Deuteronomy 4:11, commentary and pictures

Israel drew near and stood close beneath Horeb, also called Sinai, set apart from other nations while the mountain blazed with fire to the midst of heaven amid darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. The infinite God came down through that cloud and stood on the mountain surrounded by angels, speaking from the fire and thick darkness in a voice that made the people tremble with fear and reverence, yet they heard only His voice and saw no form so that they would not pattern an image after it. This was His coming to declare His covenant, the Ten Commandments, writing them on two tables of stone and charging Moses to teach them, with fire and glory impressing their sacredness, importance, and permanence as unchangeable and never to be erased. What was seen and heard was never to depart from the heart but to be kept diligently, with learning to fear God all their days on earth and teaching it to their children for every generation, in careful obedience that brings blessing and well-being and long life. The commandments, including the specified day and the reverencing of God's holy sabbaths as the sign of obedience, are preserved to be brought forth at the last great judgment when every person will face their meaning and be judged according to them.

The Scene at Horeb

Israel came near and stood under the mountain, gathered close beneath it at Horeb, which is Sinai. They were brought together there apart from the other nations to meet God. The mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, blazing toward heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness round about it. A cloud covered the mount.

Through that cloud the infinite God came down to Sinai. He stood on the mountain surrounded by angels and spoke from the fire and from the thick darkness. His voice made the people tremble every time they heard it.

The people heard His voice and His words, but they saw no form or similitude, only a voice. No form was shown to them so that they would not pattern an image after it.

That awe-inspiring manifestation showed that God was present and leading them, calling forth reverence for Him and obedience to His voice. The sacred mountain was marked by repeated displays of divine glory, and the sense of God's presence made the people reluctant to leave. They were overwhelmed with fear and reverence and asked that Moses speak to them instead of God, lest they die.

Law, Memory, and Obedience

The burning mountain was the setting where the Lord came to give His law, declaring His covenant, the Ten Commandments, writing them on two tables of stone, and charging Moses to teach the people to obey them. The fire and darkness and other displays of power and glory were meant to impress reverence for God as Creator and Author of the law and to show the law's sacredness, importance, and permanence. The commandments were never to be erased or changed.

The verse belongs to a chapter that calls God's covenant people to careful study and obedience to the law proclaimed at Sinai, with blessing promised to those who obeyed, blessing for obedience and a curse for turning away. Its warnings are to be studied carefully and heeded, not treated as truth to be put on and taken off at will. The Ten Commandments are to be studied thoroughly to see whether the very day specified in them is being kept, for keeping God's sabbaths stands as obedience when His commandments are obeyed and His holy day is reverenced.

What the eyes saw there was never to be forgotten nor allowed to depart from the heart; the people were to take heed to themselves, keep their souls diligently, learn to fear God all the days they live on the earth, and teach what they witnessed to their children as a warning and lesson for every generation. Keeping God's commandments is tied to well-being and long life, while disobedience brings the consequence of His word, as shown when the adults who left Egypt died in the wilderness. The account applies to every person, each of whom must take heed to self, and it marks those who observe the law proclaimed at Sinai as God's holy people unto Himself.

The chapter gives the work specified for these last days, with strong steady light shining across the pathway so that God's people must walk in that light by putting belief into works, combining faith and works in medical missionary service and educating students to do service for the Lord. Its directions are sacred truth and principles of the law of God, expressions of the mind of the infinite God also expressed in James 3, which never lose their force. Every word is to be cherished, preached, and acted out in all religious service toward God and one another by loving as brethren, doing no injustice, and always showing liberality, tenderness, compassion, and true courtesy.

Because no similitude was seen, only a voice heard, the people were forbidden to corrupt themselves by making likenesses, a lesson against multiplying pictures fashioned in books and spending money on them, calling instead to get ready for a life that measures with the life of God and to see the King in His beauty. The commandments after being rewritten the second time are preserved and will be brought forth at the last great judgment. Every person will one day face them and understand their meaning, for all are to be judged according to them in the day of God's great final review, when the world must stand before the Judge of all the earth to answer for deeds, and the present is the time of investigation before that review when every character is investigated and every case decided for eternity.