See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." (Deuteronomy 4: 5--6)
The Bible consists of 66 books, dozens of human authors, employing four different languages, spread across several cultures, written over a course of 1500 years. All is the living Word of the Living God. There are some books in the Bible, however, that are more important than others, in the sense that these particular books more powerfully explain and shed light upon the whole Bible.
In the Old Covenant corpus, four books are most important: Genesis, Deuteronomy, Psalms and Isaiah. How do we know this? Because these four books are quoted and referred to most often in the New Covenant corpus. The apostolic writings of the New Covenant, which is the culmination and fulfilment of the Old, draw most often upon these Old Covenant books to teach, illustrate and explain the fullness of redemption and revelation in Christ Jesus.
Thus, if we are seeking an Old Covenant introduction, we could do no better than to focus upon these four critical books of the Bible.
Whilst Deuteronomy has many themes, one that is particularly central is the relationship between Israel as a nation and the Unbelieving nations that surrounded them. This is of special interest to us living under the New Covenant in His blood because we are called to go into all the nations of the earth and transform them into covenanted discipled nations of our Lord.
In Deuteronomy 4: 5--6 we receive instruction upon how our city is to be set upon the hill to be noticed by the Unbelievers that surround us. Firstly, as a people we are to keep God's statutes and judgments. This will set us necessarily set us apart from Unbelievers, even as we live amongst them. We will keep one day holy to the Lord out of seven. We will join with the Lord's people to worship Him alone. We will not tolerate any other gods. We will fear the Lord and not use His holy name as a curse word. We will marry only those within the faith. We will raise our children very differently from the way that Unbelievers around us raise theirs. Our lives will be filled with songs of praise and thanksgiving to our great God for His mercy, His love, and His Christ, our Redeemer. Our schools and our schooling will be very different--not only in what is taught, but how it is taught--and so forth.
These things represent the wisdom and understanding of God's people--and they set us apart from the practice and culture of Unbelief which surrounds us. It is what the people "see" when they look at us. These things make us very distinct--and the more pagan and unbelieving a culture becomes, the more distinct and different we are. The more the darkness of paganism descends, the brighter the light of God shines in His people, even as the candle shines more brightly at night.
The more families and marriages break down amongst the Unbelievers, the more wonderful and attractive Christian marriages become. The more children rise up to curse and hate their parents, the more glorious adult Christians who revere and honour their aged parents seem to Unbelievers. And this leads them to say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people," because even as the created world around us is beautiful and wonderfully made, reflecting the glory of God Himself, so His work of redemption and salvation amongst His people, is a glorious reflection of the beauty of God Himself.
And in this, God is glorified. In this context and these circumstances the preaching of the Gospel is further empowered amongst Unbelievers. An historical illustration of this can be found in the time of our Lord, where the Jewish synagogues throughout the world were also populated with "God-fearers"--Gentiles who had come to understand the disgusting effects of idolatry and who saw in the faith of our fathers a truth and beauty that drew them out of their darkness towards light. It was these God-fearers who responded immediately to the preaching of the Gospel in the synagogues.
It remains true, however, that most often the initial response of the Unbeliever to seeing faithful Christian families living according to God's statutes, is mockery and disdain, if not downright hostility. But as their own lives crumble and the wastage of Unbelief becomes ingrained in their pores, often disdain changes to grudging respect, and then even longing, if not envy. These things, however, take time, even more than one generation. But faithfulness over time is an emblem of truth and genuineness.
It has pleased God to take time, much time, to bring His Kingdom to pass. Our lives are short; His Kingdom is everlasting. We need to ensure that our brief lives reflect profoundly the everlasting realities, so that generations to come will say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people."
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