A year gone by.... I found it

Last year, while listening to the Daily Audio Bible, I heard something in Deuteronomy that I had never seen or heard before. This was not something I was unaware of, just something that surprised me on how plainly it was stated. The problem was, when I heard it last year, I forgot to make a mental (or physical note) as to the chapter/verse and was at a loss to find it again.

Yesterday, I heard it again!

The context is Moses writing to Israel, telling them to obey God's laws. We tend to think of Israel as sort of a closed club but that was not the intention. In fact, in spite of the way events usually occured, they were to be evangelists to those around them... A city on the hill... A light to the nations.

Deut 4:5-8 reads:

You must obey these laws and regulations when you arrive in the land you are about to enter and occupy. The LORD my God gave them to me and commanded me to pass them on to you. If you obey them carefully, you will display your wisdom and intelligence to the surrounding nations. When they hear about these laws, they will exclaim, ‘What other nation is as wise and prudent as this!’ For what great nation has a god as near to them as the LORD our God is near to us whenever we call on him? And what great nation has laws and regulations as fair as this body of laws that I am giving you today?