Alexis de Tocqueville a French political thinker, historian, know for his work Democracy in America is credited with the following quote subsequent to his travels in America in the early 1800's.
I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers - and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce - and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution - and it vas not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great. Alexis de Tocqueville
I believe this quote is true of an individual, a family, a community, a church and a nation. It is true, not because I believe it is, it is true because God's Word says it is true!
As you read through Deuteronomy 4 did you get the idea that knowing, embracing and keeping God's Word is a big deal to God, or should I say it is the ONLY DEAL! As I read God's Word, I prayerfully seek to enjoy, delight in and be fed by every word, but my eye is always drawn to the purpose statements...the so that's, because, therefore's...I believe I counted 14 "so that's" in the copied scriptures below. It is a little like an "if then" clause. If this happens then this will follow...cause and effect, if you do this THEN this will happen.
Deut 4:1-2 “Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live, enter, and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2 You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you.
Deut 4:6 Carefully follow ⌊them⌋, for this will ⌊show⌋ your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples. When they hear about all these statutes, they will say, ‘This great nation is indeed a wise and understanding people.’
Isn't this what Tocqueville witnessed in America? Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great. Alexis de Tocqueville
As I read God's Word my eye is also drawn to the warnings. Deuteronomy 4 is full of warnings to the Israelites...diligently watch yourselves, be extremely careful, be careful, be careful...don't forget!
Deut 4:9-10 “Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren. 10 The day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, ‘Assemble the people before Me, and I will let them hear My words, so that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth and may instruct their children.’
Deut 4:15-16 “Be extremely careful for your own good—because you did not see any form on the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire— 16 not to act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves in the shape of any figure: a male or female form,
What did Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit say to the Christians in Rome? Rom 1:20-23 From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.
Sadly, this was true of Israel and it is true of America and worse it is true of me and you! Every time you and I sin it is true of us. Every time I slightly change a story to set myself in a more positive light I make an idol of my reputation or ego...every time! Am I more concerned about what people think or about what God thinks? OUCH!
Deut 4:20 But the Lord selected you and brought you out of Egypt’s iron furnace to be a people for His inheritance, as you are today.
Dt 4:23-24 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that He made with you, and make an idol for yourselves in the shape of anything He has forbidden you. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
The author of Hebrews puts it this way in 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
Dt 4:26-31 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that you will quickly perish from the land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. You will not live long there, but you will certainly be destroyed. 27 The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be reduced to a few survivors among the nations where the Lord your God will drive you. 28 There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see, hear, eat, or smell. 29 But from there, you will search for the Lord your God, and you will find ⌊Him⌋ when you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul. 30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, you will return to the Lord your God in later days and obey Him. 31 He will not leave you, destroy you, or forget the covenant with your fathers that He swore to them by oath, because the Lord your God is a compassionate God.
Dt 4:34 Or has a god ⌊ever⌋ attempted to go and take a nation as his own out of ⌊another⌋ nation, by trials, signs, wonders, and war, by a strong hand and an outstretched arm, by great terrors, as the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
Dt 4:37-40 Because He loved your fathers, He chose their descendants after them and brought you out of Egypt by His presence and great power, 38 to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you in and give you their land as an inheritance, as is now taking place. 39 Today, recognize and keep in mind that the Lord is God in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other. 40 Keep His statutes and commands, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper and so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”
It was and is HIS presence and great power that has delivered us from our sins by HIS blood...through HIS death, burial, and resurrection. Praise God for HIS presence. I have learned much from Moses and his love, his hunger, and his desire for the presence of God...it meant more to Moses than anything else.
Consider what we learn about Moses in Hebrews 11:24-26, By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter 25 and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the short-lived pleasure of sin. 26 For he considered reproach for the sake of the Messiah to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since his attention was on the reward. What is the reward? What is the gospel? God is the gospel! The good news of the gospel is that we will experience the presence of God throughout all eternity.
Everyone is building on one of two foundations! The warning to hear and obey the Word of God comes again from the WORD INCARNATE! You cannot serve two masters...where are you building? Are you building your life on the American dream? If we choose to build on the American dream...the destruction of our house will be great, it will be horrific!
Luke 6:46-49
The Two Foundations
46 “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to Me, hears My words, and acts on them: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great!”
What are you building on?
1 Co 3:11-15 because no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid—that is, Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire.
Father in heaven,
Create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me! Please enable me by the filling of YOUR Holy Spirit to pursue YOU, to love YOU, to seek YOU will all my heart, soul and strength. To long for and desire YOUR presence infinitely more than anything this world may offer. Enable me to build my life and my family, my ministry on YOU and YOU alone. I confess apart from YOU I cannot do it...please help me...for YOUR glory and for my joy in YOU.
love,
m