Honey and French Fries

O. T. #383  "Honey and French Fries"
October 10, 2014
Deuteronomy 6-Part 2
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.   Deuteronomy 6:7

LET IT GLOW

Nothing like a hot, homemade biscuit with freshly collected honey from the bee hive. We had a neighbor, as I was growing up, who took care of bee hives. Whenever he raided the hives for the fresh honey, he would bring my parents some. Ummmm, sweet, sweet honey. Have you ever sucked on a piece of real honeycomb? Nothing like it, friends.
God was promising His children that they would have their own land to live in, a land that flowed with milk and honey. Can you imagine the anticipation?

If the Israelites obeyed the commandments, loved God, then they would enjoy a long and blessed life. Being careful to obey them, that they would increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey. If they disobeyed, they could expect to be cursed and punished by God.

Back in Exodus 3:8, the Lord promised deliverance and described the Promised Land as a "land flowing with milk and honey" to Moses at the burning bush. In other words, it was a fertile land of bounteous provision. Their needs would be met and extras, too. Some of the people were old enough to remember the luscious and huge grapes and fruit the 12 spies brought back after checking out the land. So they knew it existed.
Besides, who wouldn't enjoy some honey after eating manna for 40 years?

Do we want to enjoy our land flowing with milk and honey? Sounds like it comes if we love God and obey His commands.

LET IT GROW

 Through Moses, God told Israel to love the LORD thy God with all their heart, soul, and might.

This great command must first be in our heart. then it must be communicated to our children, the topic of our conversation. (Guzik)

What other instructions did He give them concerning the commandments of God?

1. Teach them diligently to their children. Diligently means to point, pierce, sharpen, whet. Whet means something that sharpens or makes keen.
2. Talk about them  when they sit at home.
3. Talk about them when they walk along the road.
4. Talk about them when they lie down and when they get up.
5. Tie them as symbols on their hands.
6. Bind them on their foreheads.
7. Write them on the doorframes of their houses and gates.

Pretty much, the Israelites were to bring the Word of God into their home, family, and work place throughout their daily life, as well as apply it to specific situations.

The law written on the heart would be an essential characteristic of the new covenant to come.
 (Jer. 31:33) (MacArthur)

What better instructions can we follow for our life and family?
Just yesterday, as we were returning from her gymnastics class, I instructed my granddaughter that we must always tell the truth, even if we get in trouble as a result. So we told the truth, when Mom asked if she had eaten anything. When she had a sheepish expression on her face, hesitating to tell the truth, I explained that she had a few of my French fries. We ended up not getting in trouble with her mother after all.

Hopefully, I diligently and keenly taught my granddaughter a lesson so she will remember to tell the truth. (I should have explained further to her that God said for us to not lie, but I didn't think about it at the time. Oops!)

By the way, I did numbers 1-4 above. We were sitting in the car, going down the road, then got out up out of the car.

Do we seize the teachable moments with our children and grandchildren? Are we applying the Word of God in our life?


LET IT GO

Love the LORD my God with all my heart, soul, and might.

Obey, follow, apply  His Word in  my life daily.

Ask forgiveness when I sin.

Teach my family God's commands.