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DEUTERONOMY
CHAPTER 6

1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: 2 That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.

The word "fear" in verse 2 actually communicates reverence. We show God reverence when we learn and obey His commandments.
The promise contained in these verses are: long life, providential care, providential protection and increase. (Increase means more in number, power and production.)
These promises are based on the condition of obedience.

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

These verses together are referred to as the "shema" which means to hear. In these verses are the fundamental and basic idea of believing God.
1) He is ONE (verse 4). 2) He is worthy of love by our entire being (verse 5). 3) His Word is for our learning, doing and teaching our children (verses 6-9).
Verse 4 -- The Word one in Hebrew focuses upon unity rather than singleness. God is one in unison, wholeness, completeness, perfection. And God is self-sufficient. This is not in conflict with the TRINITY (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit).
The Trinity of God is confirmed throughout all the Bible. Yet God is ONE. FOr a more detailed look at this see Matthew 3:16-17, John 14:16, 26 and 1Peter 1:2.
Many more Scriptures may be used to see the Trinity, and yet to realize that God is ONE.
Verse 5 --God is HOLY, JUST, and RIGHTEOUS. God does not NEED us; but HE LOVES us and wants us to live with Him for eternity.
Our exaltation to heaven will not make God one bit more than He already is. Why should He trouble Himself to make us in His image, see us in sin, come to the cross and pay for our sins, and then invite us to be regenerated? WHY?
Because He LOVES us! And the way that God demonstrates that love to us is by GIVING HIMSELF at Calvary.
Therefore, He is worthy of OUR LOVE. He is worthy of us giving our TOTAL BEING to Him (mind, heart, body and soul).
Verses 6-9 -- God's Word is ALWAYS perfect, pure and undefiled. Jesus said that God's Word "..cannot be broken.." (John 10:35). Our republic in the U.S. is founded upon the belief that liberty must be constrained only by people of moral character. When liberty is given without moral character the result is pandemonium, and people begin to feed on lusts rather than the common good. The next generation is in need of a truth that can never be broken! Teach them God's WORD!
The way to teach God's Word is to make it the focus of conversation between parents and children ALL the time (verse 7).
Another way to teach God's Word is to make reminders. Phylacteries were leather binding which went around the forearms. ON these were written Words of God. Also, God's Word was engraved on doors, door posts, gates, etc.

10 And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, 11 And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; 12 Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Now Moses does similar to the road construction worker who has just dug a deep hole in the middle of the road: He puts up a sign that says CAUTION!
After these people get into Canaan land and begin to enjoy the land and the fruits of it; and after they have realized prosperity, they are not to forget WHO gave it to them.
It is God Who saved these from slavery and gave them this land.

13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. 14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; 15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

The Canaanites worshipped many idols. Some of the reasons given for worshipping those idols sounded good to a secular ear. And some worship of those idols was sensually pleasing.
God knew that His people would be tempted to deviate from worshipping Him only, and that they would bend their ears to these unholy fables of men.
Therefore He warns them not to have anything to do with the Canaanite idols.
Moses reminds the people that God is a "jealous" God. After all, He LOVES us. Also, Moses reminds the people that this jealous God is AMONG them. He knows their (our) thoughts!

16 Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.

To add emphasis, the people are reminded of what happened when they murmured against God (Exodus 17:1-7) in the wilderness.
Jesus used this statement of Moses when the devil tempted Him in the wilderness. Jesus said, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.."(Matthew 4:7).
It is "tempting" God when we complain that His provision is inadequate and then begin to look at the world to satisfy our desires.

17 Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee. 18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, 19 To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.

We mustn't forget that God promises to provide when we are obedient. His provision will be what He knows is best for us.
There's a real interesting statement for Christians in verse 19.
MOST obedient Christians do not have many real enemies. Why is that?

20 And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you? 21 Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: 22 And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: 23 And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. 24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. 25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.

Children will ask, "Why do you read your Bible all the time?" When they ask, we should respond, "Because God miraculously saved me, and proved His power in my life. And God promises that if I learn and obey His Word, He will count me RIGHTEOUS before Him, and always deal with me in GRACE."

Please continue to follow with us daily in Bible study.