THOU SHALT WORSHIP THE LORD THY GOD

The children of Israel were at the borders of the promised land and Moses here anticipates the time when they will have entered in according to the word of the Lord, v. 10. In Moses’ description of the land we cannot fail to notice the contrast with the people’s wilderness experiences. Instead of the wilderness, with its jour­neys, hunger and thirst, they would be given a land, cities, houses, wells and vineyards. For none of these would they labour, all would be theirs on the basis of divine grace and prom­ise. It is so in regard to our inheritance, Eph. 1. 3-7

But while verses 10-11 give us a description of the land, in verses 12-15 Moses speaks of the dangers. As they possessed and enjoyed the land, they might lose sight of the grace that had secured it for them and, as they prospered, they may forget their dependence upon God and their obligation to Him, vv. 12-13. In Canaan they would be confronted with the gods of the nations and, forgetting the Lord their God, might be attracted to follow them, v. 14. In the godless age in which we live these dangers are no less real for ourselves, 1 John 5. 21. Failure to give God the first place would bring judgement upon them for He cannot tolerate any rival in the affections of His people, v. 15. Instead of forget­ting God, they were to fear and serve Him, that service being the practical expression and outcome of their reverence for Him, v. 13, while both are an integral part of true worship. That place is His by right, as the One who has brought His people out from the house of bondage and into a land of blessing, vv. 11-12. Do you fear and serve God, Heb. 12. 28?

When the Lord Jesus quoted verse 13 not only was it a direct rebuke to the evil suggestion of Satan, ‘fall down and worship me’, Matt. 4. 9, but the context of the verse was equally applica­ble to the situation. Instead of the land, Satan spoke of ‘the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them’, Matt. 4. 8. To wor­ship Satan involved going after ‘other gods’, v. 14; cf. 2 Cor. 4. 4, and despite his offer, Deuteronomy chapter 6 reveals that pos­session of the earth depends on faithfulness to God, vv. 15, 18. The Lord Jesus allowed nothing to come between His soul and God as an object of worship and neither should we.