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Deuteronomy 4:1-4

Deuteronomy 4:1 “Now, Israel, listen to the prescriptions¹ and rules I am teaching you to follow, so that you may stay alive,² enter, and take possession of the land Yahveh, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

Deuteronomy 4:2 You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, so that you may watch the commands of Yahveh your God I am giving you.

Deuteronomy 4:3 Your eyes have seen what Yahveh did at Baal-peor, for Yahveh your God exterminated every one of you who followed Baal of Peor.

Deuteronomy 4:4 But you who have remained faithful to Yahveh your God are all alive today.

life or death quest

For the Israelites, accomplishing God’s mission meant more than just being successful at what they did. It was literally a life or death quest. If they didn’t follow God’s commands and take possession of the land, they would not stay alive. The rebels who fell at Baal-peor were a visual reminder of that fact.

Oh, Christian, if we could only regard our mission with such reverence! If we made the task of making disciples of all nations a life or death quest, it would not be so easy to get sidetracked.

Lord, teach us to revere our mission.