Compare Deuteronomy 29:26 with Exodus 20:3-5 on worshiping other gods. Setting the Stage • Exodus records the birth of Israel as a nation at Sinai; Deuteronomy looks back forty years later as Moses reaffirms the covenant on the plains of Moab. • Both passages revolve around one issue: wholehearted allegiance to the one true God. The Command Given: Exodus 20:3-5 “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me …” • The command is absolute—no rival deities. • It forbids both inward elevation (“have”) and outward expressions (“make,” “bow down,” “serve”). • God’s jealousy flows from His covenant love; He will tolerate no spiritual adultery (cf. Deuteronomy 6:14-15; James 4:4-5). The Covenant Broken: Deuteronomy 29:26 “They went and served other gods, and they worshiped gods that they had not known and that He had not given to them.” • Moses cites Israel’s future apostasy as the reason curses will fall. • The verbs “went,” “served,” “worshiped” mirror the very actions prohibited in Exodus 20. • The gods are “not known”—foreign to Israel’s covenant experience—and “not given” by God, underscoring their illegitimacy. Key Similarities • Same subject: worship of “other gods.” • Same verbs: serve, worship, bow down. • Same covenant focus: exclusive fidelity demanded, judgment promised for betrayal. Key Differences • Exodus 20: prescribes the standard before sin occurs. • Deuteronomy 29: describes the violation and its consequences after sin occurs (vv. 24-28). • Exodus highlights God’s jealousy; Deuteronomy highlights Israel’s unfaithfulness. Theological Threads Tying Them Together • God’s nature does not change—He remains jealous for His glory (Isaiah 42:8). • Idolatry is pictured as covenant treason, deserving covenant curses (Leviticus 26:14-33). • Generational impact: Exodus warns of visiting iniquity; Deuteronomy shows how unfaithfulness poisons the land and people. • Grace still pulses beneath the warnings: later prophets promise restoration when Israel turns back (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hosea 14:1-4). Practical Takeaways for Today • Guard your heart: modern idols—money, career, relationships—can steal the exclusive devotion God commands (1 John 5:21). • Remember redemption: as Israel was freed from Egypt, believers are freed from sin to serve the living God (Romans 6:22). • Flee idolatry actively—don’t merely avoid bowing statues but reject anything that rivals Christ’s supremacy (1 Corinthians 10:14). • Teach the next generation: faithfulness or idolatry affects families (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). • Rest in Christ, who perfectly kept the command and bore the curse for covenant-breakers (Galatians 3:13). |
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