DEUTERONOMY 6 COMMENTARY Written and edited by Glenn Pease PREFACE This verse by verse commentary quotes the great old commentaries as well as some contemporary authors. All of this information is available to anyone, but I have brought it together in one place to save the Bible student time in research. If anyone I quote does not want their wisdom shared in this way, they can let me know and I will remove it. My e-mail is [email protected]INTRODUCTION Coffman Commentaries, “This great chapter treats the question of The First Commandment, i.e., that people should love God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. Significantly, it was to the Book of Deuteronomy that the Son of God Himself turned for the material with which he frustrated and defeated the prince of evil on the occasion of the Saviour's temptation (Matt. 4). It was to this very chapter that Jesus turned for the word that confounded and defeated the sophistry of the Pharisees on the occasion of their captious question, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" (Matthew 22:34 ). This is an appropriate place, therefore, to note how frequently Christ, the apostles, and the writers of the N.T. quoted directly from Deuteronomy. As a matter of fact, the Cross-Reference Bible (ASV) has exactly 182 N.T. references to Deuteronomy listed in the marginal columns, F1 and there are many others not included in these, among which are a number of the following 52 references listed because they are generally known: DEUTERONOMY: NEW TESTAMENT: Wresting judgment forbidden John 7:24; James 2:1 (Deuteronomy 1:16,17 ) Not to add to ... or take from (Deuteronomy 4:2 ) Matt. 5:18; Rev. 22:18,19 Nearness to God (Deuteronomy 4:7 ) James 4:8 God a consuming fire (Deut. 4:24; 9:3) Heb. 12:29 Covenant with the fathers (Deuteronomy 5:3 ) Heb. 8:9 The Sinai experience (Deut. 5:12; 4:22) Heb. 12:18-21 Sabbath of the Lord (Deuteronomy 5:14 ) Heb. 4:4ff Honor thy father and mother (Deuteronomy 5:16 ) Eph. 6:2,3; Col. 3:20 Decalogue Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:17-21 ) Rom. 13:8-10; 19:18-20
Transcript
DEUTERONOMY 6 COMMENTARYWritten and edited by Glenn Pease
PREFACE
This verse by verse commentary quotes the great old commentaries as well as somecontemporary authors. All of this information is available to anyone, but I have brought ittogether in one place to save the Bible student time in research. If anyone I quote does not wanttheir wisdom shared in this way, they can let me know and I will remove it. My e-mail is [email protected]
INTRODUCTION
Coffman Commentaries, “This great chapter treats the question of The First Commandment, i.e.,that people should love God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. Significantly, it was tothe Book of Deuteronomy that the Son of God Himself turned for the material with which hefrustrated and defeated the prince of evil on the occasion of the Saviour's temptation (Matt. 4). Itwas to this very chapter that Jesus turned for the word that confounded and defeated thesophistry of the Pharisees on the occasion of their captious question, "Which is the greatcommandment in the law?" (Matthew 22:34). This is an appropriate place, therefore, to note howfrequently Christ, the apostles, and the writers of the N.T. quoted directly from Deuteronomy. As a matter of fact, the Cross-Reference Bible (ASV) has exactly 182 N.T. references toDeuteronomy listed in the marginal columns,F1 and there are many others not included in these,among which are a number of the following 52 references listed because they are generallyknown:
DEUTERONOMY: NEW TESTAMENT:
Wresting judgment forbidden John 7:24; James 2:1 (Deuteronomy 1:16,17)
Not to add to ... or take from (Deuteronomy 4:2) Matt. 5:18; Rev. 22:18,19
Nearness to God (Deuteronomy 4:7) James 4:8
God a consuming fire (Deut. 4:24; 9:3) Heb. 12:29
Covenant with the fathers (Deuteronomy 5:3) Heb. 8:9
The Sinai experience (Deut. 5:12; 4:22) Heb. 12:18-21
Sabbath of the Lord (Deuteronomy 5:14) Heb. 4:4ff
Honor thy father and mother (Deuteronomy 5:16) Eph. 6:2,3; Col. 3:20
Vengeance belongs to God (Deuteronomy 32:25) Rom. 12:19; Heb. 10:30
Sodom and Gomorrah (Deuteronomy 32:32) Matt. 11:24
God's vengeance on His enemies (Deuteronomy 32:43) Rev. 6:10
It is especially important that the quotations marked by an asterisk (*) were made by JesusChrist himself in his temptation when he encountered and defeated the prince of evil. Nothoughtful person can believe that Jesus' sole reliance upon the Book of Deuteronomy in thatdreadful hour could indicate anything other than the absolute dependability, authority, andintegrity of the Book of Deuteronomy!
Love the LORD Your God
1 These are the commands, decrees and laws theLORD your God directed me to teach you to observein the land that you are crossing the Jordan topossess,
1. Gill, “Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments,.... Not the tencommandments repeated in the preceding chapter, but all others, whether moral, ceremonial, orjudicial, afterwards declared; for what Moses now did was only to give a repetition and freshdeclaration of such laws as he had before received, and delivered to the people; and so theTargum of Jonathan thus paraphrases this clause,"this is a declaration of the commandments,statutes, and judgments:"
which the Lord your God commanded to teach you; that is, which he commanded him, Moses, toteach them, though not fully expressed, as may be learned from Deu_4:1.
that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it; this is often observed, to imprintupon their minds a sense of their duty, even of obedience to the laws of God, which they werecarefully and diligently to perform in the land of Canaan they were going into, and by which they
were to hold their possession of it.
2. Spurgeon, “God’s commandments are to be taught, but they are also to be practiced: “whichthe Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them.” And it is this doing of themthat is the hard part of the work. It is not easy always to teach them; a man needs the Spirit ofGod if he is to teach them aright, but practice is harder than preaching. May God grant us grace,whenever we hear his Word, to do it!
3. Calvin 1-3, “Now these are the commandments. In these three verses he repeats what we havealready seen in many previous passages; since God deals so liberally with the Israelites, theywould be too perverse, unless such great kindness should allure them to love the law. We mustremember too what I have already touched on, that, although I have postponed to another placethe promises, whereby Moses urged the people to endeavor to keep the Law, still I havedesignedly put before my exposition of the Law those passages, in which, by setting the promisedland as it were before the people’s eyes, he prepares their minds for submission, and renders therule of so bountiful a Father pleasant and delightful. Since, then, they were appointed to inheritthe land, Moses, when he invites them to its enjoyment, commands them gladly to embrace thedoctrine, for the sake of which they were adopted; and to devote themselves, on their side, toobedience to God, by whose gratuitous goodness they had been prevented. As in chapters 8 and11 he praised the richness of the land, so does he now confirm the same statement; or ratherafterwards more fully explains what he slightly touches upon here. They all agree in this, that thehappy state of life which was before their eyes ought to awaken the people’s gratitude, lest suchnotable beneficence should be expended on them in vain. Moses therefore declares, that he hadpresented to them laws and statutes, by which they might be instructed in the fear of God; at thesame time, he reminds them how base in them it would be not to be ravished to the love of Godand of His law by the delightfulness and abundance of the land. I pass over what I have alreadyexplained, viz., that he taught nothing of himself, but was the faithful interpreter of God; andalso that he commands the doctrine to be handed down to their posterity, so that it may never belost. Whence it appears how difficult it is for men to be duly prepared for keeping the law, sinceGod does not in vain so often stimulate their indolence; for there is a silent reproof conveyedeither of their indolence or instability, when God does not cease to insist on what it would havebeen sufficient to have pointed out in a single word. We must also remark the definition ofrighteousness, that they should do what is right in the sight of the Lord; in opposition to the reasonand judgment of the flesh.
4. Henry, “Observe here, 1. That Moses taught the people all that, and that only, which Godcommanded him to teach them, Deuteronomy 6:1. Thus Christ's ministers are to teach hischurches all that he has commanded, and neither more nor less, Matthew 28:20. 2. That the end oftheir being taught was that they might do as they were taught (Deuteronomy 6:1), might keep
God's statutes (Deuteronomy 6:2), and observe to do them, Deuteronomy 6:3. Good instructionsfrom parents and ministers will but aggravate our condemnation if we do not live up to them. 3.That Moses carefully endeavoured to fix them for God and godliness, now that they wereentering upon the land of Canaan, that they might be prepared for the comforts of that land, andfortified against the snares of it, and now that they were setting out in the world might set outwell. 4. That the fear of God in the heart will be the most powerful principle of obedience: That
thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes, Deuteronomy 6:2. 5. The entail ofreligion in a family, or country, is the best entail: it is highly desirable that not we only, but ourchildren, and our children's children, may fear the Lord. 6. Religion and righteousness advanceand secure the prosperity of any people. Fear God, and it shall be well with thee. Those that are
well taught, if they do what they are taught, shall be well fed too, as Israel in the land flowing
with milk and honey, Deuteronomy 6:3.
2 so that you, your children and their children afterthem may fear the LORD your God as long as youlive by keeping all his decrees and commands that Igive you, and so that you may enjoy long life.
1. Gill, “That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God…Being taught to know the greatness of his being, and the nature of his mind and will, and themanner of his worship; and not with a slavish fear, but with a filial one, a reverential affection forGod; being instructed in their duty, as of children, to their God and Father; see (Deuteronomy
5:29) to keep all his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee;not in his own name, but in the name, and by the authority of God, whose minister andmessenger he was; and all, having the stamp of divine authority on them, were to be observedand kept, and not one to be neglected or departed from:
thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life;a man and his children, and grandchildren; he was to take care that they kept all thecommandments of the Lord as long as he lived, and had any concern with them:
and that thy days may be prolonged;long life being reckoned a very great outward mercy; a long enjoyment of, and continuance in theland of Canaan, is chiefly designed, which is usually expressed when this is observed; see(Deuteronomy 4:26,40) (5:16,33) .
2. Dave Guzik, “That your days may be prolonged . . . that it may be well with you: Israel's faterested on their obedience to this one great commandment. If they obeyed their commandment,their life would be long and filled with blessing; if they did not obey, they could expect to becursed by God.”
3. Spurgeon, “Obedience to God should arise from the fear of him, or from a holy awe of God feltin the heart, for all true religion must be heart work. It is not the bare action alone at which Godlooks, but at the motive — at the spirit which dictates it, Hence it is always put, “That thoumightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments.” Neither are weto be content with keeping commands ourselves. It is the duty of parents to seek the good of theirchildren — to seek that the son and the son’s son should walk in the ways of God all their lives.May God grant us never to be partakers of the spirit of those who think that they have no need tolook after the religion of their children — who seem as if they left it to a blind fate. Stay we care
for them with this care that our son and our son’s son should walk before the Lord all the days oftheir life.The fear of God must always be a practical power in our lives: “that thou mightest fear the Lordthy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments.” And that practical fear should lead usinto obedience in detail; we ought so to study God’s Word that we endeavor “to keep all hisstatutes and his commandments.” A slipshod obedience is disobedience. We must be careful andwatchful to know the divine will, and in all respects to carry it out. You who are his children,dwelling in such a household, and with such a Father, it well becomes you to be obedient children.Nay, it is not only for us to obey the command of the Lord our God, but we should pray till therest of the verse also comes true: “thou, and thy son, and thy sows son,” our children and ourchildren’s children. I am sure that, if we love God, we shall long that our children and ourchildren’s children may love him, too. If your trade has supported you, and brought you in acompetence, you will naturally wish to bring your son up to it. But, on a far higher platform, ifGod has been a good God to you, your deepest desire will be that your son and your son’s sonshould serve the same Divine Master through all the days of their life.“That thy days may be prolonged.” God does not give long life to all his people; yet in obedienceto God is the most probable way of securing long life. There are also many of God’s saints whoare spared in times of pestilence, or who are delivered by an act of faith out of great dangers.That ancient declaration of God often comes true in these later times, “As the days of a tree arethe days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” At any rate, youwho love the Lord shall live out your days, whereas the wicked shall not live out half their days.You shall complete the circle of life, whether it be a great circle or a little one; with long life willGod satisfy you, and show you his salvation.
The passage which now follows is held in very great esteem by the Jewish people even down tothis day. They repeat it frequently, for it forms part of their morning and evening services.
4. Ron Ritchie, “These commandments revealed to the people of Israel that Elohim--Yahweh (1)was their one and only living, righteous God, who wanted to have a loving relationship withthem; and that if they would respond to his love, they would begin to enjoy life as he intended itto be enjoyed in harmony with him. These commandments were not given to restrict their livesbut to give them fullness of life with him and with their neighbors as well. The "decrees and thelaws" were the ways in which the Ten Commandments were to be worked out in their society asseen in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and the rest of Deuteronomy. "...Fear the Lord...." These commands were given to the parents, their children, and theirgrandchildren so that they might all fear the Lord. The Lord God in their minds was an awesomeand powerful God as evidenced by the earthquakes, darkness, thunder, and lighting on MountSinai when Moses was given the Law. That would naturally cause them to "fear" him. But thefear that Moses was really speaking of is that feeling of awe, respect, and reverence one hastoward a loving God who offers joy, peace, and eternal life. It is the fear that springs fromrecognizing that he is God, our Creator, and we are his creation. It is the fear that comes fromrecognizing that it is he who gives us the very next breath of life on this earth, and as a result wefind our hearts filled with love for him and thankfulness to him. God had promised the Jews thatif they loved him with all their hearts and obeyed his commands, they would experience life as hedefined it. His definition of life included the promise that all would go well with them personallyand that they would be blessed with many children. Even their livestock would be blessed. Infact, the promised land would become "a land flowing with milk and honey"---milk from theirincreased herds and honey as a symbol of the sweetness of living under the lordship of their oneand only living God (see Exodus 13:5 ).
3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it maygo well with you and that you may increase greatlyin a land flowing with milk and honey, just as theLORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you. 1. Gill, “Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it…Or them, the commandments given them: that it may be well with thee;in body and estate:
and that ye may increase mightily;not only in wealth and riches, but chiefly in numbers:
as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee;a promise of increase of numbers was frequently made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; as thattheir seed should be as the stars of heaven, and as the dust of the earth, and the sand on the seashore, innumerable; see (Genesis 15:5) (22:17) (25:4) (28:14) and this especially
in the land that floweth with milk and honey;a very common periphrasis of the land of Canaan, because of the plenty of good things in it; see(Exodus 3:8) .
2. Clarke, “Literally, Ye shall hear, O Israel, and thou shalt keep to do them. 1. God is to be heard;no obligation without law to found it on, and no law in religion but from God. 2. Thecommandment must be understood in order to be obeyed. 3. It must be observed-attentivelyconsidered, in order to be understood. And, 4. It must be performed, that the end for which it wasgiven may be accomplished, viz., that GOD may be glorified, and that it may be well with thepeople. What is here spoken applies powerfully to every part of the moral law; God has given ITas a rule of life, therefore obedience to it is indispensably necessary, not to the purchase of
salvation, for no human merit can ever extend to that, but it is the way by which both the justiceand mercy of God choose to conduct men to heaven. But let it be fully understood that no mancan walk in the way of obedience but by and under the influence of the grace of God.
3. Daniel Block, “"The Shema' should not be taken out of context and interpreted as a greatmonotheistic confession. Moses had made that point in 4:35, 39: 'ForYahweh (alone) is God; there is none beside(s) him.' Nor is the issue in thebroader context the nature of God in general or his integrity in particular—though the nature and integrity of his people is a very important concern.This is a cry of allegiance, an affirmation of covenant commitment inresponse to the question, 'Who is the God of Israel?' The language of theShema' is 'sloganesque' rather than prosaic: 'Yahweh our God! Yahwehalone!' or 'Our God is Yahweh, Yahweh alone!' This was to be the
distinguishing mark of the Israelite people; they are those (and only those)who claim Yahweh alone as their God."
4. Spurgeon, “It seems, according to the old covenant, that temporal prosperity was appended asa blessing to the keeping of God’s commandments. It has been sometimes said that whileprosperity was the blessing of the old covenant, adversity is the blessing of the new, and there issome truth in that statement, for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and yet is it true that thebest thing for a meal is that he should walk in the commands of God. There is a sense in which wedo make the best of both worlds when we seek the love of God. When we seek first the Kingdomof God and his righteousness, other things are added be us; so that it is not without meaning to usthat the Lord here promises temporal blessings to his people.This is the great doctrine that we learn, both from the Old and the New Testament there is oneLord. And this great truth has been burnt into the Jews by their long chastisement, and,whatever other mistakes they make, you never find them making a mistake about this. The Lordthy God is one Lord. May we be kept always from all idolatry — from all worship of anythingelse, except the living God. The sacred unity of the Divine Trinity may we hold fast evermore.
There is but one God. This is the very. basis of our faith; we know nothing of “gods many andlords many.” Yet it is the Triune God whom we worship; we are not less Unitarians in the highestmeaning of that word because we are Trinitarians. We are not less believers in the one living andtrue God because we worship Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD isone.
1. Gill, “These are the words of Moses, stirring up the people to an attention to what he wasabout to say of this great and momentous article, the unity of God, to prevent their going intopolytheism and idolatry. From one of the words here used, the Jews call this sectionKiriathshema, which they oblige themselves to read twice a day, morning and evening F14; thelast letter of the first word in this verse, "Shema", meaning "hear", and the last letter of the lastword in it, "Echad", meaning "one", are greater than ordinary; which seems designed to excitethe attention to what is contained in this passage: the Lord our God is one Lord;the doctrine of which is, that the Lord, who was the covenant God and Father of his peopleIsrael, is but one Jehovah; he is Jehovah, the Being of beings, a self-existent Being, eternal andimmutable; and he is but one in nature and essence; this appears from the perfection of hisnature, his eternity, omnipotence, omnipresence, infinity, goodness, self-sufficiency, andperfection; for there can be but one eternal, one omnipotent, one omnipresent, one infinite, onethat is originally and of himself good; one self, and all sufficient, and perfect Being; and whichalso may be concluded from his being the first cause of all things, which can be but one; and fromhis relations to his creatures, as their King, ruler, governor, and lawgiver. And for this purposethese words are cited in (Mark 12:29,30) but then they no ways contradict the doctrine of atrinity of persons in the unity of the divine essence, the Father, Word, and Holy Spirit, which
three are one; the one God, the one Jehovah, as here expressed; see (1 John 5:7 ) and so theancient Jews understood this passage. In an ancient book of theirs it is said F15 Jehovah, Elohenu,Jehovah (i.e. Jehovah, our God, Jehovah); these are the three degrees with respect to this sublimemystery; "in the beginning God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth"; and again F16,Jehovah, Elohenu, Jehovah, they are one; the three forms (modes or things) which are one; andelsewhere F17 it is observed, there are two, and one is joined to them, and they are three; andwhen the three are one, he says to (or of) them, these are the two names which Israel heard,Jehovah, Jehovah, and Elohenu (our God) is joined unto them; and it is the seal of the ring oftruth, and when they are joined they are one in one unity; which is illustrated by the three namesthe soul of man is called by, the soul, spirit, and breath; and elsewhere they say F18 the holyblessed God, and his Shechinah, are called one; see (John 10:30) .
2. Clarke, “These words may be variously rendered into English; but almost all possible verbal
varieties in the translation (and there can be none other) amount to the same sense: "Israel, hear!Jehovah, our God, is one Jehovah;" or, "Jehovah is our God, Jehovah is one;" or, "Jehovah isour God, Jehovah alone;" or, "Jehovah is our God, Jehovah who is one;" or, "Jehovah, who isour God, is the one Being." On this verse the Jews lay great stress; it is one of the four passageswhich they write on their phylacteries, and they write the last letter in the first and last wordsvery large, for the purpose of exciting attention to the weighty truth it contains. It is perhaps inreference to this custom of the Jews that our blessed Lord alludes, Matthew 22:38; ; Mark12:29,30, where he says, This is the first and great commandment; and this is nearly the commentthat Maimonides gives on this place: "Hear, O Israel; because in these words the property, thelove, and the doctrine of God are contained." Many think that Moses teaches in these words the doctrine of the Trinity in Unity. It may be so;but if so, it is not more clearly done than in the first verse of Genesis, to which the reader isreferred. When this passage occurs in the Sabbath readings in the synagogue, the wholecongregation repeat the last word achad for several minutes together with the loudestvociferations: this I suppose they do to vent a little of their spleen against the Christians, for theysuppose the latter hold three Gods, because of their doctrine of the Trinity; but all their skill andcunning can never prove that there is not a plurality expressed in the word Eloheinu, which istranslated our God; and were the Christians, when reading this verse, to vociferate Eloheinu forseveral minutes as the Jews do achad, it would apply more forcibly in the way of conviction to theJews of the plurality of persons in the Godhead, than the word achad, of one, against anypretended false tenet of Christianity, as every Christian receives the doctrine of the unity of Godin the most conscientious manner. It is because of their rejection of this doctrine that the wrath ofGod continues to rest on them; for the doctrine of the atonement cannot be received, unless thedoctrine of the Godhead of Christ is received too. Some Christians have joined the Jews againstthis doctrine, and some have even outdone them, and have put themselves to extraordinary painsto prove that Elohim is a noun of the singular number! This has not yet been proved. It would beas easy to prove that there is no plural in language.
3. Calvin, “Hear, O Israel. When Moses proclaims that God is One, the statement is not confinedto His sole essence, which is incomprehensible, but must be also understood of His power andglory, which had been manifested to the people; as though he had said, that they would be guiltyof rebellion unless they abode in the One God, who had laid them under such obligations toHimself. Therefore he not only calls him Jehovah, but at the same time infers that He is the God
of that people whom he addresses, “Thy God.” Thus all other deities are brought to nought, andthe people are commanded to fly and detest whatever withdraws their minds from the pureknowledge of Him; for although His name may be left to Him, still He is stripped of His majesty,as soon as He is mixed up with a multitude of others. Thus He says by Ezekiel, (Ezekiel 20:39,)“Go ye, serve ye every one his idols;” in which words He not only repudiates all mixed worship,but testifies that He would rather be accounted nothing than not be worshiped undividedly. Theorthodox Fathers aptly used this passage against the Arians;chap. 4:2, sums up the argumentconcisely and well. because, since Christ is everywhere called God, He is undoubtedly the sameJehovah who declares Himself to be the One God; and this is asserted with the same forcerespecting the Holy Spirit.
4. Merrill, “"It is possible to understand verse 4 in several ways, but the two mostpopular renderings of the final clause are: (1) 'The LORD our God, theLORD is one' (so NIV) or (2) 'The LORD our God is one LORD.' The formerstresses the uniqueness or exclusivity of Yahweh as Israel's God and somay be paraphrased 'Yahweh our God is the one and only Yahweh' or thelike. This takes the noun 'ehad ('one') in the sense of 'unique' or 'solitary,' ameaning that is certainly well attested. The latter translation focuses on theunity or wholeness of the Lord. This is not in opposition to the laterChristian doctrine of the Trinity but rather functions here as a witness tothe self-consistency of Yahweh who is not ambivalent and who has asingle purpose or objective for creation and history. The ideas clearlyoverlap to provide an unmistakable basis for monotheistic faith. Yahwehis indeed a unity, but beyond that he is the only God. For this reason theexhortation of verse 5 has practical significance."
5. Our Daily Bread, “This great verse has been recited countless times by Israelites down throughthe centuries, setting forth their distinctive belief in one great Creator God. The Jews hadretained their original belief in creation, handed down from Noah, while the other nations had allallowed their primitive monotheistic creationism to degenerate into a wide variety of religions, allbasically equivalent to the polytheistic evolutionism of the early Sumerians at Babel.
But along with its strong assertion of monotheism, there is also a very real suggestion that thisdeclaration, with its thrice-named subject, is also setting forth the Triune God. The name,“LORD,” of course, is Yahweh, or Jehovah, the self-existing One who reveals Himself, while“God” is Elohim, the powerful Creator/Ruler. “Jehovah our Elohim is one Jehovah” is theproclamation. A number of respected Jewish commentators have acknowledged that the versespoke of a “unified oneness,” rather than an “absolute oneness.” The revered book, called theZohar, for example, even said that the first mention was of the Father, the second one theMessiah; and the third, the Holy Spirit.
The key word “one” (Hebrew = 'echad) is often used to denote unity in diversity. For example,when Eve was united to Adam in marriage, they were said to be “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).Similarly, on the third day of creation, the waters were “gathered together unto one place,” yetthis gathering together was called “Seas” (Genesis 1:9,10).
Thus Israel’s great declaration should really be understood as saying in effect: The eternallyomnipresent Father, also Creator and sustainer of all things, is our unified self-revealing Lord.”
-H M M
6. Ray Stedman, “You remember that the book of Deuteronomy is nothing but a sermon, a greatmessage preached by Moses to the generation which had grown up in the wilderness. Forty yearsearlier their fathers had left Egypt, and they had seen the greatness of God. They had stood in theawesome presence of God at Mount Sinai. They had seen the shaking of the mountain and hadheard the voice like a trumpet. They had seen God's miracles of supply in the wilderness. Butnow a new generation had grown up, and they are about to enter the land of Canaan. Mosestakes the occasion to restate the Law and the promises of God to them, and to remind them of theway of life they must live when they come into the land in order to experience what God wants togive them. This brief paragraph, beginning with Chapter 6, Verse 4, gathers it all up andfurnishes the divisions for our study: The sixth chapter of this book introduces what many havecalled the "Magna Carta" of the home, one of those choice, summary passages of Scripturewhich gather up in brief compass all the great principles which are later developed in many otherplaces in the Word of God. There are passages like this about other subjects, but this is the onewhich particularly applies to the home.
There are two major divisions of this brief passage which are very important:
The first is what you might call "the curriculum of life." What is it that parents are to teach theirchildren? The answer is, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love theLord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might." That is thecurriculum. It is not a curriculum of only a few courses or lasting only a month or two; it is acurriculum for a lifetime. It all centers around the fact of God -- God is the beginning of life;we'll see more of that in a moment -- and around man's relationship to that God, which is one oflove, or, to put it in other words, of trustful obedience.
The second division consists of the process of teaching -- the specifics of how to go about it, whereto start, what to do next. and what your emphasis should be. The procedure set forth there isfour-fold:
1. There is parental priority -- it begins with us who are parents.
2. There is personal development of relationship -- we are personally responsible to see thatour children are taught and that they learn.
3. Then there is a life-related process of teaching these lessons should grow out of naturalcircumstances. We'll have a lot to say about that as we go into Proverbs and otherpassages together. And, finally,
4. There is the basis of authority: The ground of authority -- where it arises, and what is theultimate power which parents can utilize in affecting their children. This is sotremendously significant that we ought to spend considerable time with this.
7. Ron Ritchie, “Moses has been given a direct revelation from God, and as his mediator he iscarrying that truth to the people of God. "The Lord is one" may be translated as a title of God:"His name is 'One.'" He is the only real one, or unique, God among the many false gods. "As theone God (or the 'Unique'), when he spoke there was no other to contradict; when he promised,there was no other to revoke that promise; when he warned, there was no other to provide refugefrom that warning. He was not merely first among the gods...he was the one and only God and assuch he was omnipotent." (P.C. Graigie, The International Commentary on the Old Testament,
Deuteronomy.) The Hebrew word for one ('echâd) means not singleness but rather unity, like onebunch of grapes or the people of Israel's responding as one people. "There is only one God, but inthe unity of the Godhead there are three eternal and co-equal persons, the same in substance butdistinct in subsistence" (C. C. Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible). This is an unfathomable mystery withwhich the human spirit struggles but which remains true . How should we respond to this all-powerful, unique God? First, "Love the Lord your God withall your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Moses calls God's people torespond to him with a total lifetime commitment of body, soul, and strength, for he has deliveredthem out of slavery and is about to lead them into the promised land. This love should beexpressed out of a pure heart and a lifestyle of trust and obedience toward him.
8. Ron Daniel, “This verse is known as the Sh'ma. "Shaw-MAW" means "hear" in Hebrew. Thewhole sentence reads, "Shaw-MAH Yis-raw-ALE! YAH-weh El-o-HEEM, YAH-weh Ekh-AWD!"To translate, "YAH-weh" is the proper name of God. "Hear, oh Israel! Yahweh is Elohim,Yahweh is one!"As Christians, we have been taught about the Trinity - that God is one God in three Persons:Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But many Jews accuse Christians of being polytheists, claiming thatwe believe in three Gods, when this verse asserts that there is one. And yet, they neglect their ownHebrew language when claiming our "mistake." You see, the singular word for "god" in Hebrewis "El." When two gods are being referred to, the word used is the dual form, "Ella." Whenspeaking of three or more, the word is "El-o-HEEM."The Hebrew clearly states that God is one, yet several. How does that work? No one can explainit adequately, because any physical description we use - or concept that our minds can grasp -diminishes the truth of God. God is not like an egg or an ice cube!All we can truly say is this:- The Bible clearly shows that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit isGod.- The Bible clearly shows that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are not the same Person.- The Bible says that God is one God.Now, if you are able to put all of those facts together into an understandable equation, youhaven't thought about it hard enough!
9. TODAY IN THE WORDWelcome to the last year of the millennium! It's safe to say that 1999 will produce muchexcitement, uncertainty, and speculation. The countdown to 2000 has begun in earnest, and manypeople will be looking for something solid to hold on to amid predictions of computer meltdownsand end-time upheavals.
All of this makes January 1999 a perfect time to anchor our souls in 'the word of the prophetsmade more certain' (2Pe 1:19-note). These are the great truths of Scripture that will neverchange or fail, because 'the words of the Lord are flawless' (Ps 12:6).
In other words, theology matters! It's not just a branch of study for religious professionals. Theword theology itself means the study of God, literally 'the word of God.' That alone tells ustheology should matter for every Christian. What we believe has a profound affect on the way welive and the decisions we make.
Therefore, we need to know and affirm what the Bible teaches especially in these days when truth
is defined as whatever feels right to any given person in any given situation.
At Today in the Word, we want to encourage you in every way possible this year. You mayalready have noticed one important addition to our ministry lineup for 1999, a column entitled'Theology Matters,' written by Moody faculty member Dr. Harry Shields, who is chairman of thePastoral Studies Department.
Each month, Dr. Shields will shed light on the great truths God's people have confessed andaffirmed for centuries. Our studies this month are another effort to help you lay a solidfoundation for your Christian life in this new year.
Deuteronomy 6 is a logical place to start, since verse 4 affirms the basic truth that our God isunique in His oneness. Notice that Moses does not simply state the fact of God's character andthen leave it. Theology always demands a response.
That is very clear in today's reading. Since the Lord is the only true God, we are called to loveHim with every part of our being, and impress His truth on our children. Fulfilling thesecommands is a challenge worth our best efforts in 1999!
TODAY ALONG THE WAYOne of the best ways to let God's Word sink down into your heart and guide your actions is tomemorize Scripture. If you have been a Today family member for very long, you know howmuch value we place on Scripture memory. Writing Deuteronomy 6:4-5 on the 'doorframes' ofyour mind is a great way to begin the year. And, if possible, why not make it a group project tomemorize these life-changing verses? Encourage your family, roommates, prayer partners, orothers to join you in this project.
10. Dave Guzik, “i. In the mind of many Jewish people, this verse alone disqualifies the NewTestament teaching that Jesus is God, and the New Testament teaching of the Trinity - that thereis one God, existing in three Persons. At some times and places, as Jewish synagogues would saythe Shema together, and when the word one (echad) is said, they would loudly and strongly repeatthat one word for several minutes, as if it were a rebuke to Christians who believe in the Trinity.
ii. Christians must come to a renewed understanding of the unity of God; they mustappreciate the fact that the Lord is one, not three, as 1 Corinthians 8:6 says: yet for
us there is one God. We worship one God, existing in three persons, not threeseparate gods.
iii. Yet, the statement the Lord is one certainly does not contradict the truth of theTrinity; in fact, it establishes that truth. The Hebrew word for one is echad, whichspeaks most literally of a compound unity, instead of using the Hebrew wordyacheed, which speaks of an absolute unity or singularity (Genesis 22:2, Psalm25:16).
iv. The very first use of echad in the Bible is in Genesis 1:5: So the evening and the
morning were the first day. Even here, we see a unity (one day) with the idea ofplurality (made up of evening and morning). Genesis 2:24 uses echad in saying the
two shall become one flesh. Again, the idea of a unity (one flesh), made up of aplurality (the two). In Exodus 26:6 and 11, the fifty gold clasps are used to hold thecurtains together so the tent would be one (echad) - a unity (one) made up of a
plurality (the many parts of the tabernacle). In Ezekiel 37:17 the Lord tells Ezekielto join together two sticks (prophetically representing Ephraim and Judah) into one
(echad), speaking again of a unity (one stick) made up of a plurality (the two sticks).There is no way that echad has the exclusive idea of an absolute singularity; the ideaof One God in Three Persons fits just fine with the term echad.
c. In addition, even the name of God in the Lord our God suggests the plurality of God;the Hebrew word is Elohim; and grammatically, it is a plural word used as if it weresingular - the verbs and pronouns used with it are generally in the plural.
i. Rabbi Simeon ben Joachi, commenting on the word Elohim: "Come and see themystery of the word Elohim; there are three degrees, and each degree by itself alone,and yet notwithstanding they are all one, and joined together in one, and are notdivided from each other." Clarke adds: "He must be strangely prejudiced indeedwho cannot see that the doctrine of a Trinity, and of a Trinity in unity, is expressedin the above words."
ii. Leupold quoting Luther on Elohim: "But we have clear testimony that Mosesaimed to indicate the Trinity or the three persons in the one divine nature."
5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your strength.
1. The commandments in chapter 5 are mostly negative in that the people are not to have anyother God, and not to do many things. In this chapter we see the positive side where the one Godwe are to never replace is to be loves with our total being. It is far from the goal to have the Godof the Bible as your only God if you do not love him. Loving him means obeying him and servinghim. Many claim that he is their only God, but they do not demonstrate love for him in life.
2. Gill, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God…Which is the first and chief commandment in the law, the sum and substance of the first table ofit; and includes in it, or at least has connected with it, knowledge of God, esteem of him, delightin him, faith and trust in him, fear and worship of him, and obedience to him, which when rightsprings from it. God is to be loved because of the perfections of his nature, and the works of hishand, of nature, providence, and grace; and because of the relations he stands in to men, andespecially to his own people; and because of his peculiar love to them; and, indeed, he is to beloved by all men for his care of them, and blessings of goodness bestowed on them; the manner inwhich this is to be done follows: with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might;with a superlative love, above all creatures whatever; with the whole of the affections of theheart, with great fervency and ardour of spirit, in the sincerity of the soul, and with all thestrength of grace a man has, with such love that is as strong as death. Jarchi interprets lovingGod with all the heart, that is, with thy heart not divided about God, a heart not divided between
God and the creature; "all thy might" he interprets of mammon or substance; and, indeed, thatis one way in which men may show their love to God, by laying out their substance in his service,and for the support of his cause and interest in the world. Aben Ezra by "the heart" understandsknowledge, and by the "soul" the spirit of man that is in his body, and by might perfect love inthe heart.
3. Henry, “What we are here taught concerning the duty which God requires of man. It is allsummed up in this as its principle, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. He hadundertaken (Deuteronomy 6:2) to teach them to fear God; and, in pursuance of his undertaking,he here teaches them to love him, for the warmer our affection to him the greater will be ourveneration for him; the child that honours his parents no doubt loves them. Did ever any princemake a law that his subjects should love him? Yet such is the condescension of the divine gracethat this is made the first and great commandment of God's law, that we love him, and that weperform all other parts of our duty to him from a principle of love. My son, give me thy heart. Wemust highly esteem him, be well pleased that there is such a Being, well pleased in all hisattributes, and relations to us: our desire must be towards him, our delight in him, ourdependence upon him, and to him we must be entirely devoted. It must be a constant pleasure tous to think of him, hear from him, speak to him, and serve him. We must love him, (1.) As theLord, the best of beings, most excellent and amiable in himself. (2.) As our God, a God incovenant with us, our Father, and the most kind and bountiful of friends and benefactors. We arealso commanded to love God with all our heart, and soul, and might; that is, we must love him, [1.]With a sincere love; not in word and tongue only, saying we love him when our hearts are notwith him, but inwardly, and in truth, solacing ourselves in him. [2.] With a strong love; the heartmust be carried out towards him with great ardour and fervency of affection. Some have hencethough that we should avoid saying (as we commonly express ourselves) that we will do this orthat with all our heart, for we must not do any thing with all our heart but love God; and thatthis phrase, being here used concerning that sacred fire, should not be unhallowed. He that is ourall must have our all, and none but he. [3.] With a superlative love; we must love God above anycreature whatsoever, and love nothing besides him but what we love for him and in subordinationto him. [4.] With an intelligent love; for so it is explained, Mark 12:33. To love him with all theheart, and with all the understanding, we must know him, and therefore love him as those thatsee good cause to love him. [5.] With an entire love; he is one, and therefore our hearts must beunited in this love, and the whole stream of our affections must run towards him. O that this loveof God may be shed abroad in our hearts!
4. Clarke, “Here we see the truth of that word of the apostle, 1 Timothy 1:5 : Now the END of the
COMMANDMENT is LOVE out of a pure heart,
5. Ron Daniel, “One day, a lawyer approached Jesus and asked Him,Matt. 22:36-38 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him,"'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALLYOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' This is the great and foremost commandment."This one verse is the greatest commandment in all of the Bible.It is sad to see so many believers camp on other issues as being the most important. Baptism,legalism, Calvinism, Arminianism; justification, sancfication, regeneration; etc. The greatestcommandment is that we love God with everything we are. If we don't love God, all of the otherissues are a moot point.1Cor. 13:1-3 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have
become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteriesand all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I amnothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to beburned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. I have met many hateful people who claimed that certain doctrines were all important. But thesepeople are nothing, and I refuse to argue with them. I simply remind myself that the Bible says,1Cor. 16:22 If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed...
6. Kalland, “"The verse does not invite analysis into ideas of intellectual, emotional,and physical parts. The words behind heart, soul, and strength basicallyrelate to what a person is or how a person directs himself toward anotherperson. It is, therefore, not inaccurate for the NT writers to quote (ortranslate) the Hebrew words, which are often synonymous, by differingGreek words, which are also often synonymous, since the words takentogether mean to say that the people are to love God with their wholeselves."
7. Constable, “The only individual in the Old Testament of whom it was said that he turned to theLord with all his heart, soul, and might was King Josiah (2 Kings 23:25). Jesus Christ quotedverse 5 as the greatest of all God's commandments (Matt. 22:37-38; Mark 12:28-30; cf.Luke 10:27).
8. Chuck Smith, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE JEHOVAH YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOURHEART.A. This has always been the problem of men. The divided heart. It is not that we do not love God,but our love for him is somewhere down on the list. It is not at the top of the list. The firstcommandment is you shall have no other gods before me.1. David prayed, "Unite my heart to fear Thy name."2. The heart has always been considered deeper than the emotions.a. Emotional love is a variable.b. Love from the heart is a constant.B. With all your soul.1. The heart has been considered the seat of the spirit.2. The mind has been considered the seat of the soul.3. God wants you to love Him with all your heart and soul.C. With all your strength.1. Back in the summer of '44 at Camp Radford a man by the name of Willis Shank taught us achorus that went like this: "All my days and all my hours, All my will and all my powers, All thepassions of my soul, Not a fraction, but the whole, Shall by thine dear Lord, shall be thine dearLord. Willis died in a plane crash in Alaska the following fall, but I will never forget the impactthis man's life made on mine.2. This chorus expresses just what God wants from us.D. Do you remember the complaint the Lord had against the church of Ephesus?1. You have left your first love.2. Listen to God's lament over Israel. He told Jeremiah:
JER 2:2 Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, thekindness of thy youth, the love of your espousals, when thou went after me in the wilderness, in a
land [that was] not sown. What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone farfrom me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
In His answer as to the great commandment Jesus added, "And love your neighbor as yourself."1. He then declared that in these two are all the law and the prophets.2. The Jews added to the law that God had given the oral traditions known as the mishnah, whichwas an explanation of the law. Later they added some 67 volumes known as the Talmud whichwas an explanation of the mishnah. Jesus reduced the law from the ten commandments to justtwo. Love God supremely and your neighbor as yourself.
9. Spurgeon, “Does not this show what is the very nature of God? God is love, for he commandsus to love him. There was never an earthly prince or king whom I have heard of in whose statute-book it was written, “Thou shalt love the king.” No; it is only in the statute-book of him who isthe Lord of life and love that we read such a command as this. To my mind it seems a veryblessed privilege for us to be permitted to love One so great as God is. Here it is we find ourheaven. It is a command, but we regard it rather as a loving, tender invitation to the highest bliss:“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart,” — that is, intensely; “and with all thysoul,” — that is, most sincerely, most lovingly,’ “and with all thy might”” with all thy energy, withevery faculty, with every possibility of thy nature.It is not a little love that God deserves, nor is it a little love that he will accept. He blesses us withall his heart and all his might, and after that fashion are we to love him.
10. Our Daily Bread, “The apostle John admonished us, "Do not love the world or the things inthe world. . . . For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the prideof life—is not of the Father but is of the world" (1 John 2:15-16). This can apply to any earthlypursuit that becomes central in our lives.
When we love anything more than the true and living God revealed in the Bible, we areworshiping it. Whatever it is, it won't last. And it won't be able to help us when our plans shatter,our health fails, or death beckons. Only the true God can help us then. —H. V. Lugt
The "world" is whatever cools our affection for Christ.
11. Ray Stedman, “There is a strange distortion which has been widespread in evangelical circlesand which represents a perversion of the Scriptures, but which people seldom detect. Years agohere in this church our women's group was called The Joy Circle. I don't know how much joythey had, but the name derived from the acrostic, J-O-Y, which spelled out, supposedly, "Jesusfirst, Others second, Yourself last." That sounds very pious and very scriptural and veryspiritual, but it is a satanic lie! It is a twisting of the truth, because the Scriptures never reflectthat relationship. It sounds good, but it isn't; it is destructive, and will destroy a home. The relationship taught by the Scriptures is reflected in this passage in Deuteronomy and manyother places. It is God first (or Jesus first, if you like), yourself next, and others third. You cannotrelate to others until you have learned how to relate to God yourself. How you act toward God isthe way you will act toward others. Or, to put it another way, you will treat others exactly the wayyou regard yourself. You can't treat them any differently. Therefore, if you don't have any respectfor yourself, if you haven't learned to be a person and to understand the responsibilities andprivileges of personhood before God yourself, you cannot treat anybody else as a person --
including your own children. That is why it must start with you.
Husbands and wives must take the time, as children are growing up, to relate to each other sothat they can be persons before God. That is the important thing. Children follow models and notwords. Self respect is absolutely necessary to life, and we can only impart what we ourselves havelearned. You cannot pass along something that you yourself do not practice. That psychologicalimperative underscores the wisdom of this fantastic statement of Scripture: "It must begin withyou."
What kind of a person are you?
Are you still in bondage?
Are you still subject to hostility and anxiety and grimness in your attitude, impatience in yourspirit?
Where have you been freed?
You can only pass on to your children the liberties you yourself have experienced. And if youhaven't experienced them, then all the talking in the world will never lead them into that liberty.You can only hope that some other person, who is free, will come along and help your kidsenough to get them out of the rut that you yourself are in.
That is why the wisdom of Scripture begins there. Take time to be a person yourself. Respectyour own standing before God, your own right to be the instrument of his expression, your ownjoy and freedom.
12. K&D, “As the one God, therefore, Israel was to love Jehovah its God with all its heart, withall its soul, and with all its strength. The motive for this is to be found in the words “thy God,” inthe fact that Jehovah was Israel's God, and had manifested Himself to it as one God. The demand“with all the heart” excludes all half-heartedness, all division of the heart in its love. The heart ismentioned first, as the seat of the emotions generally and of love in particular; then follows thesoul (nephesh) as the centre of personality in man, to depict the love as pervading the entire self-consciousness; and to this is added, “with all the strength,” sc., of body and soul. Loving the Lordwith all the heart and soul and strength is placed at the head, as the spiritual principle fromwhich the observance of the commandments was to flow (see also Deu_11:1; Deu_30:6). It was inlove that the fear of the Lord (Deu_10:12), hearkening to His commandments (Deu_11:13), andthe observance of the whole law (Deu_11:22), were to be manifested; but love itself was to beshown by walking in all the ways of the Lord (Deu_11:22; Deu_19:9; Deu_30:16). Christtherefore calls the command to love God with all the heart “the first and great commandment,”and places on a par with this the commandment contained in Lev_19:8 to love one's neighbour asoneself, and then observes that on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets(Mat_22:37-40; Mar_12:29-31; Luk_10:27).
(Note: In quoting this commandment, Matthew (Mat_22:37) has substituted δαίνοια, “thymind,” for “thy strength,” as being of especial importance to spiritual love, whereas in thelxx the mind (διάνοια) is substituted for the heart. Mark (Mar_12:30) gives the triad ofDeuteronomy (heart, soul, and strength); but he has inserted “mind” (διάνοια) beforestrength (ἰσχύς), whilst in Mar_12:33 the understanding (σύνεσις) is mentioned betweenthe heart and the soul. Lastly, Luke has given the three ideas of the original passage quitecorrectly, but has added at the end, “and with all thy mind” (διάνοια). Although the termδιάνοια (mind) originated with the Septuagint, not one of the Evangelists has adheredstrictly to this version.)
Even the gospel knows no higher commandment than this. The distinction between the newcovenant and the old consists simply in this, that the love of God which the gospel demands of itsprofessors, is more intensive and cordial than that which the law of Moses demanded of theIsraelites, according to the gradual unfolding of the love of God Himself, which was displayed ina much grander and more glorious form in the gift of His only begotten Son for our redemption,than in the redemption of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt.
13. F. B. Meyer, "Who art Thou, Lord, that I should love Thee?""I am He that liveth, but I died; I loved thee, and gave Myself for thee; I have made thee mineforever in a bond that even death cannot break; I have loved thee with an everlasting love; I shallnever be at rest till thou art with Me where I am."
"Indeed I would love Thee; but how?"
"Thou shalt love Me with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."
"This were impossible unless Thou give me the love Thou requirest."
"This I will do for thee, since love is of God. Only obey these simple directions:
"1. Abstain from all wrath, anger, malice, evil speaking, and all else that would grieve my HolySpirit.
"2. Yield thyself to the Spirit, that He may produce in thee His choice fruit--Love. 'The fruit ofthe Spirit is love.' 'He sheds love abroad in the heart.'
"3. Consider my love to thee, especially that I died for thee when thou wert yet in thy sins.Meditate much upon the sacrifice I made for thee, that thou mightest have thy sins blotted out,and enjoy the peace which passeth all understanding.
"4. Believing that thou hast received the love of the Spirit, begin to let it work through thy life toall around thee.
"5. If thy heart is unwilling to love any, put thy will on My side, and confidently believe that I amable to work in thee to will and to do of My own good pleasure."
14. TODAY IN THE WORDYou've heard the old saying that familiarity breeds contempt. It's debatable how much truththere is in this formula. But after spending time in the Book of Deuteronomy, we can safelyassume that at the very least, familiarity can breed complacency.
This was one of the dangers Moses tried to nip in the bud before the Israelites headed off intoCanaan. We have fast-forwarded in the book to chapter 6, because we want to end the monthwith one of the most important chapters in Scripture.
Some Bible teachers have argued that Deuteronomy 6:4 is the single most indispensable verse inthe Bible. This confession of God's true nature is called the Shema, from the Hebrew word thatmeans 'hear.' This verse alone is enough to set the one true God totally apart from anycompetitor or impostor.
We have learned by now that Moses was intent on establishing the uniqueness of Israel's God inthe minds and hearts of His people. None but the true God could claim their complete allegiance
and loveand that is exactly the response that God wants from His own.
Once again, the context of Moses' message was blessing for those who heard and obeyed. Dt6:1,2,3 drip with promised blessing, the way the Promised Land dripped with milk and honey.Obeying God would bring possession of the land, long life, and great increase. There is also theimplied blessing, elsewhere stated explicitly, that future generations of the obedient would alsoenjoy God's abundance.
Moses' concern that God's people enjoy long life is repeated nine times in Deuteronomy,underscoring the fact that God's intent is to bless His people.
Why does God command us to love Him with all that we have and all that we are? Because Hedeserves no less, and because He pours out His blessing on those who please Him.
God's commands are not too hard for His people to understand or to keep. Jesus said, 'My yokeis easy and my burden is light' (Mt 11:30). For those who are 'careful to obey'
(Deuteronomy 6:3), and willing to obey from hearts of sincere love for God, the blessings ofheaven are available.
TODAY ALONG THE WAYOne way children get into trouble is by not listening to what their parents are telling them. Thiscan happen also to us as adults in our relationships to God. One measure of our love for God ishow willing we are to listen to what He wants to tell us. We can listen as we meditate on Scriptureand spend time being quiet in God's presence. Find some time this weekend to come before Godwith a listening ear and an open heart. He will meet you there.
15. TODAY IN THE WORDMedieval church leader Bernard of Clairvaux asserted: “God is entitled to our love. Why?Because He gave Himself for us despite the fact that we are so undeserving. What better could Hehave given? If we ask why God is entitled to our love, we should answer, 'Because He first lovedus.’ God is clearly deserving of our love especially if we consider who He is that loves us, who weare that He loves, and how much He loves us.”
In the same vein, Moses exhorted the Israelites in today’s reading concerning the sweet, urgentnecessity of loving God. In yesterday’s reading, the Law was summarized in TenCommandments--in today’s reading it’s distilled to just one. Moses preached that the peopleshould love the Lord their God with all their heart and soul and mind and strength--with theirwhole being, with everything they had (Dt 6:5; cf. Mt 22:37, 38, 39, 40). God was exclusivelyworthy of this love, not only because He alone is supreme, but also because He’d shown throughHis mighty deeds His enduring love for Israel.
Even in modern times, Dt 6:4-9 are regarded as a creed and recited daily by pious Jews. Thispassage provides a picture of God’s law permeating everyday family life (also illustrated in Dt6:20-25). The covenant was not merely to be inscribed on stone tablets and put away in the Ark,but was to be written on Israel’s hearts. It was the nucleus of everything they were andeverything they did (cf. Jer. 31:33, 34).
Many Jews take literally the language of verses 8 and 9. Some tie phylacteries, small boxes withScripture inside, to their foreheads and left arms; similar objects called mezuzot are attached tothe doorframes of their houses. These images suggest that God’s Word should control our actions(hand), decision-making (forehead), family life (doorframes), and hospitality (gates).
TODAY ALONG THE WAYOne emphasis that emerges from today’s reading is the need for God’s Word to be an integralpart of family life. The Israelites were instructed to discuss the Law in their homes and to teach itto their children--figuratively speaking, to write it on the doorframes of their houses.
16. Rich Cathers, “love – ‘ahab – to love; human love for another, includes family; human lovefor God Jesus said this was the GREATEST COMMANDMENT. (Mark 12:30).Everything in lifeflows from this. God desires that we have a strong, intense, love relationship with Him!A.W. Tozer said, “We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God.”
heart – lebab – inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understandingsoul – nephesh – soul, self, mind, desire, emotion, passionThese two words are very close in their definitions, yet in comparing other Scriptures where thesetwo words are found together, it would seem that the word for “heart” might indicate morethings like emotions and passion, while the word for “soul” might indicate things like the mindand understanding. (Deut. 19:6; 4:9; Ps. 13:2)Loving God isn’t the only thing we’re supposed to do with our heart and soul, we are also to seekHim (Deut. 4:29), serve Him (Deut. 10:12), and put God’s Word into our heart and soul (Deut.11:18).might – m@`od – force, abundance, strength
While the other two words are talking about inner qualities, this word is speaking of our outwardphysical person.
“Loving God isn’t the only thing we’re supposed to do with our heart and soul, we are also toseek Him (Deut. 4:29), serve Him (Deut. 10:12), and put God’s Word into our heart and soul(Deut. 11:18).Lesson
Love Him with your heart
God wants us to have a passion for Him. He has a passion for us.
For some people, they just don’t seem to get passionate about anything.
What do you get emotional over? Is it your computer? Your footballteam? A romantic movie? A famous person?
If you get emotional over anything at all, you ought to be more emotionalover your relationship with God.
Lesson
Love Him with your mind.
Our love for the Lord shouldn’t just be an emotional thing. It’s not justabout having "warm fuzzies" for God.
I choose to love Him with my mind, with my will.
I grow in my understanding of God as I read His Word. I understand how
awesome He is. I understand how loving He is. I understand how faithful Heis.
And as a result I grow in choosing to value Him above all.
might – m@`od – muchness, force, abundance
While the other two words are talking about inner qualities, this word is speaking of ouroutward physical person.
Lesson
Love Him with your actions
Our outward actions ought to match the things we claim to have on theinside.
If a person says they love you, but you catch them kissing another person,how strong is that love toward you?
Jesus said,
(John 14:15 KJV) If ye love me, keep my commandments.
We aren’t supposed to love God with just one little part of us, but with all of us.
As Dave Ritner was saying a few weeks ago, we need to be careful that our love for Godisn’t confined to just the words of love we express to Him in our songs of worship. Ourlove for God needs to come from every part of us, all the time, in every situation.
A. W. Tozer said, "We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God."
Jesus said this verse was the GREATEST COMMANDMENT. (Mark 12:30).
Everything in life flows from this. If we love God with a proper love, it will affect ourwhole lives. It will affect what we do and what we don’t do. It will affect how we treatothers:
(1 John 4:7-8 KJV) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; andevery one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. {8} He that lovethnot knoweth not God; for God is love.
Illustration
"Humanly speaking, I might never have been saved if someone hadn’t ‘saidit with love’ to me," says Dr. Howard Hendricks. "I was nine years old, alittle terror," he recalls. "I was out playing marbles one day, when a mannamed Walt came along and invited me to Sunday School. There wasnothing appealing to me about anything with ‘school’ in it, so he made meanother proposition—one I liked better: ‘Wanna play a game of marbleswith me?’ "After he’d wiped me out in marbles, he inquired, ‘Wanna learnhow to play this game better?’ "By the time he’d taught me how to playmarbles over the next few days, he’d built such a relationship with me thatI’d have gone anywhere he suggested. Of the 13 boys in that class -- 11 endedup in vocational Christian work."
Lesson
How to fall in love with God.
As I’ve talked about loving God, perhaps you’ve realized that you don’treally have a clue how to do this at all.
It all starts with this – Let God love you.
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
I can only begin to understand how to love God with my heart,mind, and strength when I begin to understand how muchGod loves me.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while wewere yet sinners, Christ died for us.
God’s love for me isn’t dependent upon me cleaning up mylife. He knows I can’t do it by myself. His love isn’t conditionalupon me being perfect. He loves me just as I am, a sinner.
1 John 3:16a Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laiddown his life for us …
God’s love for me is demonstrated by the greatest act of lovethe world has ever known. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, laidaside His glory in heaven and chose to take on human flesh. Hebecame a human for one purpose, to be led to a Roman crosswhere He would die a cruel death in order to lay down Hisown life as a sacrifice to pay for my sins. I should have beenthe one on that cross. But Jesus took my place. He did itbecause He loves me. He did it so that my sins could beforgiven. He did it so I could know God.
6 These commandments that I give you today are tobe on your hearts.
1. Henry, “Means are here prescribed for the maintaining and keeping up of religion in ourhearts and houses, that it might not wither and go to decay. And they are these:-- 1. Meditation:These words which I command thee shall be in thy heart, Deuteronomy 6:6. Though the wordsalone without the things will do us no good, yet we are in danger of losing the things if we neglectthe words, by which ordinarily divine light and power are conveyed to the heart. God's wordsmust be laid up on our heart, that our thoughts may be daily conversant with them and employedabout them, and thereby the whole soul may be brought to abide and act under the influence andimpression of them. This immediately follows upon the law of loving God with all your heart; forthose that do so will lay up his word in their hearts both as an evidence and effect of that love andas a means to preserve and increase it. He that loves God loves his Bible.
2. Laws on the books are not what is to guide our lives, but laws in the heart. They are in theheart when we want to do them. When we have go do them, they are laws of record, but not lawsof the heart. They are external laws we have to obey to be acceptable, but when they are internalthey are laws that we love. We express our love to God by obedience to what he wills for us, andthis is loving God with our hearts. We do not say that we have to do these things, but say we getto do these things when they are in our hearts.
3. Love the Lord site, “ I have said many times, we are what our hearts are. If our heartsare pure and stayed upon the things of God, good things will come outof our mouth. Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of hisheart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of theevil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for ofthe abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." For us to love theLORD with our heart, soul, and with all our might, we must besubmitted to the will of God. Notice, what Jesus says about this verything. Mark 12:30 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thyheart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thystrength: this [is] the first commandment."
Those things stored in the heart cannot be taken away from you.God's Words must be stamped into the fleshly parts of our heart, forus to truly love Him. John 15:10 "If ye keep my commandments, ye shallabide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, andabide in his love." Someday God's laws will be written on the heartsof His people. II Corinthians 3:3 "[Forasmuch as ye are] manifestlydeclared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written notwith ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables ofstone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."
4. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on yourchildren. - Deuteronomy 6:6-7
TODAY IN THE WORDA visitor to the hospital room of Dwight Eisenhower reported that at one point in theirconversation, the former president who was near death raised up in his bed and declared, 'I stillhave something to say to the American people.' It was an expression of Eisenhower's desire tocomplete what he considered his legacy of leadership.
Every Christian has a legacy to complete too not only a personal and perhaps a family legacy, buta clearly defined body of truth to preserve and pass on to future generations. It's here that olderbelievers in the final season of faith may make their most important contribution to the kingdomof God, and it's a good place to end this part of our study.
Don't let the familiarity of these classic verses in Deuteronomy 6 cause you to miss their solemnimportance. There is no way to measure adequately the power of life-related teaching aboutGod's truth by someone who is living it in front of his or her 'students.'
This kind of generational teaching begins in the home, and it is still the most effective kind ofteaching when done consistently. Although older believers usually do not have their children or
grandchildren living with them, they can form a tremendous 'second line' of teaching andexample for the generations coming after them.
In Dt 6:20 you'll see one reason a godly legacy is so effective. Moses assumes that some day theyounger generation will ask, 'What does all of this mean?' That's when the older generation has agolden opportunity to explain God's goodness and faithfulness to them.
Notice that this includes a divine history lesson. Your story of God's leading and blessing ought tobe a solid part of your family's story that every member knows and can recite.
But it goes beyond history. The older generation is instructed to tell the younger people aboutGod commands, and to urge the younger to obey God and enjoy His blessing.
In other words, a spiritual legacy is not just a body of material about the past. It should helpguide those coming behind us to walk in God's ways.
TODAY ALONG THE WAYHave you ever considered preserving your personal and family spiritual 'story' so your childrenand grandchildren will have a solid foundation to build on?
If not, this might be a good time to begin writing down or recording the things you want to sharewith the younger generation. Or if you have an older believer in your family with a lot to share,offer to help him or her tell the story of God's faithfulness to them.
5. TODAY IN THE WORDWhen the late basketball star 'Pistol' Pete Maravich was a youngster, he practiced his dribblingand other skills so relentlessly that he was able to dribble a basketball out the window of hisfather's car at thirty miles per hour! Maravich always had a basketball in his hands, and thetraining paid off in the ball-handling skills that made Pete a legend by the time he had graduatedfrom college.
Transfer that kind of dedication to the spiritual realm, and you get some idea of what Moses hadin mind for the training of children in the matters of God.
It's not that parents and children are to walk around all day with a Bible in their hands althoughsome later Jewish groups took Moses very literally and wore small boxes of Scripture on theirforeheads and wrists. God's purpose is always that His Word become a vital part of a family'sdaily routine.
We usually hear about the family setting when this passage is taught. But we can't afford to passby Dt 6:6 too quickly. The process begins with the adults, not the children. God's Word must befully at home in our own hearts before we can transmit it effectively to our children and to othersaround us.
Only then are we really equipped to impress God's truth on those who are within our sphere ofinfluence. The best setting for this is not necessarily formal instruction, although Deuteronomy 6certainly does not prohibit that.
But Moses was after something more than intellectual instruction. God's law was given to guidethe moral behavior of His people, not simply to enlighten their minds. If something is going toaffect the way we live each day, it needs to be deeply ingrained within us.
Every cult leader knows this, which is why false groups practice such intense indoctrination. Buta child or other young person who is well-grounded in the Word and can apply it to the issues oflife has little to fear from a peddler of lies.
Moses knew that eventually the Israelites would settle in Canaan and build houses forthemselves. He was eager to make sure those houses were well furnished with God's truth.
TODAY ALONG THE WAYIn light of today's lesson, this weekend is a good time for us to make sure our homes are placeswhere God's Word is prominent. We'll talk about this today and tomorrow.
The first step is to minimize distractions, things that keep our minds absorbed with the stuff ofthis world and that drown out the Word. Think through a typical week around your house. Dothe television, radio, CD player, or computer command large chunks of your time and attention?If you see an area of concern, this may be the time for an honest evaluation.
6. Calvin 6-9, “And these words. In these four next verses God again commands (as before) thestudy of His Law. And first, indeed, He would have it implanted in their hearts, lest forgetfulnessof it should ever steal over them; and by the word “heart” He designates the memory and otherfaculties of the mind; as though He had said that this was so great a treasure, that there was goodcause why they should hide it in their hearts, or so fix this doctrine deeply in their minds that itshould never escape. Afterwards He enjoins that constant conversation should be held about itwith their children, in order that fathers should diligently attend and apply themselves to theduty of instruction. The word 234234שנן Margin of A.V., to whet, or sharpen. — W. shanan,
which Moses uses, means properly “to whet.” Commentators think that it is employedmetaphorically for “to reiterate,” or “to repeat constantly,” because, when the heavenly doctrineis inculcated, it will scarcely even thus be duly impressed on their hearts; but, since it is here usedin the conjugation Piel, its signification may be transitive, viz., that they should cause it topenetrate their minds, as if they should prick them with the point of a sword; for the othertranslation does not seem consistent. But it is sufficient for me to state my opinion, lest anyshould be offended by its novelty. Lastly, he exhorts them to exercise themselves in its meditationboth publicly and privately, in order to stimulate their want of energy. But, although he mayseem to speak hyperbolically, yet if any one will carefully consider how slow and careless men arein learning, and how forgetful they are when they seem to have made some progress, he willreadily acknowledge that Moses does not urge them so strongly on insufficient grounds, but thatit was highly necessary for him to be thus rigid in exacting their attention. For this reason theProphet in Psalm 1:2, pronounces them to be blessed who meditate in God’s law “day and night.”He leaves, then, no portion of time unoccupied with meditation on the Law; whether they are athome, or abroad, or when they retire to rest, or when they rise in the morning. To this preceptDavid appears to allude in Psalm 119:62, where he says, “At midnight I will rise to give thanksunto thee because of thy righteous judgments;” and again, Psalm 119:148, “Mine eyes prevent thenight-watches, that I might meditate in thy word.” But still, by the expression “talk of them,”Moses does not urge the people to empty talkativeness, to which many are too much inclined, buthe would have them severally thus establish themselves and be teachers of each other. Heenumerates these various engagements, lest that change of occupation by which the mind is wont
to be distracted should withdraw the godly from the right path, as though he commanded themto make this their chief aim in whatever business they might be engaged. For the same reason hedesires bracelets and frontlets to be made of the precepts of the Law, contrasting doubtless thisspiritual ornament with chains235235 A tous joyaux, affiquets, et parures. — Fr. of gold, asmuch as to say that they would more properly take delight in the pious recollection of the Law,than in those trifling ornaments which attract men’s senses. The Jews understanding thisliterally, accounted this external ostentation a mark of holiness, so as to think that they hadalmost done all they needed, when they wore the Law on their arms and foreheads. Thence theirmistaken zeal proceeded still further, so that, as each desired to be thought better than others,they widened their phylacteries in proportion, for so they denominated the borders of theirgarments, on which were written certain sentences of the Law, as safeguards. This error our Lordseverely reproves in the Scribes and Pharisees, (Matthew 23:5,) because it was a mere mockery ofthis admonition, and a profanation of its doctrine. The intention of God sufficiently appears inthe passage from Exodus, which I have subjoined, and in which they are simply commanded tobe diligent in keeping the Law. But there is good reason why diligence should be required, notonly on account of the matter being highly important, but because, through our vanity, we areapt to relax our exertions, unless our slowness of heart is stimulated.
7. K&D 6-9, “But for the love of God to be of the right kind, the commandments of God must belaid to heart, and be the constant subject of thought and conversation. “Upon thine heart:” i.e.,the commandments of God were to be an affair of the heart, and not merely of the memory (cf.Deu_11:18). They were to be enforced upon the children, talked of at home and by the way, in theevening on lying down and in the morning on rising up, i.e., everywhere and at all times; theywere to be bound upon the hand for a sign, and worn as bands (frontlets) between the eyes (see atExo_13:16). As these words are figurative, and denote an undeviating observance of the divinecommands, so also the commandment which follows, viz., to write the words upon the door-postsof the house, and also upon the gates, are to be understood spiritually; and the literal fulfilmentof such a command could only be a praiseworthy custom or well-pleasing to God when resortedto as the means of keeping the commandments of God constantly before the eye. The preceptitself, however, presupposes the existence of this custom, which is not only met with in theMahometan countries of the East at the present day (cf. A. Russell, Naturgesch. v. Aleppo, i. p. 36;Lane, Sitten u. Gebr. i. pp. 6, 13, ii. p. 71), but was also a common custom in ancient Egypt (cf.Wilkinson, Manners and Customs, vol. ii. p. 102). (Note: The Jewish custom of the Medusah isnothing but a formal and outward observance founded upon this command. It consists in writingthe words of Deu_6:4-9 and Deu_11:13-20 upon a piece of parchment, which is then placed uponthe top of the doorway of houses and rooms, enclosed in a wooden box; this box they touch withthe finger and then kiss the finger on going either out or in. S. Buxtorf, Synag. Jud. pp. 582ff.;and Bodenschatz. Kirchl. Verfassung der Juden, iv. pp. 19ff.)
7 Impress them on your children. Talk about themwhen you sit at home and when you walk along theroad, when you lie down and when you get up.
1. Gill, “And thou shall teach them diligently unto thy children…Care and diligence are to be used, and pains taken, to instruct children, as soon as they arecapable, in the knowledge of God, and of his commandments; that they are to love him, fear him,serve, and worship him; this is to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,(Ephesians 6:4) , it may be rendered "thou shalt whet or sharpen them" F19, the words orcommandments; it is expressive of diligence and industry in teaching, by frequent repetition ofthings, by inculcating them continually into their minds, endeavouring to imprint them there,that they may be sharp, ready, and expert in them: and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house;at the time of meals, or at leisure hours, or even when employed in any business in the housewhich will admit of it; every opportunity should be taken to instil the knowledge of divine thingsinto their tender minds: and when thou walkest by the way;in a journey, and any of his children with him; or for diversion, in the garden, field, or vineyard;occasion may be taken on sight of any of the works of creation to lead into a discourse concerningGod, his nature, perfections, and works, and the obligations his creatures lie under to love, fear,and serve him: and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up; at the time of going to bed,and rising from it; which, as they are seasons of prayer to God, may be improved in instruction ofchildren.
2. Henry, “The religious education of children (Deuteronomy 6:7): "Thou shalt teach them
diligently to thy children; and by communicating thy knowledge thou wilt increase it." Those thatlove the Lord God themselves should do what they can to engage the affections of their childrento him, and so to preserve the entail of religion in their families from being cut off. Thou shalt
whet them diligently upon thy children, so some read it; frequently repeat these things to them, tryall ways of instilling them into their minds, and making them pierce into their hearts; as, inwhetting a knife, it is turned first on this side, then on that. "Be careful and exact in teaching thychildren; and aim, as by whetting, to sharpen them, and put an edge upon them. Teach them tothy children, not only those of thy own body" (say the Jews) "but all those that are anyway underthy care and tuition." Bishop Patrick well observes here that Moses thought his law so very plainand easy that every father might be able to instruct his sons in it and every mother her daughters.Thus that good thing which is committed to us we must carefully transmit to those that comeafter us, that it may be perpetuated. 3. Pious discourse. "Thou shalt talk of these things, with duereverence and seriousness, for the benefit not only of thy children, but of thy other domestics, thyfriends and companions, as thou sittest in thy house at work, or at meat, or at rest, or to receivevisits, and when thou walkest by the way for diversion, or for conversation, of in journeys, whenat night thou art retiring from thy family to lie down for sleep, and when in the morning thouhast risen up and returnest to thy family again. Take all occasions to discourse with those aboutthee of divine things; not of unrevealed mysteries, or matters of doubtful disputation, but of theplain truths and laws of God, and the things that belong to our peace." So far is it from beingreckoned a diminution to the honour of sacred things to make them subject of our familiardiscourse that they are recommended to us to be talked of; for the more conversant we are withthem the more we shall admire them and be affected with them, and may thereby beinstrumental to communicate divine light and heat. 4. Frequent reading of the word: They shall
be as frontlets between thy eyes, and thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house,
Deuteronomy 6:8,9. It is probable that at that time there were few written copies of the whole
law, only at the feasts of tabernacles the people had it read to them; and therefore God appointedthem, at least for the present, to write some select sentences of the law, that were most weightyand comprehensive, upon their walls, or in scrolls of parchment to be worn about their wrists;and some think that hence the phylacteries so much used among the Jews took rise. Christblames the Pharisees, not for wearing them, but for affecting to have them broader than otherpeople's, Matthew 23:5. But when Bibles came to be common among them there was less occasionfor this expedient. It was prudently and piously provided by the first reformers of the Englishchurch that then, when Bibles were scarce, some select portions of scripture should be written onthe walls and pillars of the churches, which the people might make familiar to them, inconformity to this direction, which seems to have been binding in the letter of it to the Jews as itis to us in the intent of it, which is that we should endeavour by all means possible to make theword of God familiar to us, that we may have it ready to us upon all occasions, for our restraintfrom sin and our direction and excitement to our duty. It must be as that which is graven on the
palms of our hands, always before our eyes. See Proverbs 7:1-3. It is also intimated that we mustnever be ashamed to own our religion, nor to own ourselves under the check and government ofit. Let it be written on our gates, and let every one that goes by our door read it, that we believeJehovah to be God alone, and believe ourselves bound to love him with all our hearts.
3. Judy Cummings, “The education of disciples of Christ is a 24 hours a day, seven days a weekprocess that must begin at birth and continue throughout our lives. My mother knew that theeasiest time in life to capture a person’s heart for Christ is during the childhood years. To thatend, she faithfully carried her six children to Sunday school. She knew that if we were going to“make it” in this world, we would need to have a solid foundation in the Lord. As children, wewere expected to have an understanding of the Creation narratives (at least one of them), thebirth and death of Jesus Christ, memorize the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, the 23rd
Psalm, the Beatitudes, know how to say a blessing before we ate our food and do bedtimeprayers. We were also expected to recite some of the great biblical narratives which told of God’sgoodness and God’s power, such as the story of David and Goliath and the crossing of the RedSea by the children of Israel.
The process of Christian education must be engaged in with highly concentrated effort. We getsome idea of the concentrated effort that is to be put forth in learning God’s commandments andstatutes when we read Deuteronomy 6. Here, Moses declares that parents must teach theirchildren “diligently.” Christian education is a serious endeavor that must not be taken lightly.The sooner parents learn this the better.
4. Miller, “"The reason for this emphasis on the children is clear. Deuteronomy isalways aimed at the next generation. It takes the present (next) generationback to the past and brings the past afresh into the present. The childrenare now the ones before whom all the choices are laid, and some day theirchildren will be there and the divine instruction will confront them (e.g.,30:2). Can they learn afresh what it means to love the Lordwholeheartedly?"
5. Clarke, “Thou shalt teach them diligently shinnantam, from shanan, to repeat, iterate, or do a thing again and again; hence to whet orsharpen any instrument, which is done by reiterated friction or grinding. We see here the spirit of
this Divine injunction. God's testimonies must be taught to our children, and the utmost diligencemust be used to make them understand them. This is a most difficult task; and it requires muchpatience, much prudence, much judgment, and much piety in the parents, to enable them to dothis good, this most important work, in the best and most effectual manner. See at the end of thischapter. And shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house Thou shalt have religion at home, as well as in the temple and tabernacle.
And when thou walkest by the way Thou shalt be religious abroad as well as at home, and not be ashamed to own God wheresoeverthou art.
When thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Thou shalt begin and end the day with God, and thus religion will be the great business of thy life.O how good are these sayings, but how little regarded!
6. Ron Ritchie, “"Impress them on your children," or "...You shall teach them diligently to yoursons...." This means "to have a marked effect on the mind or emotions, to arouse the interest orapproval, to implant firmly on the mind or fix in the memory." Teaching the word of Goddiligently to our children means doing it with careful, steady, painstaking effort. Children arealways watching their parents' attitudes and actions and listening to their conversations. Haveyou ever walked on the sand at the shore with your children? Remember how they would fall afew steps behind you, and when you turned to look for them you would find them trying to walkin your footprints, which you had already "impressed" on the sand before them? We are leavingan impression on our children each moment of every day we have with them (see Deuteronomy4:9). "Talk about them when you sit at home...." As parents we are not only to be growing in theknowledge of the word of God, but we are to be looking for those precious "teachable moments"when we can impress spiritual truths on our children and grandchildren. One way to do that is toarrange times at home when you all sit together. In our culture, perhaps the best time to sittogether is at the dinner table. But it has to be a dinner table in which the children understandthat this is a special time of the day, with the phones turned off and the door locked so there areno interruptions from the outside world. It also has to be a time when all understand that theydon't have to eat in a hurry, a time when all can share the daily events, the struggles, theconfusion, the hurts, the joys. At the same time, over the meal flow the calm and reassuring voicesof the father and mother, salting that conversation with the word of God so that the childrenunderstand He is to be the plumb line of truth for every hope, dream, and fear of life.
7. Our Daily Bread, “Children do not learn to love and obey God only by what we say. They alsolearn by watching what we do. We are to teach them constantly about God and His Word as we"sit in [our] house, when [we] walk by the way, when [we] lie down, and when [we] rise up"(Deuteronomy 6:7). Along with what we say to our children, we need to set an example by ourlove and obedience to the Lord.
We can't be perfect parents, but our children must see our desire to please the Lord. And whenwe fall short, they need to see our repentance. We teach them by both what we say and what wedo. —Albert Lee
You're teaching a lesson each day that you live;Your actions are blazing a trailThat children will follow for good or for ill;You can help them or cause them to fail. —Bosch
A godly parent is a child's best guide to God.
8. Spurgeon, “The Word of God if not for some particular place called a church or a meeting-house. It is for all places, all times, and all occupations. I wish that we had more of this talkingover of God’s Word when we sit by the way, or when we walk.Our common talk should be much more spiritual than it often is. There is no fear of degradingsacred subjects by the frequent use of them; the fear lies much the other way, lest by a disuse ofthem we come to forget them. This blessed Book, the Holy Word of God, is a fit companion foryour leisure as well as for your labor, for the time of your sleeping and the time of your waking. Itwill bless you in your private meditations, and equally cheer the social hearth, and comfort youwhen in mutual friendship you speak the one with the other. Those who truly love God greatlylove his holy Word.
Our children are a gift from GodOn loan from heaven above,To train and nourish in the LordAnd show to them His love.-- Sper
9. Don Robinson, 1. The privilege of parenthood carries with it the responsibility of nurturing our children.
2. We are constantly reading in the newspaper of some parent who has physically abusedtheir children, and we are repulsed by the accounts.
3. We hear of the damage done by parents who emotionally abuse their children and webecome angered at how they treat their children.
4. However, I contend that there is a worse type of abuse than either of these two ...Spiritual abuse!
5. This occurs when parents fail to convey their faith to their children!
8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind themon your foreheads.
1. Gill, “And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand…As a man ties anything to his hand for a token, that he may remember somewhat he is desirousof; though the Jews understand this literally, of binding a scroll of parchment, with this sectionand others written in it, upon their left hand, as the Targum of Jonathan here interprets the
hand: and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes;and which the same Targum interprets of the Tephilim, or phylacteries, which the Jews wearupon their foreheads, and on their arms, and so Jarchi; of which (See Gill on 23:5).
2. Clarke, “Is not this an allusion to an ancient and general custom observed in almost every partof the world? When a person wishes to remember a thing of importance, and is afraid to trust tothe common operations of memory, he ties a knot on some part of his clothes, or a cord on hishand or finger, or places something out of its usual order, and in view, that his memory may bewhetted to recollection, and his eye affect his heart. God, who knows how slow of heart we are tounderstand, graciously orders us to make use of every help, and through the means of thingssensible, to rise to things spiritual. And they shall be as frontlets totaphoth seems to have the samemeaning as phylacteries has in the New Testament; and for the meaning and description of theseappendages to a Jew's dress and to his religion, see the notes on "Ex 13:9", and See "Mt 23:5",where a phylactery is particularly described.
9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses andon your gates.
1. Gill, “To put them in mind of them when they went out and came in, that they might be carefulto observe them; this the Jews take literally also, and write in a scroll of parchment this sectionwith some passages; and, as the Targum of Jonathan here, fix them in three places, over againstthe bed chamber, upon the posts of the house, and on the gate at the right hand of it; and this iswhat they call the Mezuzah; and the account given of it is this. In a parchment prepared for thepurpose, they write the words in (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) (11:13-20) and then roll up the parchment,and write on it "Shaddai"; and put it either into a cane (or reed), or else into a like hollow pieceof wood, and so fasten it to the wall on the posts of the door at the right hand of entrance; andthus, as often as they go in and out, they make it a part of their devotion to touch this parchment,and kiss it F20.
2. Clarke, “The Jews, forgetting the spirit and design of this precept, used these things assuperstitious people do amulets and charms, and supposed, if they had these passages of Scripturewritten upon slips of pure parchment, wrapped round their foreheads, tied to their arm, or nailedto their door-posts, that they should then be delivered from every evil! And how much better aremany Christians, who keep a Bible in their house merely that it may keep the devil out; and willhave it in their rooms, or under their pillows, to ward off spirits and ghosts in the night? Howingenious is the heart of man to find out every wrong way, and to miss the right!
3. Constable, “Observant Jews still often mount little holders on the frames of their front doorsinto which they place a small parchment scroll. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 and the
name Shaddai appear on these papers as a sign and reminder of their faith. In addition,sometimes Jews place the Decalogue and or Exod. 13:1-16 and or Num. 10:35-36 inthese holders. They call the scroll and its holder a mezuzah (lit. doorpost).The fact that God commanded the Israelites to "write" (v. 9) reveals that literacy waswidespread in Israel.
4. Millard, “"Ancient Hebrew written documents, recovered by archaeology,demonstrate both that there were readers and writers in ancient Israel, andthat they were by no means rare. Few places would have been withoutsomeone who could write, and few Israelites could have been unaware ofwriting."
5. Jamison, “It is probable that Moses used the phraseology in De 6:7 merely in a figurative way,to signify assiduous, earnest, and frequent instruction; and perhaps he meant the metaphoricallanguage in De 6:8 to be taken in the same sense also. But as the Israelites interpreted it literally,many writers suppose that a reference was made to a superstitious custom borrowed from theEgyptians, who wore jewels and ornamental trinkets on the forehead and arm, inscribed withcertain words and sentences, as amulets to protect them from danger. These, it has beenconjectured, Moses intended to supersede by substituting sentences of the law; and so theHebrews understood him, for they have always considered the wearing of the Tephilim, orfrontlets, a permanent obligation. The form was as follows: Four pieces of parchment, inscribed,the first with Ex 13:2-10; the second with Ex 13:11-16; the third with De 6:1-8; and the fourthwith De 11:18-21, were enclosed in a square case or box of tough skin, on the side of which wasplaced the Hebrew letter (shin), and bound round the forehead with a thong or ribbon. Whendesigned for the arms, those four texts were written on one slip of parchment, which, as well asthe ink, was carefully prepared for the purpose. With regard to the other usage supposed to bealluded to, the ancient Egyptians had the lintels and imposts of their doors and gates inscribedwith sentences indicative of a favorable omen [WILKINSON]; and this is still the case, for inEgypt and other Mohammedan countries, the front doors of houses (in Cairo, for instance) arepainted red, white, and green, bearing conspicuously inscribed upon them such sentences fromthe Koran, as "God is the Creator," "God is one, and Mohammed is his prophet." Mosesdesigned to turn this ancient and favorite custom to a better account and ordered that, instead ofthe former superstitious inscriptions, there should be written the words of God, persuading andenjoining the people to hold the laws in perpetual remembrance.
10 When the LORD your God brings you into theland he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac andJacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishingcities you did not build,
1. Spurgeon 10-12, “Bread eaten is soon forgotten. How often we act like clogs that will take thebones from our hand, and then forget the hand that gave them! It should not be so with us. Allour spiritual, mercies, and many of our temporal ones, are very much like the inheritance ofIsrael in the land of Canaan, wells that they did not dig, and vineyards which they did not plant.Our blessings come from sources that are beyond our own industry and skill; they are the fruitsof the holy inventiveness of God, and the splendor and fullness of his thoughtfulness towards hispoor children. Let us not forget him, since evidently he never forgets us.Pride in the peculiar sin of prosperity, and pride stands side by side with forgetfulness of God.Instead of remembering whence our mercies came, we begin to thank ourselves for theseblessings, and God is forgotten. I remember one of whom it was said that he was a self-mademan, and he adored his Creator, and I may say that there are a great many persons who do justthat. They believe that they have made themselves, and so they worship themselves. Be it ours toremember that it is God who giveth us strength to get wealth or to get position, and, therefore,unto him be all the honor of it, and never let him be forgotten.
2. Calvin 10-12, “And it shall be, when the Lord thy God. Since wealth and prosperity for the mostpart blind men’s minds, so that they do not sufficiently attend to modesty and moderation, butrather grow wanton in their lusts, and intoxicate themselves with pleasures, God prescribesagainst this error by anticipation. For not without cause does he admonish them to beware lestthey forget God, when they shall have been liberally and luxuriously treated by Him, but becausehe knew this to be a common vice, for abundance to beget arrogance; as afterwards he will say inhis song,“Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked: thou art waxen fat, etc., then he forsook God which made him,and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.” (Deuteronomy 32:15.)
First of all, he shews how base and unworthy would be their ingratitude, if, when loaded with somany excellent benefits by God, they should cast away the recollection of Him; for, as Hisgoodness was inestimable, in giving them cities built by the hands of others, and in transferringto them whatever others had prepared by their great labor and industry, so would their impietybe the more detestable in neglecting Him, when He daily set Himself before them in thisabundant store of blessing. Let us learn, therefore, from this passage, that we are invited byGod’s liberality to honor Him, and that whenever He deals kindly by us, He places His glorybefore our eyes; but, on the other hand, we should remember, that what ought to be as it werevehicles, to lift up our minds on high, are, by our own fault, converted into obstacles and clogs,and that therefore we ought to be the more upon our guard. At the end of verse 12, he reprovestheir folly by another argument, if being thus suddenly enriched, they should give way tointemperance; as if he had said, that their absurdity would be insupportable, if, when uplifted byGod’s bounty, they should not remember their origin; for nothing should have served more toincline them to humility than that wretched state of servitude from whence they had beenrescued. Therefore he contrasts with that ample dominion to which God had exalted them, thehouse of bondmen,in order that the recollection of their former lot may restrain all frowardness.
3. Ron Daniel, “God was giving them what they did not earn or deserve. Can you imagine beinggiven a house for free? Full of furniture and things you did not buy?I read in the news this week that Regis Philbin's daytime show had a contest which gave thewinner a brand new 3,000 square foot, 1/4 million dollar house, full of appliances and furniture.That's something that only one in a billion people could ever dream of winning. And yet, God was
doing that for all of the Israelites. They were moving into a land where the inhabitants werejudged by God, driven out and destroyed.
Now, God has not promised Christians material blessings, but spiritual ones which are farsuperior. He has not promised us undeserved land, cisterns, and houses, but undeservedsalvation! Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in ChristJesus our Lord. God's grace is the free gift He's given to us. It will outlast every house in the landof Canaan. It will even outlive Regis Philbin!
4. Henry, “A caution is here given not to forget God in a day of prosperity and plenty,Deuteronomy 6:10-12. Here, 1. He raises their expectations of the goodness of their God, taking itfor granted that he would bring them into the good land that he had promised (Deuteronomy6:10), that they should no longer dwell in tents as shepherds and poor travellers, but should settlein great and goodly cities, should no longer wander in a barren wilderness, but should enjoyhouses will furnished and gardens well planted (Deuteronomy 6:11), and all this without any careand expense of their own, which he here lays a great stress upon--Cities which thou buildest not,
houses which thou filledst not, &c., both because it made the mercy really much more valuablethat what they had come to them so cheaply, and yet, if they did not actually consider it, themercy would be the less esteemed, for we are most sensible of the value of that which has cost usdear. When they came so easily by the gift they would be apt to grow secure, and unmindful ofthe giver. 2. He engages their watchfulness against the badness of their own hearts: Then beware,
when thou liest safe and soft, lest thou forget the Lord, Deuteronomy 6:12. Note, (1.) In a day ofprosperity we are in great danger of forgetting God, our dependence upon him, our need of him,and our obligations to him. When the world smiles we are apt to make our court to it, and expectour happiness in it, and so we forget him that his our only portion and rest. Agur prays againstthis temptation (Proverbs 30:9): Lest I be full and deny thee. (2.) There is therefore need of greatcare and caution at such a time, and a strict watch over our own hearts. "Then beware; beingwarned of your danger, stand upon your guard against it. Bind the words of God for a sign upon
thy hand, for this end to prevent thy forgetting God. When thou art settled in Canaan forget notthy deliverance out of Egypt; but look to the rock out of which thou wast hewn. When thy latterend has greatly increased, remember the smallness of thy beginnings."
5. K&D 10-11, “To the positive statement of the command there is attached, in the next place, thenegative side, or a warning against the danger to which prosperity and an abundance of earthlygoods so certainly exposed, viz., of forgetting the Lord and His manifestations of mercy. TheIsraelites were all the more exposed to this danger, as their entrance into Canaan brought theminto the possession of all the things conducive to well-being, in which the land abounded, withoutbeing under the necessity of procuring these things by the labour of their own hands; - into thepossession, namely, of great and beautiful towns which they had not built, of houses full of allkinds of good things which they had not filled, of wells ready made which they had not dug, ofvineyards and olive-plantations which they had not planted. - The nouns ָעִרים, etc. are formallydependent upon ָל� ָלֵתת, and serve as a detailed description of the land into which the Lord wasabout to lead His people.
11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you didnot provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards andolive groves you did not plant—then when you eatand are satisfied,
1. Here we see the grace of God to Israel. This parallels the grace of God in the New Testament. Itis unmerited favor, and the receiving of blessings that are not earned nor deserved. God's peoplecame into a land that they did not own, with all the work of others done for them. They hadhomes, and fields and wells, and vineyards and groves, and a host of great values all given tothem by the grace of God. It is just like all we have in Christ. It is freely given, and Christ had todo the work that made it all possible. Jesus is our Promised Land, and in him are a host of goodthings that we did not provide. They are provided for us, and that is grace in action.
2. Gill, “And houses full of all good things which thou filledst not,&c.] Not only full of good, convenient, and rich household furniture, but of the fruits of the earth,of corn, and wine, and oil, and also, perhaps, of gold and silver: and wells digged which thou diggedst not;which in those hot and dry countries were in much esteem, and of great worth; see (Genesis26:18-22) ,
vineyards and olive trees which thou plantedst not;which Canaan abounded with much more than Egypt, where there were but few vines and olivetrees, though of both these there were more where the Israelites lived than elsewhere; (See Gill on
47:11) and these therefore might be such as they had seen in Egypt, in that part of it in whichthey dwelt, Goshen, which was in the Heracleotic nome, and that Strabo F21 says only producedperfect olives, and fruit bearing trees, but the rest of Egypt wanted oil; and this home is the samewhich the Arabs now call the province of Fium, of which Leo Africanus F23 says, it produces alarge quantity of olives; so that this might be observed for the encouragement of the Israelites:
when thou shalt have eaten and be full;having such plenty of good things the land would furnish them with.
12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, whobrought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
1. Clarke, “In earthly prosperity men are apt to forget heavenly things. While the animal senses
have every thing they can wish, it is difficult for the soul to urge its way to heaven; the animalman is happy, and the desires of the soul are absorbed in those of the flesh. God knows this well;and therefore, in his love to man, makes comparative poverty and frequent affliction his generallot. Should not every soul therefore magnify God for this lot in life? "Before I was afflicted," saysDavid, "I went astray;" and had it not been for poverty and affliction, as instruments in thehands of God's grace, multitudes of souls now happy in heaven would have been wretched in hell.It is not too much to speak thus far; because we ever see that the rich and the affluent aregenerally negligent of God and the interests of their souls. It must however be granted thatextreme poverty is as injurious to religion as excessive affluence. Hence the wisdom as well aspiety of Agur's prayer, Proverbs 30:7-9: "Give me neither poverty nor riches, lest I be full anddeny thee, or lest I be poor and steal,"
2. Dave Guzik, “10-12) The danger of leaving God in times of prosperity.a. God was going to bring Israel into an abundant land; a place of large and beautifulcities which you did not build. In this abundant blessing God had for Israel, there wasan inherent danger: That they would forget the Lord who brought you out of the land ofEgypt.
b. This cycle will be repeated through the history of Israel, especially in the time of theJudges: God would bless an obedient Israel, and they would prosper; they would beginto set their heart on the blessings instead of the Lord who blessed them; God wouldallow chastisement to turn Israel's focus back upon Him; Israel would repent and obeyagain, and God would again bless and obedient Israel and they would prosper.
i. We usually fail to appreciate the danger of success and prosperity; we agree thereis a theoretical danger in those things, but rarely think it applies to us.
ii. It is just a lot easier to forget the Lord your brought you out . . . from the house ofbondage when there are no circumstances forcing you to remember Him.
3. Woodrow Kroll, “When things are going well, it is very easy to forget God. He knew that thistemptation lay in the path before the people of Israel. The way had been rough. For 40 years the people had endured the difficulties of being desertnomads, literally burying a generation (see Deut. 1:35). Only the young, along with Caleb andJoshua, were spared from the judgment of God. Now Moses was preparing them to move into thePromised Land.
God was giving them cities that they did not build, houses filled with good things, wells that werein place, and vineyards and olive groves that they did not plant.
With blessing, however, comes a peril. The peril of prosperity is that we sometimes forget Godand His blessings. Instead, we rely on self, enjoying the ease. The words of Moses ring true for ustoday. He said, "When you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD"(6:11-12).
Solomon's prayer also is vital in this regard: "Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give meonly my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is theLORD?'" (Prov. 30:8-9).
Write out a list of God's blessings, and then add to it each day for a week. It will keep you from
forgetting the goodness of God.
4. TODAY IN THE WORDFew things in life are as unattractive as ingratitude. Failing to be thankful for what we havereceived, and even forgetting the source of our blessings, is not just bad manners. It is a sin, sinceeverything we have is a gift from God (1 Cor. 4:7). The Israelites were on the verge of inheritingan incredible windfall of blessing the well-developed and fruitful land of Canaan. The way Mosesdescribed what was ahead for the people of God must have made their heads spin.
After all, these were the children and grandchildren of people who had known nothing butslavery in Egypt. Forty years of traveling in circles in a harsh desert didn't do much to upgradetheir lifestyle either. Now all of a sudden, they were facing a future of unprecedented prosperity.
All that stood between Israel and this wealth was the people's obedience. Yet once more, Mosesset things in their proper context. This was no 'name it, claim it' deal. The land of Canaan was agift of God's grace in fulfillment of His covenant promises to Israel's forefathers.
That means the people listening to Moses could not go back to their tents and say, 'God isblessing me because of all the wonderful things I've done and the great person I am.'
Don't misunderstand. God's blessing was most definitely an act of goodness to the people Heloved. But He did not want the Israelites to go into Canaan with the idea, 'We deserve this for allwe've suffered. We've earned a reward. It was our skill in battle and our power that won Canaanfor us.'
People who start thinking like this commit a grievous sin, one of forgetting whose hand hasprovided all they have. If there's one lesson that is written large across the pages of Numbers andDeuteronomy, it is the danger of forgetting and thus the need to remember who God is and whatHe has done.
A very wise man named Agur once asked God to give him neither poverty nor wealth. The dangerof gaining the latter was that too much material gain can lean one to disown God (Pr. 30:9). Doesour abundance make us grateful, or forgetful?
TODAY ALONG THE WAYThese words from the Proverbs make up one of the lessons that need to be learned at home.
Yesterday we talked about the importance of making God's Word prominent in the daily life ofour families. One idea is to look for current events that can become the springboard for adinnertime discussion of a biblical principle. You might use a Bible story such as Daniel and hiscommitment to God (Da 1:8-16-note) to ask family members how they would handle a similarsituation. The teaching opportunities are there if we are alert to them.
13 Fear the LORD your God, serve him only andtake your oaths in his name.
1. Gill, “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him…Serve him through fear; not through slavish fear, a fear of hell and damnation; but through filialfear, a reverential affection for that God that had brought them out of a state of bondage intogreat and glorious liberty, out of Egypt into Canaan's land, out of a place of misery into a land ofplenty; and therefore should fear the Lord and his goodness, and from such a fear of him servehim, in every part of worship, public and private, enjoined; this passage Christ refers to(Matthew 4:10) and shalt swear by his name;when they made a covenant with any, or were called to bear a testimony for the decision of anycontroversy which could not be otherwise finished; or whenever they took an oath on anyaccount, which should never be taken rashly or on any trivial account, and much less falsely; itshould be taken not in the name of any idol, or of any other but the true and living God; theTargum of Jonathan is,
``in the name of the Word of the Lord, in truth ye shall swear.''
2. Clarke, “Thou shalt respect and reverence him as thy Lawgiver and Judge; as thy Creator,Preserver, and the sole object of thy religious adoration. And serve him Our blessed Lord, in Matthew 4:10; ; Luke 4:8, quotes these words thus: And him ONLY (αυτωμονω) shalt thou serve. It appears, therefore, that lebaddo was anciently in the Hebrewtext, as it was and is in the SEPTUAGINT, (αυτωμονω,) from which our Lord quotedit. The COPTIC preserves the same reading; so do also the VULGATE, (illi soli,) and theANGLO-SAXON, ({Anglo-Saxon}) Dr. Kennicott argues, that without the word only the textwould not have been conclusive for the purpose for which our Lord advanced it; for as we learnfrom Scripture that some men worshipped false gods in conjunction with the true, the quotationhere would not have been full to the point without this exclusive word. It may be proper toobserve that the omitted word lebaddo, retained in the above versions, does not exist in theHebrew printed text, nor in any MS. hitherto discovered.
Shalt swear by his name. tishshabea, from shaba, he was full, satisfied, or gave that which was full or satisfactory. Hence anoath and swearing, because appealing to God, and taking him for witness in any case of promise,full and sufficient security for the performance; and if done in evidence, or to the truth of anyparticular fact, it gave full security for the truth of that evidence. An oath, therefore, is an appeal
to God, who knows all things, of the truth of the matter in question: and when a religious mantakes such an oath, he gives full and reasonable satisfaction that the thing is so, as stated; for it isever to be presumed that no man, unless in a state of the deepest degradation, would make suchan appeal falsely, for this would imply an attempt to make God a party in the deception.
3. Spurgeon, 13-15, “Our God is a jealous God. One said to a Puritan, “Why be so precise?” andhe replied, “Because I serve a precise God.” God has done so much for us, in order to win our
hearts, that he ought to have them altogether for himself. When he has them all, it is all too little;but to divide our heart is to grieve his Spirit, and sorely to vex him.He will have the heart all to himself. Two Gods he cannot endure. Of false gods, there may bemany: of the true God there can be but one, and he is a jealous God.
4. Calvin, “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God. Hence it is more evident why He has just declaredthat there is One God, viz., that He alone may be undividedly worshipped; for unless our mindsare fixed on Him alone, religion is torn, as it were, into divers parts, and this is soon followed by alabyrinth of errors. But, first, he calls for reverence, and then for the worship which may testifyand demonstrate it. “Fear” contains in it the idea of subjection, when men devote themselves toGod, because His terrible majesty keeps them in their proper place. Hence results worship, whichis the proof of piety. But we must observe that the fear enjoined in this passage is voluntary, sothat men influenced by it desire nothing more than to obey God. When I stated, therefore, thatGod brings us under the yoke by a sense of His power and greatness, I did not understand that aviolent and servile obedience is extorted from us; I only wished to affirm that men cannot beinduced to obey God, before they have been subdued by fear; because their innate corruptionalways carries with it a contempt for religion, and a spirit of licentiousness. Therefore, inJeremiah (Jeremiah 5:22), in order to exhort men to fear, He sets forth His terrible power inrestraining the strength of the sea; but this fear leads on His true worshippers further. In theother passage which we have subjoined from Deuteronomy 10, the word cleave again confirmsthe truth, that as soon as men decline from God in the least degree, His worship is corrupted. Forthis is the meaning of that union with Himself to which He calls His worshippers, that theyshould be, as it were, glued to Him, and should not look elsewhere.
5. Ron Daniel, 13-15, “In English, the word "swear" has come to mean, "utter a profane word."But when someone swears by the name of God, they are taking an oath - making a promise withGod as the witness to that promise. The most common example of that would be a witness in acourtroom swearing "to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help meGod."When someone swears by the name of God, they are testifying that God is, that He sees andknows all, and that they are accountable to Him. This is supposed to be the highest form ofaccountability that exists. Interestingly, the Bible says that...Heb. 6:13 ...when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, Heswore by HimselfIt is the highest statement of truth you can make. And yet, there are people who do this withouttruth or righteousness (Isa. 48:1), people with no fear of God who swear by His name. This iswarned against:Lev. 19:12 "You shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I amthe LORD."Swearing falsely by God's name profanes His name, and will be judged (Zech. 5:4). Because ofthe possibility of incurring judgment, James recommended a safer approach:James 5:12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with anyother oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.In other words, "If you take an oath in the name of God and are proven false, you will be judged.So it's safer just to say yes or no."Some religious people started to make oaths on things less dangerous: "I swear on my mother'sgrave," "I swear by the hair on my head," etc. But Jesus forbade all of that completely:Matt. 5:33-37 "Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT MAKE
FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.' But I say to you, makeno oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool ofHis feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. Nor shall you make anoath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, 'Yes,yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil."The Pharisees Jesus was rebuking had failed to realize that when you swear by anything, it allcomes back to God anyway!
6. Dave Guzik, “(13-19) How to avoid apostasy in times of prosperity: honoring the Lord ineverything we do.
a. When we fear the Lord your God and serve Him, the idea is not of a shrinking fearfrom an angry God; the idea of fear is more in the concept of an awe-filled respect, aninner repulsion at the idea of offending such a great, loving God who has done so muchfor us.
i. This is the passage of Scripture Jesus quoted back to Satan when tempted bySatan to avoid the cross and win back the world, if He would only bow down andworship Satan. Jesus rightly replies, based on the truth You shall fear the Lord yourGod and serve Him that it was only right to fear, and worship, and serve God - andit was wrong to bow down to Satan, no matter what might be given Him in return(Matthew 4:8-10).
b. And shall take oaths in His name: although the concept of the oath in God's name cancertainly be abused (as Jesus pointed out in Matthew 5:33-37), there certainly is apermissible use of oaths by those who follow God - since God Himself uses oaths(Hebrews 6:13). Here, Israel is being told "you are to swear an oath only in the name ofthe Lord, not in the name of any other god."
c. You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him at Massah: In Exodus17:1-7, Israel tempted the Lord by doubting His love and concern for them. This was"tempting" or "testing" God regarding His love for Israel, something that is not onlyhigh-handed against the Lord (who are we to administer a test to the Almighty?) butalso disregarding His previous, and constant demonstrations of love and care for Israel(by demanding that God "prove His love for them now" by giving them what theywant).
i. Anytime we deny God's love for us, or "demand" He do something for us, we are"testing" Him as if He must answer to our standards, and "tempting" Him to judgeus.
ii. This is the passage of Scripture which Jesus quoted back to Satan in thewilderness, when tempted to make God the Father "prove" His love for the Son byspectacularly protecting Jesus if He should jump off the pinnacle of the temple(Matthew 4:5-7). Jesus knew it was wrong to demand this sort of "proof" from HisFather, since every day was proof of God the Father's love for the Son!
d. And you shall do what is right . . . that it may be well with you: This theme isconstantly repeated. Under the Old Covenant, Israel's blessing is based on theirobedience. When they obey, they will be blessed, when they disobey they will be cursed.
i. This is not the source of blessing in the New Covenant. In the New Covenant, weare blessed by faith in Jesus, since He fulfills the law in our place (Romans 8:3-4).
The watchwords for blessing under the Old Covenant were earning and deserving;under the New Covenant, blessing comes by believing and receiving.
ii. How can this system work? Isn't it too "easy"? Won't we take advantage of theNew Covenant, and sin as we please and still expect to be blessed because webelieve? It doesn't work that way, because when we receive the New Covenant, Godsends with it an inner transformation, where the law of God and the desire to do Hiswill is now written on our hearts. Through the New Covenant, God makes us "safe"for His grace by this inner transformation.
iii. Is there then no penalty for disobedience? There is no judgment from God forour disobedience, because all the judgment we deserved was put upon Jesus at thecross. However, there may be correction from the hand of a loving God the Father(not in the sense of making us pay for our sin, but in the sense of training us not tocontinue in sin), and there are the natural consequences of our disobedience, whichGod has not promised to shield us from.
iv. Christians who fear the "freedom" of a New Covenant relationship with Godmust ask this question: did Israel come to great obedience to God through the OldCovenant? Does the system of earning and deserving blessing make us truly moregodly than the system of believing and receiving? Or does it leave us either in totaldesperation (where one can then look to Jesus), or in total pride in our own worksbefore God (as were the religious leaders of Jesus' day who had a significant hand incrucifying Him)?
7. Henry, 13-16, “Some special precepts and prohibitions are here given, which are of greatconsequence. 1. They must upon all occasions give honour to God Deuteronomy 6:13): Fear him
and serve him (for, if he be a Master, we must both reverence him and do his work); and swear by
his name, that is, they must not upon any occasion appeal to any other, as the discerner of truthand avenger of wrong. Swear by him only, and not by an idol, or any other creature. Swear by hisname in all treaties and covenants with the neighbouring nations, and do not compliment them sofar as to swear by their gods. Swearing by his mane is sometimes put for an open profession of hisname. Isaiah 45:23, Every tongue shall swear, is expounded (Romans 14:11), Every tongue shall
confess to God. 2. They must not upon any occasion give that honour to other gods (Deuteronomy6:14): You shall not go after other gods, that is, "You shall not serve nor worship them;" fortherein they went astray, they went a whoring from the true God, who in this, more than in anything, is jealous god (Deuteronomy 6:15): and the learned bishop Patrick observes here, out ofMaimonides, that we never find, either in the law or the prophets, anger, or fury, or jealousy, orindignation, attributed to God but upon occasion of idolatry. 3. They must take heed ofdishonouring God by tempting him (Deuteronomy 6:16): You shall not tempt the Lord your God,
that is, "You shall not in any exigence distrust the power, presence, and providence of God, norquarrel with him," which, if they indulged an evil heart of unbelief, they would take occasion todo in Canaan as well as in the wilderness. No change of condition will cure a disposition ofmurmur and fret. Our Saviour uses this caution as an answer to one of Satan's temptations, withapplication to himself, Matthew 4:7, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, either by despairingof his power and goodness while we keep in the way of our duty, or by presuming upon it whenwe turn aside out of that way.
14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoplesaround you;
1. Clarke, “The object of religious worship among every people, whether that object be true orfalse, is ever considered as the pattern or exemplar to his worshippers. Christians are termed thefollowers of God; they take God for their pattern, and walk-act, as he does. Hence we see themeaning of the terms in this verse: Ye shall not go after-ye shall not take false gods for yourpatterns. The Canaanites, Greeks, Romans, because the objects of their worship were impure, andthey went after them, i. e., were like their gods. This serves to show us that such as our Redeemeris, such should we be; and indeed this is the uniform language of God to man: Be ye holy, for I am
holy, Leviticus 21:8; Be ye perfect, as your Father who is in heaven is perfect, Matthew 5:48.
2. Calvin, 14-15, “Ye shall not go after. In this passage Moses commands the people not to turnaway from the simple service of God, although examples of superstition may present themselvesto their sight on every side. For this was a very destructive temptation, that none could beanywhere found who subscribed to the doctrine of the Law, although the respective nations hadsome religion, or at any rate the name of it existing among them. Since, therefore, these variousforms of worship were so many temptations to forsake the right way, it was needful to provideagainst the danger betimes, and so to establish the authority of the One God, that the Jews mighthave courage to despise the common belief of all the Gentiles. A threat is added, that vengeancewould not be far off if they should fall away into these superstitions, since God is a jealous God,
and dwelling among them. As to the former epithet, I am about to say more under the SecondCommandment. Meanwhile, let my readers observe that God is called jealous, because Hepermits no rivalry which may detract from His glory, nor does He suffer the service which is dueto Him alone to be transferred elsewhere. When He reminds the people that he dwells amongthem, it is partly to inspire terror by reason of His presence, and partly to reprove indirectly theiringratitude, if they should forsake Him, and seek for themselves gods who are afar of.
15 for the LORD your God, who is among you, is ajealous God and his anger will burn against you, andhe will destroy you from the face of the land.
1. Clarke, “A jealous God Jehovah has betrothed you to himself as a bride is to her husband. Do not be unfaithful, else that
love wherewith he has now distinguished you shall assume the form of jealousy, and so divorceand consume you.
2. Ron Ritchie, “The clear warning here is that if they decide to chase another husband namedidolatry, they will soon find that their one and only living, powerful, and loving God will becomejealous and will focus his anger on them, and they will lose the blessing of living in the promisedland. God becomes jealous in a positive sense because of his intense interest in the welfare of hisbeloved people. This adjective, when used of God, is employed to illustrate rather than torepresent his emotions or his mind. Later we will find that the God who guarded Israel as "theapple of his eye" (Deuteronomy 32:10) did become jealous because of their idolatry:
"They made him jealous with their foreign godsand angered him with their detestable idols.
They sacrificed to demons, which are not God---gods they had not known,gods that recently appeared,gods your fathers did not fear.
You deserted the Rock, who fathered you;you forgot the God who gave you birth.(Deuteronomy 32:16-18.)
3. Spurgeon, Verses 15-19 - “Now, this covenant of works they break, as we also have long agobroken ours. Blessed be God, our salvation now hangs on another covenant which cannot fail norbreak down — the covenant of grace. Yet, still, now that we become the Lord’s children, we areput under the discipline of the Lord’s house, and these words might not unfitly set forth what isthe discipline of the Lord’s house towards his own children, namely, that he does bless us whenwe walk in his ways, and that he will walk contrary to us if we walk contrary to him. He keeps arod in his house, and in very love he uses that upon his best beloved ones. “You only have Iknown of all the nations of the earth; therefore, I will punish you for your iniquities.” He will notkill his children, nor treat them as a judge treats a criminal, for they are not under the law, butunder grace; but he will chasten them and treat them as a father chasteneth his child — out oflove. Oh! that we might have grace to walk before him with a holy, childlike fear, that so we maywalk always in the light of his countenance.
4. Mackintosh, “The very first thing they did was to let go this grand and all-important truth,this key-stone of thearch, the foundation of the whole edifice, the very heart of their national existence, the livingcenter of their national polity. They gave it up, and turned back to the idolatry of their fathers onthe other side of the flood, and of the heathen nations around them. They abandoned that mostglorious and distinctive truth on the maintenance of which their very existence as a nationdepended.Had they only held fast this truth, they would have been invincible; but in surrendering it, theysurrendered all, and became much worse than the nations around them, inasmuch as they sinnedagainst light and knowledge – sinned with their eyes open – sinned in the face of the mostsolemn warnings and earnest entreaties, and, we may add, in the face of the most vehement andoft-repeated promises and protestations of obedience.Yes, reader, Israel gave up the worship of the one true and living God, the Lord-Elohim, their
covenant-God; not only their Creator, but their Redeemer – the One who had brought them upout of the land of Egypt, conducted them through the Red Sea, led them through the wilderness,brought them across the Jordan, and planted them in triumph in the inheritance which He hadpromised to Abraham their father – “a land flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory ofall lands.”They turned their backs upon Him, and gave themselves up to the worship of false gods; “theyprovoked Him to anger with their high places, and moved Him to jealousy with theirgraven images.”It seems perfectly wonderful that a people who had seen and known so much of the goodnessand loving-kindness of God – His mighty acts, His faithfulness, His majesty, His glory, couldever bring themselves to bow down to the stock of a tree; but so it was.Their whole history, from the days of the calf at the foot of Mount Sinai, to the day in whichNebuchadnezzar reduced Jerusalem to ruins, is marked by an unconquerable spirit of idolatry.In vain did the Lord, in His long-suffering mercy and abounding goodness, raise up deliverersfor them, to lift them from beneath the terrible consequences of their sin and folly. Again andagain, in His inexhaustible mercy and patience, He saved them from the hand of their enemies.He raised up an Othniel, an Ehud, a Barak, a Gideon, a Jephthah, a Samson – those instrumentsof His mercy and power – those witnesses of His deep and tender love and compassion towardHis poor infatuated people. No sooner had each judge passed off the scene than back the nationplunged into their besetting sin of idolatry.So, also, in the days of the kings; it is the same melancholy, heart-rending story. True, there werebright spots here and there – some brilliant stars shining out through the deep gloom of thenation’s history; we have a David, an Asa, a Jehoshaphat, a Hezekiah, a Josiah – refreshing andblessed exceptions to the dark and dismal rule. But even men like these failed to eradicate fromthe heart of the nation the pernicious root of idolatry. Even amid the unexampled splendors ofSolomon’s reign, that root sent forth its bitter shoots, in the monstrous form of high places toAshtaroth, the goddess of the Zidonians; Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites; andChemosh, the abomination of Moab.Reader, only think of this. Pause for a moment, and contemplate the astounding fact of the writerof the Canticles, Ecclesiastes, and Proverbs bowing at the shrine of Molech! Only conceive, thewisest, the wealthiest, and the most glorious of Israel’s monarchs burning incense and offeringsacrifices upon the altar of Chemosh!Truly, there is something here for us to ponder. It was written for our learning.The reign of Solomon affords one of the most striking and impressive evidences of the factwhich is just now engaging our attention, namely, Israel’s complete and hopeless apostasy fromthe grand truth of the unity of the Godhead – their unconquerable spirit of idolatry. The truthwhich they were specially called out to hold and confess was the very truth which they first of alland most persistently abandoned.
16 Do not put the LORD your God to the test as youdid at Massah.
1. Calvin, “Ye shall not tempt the Lord. Since the doctrine here should undoubtedly be referred tothe First Commandment, we gather from it that this is the main foundation of piety, to give toHim what is His own, and to diminish nothing from the prerogative which He claims. As we havealready seen, unbelief was the fountain and cause of the tempting in Massah, for when the peopleneither relied on God’s providence nor rested on His paternal love, they burst forth intoimpatience, and at length advanced so far as to think that God was not with them, unless Hecomplied with their wicked lusts. We perceive, then, that God cannot be rightly worshippedunless when He has His peculiar attributes acknowledged. Whence, also, it appears that truepiety cannot be dissevered from faith, because, if we confess that every desirable good dwells inHim, we shall expect and seek for all things from Him; we shall also patiently and contentedlyallow ourselves to be governed by His will, and, in a word, give up ourselves and our lives intoHis hands.
2.Clarke, “Ye shall not tempt the Lord Ye shall not provoke him by entertaining doubts of his mercy, goodness, providence, and truth. As ye tempted him in Massah. How did they tempt him in Massah? They said, Is the Lord among us or not? Exodus 17:1-7. Aftersuch proofs as they had of his presence and his kindness, this was exceedingly provoking.Doubting God's kindness where there are so many evidences of it, is highly insulting to GodAlmighty.
3. Spurgeon, 16-24, “Oh, friends, it will be well when our boys and girls ask us questions like this,and when we can give such answers! The great lack of the age in which we live is obedience toGod. “Modern thought” has flung off obedience to Divine Revelation; and even in mattersrelating to social morality, many men reject all idea of anything being commanded of God; theyonly judge by what appears to them to be either pleasurable or profitable. What is most neededjust now is that we ourselves, and those about us, become really conscious of the greatness andsovereignty of God, and yield ourselves to him to do as he bids us, when he bids us, where he bidsus, and in all things to seek to follow his commandments that he may “preserve us alive, as it is atthis day.”And cannot we tell our children what God has done for us — how he brought us out of ourspiritual captivity, and how in his almighty love, he has brought us into his Church and willsurely bring us into the glory above? May God grant us grace to speak about these things withoutdiffidence, With great confidence to tell our children of what he has done.
4. Ron Daniel, “You certainly remember the incident in which Moses struck the rock to bringforth water for the people to drink. What you may not remember is that the place was called"Mas-SAW" ("testing") because,Ex. 17:7 ...they tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us, or not?"To test the Lord is to put action to your doubts. In the same way that faith can be acted upon,doubt can also be acted upon. "Is the Lord with me or not? I'll test Him to see if He is."This behavior is evil, and the devil attempted to get Jesus to do it:Matt. 4:5-7 Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of thetemple, and *said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'HEWILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and 'ON their HANDS THEY WILLBEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOURGOD TO THE TEST.'"
Jesus refused to test the Lord, knowing it was evil.There is, however, one place in the Scripture in which God challenges His people to test Him:Mal. 3:10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, andtest Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heavenand pour out for you a blessing until it overflows."Many people are afraid to give to God, because they doubt they can survive financially if they do.God says, "Go ahead and test Me in this one. Watch what I'll do as a result."
17 Be sure to keep the commands of the LORD yourGod and the stipulations and decrees he has givenyou.
1. Moses keeps saying the same thing over and over because he knows that repetition is a keymethod of education. Studies show that people need to hear a message, or see a message a goodnumber of times before it really gets into their memory bank. That is why we have to hear thoseannoying commercials over and over before they come up with something new. We hate themafter awhile, but the sponsors know we need to hear them a lot if their message is to get through.Moses knew this too, but even with all his repetition, the people let the message go in one ear andout the other.
18 Do what is right and good in the LORD’s sight, sothat it may go well with you and you may go in andtake over the good land the LORD promised on oathto your ancestors,
1. Gill, “And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord…And what is such appears from the declaration of his mind and will in the commandments he hasgiven, and obeying which is therefore doing what is right and good; for his commandment is holy,just, and good, being agreeable both to his nature and will, (Romans 7:12) that it may be wellwith thee; as it is with those that fear God, and keep his commandments: and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers;to give to them and to their posterity, even the land of Canaan; but if they did not what was rightand good in the sight of God, they might expect to be kept out of it, as their immediate parents
were, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness.
2. TODAY IN THE WORDMany years ago, a young hotel clerk in Philadelphia explained to an older couple that no roomswere available for the night. But instead of turning the pair out into the pouring rain, the clerkinsisted that they take his own room. The next morning the man thanked the clerk and told himhe deserved to be the manager of the finest hotel in America. 'Maybe some day I'll build one foryou.' The clerk simply smiled. Two years later, however, he found himself in New York as the firstmanager of the new Waldorf-Astoria Hotel! The couple he had befriended were Mr. and Mrs.William Waldorf Astor.
Talk about the rewards of service. The Lord lavishes His goodness upon those who serve Himfaithfully and obediently. 'No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless,'the Bible says (Ps 84:11).
Moses drew on all the passion of his heart to warn, teach, and exhort Israel to love and to servethe Lord God faithfully. He realized that if the people stopped following the God of Abraham,they would begin following the worthless idols of the nations around them. As one Biblecommentator has pointed out, God created us with the need to worship.
The opposite of serving and obeying God is to put Him to the test to doubt His goodness, take forgranted His provisions, and provoke Him to anger. The Israelites had just about cornered themarket on that sin. Massah (Deuteronomy 6:16) was another name for Meribah, the occasionwhen the people's temporary thirst caused them to question the eternal God.
That was a painful memory for Moses. The only thing more painful would be for the nation torepeat that sin once they had entered Canaan and had experienced times of need. God's promiseof provision did not mean the people would never be in temporary need.
But the key was to remember in those times that God had led His people to Canaan, and Hewould be their supply if only they would trust Him. He had promised Israel the land and hadpushed out all of her enemies. In light of all He had done for them, God had a right to be jealousfor the devotion of His people.
TODAY ALONG THE WAYBecause the week before Labor Day marks the traditional end of summer vacation, it is a perfecttime for us to reflect on God's goodness through another season.
We hope your summer has been spiritually refreshing and productive. Perhaps God has taughtyou new things about Himself, has given you a deeper love for His Word, or has met a specialneed in your life. Why not draw up a mental checklist of God's goodness to you this summer andthen turn your gratitude into praise?
19 thrusting out all your enemies before you, as theLORD said.
1. This was one of the hardest things that God required of his people, and they failed to obey.They had to learn the hard way that the best way is the hard way. They chose to let many of thepagans live who were under God's judgment and sentenced to capital punishment. They thought,no doubt, that it was merciful, and something they should do in spite of God's orders. The endresult was that these people spared became their greatest curse, for they led God's people tofollow their pagan gods, and lose the favor and blessing of their own one and only God. He knewthis would happen, and that is why he ordered their elimination. They did not take God seriouslyabout this matter, and in so doing they let the enemy be the cause of their being thrust out of theland. Their greatest sin was in avoiding the hard thing, and this led to them enduring theirhardest punishment. In the long run, the easiest way to go is to do the hardest thing Godcommands you to do.
20 In the future, when your son asks you, “What isthe meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws theLORD our God has commanded you?”
1. Henry, “Here is a proper question which it is supposed the children would ask (Deuteronomy6:20): "What mean the testimonies and the statutes? What is the meaning of the feasts we observe,the sacrifices we offer, and the many peculiar customs we keep up?" Observe, (1.) All divineinstitutions have a certain meaning, and there is something great designed in them. (2.) Itconcerns us to know and understand the meaning of them, that we may perform a reasonableservice and may not offer the blind for sacrifice. (3.) It is good for children betimes to enquire intothe true intent and meaning of the religious observances they are trained up in. If any are thusinquisitive in divine things it is a good sign that they are concerned about them, and a goodmeans of their attaining to a great acquaintance with them. Then shall we know if thus we follow
on to know.
2. Our Daily Bread, “On three separate occasions, God told parents in Israel how to answer theserious questions of their sons and daughters (see Exodus 13:14, Deuteronomy 6:20, and Joshua4:6,21). This would indicate that God wants us to take the time to answer our children when theyask us about spiritual matters. How we respond can either greatly help or terribly discouragethem.
Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy told of an aunt who hurt him deeply when she didn’t take time toanswer some questions that were troubling him. She stirred his emotions by telling him of Jesus’
crucifixion, but when he cried out, “Auntie, why did they torture Him?” she said simply, “Theywere wicked.” “But wasn’t He God?” Tolstoy asked. Instead of explaining that Jesus was indeedGod, that He had become a man so He could die for our sins, she said, “Be still—it is 9 o’clock!”When he persisted, she retorted, ““Be quiet, I say, I’m going to the dining room to have tea.” Thisleft young Tolstoy greatly agitated.
Commenting on this scene, Calvin Miller said, “Tolstoy found it incomprehensible that Christ had been brutalized and his aunt was notinterested enough to stay a little past tea time and talk about it.”
Do we allow our own interests—a television program, a sporting event, a hobby—to keep us fromtaking time to listen, admonish, and instruct our children, or anyone who may ask us about God?If we pause long enough to explain His truth, He will use it to change lives. -H. V. Lugt
Lord, teach me how to love and liveThat I may cheer each heart,And to my fellowman in need
Some blessing rich impart.- Anon.
Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, for all the people you can, while you can.
3. Calvin 20-25, “And when thy son asketh thee. The sole point which Moses urges in these versesis, that the people should testify their gratitude by obeying the Law, and that the same religion,which they have learnt of God. which he commands the fathers to teach, should descend to theirposterity. The sum is, that there was good reason why all the precepts of the Law should beobserved, since by them it was that God desired His people, after their deliverance, to shew forththeir sense of His loving-kindness. Again, therefore, in this passage, he commends the Law byreminding them of their redemption, that the people might more willingly and more earnestlyreverence it; for its authority has stronger claims upon them, because it was not imposed beforeGod had laid them under obligation to Himself; and it would have been too base and absurd inthem to refuse God as their Lawgiver, when they knew that by Him they had been purchased toHimself. In the next place He reminds them that for the same object they had been constitutedthe heirs of the land of Canaan, that they should honor God as the author of this special favor;thus he concludes that they are bound by a two-fold tie, for God had devoted them to Himself notonce only, but had confirmed His dominion over them by their continued possession of the land.But there is nothing inconsistent in his saying that the land was promised by oath to their fathersbefore the Law was given; for, although God bestowed this gift gratuitously, yet did He justlyclaim the testimony of their gratitude; just as now-a-days, although He invites us to the hope ofan eternal inheritance of His own free bounty, yet the end of our calling is, that we on our partshould celebrate His glory all our life long. When in verse 24 he uses the words “to fear the Lordour God,” he briefly defines the sum of the Law; for it would not suffice for us to performwhatever is there commanded, unless our obedience had reference to the fear and worship ofGod. Integrity and uprightness, indeed, give God delight; but none will say that men’s life is dulyordered, if, whilst they exercise equity one towards another, they defraud God of His right. But itis well known that legitimate honor and worship are comprehended under the name of fear. Justafterwards, he commends the Law on account of its profitableness; for God provided for theirown good, in delivering to them the rule of a just and pious life. In these words he intimates that
they would be doubly ungrateful if they rejected what God meant for their own advantage. Forthis expression, “for our good,” is equivalent to saying that God not only had respect and care forHis own rights in enacting the Law, but at the same time regarded what would be useful to them;and this he more clearly states in the next verse, where he says that “this shall be theirrighteousness if they observe” the Law; otherwise, that the rule of a righteous life, which wouldplease God, was prescribed to them, than which nothing better could be desired. But it will beelsewhere shewn at greater length how the keeping of the Law is in itself righteousness, and yetthat no man is justified by the Law; for, that the Law brings only wrath and condemnation, doesnot arise from any defect or faultiness in its doctrine, but must be imputed to our own guilt, asbeing far removed, nay, aliens from the righteousness which it contains.
21 tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt,but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with amighty hand.
1. Gill, “Then shall thou say unto thy son…In order to lead him into the spring and original of them, and to acquaint him with the goodnessof God, which laid them under obligation to observe them: we were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt;were brought into bondage and slavery to Pharaoh king of Egypt, into whose country theirancestors came, and where they resided many years, and at length were reduced to the utmostservitude and misery:
and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand;by the exertion of his mighty power, which the Egyptians and their king could not withstand, as atoken of his care and kindness to us; by the ties of which we are bound in gratitude to observe hiscommands. The Targum of Jonathan is,
``the Word of the Lord brought us…''
and it was Christ the Son of God that was from first to last concerned in that affair, even fromthe appearance to Moses in the bush to Israel's coming out of Egypt.
2. Henry, “Here is a full answer put into the parents' mouths to be given to this good question.Parents and teachers must give instruction to those under their charge, though they do not ask it,nay, though they have an aversion to it; much more must they be ready to answer questions, andto give instruction when it is desired; for it may be hoped that those who ask it will be willing toreceive it. Did the children ask the meaning of God's laws? Let them be told that they were to beobserved, (1.) In a grateful remembrance of God's former favours to them, especially theirdeliverance out of Egypt, Deuteronomy 6:21-23 . The children must be often told of the deplorablestate their ancestors were in when they were bondmen in Egypt, the great salvation God wrought
for them in fetching them out thence, and that God, in giving them these peculiar statutes, meantto perpetuate the memorial of that work of wonder, by which they were formed into a peculiarpeople. (2.) As the prescribed condition of his further favours (Deuteronomy 6:24): The Lord
commanded us all these statutes for our good. Note, God commands us nothing but what is reallyfor our good. It is our interest as well as our duty to be religious. [1.] It will be our life: That he
might preserve us alive, which is a great favour, and more than we could expect, considering howoften we have forfeited life itself. Godliness has the promise of the continuance and comfort of thelife that now is as far as it is for God's glory. [2.] It will be our righteousness. Could we perfectlyfulfil but that one command of loving God with all our heart, soul, and might, and could we say,"We have never done otherwise," this would be so our righteousness as to entitle us to thebenefits of the covenant of innocency; had we continued in every thing that is written in the bookof the law to do it, the law would have justified us. But this we cannot pretend to, therefore oursincere obedience shall be accepted through a Mediator to denominate us, as Noah was, righteous
before God, Luke i. 6; and 1 John iii. 7. The Chaldee reads it, There shall be a reward to us if we
observe to do these commandments; for, without doubt, in keeping God's commandments there isgreat reward.
22 Before our eyes the LORD sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and hiswhole household.
1. Gill, “And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and sore…Meaning the ten plagues, which were signs of the power of God, marvellous works, great, abovethe power of nature, and very sore or "evil" F25; very distressing to the Egyptians; for they cameand lay heavy upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes;upon the king, his courtiers, and the whole land, and which were done publicly in the sight of thepeople of Israel, as well as the Egyptians; and there were some then living, though at that timewhen wrought under twenty years, who saw with their own eyes what were done to them, andcould never forget them. Here also the Targum of Jonathan has it,
``and the Word of the Lord sent signs, &c''
2. Ron Daniel, “One of the most inspirational statements in these verses for me has been:Deut. 6:23 He brought us out from there in order to bring us in...The Jews had to leave the safety of slavery in Egypt in order to be brought into the PromisedLand. This is a reminder that God often takes something out of our lives before it is replaced bysomething better. Job had to lose everything before gaining back twice as much. Joseph had tolose his position as family business manager in order to be elevated to manager of all Egypt. EvenJesus had to leave His place of equality with God in order to be exalted to inherit everything.The lesson for us tonight is this: God will often let things be taken away from us in order to
prepare us to receive something else. We will often experience terrible loss before experiencinggreat gain. There will often be grief before glory. If you are in a difficult time of loss, believe thatGod is preparing you for something new and better: Rom. 8:28 And we know that God causes allthings to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to Hispurpose.
23 But he brought us out from there to bring us inand give us the land he promised on oath to ourancestors.
1. This sounds like a paradox. He brought us out to bring us in. The fact is, you often have to bebrought out of things and places before you can be brought into better things and places. Thetestimony of many who have been in bondage to alcohol, drugs, and other addictions, is that Godhad to by some circumstance in their lives deliver them from these things before they could be ledto lives of freedom in Christ. You can't serve two masters, and so you have to escape from onewho is bad if you are to come under the authority of another. You need to be brought out of theEgypt of your bondage to be brought into the land of freedom in Christ. The only way in is tofirst come out.
24 The LORD commanded us to obey all thesedecrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that wemight always prosper and be kept alive, as is the casetoday.
1. Obedience to God revealed will based on the laws he gave to Israel, combined with a highrespect for God's person is the basis for a life of prosperity and survival. Israel would have beeneliminated had there been none who obeyed his laws, but there were always a remnant who werefaithful, and they kept the nation alive. I have no doubt that the reason the United States is aliveand pressing on into history is because there are a good number of God's children who are livinglives that are being faithful to his will.
2. Gill, “And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes…Some of which were designed on purpose to commemorate the wonderful deliverance out ofEgypt, as particularly the passover; and all of them they were obliged in gratitude to obey, in
consideration of such great favours bestowed upon them: to fear the Lord our God, for our good always:as it is always for the good of men, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, to fear the Lord; for there isno want to them that fear him, nor will the Lord withhold good things from them; see (Psalms34:9,10) ,
that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day;in bodily health and strength, and in the enjoyment of the good land, and all the blessings andbenefits of it.
25 And if we are careful to obey all this law beforethe LORD our God, as he has commanded us, thatwill be our righteousness.”
1. Gill, “And it shall be our righteousness…Or a mercy, benefit, and blessing to us; or this shall be reckoned our righteousness, and that bywhich we shall be justified: if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us;in order to have such a justifying righteousness, a man must keep all the commandments of God,not one excepted; and that perfectly, without the least breach of them in thought, word, or deed;and that before the Lord, in his sight, not as it may appear to a man himself, or to others, but asit appears to God, who sees the heart, and weighs all actions; and a man must keep them in themanner the Lord has commanded, even with all his heart, soul, and strength, as in (Deuteronomy6:5) and this is not possible for a sinful man to do; and therefore righteousness cannot be by thelaw. Only Christ could thus keep all the commandments of God, and his obedience is ourrighteousness; and he only is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes, and tohim we must seek for it.
2. K&D, ““And righteousness will be to us, if we observe to do:” i.e., our righteousness will consistin the observance of the law; we shall be regarded and treated by God as righteous, if we arediligent in the observance of the law. “Before Jehovah” refers primarily, no doubt, to theexpression, “to do all these commandments;” but, as we may see from Deu_24:13, this does notprevent the further reference to the “righteousness” also. This righteousness before Jehovah, it istrue, is not really the gospel “righteousness of faith;” but there is no opposition between the two,as the righteousness mentioned here is not founded upon the outward (pharisaic) righteousness ofworks, but upon an earnest striving after the fulfilment of the law, to love God with all the heart;and this love is altogether impossible without living faith.
3. Spurgeon, “That would have been Israel’s righteousness if the people had observed to do all
these commandments before the Lord; but it was marred and spoilt by disobedience. We rejoiceto know that we who believe in Jesus have a righteousness unto which Israel did not attain, forthe Lord Jesus Christ himself is our righteousness.
4. Clarke, “It shall be our righteousness The evidence that we are under the influence of the fear and love of God. Moses does not say thatthis righteousness could be wrought without the influence of God's mercy, nor does he say thatthey should purchase heaven by it: but, God required them to be conformed to his will in allthings, that they might be holy in heart, and righteous in every part of their moral conduct. 1. ON a very important subject in this chapter, it may be necessary to make some fartherobservations.
A most injurious and destructive maxim has lately been advanced by a few individuals, which itis to be hoped is disowned by the class of Christians to which they belong, though the authorsaffect to be thought Christians, and rational ones, too; the sum of the maxim is this: "Childrenought not to be taught religion for fear of having their minds biased to some particular creed, butthey should be left to themselves till they are capable of making a choice, and choose to makeone." This maxim is in flat opposition to the command of God, and those who teach it show howlittle they are affected by the religion they profess. If they felt it to be good for any thing, theywould certainly wish their children to possess it; but they do not teach religion to their children,because they feel it to be of no use to themselves. Now the Christian religion properly appliedsaves the soul, and fills the heart with love to God and man; for the love of God is shed abroad inthe heart of a genuine believer, by the Holy Ghost given to him. These persons have no such love,because they have not the religion that inspires it; and the spurious religion which admits of themaxim above mentioned, is not the religion of God, and consequently better untaught thantaught. But what can be said to those parents who, possessing a better faith, equally neglect theinstruction of their children in the things of God! They are highly criminal; and if their childrenperish through neglect, which is very probable, what a dreadful account must they give in thegreat day! PARENTS! hear what the Lord saith unto you: Ye shall diligently teach your childrenthat there is one Lord, Jehovah, Elohim; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: and that theymust love him with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their might. And as childrenare heedless, apt to forget, liable to be carried away by sensible things, repeat and re-repeat theinstruction, and add line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, carefullystudying time, place, and circumstances, that your labour be not in vain: show it in itsamiableness, excite attention by exciting interest; show how good, how useful, how blessed, howennobling, how glorious it is. Whet these things on their hearts till the keenest edge is raised onthe strongest desire, till they can say, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none uponearth I desire besides thee!"
2. Without offence to any, I hope, a few words more may be said on the nature of an oath, inaddition to the note, See Clarke on Deuteronomy 6:13. The matter is important, and perhaps notwell understood by many.
The making an appeal to the Supreme Being, and calling him to witness and record, constitutesthe spirit and essence of an oath. It is no matter in what form this appeal is made, whether byputting the hand under the thigh, as among the patriarchs; by the water of the Ganges, as amongthe Hindoos; on a surat or chapter of the Koran, as among the Mohammedans; on a Hebrew
Pentateuch, as among the Jews; on the form of the cross, as among the Roman Catholics; kissing
the New Testament, as among Protestants in general; or holding up the hand, and makingaffirmation, as among the people called Quakers; still the oath is the same, for the appeal is made
to God. On this ground (and this is the true ground), the holding up of the hand in a court ofjustice, is as perfect, as substantial, and as formal an oath, as kissing the New Testament. Whythen so many objections against taking an oath in a court of justice by any one particular form,when the same thing is done in spirit, essence, and substance, when God is called to witness andrecord, though the form be different? When God says, Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and shalt
swear by his name, he says, in effect, Thou shalt have no god besides me; thou shalt consider methe fountain of truth, the rewarder of righteousness, and the punisher of perfidy and wickedness.Swear by my name-bind thyself to me; take me for witness to all thy actions; and act in all thingsas having me continually before thine eyes, and knowing that for every act and word thou shaltgive account to me in the day of judgment. Our Lord's command, Swear not at all, can neverrelate to an oath in a civil cause, taken according to the definition above given: profane andcommon swearing, with all light, irreverent oaths and imprecations, and all such oaths as are notrequired by the civil magistrate, in cases where the Lord is supposed to be witness, are certainlyintended in our blessed Lord's prohibition. See Clarke on Deuteronomy 4:26.
