OVERVIEW:
A recounting of the Ten Commandments; the greatest commandment; instructions for new homes; instructions for the new land; admonitions to remember the Lord.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
As Moses begins his second address to the people in chapter 5, in preparation for their entrance into the land of Canaan, he reminds them of their responsibility to HEAR the word of God: to LEARN it, to KEEP it, and to DO it! As we are pursuing God on a SPIRITUAL journey into the land of abundance and fruitfulness that He designed for us “in Christ”, may we heed these admonitions with the same fervor and passion we would expect the children of Israel to have had in anticipation of God leading them in their PHYSICAL journey into the land of promise. May we likewise be passionate to HEAR, LEARN, KEEP, and DO the word of God!
Moses then reminds the children of Israel of the importance of them taking PERSONALLY the covenant God had made with them. He says in 5:3, “The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.” Let Moses’ words to the children of Israel serve as a great reminder that the covenant of grace, and to which those of us who comprise His church have entered, are spiritual realities God intends for each of us to take very PERSONALLY, making certain we have made PERSONAL APPLICATION of all of His commands and promises. The promises of the new covenant God made aren’t just intended for our forefathers, they are for US!
Moses then begins to recount to the people the infamous ten commandments that he had previously received. Deuteronomy 5:29 gives us a beautiful glimpse into the heart of God and the desire He has for His people: “O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!” Our Lord Jesus Christ expressed this same heart and sentiment in Matthew 23:37, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” May we always be certain that our HEARTS are set upon the Lord; to fear Him, and to ALWAYS keep ALL of His commandments.
In chapter 6:4–5, Moses gives what Jesus referred to as the “Great Commandment.” It is simply this: based off of our firm belief that the God of the Bible is the one and only God and Lord, we are to love Him with all of our heart, all of our soul, and all of our might.
Moses then instructs the people to make sure that they took responsibility for taking the words God was using him to speak to them that day and teaching them to their children. Obviously, this screams to us the responsibility we have of teaching our children the word of God. (Ephesians 6:4) We must recognize, however, that the responsibility of teaching our children the word of God does not simply mean taking them to church for someone else to teach them. It can certainly be a wonderful blessing to have others come alongside of us in this task, but we must understand that the responsibility to teach our children the word of God was given solely to us as their parents! Notice in verse 7 of chapter 6, we must not only “teach them” the word of God, but “teach them DILIGENTLY”! We must not take this responsibility flippantly or approach it haphazardly! He continues in verse 7 to explain what it looks like in real life for us to “DILIGENTLY” teach our children. He tells us that it should include the times when we are simply sitting with them in our house; when we’re with them on our way somewhere (walking, or driving); when we’re putting them to bed at night; and in the morning when they wake up. Perhaps it shouldn’t surprise us that it is these very times that the clamor of this world and the distractions of the devil have sought to take from us. Oh, let us seek to reclaim these special times for the Lord and our children!
But, also, recognize that this passage lets us know that it’s not simply enough to “TELL” our children all the right stuff about God, and simply to “TELL” our children how to have a relationship with Him. This passage tells us that these things must be MODELED for them! Perhaps the most IMPORTANT instruction God gives to parents in this passage about how to instruct their children is also the most OVERLOOKED instruction in this passage! God says to parents in verse 6, “And these words, which I command thee (parents) this day, SHALL BE IN THINE HEART”! The fact is, many parents teach their children, and even “DILIGENTLY” teach their children, and yet, it ultimately “doesn’t work”, for the simple fact that the things they were teaching their children weren’t, first and foremost, “IN THEIR HEART”! The right words were coming out of their LIPS, but the right words weren’t being modeled through their LIFE! We must recognize the instruction God intends for our children to receive from us must not only be TAUGHT to them it must also be CAUGHT by them! Oh, my dear brothers and sisters, God’s word must be in our HEARTS!
Notice also that God warns the children of Israel (and us!), of the tendency we have as humans to FORGET GOD. God warns that there is a danger that after struggling in our journey to get to the place God intends for us to be, that we will become COMFORTABLE and COMPLACENT, and forget God, and all HE did to bring us into the place where His promises are being fulfilled in our lives.
As Moses then points them toward the future, he also warns of the danger of making COMPROMISES with the enemy, and tells us that we must likewise instill this disdain for the enemy into our children. Oh parents, may we both TEACH verbally and MODEL practically for our children, God’s instruction in 2nd Corinthians 6:17–18: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
As THE EVERLASTING COVENANT – Deuteronomy 5:2 (Hebrews 13:20, 21; John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47)
As MEDIATOR – Deuteronomy 5:5 (1st Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 8:6)
As WELL-PLEASING – Deuteronomy 6:18 (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; Luke 3:22)
As CALLED OUT OF EGYPT – Deuteronomy 6:21 (Matthew 2:13–15)
As ONE WHO WILL SMITE THE NATIONS – Deuteronomy 7:2 (Revelation 19:15)
As REDEEMER – Deuteronomy 7:8 (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12)
As ONE WHO WILL REPAY FACE TO FACE – Deuteronomy 7:10 (Revelation 1:7)