Renewing Your Mind – “Blessed Above All Peoples”

Date: March 24, 2026
Host: Nathan W. Bingham, Ligonier Ministries
Speaker: Dr. W. Robert Godfrey

Episode Overview

This episode delves into central chapters of Deuteronomy, exploring how God’s law, warnings, and blessings shape the identity and responsibilities of His people. Dr. W. Robert Godfrey unpacks the heart of Moses’ exhortations to Israel, focusing on Deuteronomy chapters 6 and 7, and reflects on how Christians today can rightly approach Old Testament law within the context of grace.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Approaching Deuteronomy After Christ (01:00–02:00)

• Christians may struggle with how to apply Old Testament law since Christ has fulfilled it.
• Dr. Godfrey emphasizes both the continuity and change in how believers relate to the law.

The Shema: Central Confession of Faith (02:00–06:00)

• Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
  • Known as the Shema, this is Judaism’s central confession.
  • God’s uniqueness and exclusivity are underscored: “The Lord alone.”
• The heart of faithfulness is recognizing that “God is the only God of Israel.”

Quote:

"That's the great confession of faith. That's the great call on the hearts of God's people."
— Dr. Godfrey (03:00)

The Word on Your Heart & In Your Home (06:00–13:00)

• Moses urges that God's commandments reside in believers’ hearts, not just memory.
• Practical application: Teach and discuss the Word as part of daily home life (when sitting, walking, lying down, rising).
• Jewish traditions (e.g., phylacteries, mezuzahs) echo Deuteronomy’s commands, but Dr. Godfrey warns against reducing faith to “external ritual.”
• Personal anecdote: In a Dutch Reformed home, Dr. Godfrey observes a practice requiring children to recall the “last word” read from the Bible to ensure attentiveness.

Quote:

“The picture here is that the Word is always to be with you. The Word is to surround you. The Word is to inform you.”
— Dr. Godfrey (07:30)

Remembering Blessings and Avoiding Complacency (13:00–15:30)

• Moses warns Israel to remember their blessings come from God, not their own efforts.
• Inheriting houses and vineyards they did not build or plant is evidence of God’s grace.

Quote:

“What do you have that you have not been given? And that's what God wanted his people to see and wanted to stress.”
— Dr. Godfrey (14:30)

The Test at Massah: Faith Amidst Hardship (15:30–17:30)

• Referencing Exodus 17, Godfrey highlights Israel’s testing of God, doubting His presence in hardship.
• The recurring question for believers: “Is the Lord really among us or not?”

Quote:

“Where is God? Why is he letting this happen? And Moses is saying... don't let the questions of Massah come into your heart and mind.”
— Dr. Godfrey (16:30)

Teaching the Next Generation: History and Law (17:30–19:00)

• Moses instructs that children’s questions about the law should be answered by recounting God’s saving acts—especially the Exodus.
• The “Why is this night different?” question at Passover is emblematic of this teaching method.

Quote:

“Remind them of their history. You have these laws because God brought you out of Egypt, because God delivered you.”
— Dr. Godfrey (18:00)

Law and Righteousness: Not Legalism but Response (19:00–21:00)

• Godfrey distinguishes Moses’ teaching from legalism: Keeping the law expresses the righteousness and fear of God that has been given—it's about living as God’s people, not earning His favor.

Quote:

“We need to keep the law to show that we fear God. To show that we love God. To show that we recognize his goodness in this law.”
— Dr. Godfrey (20:00)

Dangers of Substituting Law and Ritual for Relationship (21:00–22:30)

• Godfrey points to the risks of prioritizing religion’s structures—law in Judaism, church in Catholicism—over direct relationship with God.
• Protestants, too, can fall into this trap.

Quote:

“It's a temptation in religious life to replace God with something good.”
— Dr. Godfrey (21:30)

Living as a Holy People Among the Nations (22:30–27:00)

• Deuteronomy 7:6–16: Israel is called to holiness—not merely moral purity, but being set apart and distinct from other nations.
• Dangers warned against: idolatry, intermarriage, and “the snare” of the nations.
• Deuteronomy 7:14 is at the section’s center: “You shall be blessed above all peoples.”
• The goal of warnings is to protect and preserve blessing, not to make obedience burdensome.

Quote:

“At the heart of warning is that you won't lose the blessing.”
— Dr. Godfrey (23:30)

“The Lord doesn't want us to be his people because it's so difficult to be his people, because it’s so disagreeable... I have come that you might have life and... have it more abundantly.”
— Dr. Godfrey (24:00)

Courage, Faith, and God’s Power Over Nations (27:00–29:00)

• God reassures Israel they need not fear the seemingly insurmountable nations.
• Even “hornets” (Deuteronomy 7:20) can be used by God to accomplish His will; the smallest things in God’s hand suffice.
• The promise “for the Lord your God is in your midst” echoes into the New Testament (“Lo, I am with you always...”)

Quote:

“The Lord is still saying to us, don't lose heart. The nations are powerless in the face of the power of our God.”
— Dr. Godfrey (27:45)

Avoiding and Destroying Idolatry (29:00–32:00)

• Strict commands to eradicate idols—including their valuable gold and silver coverings—to avoid being ensnared.
• Godfrey connects this to how anything—even wealth—can become an idol.
• Israel is set apart for holiness; the idols and their remnants are set apart for destruction.

Quote:

“Idols come in different shapes. Gold can be an idol, money can be an idol. Don't be deceived by these things. Don't be led astray by these things.”
— Dr. Godfrey (31:00)

“Because I'm leading you into a holy land to be a holy people before a holy God. And all of this is a picture of what the new heaven and the new earth will be like.”
— Dr. Godfrey (32:00)

Judgment, Repentance, and God’s Justice (32:00–34:00)

• Judgment on the nations is never arbitrary; it comes after persistent sin and refusal to repent.
• The same warnings apply to Israel: Faithlessness leads to forfeiture of blessing and possible judgment.

Quote:

“God is patient, but not patient forever. And Israel is to remember that what happened to the nations could happen to them if they are faithless.”
— Dr. Godfrey (34:00)

Memorable Quotes

• On Law and Love:

  “When we love the Lord, we'll love His Word. When we love the Lord, we'll love his law. And when we keep his law, we display the righteousness that he has given to us.” (00:06 & 21:45, Dr. Godfrey)

• On Faith & Blessing:

  “You shall be blessed above all peoples.” (23:30, Dr. Godfrey quoting Deuteronomy 7:14)

• On God’s Purpose:

  “God is the God who is with his people. God is the God who blesses his people. God is the God of strength against all the strengths of this world.” (28:30, Dr. Godfrey)

Important Timestamps

• [01:00] Introduction to Deuteronomy 5–10’s “Warnings” section.
• [03:00] The Shema ("Hear, O Israel...") as central confession.
• [07:30] The role of God’s Word in family life, avoiding ritualism.
• [16:30] Massah and faith in trouble: “Is the Lord really among us?”
• [18:00] Teaching children through redemptive history.
• [20:00] Law as response to grace, not means to righteousness.
• [23:30] The heart of divine warning: preservation of blessing.
• [27:45] Encouragement: God’s power makes nations powerless.
• [31:00] Idols—money, gold, anything—must be rooted out.

Episode Takeaways

• God desires righteousness not as a condition for acceptance, but as a reflection of His grace and relationship.
• The heart of biblical warnings is to safeguard the blessing and abundant life God gives, not to burden His people.
• Faithful living is marked by constant remembrance—of God’s character, acts, promises, and presence.
• Idolatry is a persistent temptation in many forms; true holiness requires vigilant, joyful separation to God.
• God’s justice and patience are held in balance: He blesses, but persistent disobedience brings consequences for any nation.

For further study, listeners are encouraged to explore the entire Deuteronomy series via Ligonier’s resources.