Deuteronomy6

Deuteronomy 6 instructs Israel to diligently obey God's commandments upon entering the promised land, emphasizing that this obedience ensures their well-being and prolonged life. Central to this is the command to love the LORD God with all heart, soul, and might, and to teach these precepts to future generations. The chapter warns against forgetting God amidst prosperity and stresses that faithful adherence to His laws is essential for possessing the land.

Purpose of the Commandments

Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you go over to possess it;

that you might fear the LORD your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you; you, and your son, and your son’s son, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged.

Hear therefore, Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised to you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

The Great Commandment (Shema)

Hear, Israel: the LORD is our God. the LORD is one.

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.

These words, which I command you this day, shall be on your heart;

and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.

You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.

You shall write them on the door posts of your house, and on your gates.

Warnings Against Forgetfulness

It shall be, when the LORD your God brings you into the land which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, great and goodly cities, which you didn’t build,

and houses full of all good things, which you didn’t fill, and cisterns dug out, which you didn’t dig, vineyards and olive trees, which you didn’t plant, and you shall eat and be full;

then beware lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

You shall fear the LORD your God; and you shall serve him, and shall swear by his name.

You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you;

for the LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God; lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.

You shall not tempt the LORD your God, as you tempted him in Massah.

You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you.

You shall do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD; that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land which the LORD swore to your fathers,

to thrust out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has spoken.

Teaching the Next Generation

When your son asks you in time to come, saying, “What do the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD our God has commanded you mean?”

then you shall tell your son, “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand;

and the LORD showed great and awesome signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his house, before our eyes;

and he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he swore to our fathers.

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 at this day.

It shall be righteousness to us, if we observe to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.”

Study Notes for Deuteronomy 6

Verse 1

These verses introduce the goal of the Deuteronomic code: to ensure Israel remembers and executes the covenant requirements upon entering the promised land.

Verse 2

The promise of 'prolonged days' is conditional upon faithful obedience, linking covenant keeping directly to the security and longevity of life in the land.

Verse 4

This verse, known as the Shema (Hebrew for 'Hear'), is the foundational declaration of Israel’s faith, affirming YHWH’s singular identity and exclusive claim on Israel's loyalty ('one LORD').

Verse 5

This is the summary of the entire Law, demanding total, undivided devotion (intellect, emotion, and resources). It is quoted by Jesus as the greatest commandment (Matt 22:37).

Verse 7

The command emphasizes pervasive education; teaching the Law must be integrated into every aspect of daily family life, not limited to formal instruction or ceremony.

Verse 8

These instructions led to the later physical practices of *tefillin* (phylacteries) and *mezuzot*, symbolizing the constant presence and commitment to the Law.

Verse 10

This section shifts focus, warning Israel about the spiritual dangers that accompany success and prosperity in the land they did not earn.

Verse 12

Moses warns against the profound danger of affluence leading to spiritual amnesia, where Israel might forget the source of their blessings and assume self-sufficiency.

Verse 15

God is 'jealous' in the sense that He zealously protects the integrity of the covenant relationship, demanding exclusive loyalty and punishing infidelity (idolatry).

Verse 16

This refers specifically to the incident at Massah (Exod 17:1-7), where the Israelites tested God by demanding proof of His presence and provision.

Verse 20

This passage provides a framework for intergenerational instruction, ensuring that the historical context of the covenant is passed down to future generations.

Verse 21

The foundation of Israel's identity and obedience is always redemption: they were slaves, and God delivered them. The Law is a grateful response to prior grace.

Verse 24

The purpose of the statutes is ultimately for Israel's 'good always,' linking obedience not to burden, but to divine preservation and blessing.

Verse 25

To observe the commands is counted as 'righteousness' (covenant faithfulness). This concept means fulfilling the requirements of the relationship established by God’s grace.

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Deuteronomy6

Purpose of the Commandments

The Great Commandment (Shema)

Warnings Against Forgetfulness

Teaching the Next Generation

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