October 9, 2014
Deuteronomy 6
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Deuteronomy 6:4-5
LET IT GLOW
Love. What is love? Who do we love?
Soon Israel will be conquering and living around nations who practice polytheism. God, through His servant Moses, is telling the second generation the Law of God. God is different from the other gods of the world.
In verse 4, we read, The LORD our God is one God.
In the Hebrew language, the word LORD means Jehovah, Self-Existent, Eternal; one means compound unity; one LORD means God has one name.
As in monotheism, there is only one God, our God, Jehovah, Adoniah, Elohim, El Shaddai.
The MacArthur Bible Commentary says, It has been translated "The LORD is our God, the LORD alone."
One, in the verse above, refers to the unity of the Trinity-God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Luther describes this as "three persons in the one divine nature."
Both the unity and the Trinity of the Godhead are taught in the Old Testament, in Gen. 1:26-27; Ps. 2:7; Isa. 48:16. (Falwell)
Knowing who God is enables us to act towards Him rightly. We give Him His due. (Guzik)
Now then, we have established who is it that we are to worship and serve-the LORD our God. Here, God had to establish Himself, who He was that created them individually and as a nation.
Is God our one LORD? Are there any gods in our life?
LET IT GROW
Friend, look at verse 5 with me. Here we have no greater commandment than this one. What is God telling Israel to do when they reach the Land of Promise and settle in?
- Love the LORD thy God
- with all your heart
- with all your soul
- and with all your might.
Who is the correct object of that love? God
Love means to have affection for.
Heart refers to feelings, will, understanding, intellect, and mind.
Soul can mean breath, heart, mind, mortally, will.
Might, or strength, is force, ability, power.
(from Mark 12:29-30) Jesus used this verse when answering the Sadducees as to the most important commandment.
Christ calls this "the first and great commandment" in Matthew 22:38. He summarizes the first four of the Ten Commandments. God has no greater commandment than love. (Falwell)
Love Who? God
Who or what needs to be removed there as god in my heart?
How? With all our heart, soul, and might.
Is He God of my heart and feelings, soul and will, might and strength?
Does He have first place in our life?
Are we showing God's love by loving others?
Surrender is the only way for this to be.
LET IT GO
Let go of any gods I may have and let God be God of my life.
Love God with my all.
Worship, praise, thank God.
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