Deuteronomy 4:1-3: Why Should I Follow God's Rules?

"And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you." Deuteronomy 4:1

Have you ever had anyone ask you why you do that "Christianity" thing? Have you ever had someone call you crazy and weird for following all those "rules" that we find in scripture? What did you tell him, if you've been in that situation? What would you tell someone, if they came up to you and made fun of both your Bible and your religion for all of the "rules" that it contained?

Well, in Deuteronomy 4, Moses is going to answer that question for us. He has just spent three chapters reviewing the Israelite's history, and now he is showing the application of that history. Because the Lord has been faithful to the people of Israel (ch. 1-3), Moses commands his people to "listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you." But let us notice that he doesn't stop there, but continues by giving them a reason for their obedience: "that you may live." Hmmm. Sounds interesting.

At first glance, we might be prone to making a sprint towards the New Testament and interpret Moses' words as speaking of eternal life with Jesus. However, if we look at these words in context, we find that that is actually not what he is talking about. If we read on, we find Moses speaking of the situation at Peor, where the Lord quite literally blotted out [that is, killed] a portion of his people because of their idolatry (see Numbers 25). Moses here is encouraging his people to continue in obedience so that what happened to the last generation of Israelites might not happen to them. Moses knows that following the Lord's commands will lead them to a blessed and long life, free from the Lord's judgment. Moses isn't being a tyrannical ruler requesting that they obey his commands just because he feels like being rude to them, he knows that these commands are for their good, and so does God.

Likewise, we ought to obey the Lord's commands for the same reasons. The Lord desires for us to enjoy both him and his creation, and the way in which we do that is by following God's commands. So often we think that our way is best and that God's ways our constricting, but let me ask you a question: have you ever played a sport without an "out of bounds" line? Or have you ever seen a river, lake, or sea that didn't have land surrounding it? You see, boundaries do not constrict freedom, they create it. If you were to play a sport without an out of bounds line, you wouldn't be able to play, that is, you wouldn't be able to experience freely the joy of the sport within the boundaries that were created for it. Thus, we find that true freedom is not the lack of bondage, but rather bondage to the very thing which we were created to be bound to, that is, Jesus Christ.* These rules and regulations of God were not constricting to the Israelites nor are they a constriction to you and me. Rather, they are wisdom and understanding (4:6) for us that we might know how to live according to the way in which we were created so that the nations around us might see the Lord's character and come to know him (4:6).

Before we close out this devotional, let me give an example of what I am talking about. Perhaps the easiest example to give would be God's command to restrain from having sex outside the bonds of marriage. The world tells us that that command is restricting and unfair. But is it? Has not God commanded this rule for the good of his people? Many proclaim that adultery is better for them because they get to experience the pleasures of life to a greater extent. However, God knows that the best way to enjoy sexual pleasure is within the confines of marriage, that is, where it was created to be enjoyed. This is not constricting, this is liberating, as it allows God's people to have the wisdom and understanding to live in the way that they were meant to live for their greatest good and God's greatest glory. And if this principle is true for one command such as this one, it is true for them all.

So, stop believing the lie from the pit of hell that God's commands are constraining, unfair, or burdensome. The Lord's commands are liberating as they show you how to live for the purpose in which you were created for. Are you sick and tired of being convicted to read your Bible, to pray more, to stop watching R-rated movies, to evangelize, or to persevere in every situation? If so, then change your perspective. Take off your incorrectly-prescribed sinful glasses and put on your spiritual ones. If you're viewing God's commands as burdensome and blurry, you need a new prescription. Moses offers you one in Deuteronomy 4. Put it on.

*Some preacher dude said this once. I have no clue who it was, but I don't want to take credit for this amazing statement.