Opening illustration: [Sultan Q__s disguises himself as an ordinary man and walks into a hospital]
Introduction: We must think of the children of Israel camping in the meadow by the Jordan, looking across at the hills of the Promised Land; and must think of Moses, now a hundred and twenty years old, their wise and faithful leader many years, talking to them as to his little children, charging them earnestly to obey the Lord. And if Moses longed to have them good children and obedient, much more did the Lord Who gave the laws long to have them so; and He longs to have us learn and keep them and find them the way to heaven. Listen, Moses is speaking. (Deut. 6:1-5) Do these last words sound familiar? They are the first great commandment, almost as we recite it together.
The purpose of the Book of Deuteronomy [literarily means – this second law], was to prepare the people from whom the Savior of the world was to come for the occupation of the land in which she was to live as a distinct people until His coming. The theme, correspondingly, may be stated as follows: God promised Israel political security and economic prosperity in Palestine so long as she should prove faithful to Him (as the true visible church of the age) and threatened to reject Israel if she should prove unfaithful to Him.
This passage is also called the Magna Carta of the home which would guarantee the happiness and well being of the family in the purpose of God. But while it is an important passage for the home, this passage must not be used outside of its overall context and purpose or it loses its real impact for the home. One of the chief purposes of this section of Scripture is a call to ministry and testimony as the people of God through obedience to HIM.
What was the essence of God giving His Laws? [Taught by God – Done by God’s children]
1. Prescription for God’s Laws [v. 1 - 3]:
What is here spoken applies powerfully to every part of the moral law; God has given it as 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 justice and mercy of God choose to conduct men to heaven. But let it be fully understood that no man can walk in the way of obedience but by and under the influence of the grace of God.
(a) FEAR Yahweh your God – The fear of God in the heart will be the most powerful principle of obedience. It is highly desirable that not we only, but our children, and our children’s children, may fear the Lord. Our faith in Christ and righteousness advance and secure the prosperity of any people. The maintenance of the fear of God would bring prosperity, and the increase of the nation promised to the fathers. Respect his sovereign authority as a lawgiver, and ever feel yourself bound to obey him. No man can walk either conscientiously or safely who has not the fear of God continually before his eyes. When this is gone, more than a guardian angel is fled. Whoever fears God will endeavor to bring up his children in the way of righteousness that they also may fear God, and that pure and undefiled religion may be preserved in his family through all its generations, not only in word, but in practice also.
(b) KEEP all His statutes and commandments – it must be performed, that the end for which it was given may be accomplished, viz., that God may be glorified, and that it may be well with the people.
© HEAR the Lord – Literally, you shall hear, O Israel, and you shall keep doing them. God is to be heard; no obligation without law to found it on, and no law in religion but from God. Hearing the Word must never degenerate into religious formality or into merely a religious routine in which we do our ‘nod to God,’ but afterwards immediately forget God (cf. Ps. 50:22). The text will show us, that our purpose for hearing the Word and its truth is to really know God intimately and personally, to so understand the truths of Scripture that they become the means and guide to a personal relationship with the Lord. We do “not live by bread alone, (i.e., by the details of life) but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” We need to live by God’s Word that we might personally know God and put our trust in Him. Not only be a hearer of God’s Word but also a doer of His statues and commandments.
(d) HEED to the Lord GOD –
(i) The commandment must be understood in order to be obeyed.
(ii) It must be observed - attentively considered, in order to be understood.
2. Purpose of obedience to God’s Laws [vs. 1 – 3]:
(a) PROLONG your days – long life being reckoned a very great outward mercy; a long enjoyment of, and continuance in the land of Canaan, is chiefly designed, which is usually expressed when this is observed.
(b) WELL with you – in body and estate
(c) INCREASE you GREATLY in the land of the living - not only in wealth and riches, but chiefly in numbers. A promise of increase of numbers was frequently made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; as that their seed should be as the stars of heaven (spiritual), and as the dust of the earth, and the sand on the sea shore (physical), innumerable; see Genesis 5: 5 and this especially.
The Laws of the Lord God are not to destroy or hurt His people but to protect them from any harm or damage of their lives.
3. Performing God’s Laws [vs. 4 – 5]:
Abraham Ibn-Ezra interpreted the final four words of the Hebrew Text in verse 4 as "the LORD is our God, the LORD alone." The Jews lay great stress; it is one of the four passages which they write on their phylacteries, and they write the last letter in the first and last words very large, for the purpose of exciting attention to the weighty truth it contains. These words form the beginning of what is termed the “Shema” (“Hear”) in the Jewish Services, and belong to the daily morning and evening office. They may be called “the creed of the Jews.” These laws or Words of God were called tephillin (prayers) or phylacteries (a means of protection) and they were written and put in a small box and tied to their arms or written on placards and put up an their walls.
This weighty text contains far more than a mere declaration of the unity of God as against polytheism; or of the sole authority of the revelation that He had made to Israel as against other pretended manifestations of His will and attributes. It asserts that the Lord God of Israel is absolutely God, and there is none other. He and He alone, is Jehovah (Yahweh) the absolute, uncaused God; the One who had, by His election of them, made Himself known to Israel.
Jesus reiterates this in Mark 12: 29 – 30 “Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: ’Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. ’And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.”
(a) WITH ALL your HEART –
This is the first and greatest commandment of God’s law, that we love him; and that we do all parts of our duty to him from a principle of love; with a superlative love, above all creatures whatever; with the whole of the affections of the heart, with great fervency and ardor of spirit. Jarchi interprets loving God with all the heart, that is, with your heart not divided about God, a heart not divided between God and the creature ~
• With a sincere love; not in word and tongue only, but inwardly in truth.
• With a strong love. He that is our All, must have our all, and none but he.
• With a superlative love; we must love God above any creature whatever, and love nothing but what we love for him.
• With an intelligent love. To love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, we must see good cause to love him.
• With an entire love; he is ONE, our hearts must be united in his love.
(b) WITH ALL your SOUL – in the sincerity of the soul, and with all the strength of grace a man has, with such love that is as strong as death. A love which manifests genuine passion and fervor.
(c) WITH ALL your MIGHT – "all thy might" he interprets of mammon or substance; and, indeed, that is 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" understands knowledge, and by the "soul" the spirit of man that is in his body, and by might perfect love in the heart. A love manifested with excitement, obsession and craze.
We see here that Love and Obedience are:
• Spiritual - not mechanical
• Central - not peripheral
• Primary - not secondary
Is my relationship with Him merely intellectual or at a deeper level where God is so real to me?
Conclusion: We can summarize this passage to be that Love for God, including His law, is to be all consuming, “upon our hearts”. We are to consider it so important that we pass them on to the next generation in any way we can. The Word of the Lord is to be a conversation piece at all times almost approaching a preoccupation. We are to take it internally then show it externally.
• I guess the question then is, “how am I fulfilling this teaching in my life and my home?”
• Am I doing all I can to learn all I can about God so that I can love Him fully?
• Do I love him in all areas of my life – physical, spiritual, emotional and mental?
• Does everything wrap around God, even the day to day stuff?
• How am I passing on this love and knowledge to the next generation?
• How does my external behavior show my internal love for God?
Concluding illustration: Arabian horses go through rigorous training in the deserts of the Middle East. The trainers require absolute obedience from the horses, and test them to see if they are completely trained. The final test is almost beyond the endurance of any living thing. The trainers force the horses to do without water for many days. Then he turns them loose and of course they start running toward the water, but just as they get to the edge, ready to plunge in and drink, the trainer blows his whistle. The horses who have been completely trained and who have learned perfect obedience to stop. They turn around and come pacing back to the trainer. They stand there quivering, wanting water, but they wait in perfect obedience. When the trainer is sure that he has their obedience he gives them a signal to go back to drink.
Now this may be severe but when you are on the trackless desert of Arabia and your life is entrusted to a horse, you had better have a trained obedient horse. We must accept God’s training and obey Him.
• Well this is the kind of obedience and love God is looking for, from His own blood bought children.
• Will you be one of them to obey and love Him with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might? No matter what it costs!
• Without obedience it is impossible to love God – do you really love Him, then you also need to obey Him.
