Moses told the people of Israel: "And now, O Israel, listen carefully to these laws I teach you, and obey them if you want to live and enter into and possess the land given you by the Lord God of your ancestors. Do not add other laws or subtract from these; just obey them, for they are from the Lord your God. You have seen what the Lord did to you at Baal-peor, where He destroyed many people for worshiping idols. But all of you who were faithful to the Lord your God are still alive today.

   "These are the laws for you to obey when you arrive in the land where you will live. They are from the Lord our God. He has given them to me to pass on to you. If you obey them they will give you a reputation for wisdom and intelligence. When the surrounding nations hear these laws they will exclaim, 'What other nation is as wise and prudent as Israel! . . .'

   "But watch out! Be very careful never to forget what you have seen God doing for you. May His miracles have a deep and permanent effect upon your lives!

   "Tell your children and your grandchildren about the glorious miracles He did. Tell them especially about the day you stood before the Lord at Mount Horeb, and He told me, 'Summon the people before Me and I will instruct them, so that they will learn always to reverence Me, and so that they can teach My laws to their children.' You stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire; flames shot far into the sky, surrounded by black clouds and deep darkness. And the Lord spoke to you from the fire; you heard His words but didn't see Him. He proclaimed the laws you must obey - the Ten Commandments - and wrote them on two stone tablets. Yes, it was at that time that the Lord commanded me to issue the laws you must obey when you arrive in the Promised Land.

   "But beware! You didn't see the form of God that day as He spoke to you from the fire at Mount Horeb, so do not defile yourselves by trying to make a statue of God - an idol in any form, whether of a man, woman, animal, bird, a small animal that runs along the ground, or a fish. And do not look up into the sky to worship the sun, moon, or stars." To be continued.

Taken from Deuteronomy 4, The Living Bible. For free Lifescope book,
write to Box 1575, Carlsbad, NM 88221. Please send $1.00 for postage and handling.

AUGUST 26 - SERIES D-7