The Reformed Witness
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of Knowledge: But fools despise Wisdom and Instruction"
Proverbs 1:7

APOSTASY    “Forgetfulness”          Volume 1,   Issue 7
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In verse 5, God reaffirms that He has personally taught Israel His Laws and Statues, so that none can say they had not the knowledge of His Law, or His Judgments. Here, God institutes accountability, and responsibility upon the whole of the people. This was to insure that they remain without excuse for any disobedience.

It is important here to establish the reasoning behind God’s action for carefully teaching the people. While it is true that as the Perfect Lawgiver, God is calling the people into account by teaching them His Laws and His Statues, He is doing this as a loving Father for their benefit. Notice, in verse 6, God sets forth the reason for His instruction as a Father.

“Keep therefore and do [them]; for this [is] your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation [is] a wise and understanding people.” (Deuteronomy 4:6 AV)

He gives the people His perfect Laws and Statues for their wisdom and their good. As their Heavenly Father, He desires for His Sons and Daughters to be well equipped, thoroughly established, and greatly honored in the sight of all nations. Thus, we can observe from these verses, God’s provisions as both Lawgiver and Heavenly Father. He teaches and equips, not only for the purpose of accountability, but also to enable the church with the tools of God’s Holy Law, to ensure their wisdom, understanding, and means of Dominion.

 

EASE AND COMFORT BREEDS SLOTH

The natural result of ease and comfort is forgetfulness. Spiritual and temporal fatness breeds Spiritual and temporal forgetfulness and sloth. It was after the Lord had delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt, in order to become a people unto Himself with great abundance, and inheritance, that they fell into forgetfulness and idolatry. As a result of Israel’s forgetfulness, they were reduced to a people which had a “form of Godliness”, but were void of the power thereof. Again we can see the application to the church today. They, too, have been greatly blessed, and as a result have fallen into fatness, sloth, and unbelief.

 


  

continued...


SERIOUS WARNING

In Deuteronomy 4:9, God carefully warns Israel to “take heed” to themselves in matters of faith and obedience. The phrase, “take heed” literally means “to beware” or “watch out”. It is an intense warning given many times in the Scriptures. Whenever the phrase is used, it is expressly God’s purpose to draw our attention to both the evil warned against, and the consequences that will befall the church if the warning is ignored. Sadly, today’s modern church looks upon these warnings with an attitude of “spiritual smugness” as if the warning is for another, and not for them. Thus, the Divine warning is taken lightly, and the church falls into evil, and reaps the consequences of disobedience. Hence, God brings chastisement and judgment. Since God is perfect and Just, He will not be mocked by sinful men.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

(Galatians 6:7 AV)

THE BEGINNING OF APOSTASY

Since the heart of man is desperately wicked, and the notions of the flesh are strong against all that is Spiritual and Divine, the soul is easily drawn away into apostasy and sin. God identifies this fact by warning that the individual “take heed to himself” and “keep his soul diligently”. (cf Deut 4:9) The soul here refers to the seat of the individual’s passions, or his being. We learn, then, that God is warning of an internal problem, which is in this instance, precisely the malady of “forgetfulness”.

FORGETFULNESS AND IDOLATRY

The setting for the Fourth chapter of Deuteronomy is God’s call to Israel to “harken to” and “do” His Commandments. If Israel was to successfully “go in and possess the land, that the Lord had given them”, they had to be steadfast in His precepts, both in concept and application. God is careful to clearly define His Word as the only source of Truth whereby His purpose ought to direct her way.

In verse 2, God again stresses that His Word is complete, and that it must not be perverted by adding to it, or by taking away from it. He further warns in verse 3 that there are severe consequences for idolatrous disobedience, by citing a case-study at Baal-Peor.

God commends the people for cleaving to Him, which is the reason why they continue to remain alive in the plains of Moab. (verse 4)

 

 

 

 

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  01/19/02