Redundant Again

Deuteronomy 4:1-14

Moses, as concise with his verbiage as ever, commands the Israelites to do the things I'm about to tell you.  It would seem like it would be enough to just tell them what to do- wouldn't the actual fulfilling of them be implied?  It's like he's concocted a big game of Simeon Says.  He warns them to obey the rules as is- no adding, no subtracting.

Before telling them these rules they are to fulfill, he sets up reasons why they should fulfill them.  He says, You saw what happened to those folks who followed Baal of Peor?  They aren't great models to emulate- seeing as they're all dead and you're still alive.

Obeying will:  

Show the nations your wisdom and understanding.  So the surrounding nations (at least those you don't kill) will be struck by how smart (and alive) you are by not rebelling.

Show the nations how close to God you are.  This is the coolest of the reasons.  Moses says, it will stand out to these people that you have a God who actually cares about you, who actually listens to you, who actually knows what you're going through.  

Show people how awesome your laws are.  Moses is grasping here.  I'm not sure many people would be watching the invading forces and thinking, man- those are some cool rules they follow.  Hope they don't kill us.

He then tells them to teach the laws to their children and to remember the day the received the ten commandments.  He describes God's voice coming from the fire and His writing the laws on stone.  He then reminds them (in a characteristic moment of self-indulgence) that God commissioned him to teach them to follow the laws.  

The thing most striking to me in this passage is the reminder of how close our God is to us.  He knew the plight of the Israelite- and he knows our's too.  He hears our voices the same way he heard their's.  And even if we've been told over and over- that's a message worth hearing again.