What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 4:2? You must not add to or subtract from – The command is absolute: not a single word of God’s instruction may be tampered with. – By forbidding both addition and subtraction, the Lord closes every loophole. • Addition introduces ideas that place human opinion on par with divine revelation (Proverbs 30:6, “Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar,”). • Subtraction silences truths God intends to protect (Revelation 22:19 warns that anyone who “takes away from the words of this book” will lose his share in the tree of life). – The standard affirms that Scripture is complete and sufficient; nothing further is needed for faith and obedience (2 Timothy 3:16–17). – Because God Himself spoke these words (Deuteronomy 4:12), altering them is rebellion against His authority. so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God – The purpose clause explains why we must leave the Word untouched: obedience flows from purity of revelation. – When we change the message, we inevitably change the way we live. • Joshua 1:7 ties fidelity to the written Law with success: “Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go,”. • Jesus echoed the same principle: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). – God’s commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3) but life-giving; unaltered they remain the sure path to blessing (Psalm 19:7–11). that I am giving you – Moses speaks as God’s chosen mediator; the source is divine, not human tradition (Exodus 20:1, “And God spoke all these words,”). – The verb “giving” highlights immediacy: Israel stood on the brink of the Promised Land and needed exact instruction for covenant life. – What God gave then still stands now (Matthew 5:18, “Until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot or stroke shall pass from the Law,”). – Our role is to receive, trust, and obey, not to revise. The giver retains ownership; we are stewards of His revealed truth (1 Corinthians 4:1–2). summary Deuteronomy 4:2 insists that God’s Word be left exactly as He delivered it, because only an unchanged message can guide us into genuine obedience. To alter Scripture is to challenge God’s authority, distort His will, and forfeit the blessings tied to faithful submission. Hold fast to the text as given, live it out, and you will walk securely in the commandments of the Lord your God. |
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