God Speaks
Moses Instructs the Israelites Regarding God and His Commands
Verse of the Day: [The following verses are known as the Shema and are repeated weekly in the synagogues and daily by religious Jews. It is part of their statement of faith.] “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. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 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. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection: A much more thorough, in-depth, and knowledgeable treatment of these chapters can be found in The Rational Bible: Deuteronomy by Dennis Prager, pages 63-147. This blog entry is a small attempt to encourage the reader to begin thinking about this very important and foundational portion of God’s word and talking with Him about it.
Consider the following questions regarding Deuteronomy 5-7:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Deuteronomy 5
1. The LORD God who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt used Moses to recount His laws and expectations (specifically the Ten Commandments) to the next generation as they were getting ready to enter the land that He had promised their ancestors.
2. People are often overwhelmed and lose heart when they become aware of the awesome power of God.
Deuteronomy 6
1. God is the One who freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and laid out the way they were to demonstrate their gratitude.
2. Because of our ingrained sin nature, people cannot fulfill the laws God laid out without the help of His grace provided to us by Jesus’ death on the cross.
Deuteronomy 7
1. The LORD God is declared in verses 9 and 21 to be (the true) God, faithful, loving, great and awesome.
2. People who obey the LORD God and His commands and decrees will be blessed, loved, protected from diseases, fruitful, and have victory over their enemies (see verses 12-16).
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Deuteronomy 5-7?
Dear LORD God, thank You for creating this vast, wonderful universe and everything in it, including me. Thank You for rescuing me from slavery to sin, self, and Satan. There is no other God but You. Thank You for lavishing Your love on me. I could never deserve it. May I always appreciate it (and tell You so). Thanks that Your unfailing love continues to a thousand generations for those who love You and obey Your commands. I never want to dishonor or bring disgrace on Your name. I look forward to resting in Your company along with my family and friends as we honor You in the eteral Sabbath which is Heaven. Children learn how to honor and respect You and others in authority as they honor and respect their mother and their father. Please keep me faithful to my spouse and to You. Help me not to take anything (material or immaterial) that does not belong to me. Help me to live truthfully. Please help me not to long for anything that already belongs to someone else so much that I try to steal it. Please show me Your glory and greatness and allow me to hear Your voice just as You granted Moses this privilege. I’m determined to show my gratitude by listening carefully to Your instruction and by doing whatever You say. Then I will get to enjoy all the blessings and benefits You have planned. Please help me to know Your laws, to carry them out and to continually teach them to future generations. Holy Spirit, please help me to fear the LORD God and serve Him alone. Please help me to be a good role model for future generations as I faithfully teach them the laws and regulations You have provided for our benefit and blessing. Jesus is the only one righteous enough to completely fulfill all of Your commands and decrees. Thank You, Jesus, that at the cross You bore the penalty of all human unrighteousness. You also transferred all Your righteousness to whoever will believe and receive it. What an awesome God You are! I will be forever grateful and pledge to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Gracious but firm Father God, You are the One who truly knows the hearts, minds and underlying motives of individuals and nations. Help me not to become entangled with people who reject You and Your precepts. In America today, the public educational system and other aspects of culture have led our children away from worshipping You into worshipping other gods or ideologies. You have every right to burn with anger. Instead of destroying us, please raise up people with courage and wisdom to expose and destroy these idols and lead people back to being holy and knowing that all that we are and have belongs to the LORD our God. Thank You for choosing us to be Your own special possession. Thank You for setting Your heart on us and loving us. You lavish Your unfailing love on all those who seek to love You and obey Your commands, but You do not hesitate to punish those who reject You and purposely disobey Your commands, decrees, and regulations, especially the Ten Commandments, which were meant to keep us happy, productive, and prosperous. In the past You told us to avoid, conquer, and deal severely with people or groups who reject You and Your ways. We failed to do so. Now we are suffering the consequences. We need You to raise up leaders in every area of influence who will direct ordinary people back to You, the great and awesome God. Please throw our enemies (and Yours) into complete confusion, remove them from power, and erase their influence from the face of the earth. Please don’t let us be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. For the glory of the LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Deuteronomy 5-7?
- I will memorize the Ten Commandments so that I will remember them in order to obey them.
- I will admit to the LORD (and to myself) that I cannot keep the Ten Commandments on my own and ask the Holy Spirit to help me to live by them.
- I will memorize Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 so that I can carry it out on a daily basis.
- I will list at least some of the ways my nation has rejected God and His ways and then work with others to turn us back to Him.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________. out God?