The book of Deuteronomy is Moses’ farewell speech to the Israelites just before he is taken to heaven and the nation proceeds across the Jordan, into the Promised Land.  He reminds them how forty years prior their parents’ fear of the Canaanites was greater than their trust in God, causing them to sojourn in the wilderness these past four decades.

Moses begins chapter 4 with a strong call to obedience to the ‘statutes and rules’ he is about to repeat.  At the end of his sermon (Chapter 28) he emphasizes the blessings of obedience and the opposite curses of disobedience in relation to the law.

Besides giving a command to obey, he gives reasons for trusting the laws, in verses 5-8: “See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.  Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?  And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?” 

The laws are wise, laying out God’s heart for his people to keep the two great commands – to love their God and to love their neighbor. 

And Moses goes on in verses 9-14 to remind the people HOW the statutes and rules, particularly the Ten Commandments, w ere communicated.  The people had been gathered to the base of Mount Horeb.  They saw that “the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom.”  They heard the sound as “the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire.” God “wrote them (Ten Commandments) on two tables of stone.”

The rules themselves are good, they were presented miraculously, you will be blessed if you obey and cursed if you disobey.  Sounds like a no-brainer.  But, the Israelites were just like us – their hearts were prone to wander, their necks were stiff, and they repeatedly disobeyed.