Deut 6:1-25
Key verse 6:4-5
Key verse 6:4-5
The book of Deuteronomy consists of three parts: Chs. 1-4, 5-26, and 27-34. The second part, which we are studying now, expounds the Law. Chapter 5 is the Ten Commandments and it is at the center of all the laws in this book. And the rest of the second part is applications of the Ten Commandments. Chapters 6-10 are applications of the first four commandments and chapters 11-26 are applications of the last six commandments. Today, we are going to study chapter 6, which is comprised of two parts: the principal command of the commandments and its applications that Israel must keep in the land they are going to enter and possess. Particularly, verses 4-9 are well known as Shema Prayer, which is spoken daily in the Jewish tradition. More importantly, Jesus himself quoted these verses in answer to the question about the most important command in the Torah. So, today we are going to study the most important command in the Bible. I pray that God may illuminate our hearts and minds to understand and accept his word.
The principal commandment - love God (1-9)
1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
The commands, decrees, and laws here refer to all the laws presented in chapters 6-26. These are given for them and their descendants to observe in the land they were going to possess. The purposes of these are such that they may fear the LORD God by keeping his word and they may also enjoy a long life. The word fear (יָרֵא) has to do to with God’s holiness and justice. In other words, it is to fear the Holy God who hates sins and punishes sinners. This fear is expressed in the obedience to his word. And his word gives them wisdom and understanding (4:6) so that they can enjoy life, increasing greatly in the land flowing with milk and honey. Again, their success and prosperity in the land depend on their obedience to God’s word, not on their ability or the conditions of the land. So, the purpose of giving his word is to bless them not to burden them or scare them.
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. (שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ אֶחָֽד)
What does it mean that the LORD is one? This verse can be translated into “The LORD our God is one LORD” or “The LORD is our God, the LORD is one” or “The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.” In other words, the LORD (YHWH) is the only God and he alone is true God. In 4:35 Moses said, “…the LORD is God; beside him, there is no other.” By sayings this, Moses stressed the uniqueness of God. In Egypt, Israel saw many gods and they also saw that God crushed them and Egyptians who worshiped those gods. Through this, God showed Israel that he alone is God. In the land Israel is going to enter is full of idols and gods. They will see the people worshiping such things. They will be tempted to follow their practices. But their gods are not God. Only the LORD is God. He alone is the one who deserves worship.
This world has greatly suffered religious pluralism since the age of Enlightenment in the seventeenth century. They say that there is more than one way to God or there are many gods. This idea is appealing so much to people today in the name of diversity and in view of relativism. It has poisoned people’s mind and in turn, they deny God. But the Bible says clearly that there is no other God but God Elohim who exists by himself and created this world. “The LORD is one.” The implication of this monotheism is not only theological but also practical. By saying “our God” instead of just “God”, Moses relates the LORD to Israel in reference to their history. God had promised Abraham and brought Israel out of Egypt according to his promise. He led them in the wilderness and provided for them, and now he is about to give them the Promised Land. Only Israel had such a special relationship and privilege with God. By saying, “The LORD our God, the LORD is one” Moses reminds them of what God has done for them and most of all who he is to them. The word “The LORD our God” is reminiscent of his love for Israel and his faithfulness to his covenant with them.
Let’s read verse 4 again” “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” The implication of the word “hear” is to respond. In other words, Moses means, “O Israel, pay attention to what I am speaking to you now and act upon it.” He calls for their action. What should be their action to the truth that the LORD their God is one?
5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
In chapters 4 and 5, we learned that the purpose of giving the commandments is to fear God. But the flip side of the commandments is to love God. Israel must fear God because he is holy and judges them. But they should also love him because he loves them so much.
By the way, the word love (אָהַב) in Hebrew involves both emotion and action. So loving God is emotional and also practical. So, Israel should love God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their strength. In other words, Moses is saying, “Love your God wholeheartedly from your innermost being (emotion) and with all your gifts, time, and energy (actions) because your God deserves it all.” If they do not love God wholeheartedly, they will serve and follow something else other than God. And they will sin against God and even forsake him, and then they will perish.
How then can we love him with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength?
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Love for God has to do with obedience to his word. Here “These commandments” refers to the Ten Commandments. The commandments should be always in their heart and should be passed on to their children. To do so, they should always talk about it and meditate on it inside and outside the home, from the beginning of the day to the end of the day. They should even put the words upon their body and at every corner of their house. Actually, Jewish people put scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses into a small black leather box, which is called tefillin or phylacteries, and wear it on their arm and forehead. They also put a so-called mezuzah on the doorpost. In such a way, the commandments are to permeate every corner of their life. It is because our sinful mind is void of his word and we are forgetful.
As such, obedience to the commandments was a response to the love of God who brought them out of Egypt and was leading them into the Promised Land. This teaches us that we obey God’s word because we love him who saves us through the sacrifice of his Son Jesus. We love God because he loves us first. So obedience is not legalism but a natural response to his love.
They say that there are 613 commands in the Torah. So, there was a sharp debate among Jews about which one was the greatest command. One day, one of the teachers of the law came to Jesus and asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” And Jesus said,
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:29-30)
Jesus said that Deuteronomy 6:4-5 is the most important command among all and that all the commands are summed up in these verses – love for God. The Ten Commandments, which is the higher commands overall, is comprised of two parts. The first part (1st-4th) is love for God and the second part (5th-10th) is love for neighbors. But without love for God, there can’t be love for neighbors. In other words, the foundation of the commandments is to love God. Love for God is the spirit of the commandments. Love for God covers all the commands in the Bible and is about our fundamental relationship with God. If you know who he is and how much he loves you, you cannot but love him and so you will obey joyfully.
Let’s together recite Shema and confess our love for the LORD our God.
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Instructions concerning the Promised Land
In verses 1-9, Moses teaches them the spirit of the commandments. In the rest of this passage, Moses gives them instructions concerning what they should do in the land in view of love for God.
First, they must not forget God.
10 When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
The land Israel is going to enter is so good that they will be satisfied and happy there. But the pitfall is that they can forget the LORD their God when they are full. We, humans, are very forgetful of God especially when we are satisfied and have no problem. You and I are not an exception. Today is Father’s Day. I appreciate my children’s celebration for my being their father. I am very happy that they do not forget me. Likewise, the most important but beautiful thing to God is not to forget him and what has done for us. Never forget him. Never forget his grace to you.
Second, they must fear God.
13 Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15 for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. 16 Do not put the LORD your God to the test as you did at Massah.
They must keep the fear of God. If they fail to fear God, they will forget God and test God and serve other gods. If they do so, God will destroy them out of jealousy. That was what happened to their parents. They forgot how God brought them out of Egypt with his mighty power and in love. They complained about water at Massah and tested God, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?” (Ex 17:7) Though God provided them with all their needs, they were never satisfied and thankful. Instead, they continued to complain and provoked God to anger. And they all died in the wilderness. They never saw the land God had promised them. The new generation of Israel must not do the same in the land. How? By fearing God! The fear of God is such that binds the Holy God and man. He is holy and he is the judge whereas we are his creation and we are sinful now. Without the fear of God, we can’t have a true relationship with God. We must revere him and honor him as God and uphold his holiness. That is the fear of God. Without it, we can’t see him or know him. The more we are blessed the more we must fear God. Otherwise, we will lose all his blessing and learn a very expensive and hard lesson. So, Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Third, they must keep the commands of God.
17 Be sure to keep the commands of the LORD your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the LORD’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the LORD promised on oath to your ancestors, 19 thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the LORD said.
Again, the fear of God is to obey his commands. His word teaches them what is right and what is wrong because his word helps us stand before God and gives us spiritual insight and discernment. If they obey his word, things will go well with them and drive out their enemies in the land who are their biggest challenge. Do you want to be blessed? Keep his word. How can you overcome your challenges and difficulties? Keep his word.
Lastly, they must teach their children God’s commands.
20 In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?” 21 tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 Before our eyes the LORD sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 23 But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. 25 And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.”
Their children will see their parents try to keep his word, putting the word of God on their forehead, arms, and the doorpost. Then they will ask them what all these commands are about. Then, they should teach them two things: God’s salvation and his faithfulness and their obedience to his word.
God brought them out of Egypt and Pharaoh with a mighty hand and led them into the land as he had promised to their ancestors. Now they need to obey all these decrees and fear God so that they can prosper in the land. These are what God said to them repeatedly throughout this book. They must teach their children their history with God so that their children may have an identity as God’s people. They also must teach and pass the word of God to their children so that they may not perish but prosper continually in the land.
Overall, we have learned that love for God is the foundation of the commandments. After presenting the Ten Commandments in chapter 5, Moses emphasized the fear of God so that Israel must keep his commands. But in today’s passage, Moses teaches that the reason we obey his word is that he is the LORD our God. We obey his word not because we are forced to do so but because we love him. We love him because he alone is the LORD our God. We love him because he saves us by sacrificing his son Jesus. John 3:16,
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
We also obey his word because he loves us first. 1 John 4:18-19 says,
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.
We must have the fear of God because he is holy. We must love him with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength because he is the LORD our God. So we love him and his word so obey it.
Whenever I am complacent, I remember what King David said in 2 Samuel 7:18: “Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” This verse helps me remember who God is to me and who I am before him. I am nobody but he is the LORD. Then his love for me moves my heart again and I thankfully confess that he is the LORD my God I have to love all my life. By the way, my Bible teacher gave me my life key verse, which is Deut 6:5. I have learned that loving God is the greatest blessing. I had loved something else and someone else. But they were all meaningless and rather caused problems. Then I found out that God is the one I must love with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength. Since my college days, I have served God in many ways: I was an usher on Sunday for a long time; I cleaned the Bible center and set up chairs for Sunday worship; I did all kinds of chores for the church, and I went through many troubles for his name. But whenever I remember my God and his love for me, I am so thankful and feel that I was privileged to serve him even in such ways. His love for me motivates me to love him more. His love for me brings me joy whatever I do for him. His love for me encourages me to hold fast to his word and teach it to my children and my Bible students. He is the LORD my God! He alone is my God. I pray that you and I may acknowledge that he is the LORD and may love him with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength. That is the spirit of his commands and a true blessing!
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
By David Yun
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