior is also a testament to other people about the God they worship. Adherence to the teachings will demonstrate their “wisdom and discernment” and make others admire their way of living. 

The breadth of the commandments reminds the Israelites that everything they do reflects the kind of deity they worship, a God who is “so near” that almost before the people call, the Holy is there to answer them. The Holy was both beyond human comprehension and intimate enough to know human thoughts. For Israel, it was a both/and—not an either/or—way of imagining the Holy. 

The commandments may seem daunting, yet this is how the people were invited to respond to the saving acts of the Holy. As they prepare to inhabit the Promised Land, the people are encouraged never to forget them or become lax in how they embody the covenantal promises. They must also teach these commandments to future generations. By word and deed, children should be taught how to live in ways that show their love for the Holy and their obligations to their neighbor (broadly defined).

Within this selection from Deuteronomy 4, there are several possible lessons for the faithful living in the 21st century. The Holy provided Israel with all they would need to live out their covenant with the Divine. Are their basic teachings from the biblical materials or our traditions that enable us to live out our call to be followers of Jesus? What might those be? 

An even bigger issue to consider is our motivation for following these teachings. Why do we seek to do the “right thing”? Is it to receive some heavenly award? Is it to feel pious? How do our words and actions demonstrate to others the kind of deity we worship? Do we consider this last question before we speak or take action? Would what we do and say cause observers to describe us as “wise and discerning”? How do we teach these expectations of covenantal behavior to future generations? 

In a world that sees a growing number of “nones” in response to questions about religious affiliation, one wonders what message we are presenting about the Divine and what the Holy expects. Bickering within and among faith communities certainly could be a deterrent to those who are considering what it means to be a person of faith. The use of violence in the name of religion paints a picture of the Holy that many find off-putting or even frightening. As we consider the “promised land” of the future, it seems that a reminder of what the Holy expects is needed.