Sermon Tone Analysis

“Moses came and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he and Joshua the son of Nun.

And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them, ‘Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law.

For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.’”[1]

The Word of God has been given for the benefit of mankind.

We are taught in the Word, “All Scripture is inspired by God.”

Therefore, the Word of God in its entirety is declared to be “profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness” [*2 Timothy 3:16*].

It is not part of the Word for which we are responsible; it is the entire Word that we are responsible to obey.

Moreover, it is only as we weigh the Word in its entirety that we have a complete picture of the mind of God.

We must not imagine that we can select portions of the Word, holding them in isolation from all other parts of the Word, to formulate doctrine.

I am continually astonished by the precision with which God presses His rightful demand for obedience—obedience that is not always forthcoming even from His professed people.

There is no question concerning God’s will for mankind—God calls us to righteousness and holiness.

However, since the fall of our first parents, the race has continually attempted to excuse disobedience.

Our excuses did not work then, and they do not work now.

In truth, a major reason for disobedience is widespread ignorance of the Word of God.

Preachers are reluctant to provide sound Scriptural exposition and the people of God seldom read the Word of God.

The Bible is the national best-seller that tops the list of books ignored.

Nevertheless, God places responsibility on all people both to read the Word and to do all that He commands.

One place where this truth is clearly presented is found in the fifth book of the Bible after Moses wrote and recited a song in the hearing of the people of God.

*Take to Heart All the Words* — Moses had written down the Law and given it to the priests.

He had commanded them to read it in its entirety at the Feast of Booths every seventh year [see *Deuteronomy31:9-13*].

The purpose for this command was to ensure that all the people—including the children—were to learn to fear the Lord, having heard the Word of the Lord.

Reading the Word, making it known, was to be a perpetual act among the worshippers of the True and Living God.

In fact, the act of reading the Word of God was tied to the continued blessing of God as the people occupied the land He was giving them!

Moses was told that he would shortly die.

This was not a surprise, because the Lord had informed him on multiple occasions that he would not be permitted to enter into the land of promise.

Moses had been instructed to provide water for the people by speaking to the rock.

Instead, he struck the rock, exposing his anger toward the people.

As result of his disobedience, God debarred him from entering the land [see *Numbers 20:10-13*; *Deuteronomy 1:37*; *4:21, 22*].

Moses’ punishment is iterated here as God reminds him that he must die outside of the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—he can see the land, but he will not enter the land.

Moses would be required to compose a song in anticipation of the apostasy of the nation.

“Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers.

Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them.

Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured.

And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’

And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods.

“Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel.

Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel.

For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant.

And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring).

For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give” [*Deuteronomy31:16-22*].

What a sad commentary on human nature.

Despite God’s goodness, despite His deliverance and provision, Israel would shortly turn from serving the True and Living God.

Don’t imagine that this was a phenomenon restricted to God’s ancient people.

To this day, God’s people tend to apostasy as He blessed.

The cycle appears to be deliverance, blessing and apostasy.

God delivers His people.

They commit themselves to His service and He blesses them.

Surfeited with plenty, they begin to rely on their own ingenuity rather than His power; and the acquisition of things or personal comfort becomes more importance than continued service.

They drift into apostasy.

Look around you at the testimony of apostasy in our own land.

Empty churches stand as silent witness to the faith of past generations, and also to the self-love that characterises this age.

Ageing congregations testify to people turning to their own interests rather than continuing vigorous service to the Lord.

People witness God’s goodness—His deliverance, His rich provision, His multiplied mercies—yet they pursue their own desires, forsaking God and His goodness.

How does such a thing happen?

A pastor has a heart for God.

He devotes himself to the Word of God, teaching that Word in power and training all whom God gives to his oversight.

The people commit themselves to serve God and to build one another.

They are excited to witness the power of God at work among them as lives are changed and as new people come to faith on an ongoing basis.

Week-by-week they hear testimony of God’s mercy and power.

They rejoice and they worship Him who lives among them.

God blesses the congregation—they acquire a building and ministries are multiplied, the powerful preaching is having an impact far beyond anything the members could have imagined when they first began services.

As God blesses, the moneys He provides through the gifts of His people are used to expand the outreach of the congregation and to provide larger facilities to accommodate the growing crowds.

The ministry grows and the church has a reputation of integrity and power.

However, as God blesses the congregation, He is also blessing the people with the ability to earn more so that they can do more.

In time, the people began to wonder how they will keep things running.

Though God has blessed, subtly the thought takes hold in their mind that they must “take control” in order to keep things together.

Tragically, those who act to exclude the will of God are not even aware of what they are doing.

They argue that they “have to take control” in order to ensure that everything continues as it always has.

Attendance at the services begins to dwindle, but the leadership consoles itself that “God is purifying His church.”

There is always a reason for the decreased attendance, but there is also the nagging sense that they must “do something” to stop the haemorrhaging of members and attendees.

Various schemes are proposed and implemented to attract more people.

However, the evidence is that with every new program, a more exciting program must be imagined and introduced to keep people coming back.

Ultimately, the demand on creative energy is too much and the people burn out.

Ultimately, the preservation of the building becomes the primary reason for existence, and the holy huddle meets to discuss past glories and to bemoan the hardness of society.

Never does the dwindling membership consider that they have taken their eyes off the Lord.

The glory of the Lord has departed, and the remaining people do not know it.

Listen to Moses’ pointed warning to the Levites.

He commanded them to place a copy of the Scriptures in the Ark of the Covenant.

This was not the sole copy of the Word, for he would instruct the people to read the Scriptures to their children, teaching them and training them in the Word.

However, this copy of the Word was to be a witness against the people, reminding them of their responsibility before the Lord to both know and to read the Word.

The witness would be needed, for, Moses said, “I know how rebellious and stubborn you are.

Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the Lord.

How much more after my death!

Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them.

For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you.

And in the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands” [*Deuteronomy 31:27-29*].

I recall the leader of a great movement that began over fifty years ago in the United States.

One of the leaders of that movement was interviewed by a writer for a religious publication.

In the course of the interview, that leader was asked, “Doctor, what is the future of this movement you have fathered.”

Without hesitation, that great man responded, “Apostasy.”

The journalist was flabbergasted—he was astounded.

The answer was appropriate.

No one founds a movement with the intention that it will become apostate.

However, if the hand of man touches any work, it will tend toward apostasy.

Each succeeding generation will be compelled to recapture the vision of the founders and return to the basic principles that marked the beginning of the movement.

I am hard pressed to name a major religious institution that has survived more than three generations that adheres to the principles of the founders.

All have moved significantly from the vision of those that founded the institution or the movement.

In conversation with the principle of a major educational institution in our country, I was astonished when I heard him declare that none of those teaching held to the accuracy and veracity of the written Word of God.

He ridiculed “naïve-literalists” who actually believed that God created all things in six days.

I calmly informed him that I was a naïve-literalists.