Devotional Commentary on Deuteronomy 6


God teaches the commandment, statutes and ordinances that they perform it (6:1). The reason is that they fear the Lord God by keeping all His statutes and His commandments. Not partial, not some and some not, all. Everyone. Total dedication. Not partially. Not half-hearted. Reason? The days of the life will be lengthened. God lengthens people’s lives. People try all kinds of quack drinks, pills, roots and what else to live longer. But, Moses pointed out that God lengthens people lives (6:2).

Twice in 6:3 and 6:4 Moses asked the remnant to hear. They had to listen to the Law of God and all its accessories. The land that was promised to Israel is a land that was idiomatically overflowing with “milk and honey”. Lots of green grass and vegetation to sustain the cow-culture and flowers for bees to make honey. It is true that modern Israel is not a resemblance of Israel of Moses’ days. The country was greener due to the good climate in those days. Even until the days of Jesus it was greener than today. It was in Roman IV and Byzantine I that the climate changed to cause big droughts and shrinkage of vegetation. But, the honey and milk that Moses promised is not on earth but in heaven.

It was global and is based on modern studies on the Dead Sea levels, the Icepole studies, Greenland investigations, and various findings by scientists all over the world. The subject is paleo-climatology. The Roman period is blamed for deforestation.

There is a list of things the remnant should do: love the Lord (6;5); commandments should be in the heart (6:6); they shall teach diligently the laws to their children (6:7); talk of the laws (6:7); they shall bind them as a sign on the hand (6:8); they shall be between the eyes meaning that they should read it a lot that it is contemplated many times (6:8); they shall write them on doorposts and gates (6;9).

There is a couple of no-no’s that need to be mentioned 6:12-17).

The eschatology of Moses can be seen in these verses. God’s true promise to the Fathers Abraham and all of them was not any piece of land on this earth. It is the heavenly Jerusalem. If they keep the law of God and the Statutes and the Commandments, then He would bring them to heaven to the New Jerusalem. How do we know that? He will give them cities that they have not built. All the cities that Israel lived in they have helped built if they did not get it originally complete. This promise is a complete gift. No building from anyone of them. In 6:10-11 is a list of wonderful gifts that the faithful would get in the future should they keep the Torah and its expectations. The city they would not have built “great and good cities that you did not build”. The cities currently in Israel and what was in the days of the prophets or in the time of Moses was not great and good cities. It is a city built by God Himself (see Hebrews 11:16 “But now they desire a better, that is, an heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city.”

The gifts include also houses full of good which they have not filled (6:11). The wells they did not dig (6:11), sorry Hezekiah for your tunnel as the Bible and the Siloam Tunnel inscription is evidence. Not self-dug. The vineyards and olive trees they did not plant (6:11). When they will eat they will be full (6:11). This is a situation that is unprecedented in the past and present history of Israel. Period. It is eschatology and an Utopia to come. It is Moses’ eschatology revealed to him by God.

Every believer should be careful not to forget the Lord (6:12).They have to fear the Lord (6:13). They should not go after other gods (6:14). Ecumenism is prohibited in true religion of the Book of Deuteronomy. “Do not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you.” Israel appearing in current days together with the other religions around the papacy on photos is a contravention of the Book of Deuteronomy and blasphemy. God does not sanction such a meeting. Of course modern Israel is not a pure religion but one influenced culturally, philosophically from Greek, Arabic, Christian and pagan influences in modern times. Jewish religion is not pure as it was in the days of Moses. Jesus had problems with their interpretations in His own time. That is why He interpreted the Law again the proper way. He did not break it. He broke their human misinterpretations of it. Their skew and wayward haggadah.

They are not to tempt the Lord (6:16). Satan tried to tempt Christ and He told Him that he should not tempt God.

In 6:17 Moses used a special word to indicate how the Law should be kept. Keep the law “diligently”. It is the commandments, testimonies, statutes (6:18). There is a special way we ought to be lawkeeping people. Not lazy but diligent. Not skipping times of keeping with times of not keeping. Not fluctuating.

If the son asks for the semantics of the law then the father or mother had to answer that the Lord saved them from Egypt of bondage and brought them out (6:21).

They need to know that the Lord came in wonders and signs (6;22).

The reason we keep the laws is long life, preservation, possession, for good always. It shall be our righteousness if we observe to do all these (6:25). Our righteousness? If we diligently teach children the law and diligently keep it then all these good things will happen and Christ’s righteousness will be ours. Question: Is obedience an injection of Christ’s Righteousness in us, called sanctification? Guilt removal is substitution and that is in heaven. Obedience is Christ’s Righteousness in us. How does it work? God counts a strong will to do as done! If you say: “Lord I want to stop,” the Lord says: “You did. You just did”. His righteousness becomes ours. Substitution will be to everyone who has a will to overcome and all efforts therefore are successful by itself. Our best intention is counted by God as done is what M. E. L. Andreasen took from his 90 days stay with Ellen White when he was young and this he said in the Ohio Conference Testimony on Ellen White in 1955 on Youtube.

 

Dear God It is our desire to do all Your commandments and testimonies and instructions. Accept our will and intent as full accomplishment. In Jesus name Amen