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