SCRIPTURE: DEUTERONOMY 6
BIBLE VERSES:
“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. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:3-4)
“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, 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, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.’ (Deuteronomy 6:10-12)
“Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 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. Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. 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, thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the Lord said.” (Deuteronomy 6:13-19)
“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. 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.” (Deuteronomy 6:24-25)
LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD (vs. 1-25)
WHAT MUST WE DO WITH GOD’S WORD?
- It has to be kept upon our hearts (v. 6)
- Impress them on you children by talking about them when you sit at home, walk along the road, lie down or get up. (v. 7)_
- Tie them as symbols on your hands (v. 8a)
- Bind them on your foreheads (v. 8b)
- Write them on your doorframes of your houses and your gates (v. 9)
IMPORTANT COMMANDS OF THE LORD TO BE OBSERVED:
- Fear the Lord your God, serve Him only and take your oaths in His name (v. 13)
- Keep the commands, stipulations and decrees of the Lord your God (v. 17)
- Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord so that it may go well with you. (v. 18)
THOUGHTS:
Moses wanted the people not to forget God when they entered the promised land and became prosperous. Prosperity can dull our spiritual vision because our sufficiency makes us ignore God. This can also happen with us and in our church. Once the church becomes successful in terms of numbers, programs and buildings, it becomes self-sufficient and less sensitive to our need for God. This makes us concentrate on self-promotion rather than thankfulness and service to God.
The phrase “to our prosperity and well-being” is not a blanket protection against poverty, adversity or suffering. This is a promise of a right relationship with God and the ultimate benefits of knowing Him. By loving God and obeying His commands, we can have confidence in His love, faithfulness and presence.
God chose Israel, guided them, protected them and gave them a wonderful land. The the Israelites ignored God and failed to obey Him. Too often, we also enjoy God’s blessing but we do not want to obey the one who gives us the blessings.
God entered a covenant with Israel. So He has the right to be jealous over His people when they turned to idols. Idolatry is a spiritual adultery, so beware not to enter into it.
Parents were mandated to remind their children of what God had done for the Israel nation. Today, Christian parents should make Word a part of the home by instructing them to love the Lord and obey Him. Make God a part of your everyday experience and teach the children diligently to see God in all aspects of life.
HOW DO WE SHOW OUR LOVE TO GOD?
- Hear His Word
- Obey His Word
- Share His Word with others
- Appreciate His blessings
WHAT WE MUST NOT DO?
- Do not forget the Lord when you have all kinds of good things and are satisfied (vs. 10-12)
- Do not follow other gods. (v. 14)
- Do not test the Lord your God. (v. 16)