Matthew Henry Commentary Deuteronomy 4:24-40

"For Jehovah thy God is a devouring fire, a jealous God. When thou shalt beget children, and children`s children, and ye shall have been long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image in the form of anything, and shall do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah thy God, to provoke him to anger; I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over the Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. And Jehovah will scatter you among the peoples, and ye shall be left few in number among the nations, whither Jehovah shall lead you away. And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men`s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. But from thence ye shall seek Jehovah thy God, and thou shalt find him, when thou searchest after him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, in the latter days thou shalt return to Jehovah thy God, and hearken unto his voice: for Jehovah thy God is a merciful God; he will not fail thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and from the one end of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been [any such thing] as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? Did ever a people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of [another] nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that Jehovah your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that Jehovah he is God; there is none else besides him. Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he made thee to see his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire. And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out with his presence, with his great power, out of Egypt; to drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as at this day. Know therefore this day, and lay it to thy heart, that Jehovah he is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is none else. And thou shalt keep his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days in the land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, for ever." — Deuteronomy 4:24-40 (ASV)

Moses urged the greatness, glory, and goodness of God. If we considered what a God he is with whom we have to do, we would surely be conscientious about our duty to him, and not dare to sin against him. Shall we forsake a merciful God, who will never forsake us, if we are faithful to him? Where can we go?

Let us be held to our duty by the bonds of love, and persuaded by the mercies of God to cling to him. Moses urged God's authority over them, and their obligations to him. In keeping God's commandments they would act wisely for themselves. The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom.

Those who enjoy the benefit of Divine light and laws ought to uphold their reputation for wisdom and honor, so that God may be glorified through this. Those who call upon God will certainly find him near, ready to give an answer of peace to every prayer of faith. All these statutes and judgments of the Divine law are just and righteous, above the statutes and judgments of any of the nations. What they saw at Mount Sinai gave a foretaste of the day of judgment, in which the Lord Jesus will be revealed in flaming fire.

They must also remember what they heard at Mount Sinai. God manifests himself in the works of the creation, without speech or language, yet their voice is heard (Psalms 19:1, 3); but to Israel he made himself known by speech and language, condescending to their weakness. The rise of this nation was quite different from the origin of all other nations. See the reasons of free grace; we are not beloved for our own sakes, but for Christ's sake.

Moses urged the certain benefit and advantage of obedience. This argument he had begun with (Deuteronomy 4:1), That ye may live, and go in and possess the land; and this he concludes with (Deuteronomy 4:40), That it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee. He reminds them that their prosperity would depend upon their piety. Apostasy from God would undoubtedly be the ruin of their nation.

He foresees their revolt from God to idols. Those, and only those, will find God to their comfort, who seek him with all their heart. Afflictions engage and stir us to seek God; and, by the grace of God working with them, many are thus brought back to their right mind. When these things are come upon thee, turn to the Lord thy God, for you see what comes of turning from him.

Let all the arguments be laid together, and then say whether religion does not have reason on its side. No one casts off the government of their God but those who first abandon their human understanding.