Renewing Your Mind Episode: Laws About Loving God
Host: Ligonier Ministries (Nathan W. Bingham)
Guest Teacher: Dr. W. Robert Godfrey
Date: March 26, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. W. Robert Godfrey guides listeners through a rich exploration of Deuteronomy’s “laws about loving God.” The discussion centers on how these ancient laws reveal not only God’s requirements, but also His loving, personal covenant with His people – past and present. Dr. Godfrey emphasizes that the heart of biblical law is a call to deep, grateful relationship rather than mere external compliance. Along the way, the episode unpacks the enduring significance of remembering God’s mighty acts, teaching our children the faith, and trusting in God’s ongoing provision and blessing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Heart of the Law: A Personal Call (01:52–05:02)

• Dr. Godfrey opens by highlighting Deuteronomy 10:12’s central question:
  “Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you?”
  • The answer is not just rule-keeping but:
    • Fearing God
    • Walking in His ways
    • Loving Him
    • Serving Him with all your heart and soul
    • Keeping His commandments “for your good”
• Quote (03:12):

  “This is the heart of the law. This is the core of the law. And it’s so beautifully expressed here… about the relationship that God would have with his people.” – Godfrey

2. Law Rooted in God’s Grace and Love (05:03–07:25)

• God’s law flows from His prior, freely given love – “He set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring…” (Deut. 10:15)
• The law’s demands are a call to grateful response, not mere duty.
  • Dr. Godfrey draws from the Heidelberg Catechism’s threefold division: Guilt, Grace, Gratitude.
• Quote (06:20):

  “We are called to serve the Lord, to live for the Lord, to love the Lord out of gratitude for the great work that he has done in saving us.” – Godfrey

3. Love for Neighbor Embedded in the Law (07:26–10:26)

• Moses makes a seamless connection between loving God and loving neighbor:
  • Care for sojourners, fatherless, widows.
  • The law as a foundation for just, compassionate society.
• Dr. Godfrey references novelist Marilynne Robinson’s essays, observing:
  • Mosaic law is strikingly humane compared to later legal codes.
  • Example: In Moses’ law, theft is not a capital crime—“There’s a humanity and love that’s embedded in the law of Moses.”
• Quote (10:11):

  “We want a community of love, love of God, love of the neighbor in the church that shines in a dark world with a wonderful testimony to us being a separate, a different people.” – Godfrey

4. Remembering God’s Historic Acts: Teaching the Next Generation (11:30–14:54)

• Moses urges Israel to remember God’s deliverance from Egypt and to teach these acts to their children (Deut. 11:2).
  • Dr. Godfrey nostalgically reflects on generational distance in memory (e.g., World War II).
  • Stresses the risk of “collective amnesia” about God’s mighty works and the necessity of intentional education in the church.
• Quote (14:50):

  “When you think about the great saving works of God in history, don’t let your children forget them. Don’t let them pass from the collective memory and knowledge.” – Godfrey

5. The Importance of Knowing Scripture Deeply (15:18–17:48)

• Recounts biblical allusions (e.g., Korah’s rebellion) and the expectation that God’s people know their history so well that references are instantly understood.
• Draws on Paul’s subtle reference to the golden calf in 1 Corinthians 10 as an example.

6. Blessing and Dependence: The Land as a Lesson (17:49–21:22)

• Deuteronomy contrasts Egyptian agriculture (predictably watered via Nile and irrigation) with the Promised Land’s reliance on rainfall.
  • The new land teaches utter dependence on God.
  • Prosperity and provision (“milk and honey”) are always contingent on God’s active blessing.
• Quote (20:22):

  “Your blessing comes from heaven. It doesn’t come from the work of your hands... It only comes when I send it.” – Godfrey

7. Repetition and Internalization of God’s Word (21:23–22:56)

• Moses repeats the injunction to internalize the Word (Deut. 11:18) and to teach it to children constantly (at home, on the road, lying down, rising up).
• Dr. Godfrey likens Moses’ repetition to a preacher’s wisdom—people need and benefit from repetition to truly learn.

8. The Structure and Focus of Deuteronomy (24:01–24:56)

• Dr. Godfrey highlights:
  • Deuteronomy is essentially a single sermon with a focused purpose: leading God’s people forward as leadership transitions from Moses to Joshua.
  • The book’s focus on leadership points to the need for Christ, the true King and Second Moses.
• Quote (24:26):

  “Deuteronomy is not only full of all sorts of spiritual help for us, but it’s full of Jesus. And I hope we’ll see that as we study it as well.” – Godfrey

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “The Word is to be in your heart and in your soul. That’s why Protestant churches have devoted so much... to the preaching of the Word... because it really is our life.”
  – Godfrey (00:00)
• “He wants them to fear him and obey him and love him and serve him. It almost sounds like a wedding ceremony, doesn’t it?”
  – Godfrey (03:21)
• “Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”
  – Quoted from Moses (05:31)
• “She [Marilynne Robinson] was really conversant [with Calvin’s sermons] and really praised Moses for the gentleness, the compassion in many ways of his law.”
  – Godfrey (08:15)
• “The church grows by the blessing of God.”
  – Godfrey (12:17)
• “Don’t let your children forget them [God’s mighty works]. Don’t let them pass from the collective memory and knowledge.”
  – Godfrey (14:45)
• “Your blessing comes from heaven. It doesn’t come from the work of your hands.”
  – Godfrey (20:22)
• “Deuteronomy is pointing to the critical nature of leadership... and as we think about that leadership, it will lead us to Christ, because He’s the king, He’s the second Moses, He’s the greater Joshua.”
  – Godfrey (24:21)

Important Timestamps

• 01:52: Dr. Godfrey begins exposition of Deut. 10:12 – “What does the Lord require?”
• 05:32: Moses links divine love and covenant history.
• 08:25: Discussion of Marilynne Robinson and humane nature of Mosaic law.
• 11:30: Generational memory and teaching children.
• 13:45: Korah’s rebellion, the importance of biblical literacy.
• 17:49: Lessons from the Promised Land’s dependence on rain.
• 21:23: Reiteration of the command to internalize and teach God’s Word.
• 24:01: What every Christian should know about Deuteronomy and its focus on leadership and Christ.

Memorable Moments

• The comparison of Moses’ covenant language to a wedding ceremony (03:21).
• The story of Marilynne Robinson’s deep reading of Calvin and her admiration for the humanity of Moses’ law (08:15).
• Personal anecdote about cultural memory and the challenge of passing down important stories—e.g., referencing Mae West and the Second World War (12:55).
• The “farmer’s lesson” about irrigation, dependence on rain, and spiritual lessons about depending on God (17:49).

Conclusion

This episode compellingly frames Deuteronomy not as an outdated list of rules but as a living, loving call to grateful relationship with God—one to be remembered, repeated, and relayed from generation to generation. Dr. Godfrey’s teaching merges close biblical engagement with pastoral warmth and practical insight, urging Christians to see both law and leadership as fulfilled ultimately in Christ. The episode encourages listeners to internalize God’s Word, love both God and neighbor, and trust God’s faithfulness in every circumstance.