December -2 – Love and Obey God

Sunday School Lesson

December 2

Love and Obey God

 

Devotional Reading: Mark 12:28–34

Background Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:1–9

 

Deuteronomy 6:1–9

1. Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:

 

2. That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I commandthee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

 

3. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.

 

4. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

 

5. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

 

6. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

 

7. 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.

 

8. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

 

9. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

 

Key Verse

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

—Deuteronomy 6:5

 

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

1. Recount the instructions from Moses to the Israelites found in today’s text.
2. Tell why the intentional teaching of the faith to the next generation is so crucial in today’s world.
3. Suggest practical ways to apply the commands of Deuteronomy 6:6–9 in a contemporary setting.

 

HOW TO SAY IT

Boaz	Bo-az.
mezuzah	muh-zoo-zuh.
Papua New Guinea	Paw-pyoo New Gih-nee.
Pentateuch	Pen-ta-teuk.
phylacteries	fuh-lak-tuh-reez.
shema (Hebrew)	shih-mah.

Introduction

1. Sunday School Every Day

A 7-year-old boy who had never been to church was invited by a friend to come along with him one Sunday morning. The boy found himself quite taken by the Bible lesson, the activities, and other features of the class. So excited was he that when the class was over, he told the friend who invited him, “This was great! I wish there could be Sunday school every day!”

That boy’s wish is very similar to what Moses proposed to the Israelite parents in today’s lesson text from Deuteronomy 6. The principle at issue there is still valid and vital for Christians today.

 

1. Lesson Context

The book of Deuteronomy records Moses’ farewell address to the second generation of Israelites following the exodus from Egypt. The first generation had perished in the wilderness because of unbelief that God could lead them to conquer the inhabitants of the land of their destination (Numbers 14). With the first generation having passed from the scene, the second generation—on the verge of entering the promised land of Canaan—needed the Law of Moses explained anew. Indeed, the word Deuteronomy comes from two Greek words that mean “second law,” in the sense of “repetition.”

Portions of Deuteronomy are similar to what we find earlier in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament). This is to be expected since God had established His covenant with the first generation of Israelites at Mount Sinai and had given His commandments and laws through Moses to the people (Exodus 24:3–8, 12). For example, the Ten Commandments, which were foundational to the covenant, are recorded both in Exodus 20:1–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21. Other laws in Deuteronomy reflect the circumstances that the people would face once they entered Canaan (such as the laws regarding war in chapter 20).

Deuteronomy begins with Moses’ review of the history of the nation to the present, including the first generation’s disobedience. But Moses also reminded the people of God’s faithfulness and of the power He had previously demonstrated in helping a portion of the people conquer lands east of the Jordan River (Deuteronomy 2:24–3:11). That same power was to guide the second generation in completing the conquest of the territory west of the Jordan.

Those of the second generation, however, were required to avoid the unfaithfulness of their predecessors. Deuteronomy 5 concludes with an exhortation to the people to obey the Lord faithfully and “not turn aside to the right hand or to the left” (5:32). The exhortation continues in today’s lesson text.

 

1. Priority of Obedience

(Deuteronomy 6:1–5)

1. Great Responsibility (vv. 1, 2)
2. Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it.

It’s possible to draw technical distinctions among the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments of the Lord, but it’s their cumulative weight that is intended. Two crucial responsibilities regarding this totality of the Lord’s desires are stressed. The first involves Moses’ obligation to teachthe people. In that and other senses, Moses has served as the mediator between them and God. The people even had requested this because of their terror at hearing the Lord’s voice speak the Ten Commandments “out of the midst of the fire” (Deuteronomy 5:22, 26).

The other responsibility is placed on the people themselves: they must actually do what God has said, in faithful obedience to His words. Similar twin duties are found in the Great Commission, where Jesus commanded His followers to teach those whom they make disciples to “observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19, 20).

 

2a. That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee.

Today’s lesson text is perhaps best known for the command to love the Lord (see Deuteronomy 6:5, below). But it is noteworthy that here, just three verses before that command is given, the importance of fearing the Lord is emphasized.

The fear mentioned in the verse before us implies a deep reverence for who God is. He, the God of Scripture, is holy, loving, righteous, faithful, and all-knowing—to name just a few of His attributes. Fear of the Lord acknowledges that we must come to Him on His terms, not ours.

 

2b. Thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

The commands God has given are not for the second generation of Israelites alone. They are intended to be taught to succeeding generations. Every generation will need to see itself as having the solemn responsibility of conveying the faith to those who follow them. That will be the teaching generation’s most important and enduring legacy.

 

What Do You Think? How will your commitment differ, if at all, between teaching natural descendants and descendants “in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2)?   Digging Deeper How will teaching methods be the same and different for those two types of descendants?

The promise of long life is specifically tied to honoring one’s father and mother in Deuteronomy 5:16. In the verse at hand, it is linked to the people’s general obedience to God’s commandments. This promise may be understood not so much in terms of an individual’s life span but of the nation’s span of existence in the promised land (compare Deuteronomy 4:26; 11:9; etc.).

 

1. Great Promise (v. 3)

3a. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee.

 

While obedience will be the key factor in the people’s continued residence in the promised land, the primary reason they are going there at all is because of what the covenant-keeping God hath promised. That promise goes back to God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3).

What Do You Think? What steps can we take to help us continue in the Lord’s commands?   Digging Deeper Which Scriptures have you personally found most helpful in this regard? Why?

3b. In the land that floweth with milk and honey.

This particular description of the land occurs 18 times in the Old Testament in a positive sense of a promise and/or description. This is the eighth such usage. The first is found in Exodus 3:8, where God spoke to Moses at the burning bush and commissioned him to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. The characterization milk and honey highlights the abundance that awaits the Israelites in the promised land of Canaan in contrast with the “iron furnace” of Egypt (Deuteronomy 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51). Amazingly, rebellious Israelites applied the description “land that floweth with milk and honey” to the Egypt of their servitude rather than the land of their destination (Numbers 16:13, 14)!

 

1. Great Commandment (vv. 4, 5)
2. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.

This verse is of supreme importance in the Old Testament (see on v. 5, next). It is still referred to as “the shema,” which is the Hebrew verb for hear.

Because the Hebrew verse does not contain any verbs for “is,” the exact rendering of the verse has been subject to much discussion. (The need to supply the word is for smooth English is indicated by that word’s appearing in italics in most editions of the King James Version.) As it appears in Hebrew, the verse literally says, “Hear, Israel, the Lord, our God, the Lord, one.”

Some students suggest that the word for one may also be rendered alone; however, one is the most accepted translation. Certainly the oneness of God that this verse declares implies that He alone is God, and there is no other.

This is affirmed elsewhere in Scripture (Psalm 18:31; Isaiah 44:8; 45:22; 1 Corinthians 8:4–6; Ephesians 4:6). Such a belief stands in stark contrast to the pagan religions of the Old Testament world, which are characterized by belief in many gods. The fact that the singular God has clearly revealed His will eliminates the guesswork and uncertainty that accompanies belief in many gods.

 

What Do You Think? How can we guard ourselves against living as though there are, in effect, many gods?   Digging Deeper In that regard, what choices will you have to make concerning your responsibility to warn others vs. your need to pay attention to your own temptations? (Resources: Ezekiel 33:7–9; Matthew 7:1; Romans 14:4, 10, 13; 1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:14, 15; 1 Timothy 5:20; Titus 3:10; James 4:11, 12.)

5. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

This, the appropriate human response to God, is what Jesus declared to be “the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:38): to love Him without any reservation, to love Him with the totality of one’s heart and soul and might. Indeed, on this and the command to love one’s neighbor “hang all the law and the prophets” (22:40).

The commandment to love the Lord thy God is foundation for maintaining residence in the promised land. The word heart in Hebrew usually refers to the center of human life, and that is the sense here. The heart is seen as the seat of the intellect and the will. One is often said to think or reason in the heart (Proverbs 23:7; Mark 2:6–8).

Scripture also uses the term soul differently than how most understand it today. In Scripture, the word often describes one’s entire identity. The parallelism in Psalm 103:1 (lesson 3) is insightful:

As is typical of Hebrew poetic parallels, the two thoughts of the first line are reflected again in the second line using different words.

The Hebrew word behind the translation might is frequently rendered “very” in other passages (example: Deuteronomy 30:14). This sense of “exceedingly” is present here as well. One will never achieve fully this objective in this life, but the blessing comes in the quest.

 

1. Priority of Teaching

(Deuteronomy 6:6–9)

1. Private Devotion (v. 6)
2. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.

To love God with the devotion described in the previous verse implies keeping His words treasured within one’s heart. The psalmist recognized the importance of this when he wrote, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11).

Some students propose that the Old Testament is concerned primarily with an individual’s outward actions and with conformity to a rigid code of rules, and that there is very little concern for the inner person. This verse disproves such thinking. God has always been concerned about the condition of a person’s heart (compare Isaiah 29:13; Ezekiel 33:31; Joel 2:13; etc.).

 

1. Persistent Discussion (v. 7)
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.

God’s words are not a treasure to be hoarded in one’s heart. This treasure is to be communicated to others, specifically to the children in a household. The expressions concerning how this is to be done are framed as opposites: (1) sitting indoors vs. walking outdoors and (2) lying down to sleep vs. awakening from sleep. These imply that any time a parent has the opportunity to offer further instruction in the ways of the Lord, he or she should not let it slip away.

Virtually any set of surroundings can serve as a classroom in which children can be taught God’s words. An atmosphere of constant teaching will eventually spark questions from the children, a scenario described in Deuteronomy 6:20–25.

 

What Do You Think? What changes can our church make in its teaching of children so they won’t abandon the faith when they leave for college?   Digging Deeper Which is better: to shelter children from exposure to false beliefs or to allow the exposure in order to inoculate the young minds against the falsehood? Explain.

Monsters and Opportunities

“Daad-dy,” called the little voice at 2 a.m. “I’m scared.” After I painfully dragged myself out of bed, I discovered that our 5-year-old son was afraid of monsters in the closet.

I tried the scientific approach first: “Joshua, you know there’s no such thing as monsters. Have you ever seen one?” It didn’t work, so I tried the practical approach: “Joshua, if you see a monster come out of your closet, just yell and I’ll come running in. I’ll beat up that monster. I’ll kick it right out of the house!” He giggled, but quickly turned serious again: “I’m still scared.”

Finally the text of Deuteronomy 6:7 flashed through my sleep-deprived mind. I winced. These were the precious, irreplaceable opportunities I had to teach my son about God and about walking in faith. Where should he turn when he felt vulnerable and afraid? to science? to pragmatism?

“Joshua, you know that God loves you. And He is bigger and more powerful than everything. He hears us when we ask Him for help, and He will never leave us alone. He tells us that we don’t have to be afraid of anything, because He will be right with us no matter what.”

After I reminded Joshua of a few comforting verses of Scripture and rubbed his back, he fell asleep. Then I offered a prayer for myself: Lord, next time help me to think of You first, so my children will learn to think of You first too!

—D. G.

1. Personal Discipline (vv. 8, 9)
2. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

As the years passed, some practiced this imperative in a literalistic way: they placed passages of Scripture in small leather boxes (called phylacteries) and wore them on arms and foreheads. By the time of Jesus, this practice had become a way to flaunt one’s devotion to God publicly (Matthew 23:5).

This verse has its intended (and much more powerful) impact when interpreted symbolically. The word hand represents one’s actions, which are to be guided by God’s words. The phrase between thine eyesmeans allowing His words to be a constant source of instruction.

 

What Do You Think? What steps can you take today to implement the principle of verse 8?   Digging Deeper How will you ensure that your witness (see Matthew 5:14–16; 1 Timothy 4:12; etc.) does not become holier-than-thou showmanship (see Matthew 6:1, 2, 5, 16; 23:5; etc.)?

9. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

This commandment also came to be interpreted in a literalistic way. Some Jews today attach near the entrance of their home a mezuzah, which is a small container in which Scriptures are placed. (The word mezuzah is the Hebrew word translated here as the posts of thy house.)

As with the previous verse, this imperative has its intended (and much more powerful) impact when applied symbolically. To write God’s commands on the posts of one’s house means living by them consistently at home in the family setting so that children can learn from their parents’ example.

The word gates may refer to the place in town where business is typically conducted and where important decisions are made. An example is found in Ruth 4:1–10, where Boaz meets with elders at the city gate to announce his intentions to marry Ruth. Thus, the key message of the verse is this: apply God’s commands in everyday circumstances, not just in “religious” settings.

The power of the symbolic interpretation should not lead us to think that a more physically literal interpretation is of no value. Indeed, the two approaches may interact in positive ways. Smartphones serve as “posts” and “gates” of our lives in various ways. Various apps can be used to “write” a Bible verse of the day as a pop-up on one’s smartphone “gate” for the user to read as the day begins.

Parents need creative ways to impress God’s words on the minds of their children, and today’s technology can be used to reinforce important spiritual principles and Bible lessons. The more that parents can keep God’s words before their children, the more likely those words will be remembered and obeyed.

The Crucial Factor

In 1971, the leadership of the Summer Institute of Linguistics initiated 510 Bible translation projects. The projects resulted in varying degrees of success in producing growth in churches, so an in-depth study was undertaken to identify what methods were the most fruitful. The methodology involved four years of investigating reports from 15 translation programs in Mexico, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea.

 

Conclusion

1. Intentional Instruction

God’s desire for the Israelites was that His commandments be passed from generation to generation. This was to happen through the faithful, consistent teaching and modeling of those commandments in various settings. This is a key principle within today’s text.

Western culture at one time was characterized by such a respect for teaching biblical principles. I grew up in the late 1950s and the 1960s, when much of children’s television programming featured occasional references to the teachings of the Bible. One example is the old “Mickey Mouse Club.” I can remember playing records of songs from that show on our phonograph at home. Those songs included titles such as “Do What the Good Book Says” and “Proverbs” (referring to the biblical Proverbs). The lyrics of such songs can be heard on file-sharing websites. Many of us are aware that the Charlie Brown Christmas special of 1965 featured a discussion of Luke 2:8–14. Of course, no such material would be permitted on a network children’s program today!

Some have offered this comparison: the church at one time possessed the “home-field advantage” where the culture for the most part was “on our side.” Today, the church is in the position of the “visitors,” and it is often treated with great contempt and scorn. The increasing secularization of Western culture has made the teaching of biblical principles more challenging, but certainly not impossible. It means that parents must become much more deliberate and intentional in seeing to it that their children are exposed to the virtuous and praiseworthy things that Paul, in Philippians 4:8, says should characterize a Christian’s thought life. This includes exercising discernment regarding what children are allowed to watch on television, how they use social media, etc. So much that is available for public viewing is clearly at odds with the principles of loving God and His words that are emphasized in today’s text.

In these times that are awash in spiritual darkness and confusion, it is critical that Christian parents take Moses’ instructions in today’s text to heart—using every opportunity available to reinforce biblical truth to their children and help them see its relevance to daily living. The most influential translation of the Bible for children is the one they see communicated by their parents’ example and speech. We should remind ourselves that today’s lesson is from the passage that sets forth what Jesus declared to be the “greatest commandment,” the focus of which is our love for God (compare Matthew 22:34–40; Mark 12:28–34).

 

1. Prayer

Father, we pray for Christian parents to possess the strength and resolve to stand firm in their faithfulness in teaching their children. May they do so for Your glory. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

1. Thought to Remember

The best way to keep the faith is to give it away.

 

 

Kid’s Corner

The Benefits of Obedience

December 2, 2018

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

 

 

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

(Deuteronomy 6:1) “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it,

The commandment of God includes all of the laws, rules, and regulations that God has given and revealed in the Bible. God is the King or Supreme Governor of the universe. God rules over all things and people, and every rule that He has decreed as our Creator and King He has announced for our own good so no one with a Bible needs to be confused about how to obey and please God or how to live in ways that will bless them and bring them happiness. God commanded Moses to teach the Israelites all the laws that God expected them to obey when they entered the Promised Land. They could live happily and productively in the Promised Land if they obeyed God. When Jesus came, He fulfilled the Law of God; so, some laws, such as regulations about food or sacrifices (laws often called ceremonial laws) no longer need to be obeyed under the New Covenant in His blood. Jesus obeyed and commanded His followers to obey the moral law, the law of love, summed up in the Ten Commandments.

(Deuteronomy 6:2) so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.

One reason God gave to explain and to motivate His people why they should obey His laws was “so that your days may be long.” God has given us laws for our benefit; similarly, He sent His only begotten Son for our benefit. Obeying God’s law will prevent the spread of some diseases and help obedient people live a longer life. God’s law was not only for the first generation that entered the Promised Land, but also for all subsequent generations. To fear the Lord includes awe and reverence for His glorious majesty, wisdom, power, love, mercy, and justice; and, an awareness that God can and will enforce obedience to His laws by discipline or punishment when necessary. Sometimes the fear of God helps us do what is right.

(Deuteronomy 6:3) “O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

God gave additional reasons to obey Him, “so that it may go well with you.” Entering a land settled by those who worshiped many idols would place different demands and temptations on God’s people than wandering in the wilderness or entering a new and sparsely inhabited land where they would need to work hard just to survive because no other people were nearby. God’s laws would help them regulate their lives and society in a new situation where God ruled them as their Lord and King, but where they were surrounded by worshipers of false gods and idols. If they began to follow the evil example of their neighbors who worshiped idols, they would not “multiply greatly,” but they would spread diseases, begin to sacrifice their children to idols, reduce their population, be punished by God with drought, be defeated by their enemies, and suffer eventual deportation and exile so only a remnant would remain. All which happened, as God warned.

(Deuteronomy 6:4) “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

In a land filled with those who worshiped idols, who would tempt the Israelites to become like them, God commanded that the LORD would be their God and only the LORD (the LORD alone). The gods of their neighbors often included male and female gods, but the LORD is one. The LORD is one, and three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (as the Old Testament points toward and the New Testament explicitly reveals). The LORD revealed himself to Moses as “I Am Who I Am” (Jehovah or Yahweh). God told them not recognize, obey, or worship as God any god but Yahweh. They were not to fear any god but the LORD, Who had led them out of Egypt and Who would lead them into the Promised Land; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of their ancestors, the God of the Bible, Who revealed the truth through Moses and Who would reveal the truth through the prophets, and later through Jesus and His Apostles.

(Deuteronomy 6:5) “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

After Yahweh rescued them from slavery in Egypt and provided for them during forty years of wilderness wandering, the Israelites had many good and sufficient reasons to love the LORD. God did not just command them to love Him; God loved them first and did all He wisely could to show them how much He loved them by saving them from oppression and promising them a new land that flowed with milk and honey. God does not deserve or want a half-hearted love or a divided loyalty from His people. God deserves our wholehearted love and devotion. God deserves the total commitment of our minds, hearts, and bodies to His service and to doing His will—which is always to our daily, practical, and eternal benefit and the benefit of others.

(Deuteronomy 6:6) “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.

The laws of God require more than intellectual evaluation and appreciation for their wisdom. The laws of God require people to either obey or disobey them in thought and/or action. To ignore the laws of God or disregard the Bible’s teachings when a person learns about God and the Bible involves the choice to disobey God. The laws of God need to be understood so we can reasonably apply the laws of God in both familiar and unfamiliar situations. We need to commit our “heart,” the center of our being or our will, to obeying God immediately when we understand our duty and responsibility.

(Deuteronomy 6:7) “You shall teach them diligently to your sons 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.

Making the laws of God a part of our total life so that we understand God and His commandments better each day includes teaching our children by our words and example. They need to see how a loyal subject of the LORD, the King of the universe, lives at home and away from home. Children and new believers need explanations of why a loyal subject of God lives a life of obedient faith. Parents explain God, God’s laws, and God’s ways by example and by words morning, afternoon, and evening each day. By doing this, children will learn that applying the Bible’s teachings and obeying God is for every day and every situation, and not just for one day a week and special occasions.

(Deuteronomy 6:8) “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.

The command relates to a phylactery, which the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines as: “Either of two small square leather boxes containing slips inscribed with scriptural passages and traditionally worn on the left arm and on the head by observant Jewish men and especially adherents of Orthodox Judaism during morning weekday prayers.” In Matthew 23:5, Jesus spoke of the scribes and Pharisees who wore phylacteries with a wrong intention: “They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,” When their hearts are far from God, hypocrites might wear large, visible emblems that indicate they are believers, so they can receive undeserved praise from others. God intended for true believers to wear things that would remind them to love and obey God in their hearts and by the way they lived as examples of faithfulness, not to impress others. Believing parents can give their children the reasons why true believers in God also love and obey God. They can also teach their children how to apply the laws of God in the Bible to everyday life situations. Parents can arrange things in their homes that will be visible reminders that they and their house serve the LORD. Today, believers can seek and find other ways to remind themselves to study and follow the Scriptures than those listed in this verse and commentary.

(Deuteronomy 6:9) “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Verses 8 and 9 applied to the Israelites who would live securely in the Promised Land under the rule of their own kings; it would not apply in a land where believers might be identified, persecuted, or murdered for their faith in the LORD. In many countries today, the Church must remain underground and in hiding. Reading together and keeping a well-read Bible in a special place (even in a special hidden place) might serve as a reminder to a family that they have chosen to live out their faith in Jesus by their obedience to Him as He wisely leads them according to the Scriptures. There might be other ways for a family of faith to remind themselves of the love and promises of God in a land where Christians and Jews suffer unjust persecution.

 

 

The Benefits of Obedience

December 2, 2018

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

 

“Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them [all the LORD’s statutes and commandments], that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey” (Deuteronomy 6:3). When we think about commandments, statutes, rules, and regulations, perhaps too often we think about the punishment we might receive if we break any of them and get caught—a negative misunderstanding. In fact, the LORD gave statutes, rules, and commandments to help us. God revealed moral laws in the Bible so life might go well with people. If we think back over our lives, we will probably be able to think of how things would have gone better if we had not done some of the bad things we did or if we had not failed to do some of the good things we could have done. For example, think about most of our traffic laws. Good governments have made traffic laws for our safety and convenience. Imagine the accidents and delays if there were no traffic lights. God gave laws so people could get the best use out of themselves. Some people break traffic laws consistently and may never “get caught,” but someday they may injure themselves or others and wish they had obeyed the law. Similarly, some people consistently break or ignore God’s moral laws (conveniently summed up as “love God and your neighbor” and in the Ten Commandments), but God gave these laws for our benefit and happiness. If we consider those we know or learn about, the most joyful and satisfied people habitually try to obey God’s laws, while some of the saddest people habitually break them.

 

Thinking Further

The Benefits of Obedience

December 2, 2018

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Name _____________________

 

1. When God gave the Law to Moses, what are some of the types of statutes and ordinances that no longer apply to those who follow Jesus as Lord?

 

 

2. What type of laws from the Law of Moses still apply today?

 

 

3. What might the followers of Jesus substitute for binding the Scriptures as a sign on their hand or fixing them as emblems on their forehead?

 

 

4. When are some times when you might not want to wear a visible sign that you are a Christian?

 

 

5. In what ways can Christian families help each member in the family live faithful and obedient to Jesus Christ as their Lord?

 

Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

 

1. When God gave the Law to Moses, what are some of the types of statutes and ordinances that no longer apply to those who follow Jesus as Lord? Rules about what foods you can and cannot eat. Rules about sacrifices.

 

2. What type of laws from the Law of Moses still apply today? The 10 Commandments, the Moral Law of God, the law of love for God and neighbor.

 

3. What might the followers of Jesus substitute for binding the Scriptures as a sign on their hand or fixing them as emblems on their forehead? Wearing a cross inside or outside their clothing. Carrying the Bible with them wherever they go.

 

4. When are some times when you might not want to wear a visible sign that you are a Christian? When you might be tempted to visibly wear the cross as a hypocrite, to make people think you are more holy than others as a matter or pride. When it might needlessly endanger your life or the lives of others.

 

5. In what ways can Christian families help each member in the family live faithful and obedient to Jesus Christ as their Lord? Read the Bible and discuss what you are learning—even if you do not read the Bible together, you can share what you are learning with others in the family. Talk about trusting in Jesus, believing the Bible, and obeying God. Live with the goal of being the best Christian example you can be— the Holy Spirit being your Helper. Talk about current events, current moral standards (or the absence of moral standards), people the world admires, heroes in the Bible and Christian history, what a follower of Jesus would do 3 these days in different places in the world. Compare and contrast Christian beliefs and Bible teachings with those that are not Christian.

 

Word Search

The Benefits of Obedience

December 2, 2018

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Name ___________________________

 

F Y B X L X P X U C D F J I S

L G V F U B C D O I H E E R L

Q Y T P W A F M L N S E K A W

C H G R R N M I T U M P A J R

V S Q E A A G K S L H E I R M

W Y F H N E U P M C P N X D B

N U O D N P H S A E L U O S X

L S K T C G B E T G D O K D L

E W L M J N T L S A R N H Q G

T Y Z U I Q B S I P T K A J Z

K H F K S G E N O G O U Y L M

R G Q E J S H S Q N M V T L A

A Z L I S D T T E Z P F O E H

F U F O T S Y A S X R V Q A S

R E P U J B E J U F E P K H N

 

Command

Statutes

Rules

Teach

Land

Possess

Fear

Hear

Careful

Love

Heart

Soul

Might

Diligently

Doorposts

 

True and False Test

The Benefits of Obedience

December 2, 2018

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Name _____________________________

 

Circle the true or false answers. Correct the false statements by restating them.

 

1. Statutes were made to be obeyed, but rules were made to be broken.

True or False

 

2. God commands us to teach people His commandments, so people will do them. True or False

 

3. The Israelites had some statutes and rules that applied to their living in

the land they were to possess. True or False

 

4. The Israelites were told to carefully to obey the LORD’s commandments that it may go well with them. True or False

 

5. If we obey the commands of the LORD, we will not live as long as other

people, but we will go to heaven sooner than them. True or False

 

6. The Bible teaches people to love the LORD your God with all your heart

and with all your soul and with all your might. True or False

 

7. The Israelites were told to write the 10 Commandments on stones and tie them to their sandals. True or False

 

8. Believers should diligently teach the Bible to their children at every

opportunity. True or False

 

9. The LORD deserves our love and worship. True or False

 

10. Words of the LORD could be written on the doorposts of a home.

True or False

 

True and False Test Answers

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

1. False
2. True
3. True
4. True
5. False
6. True
7. False
8. True
9. True

10.True

 

Prayer

Father, we pray for Christian parents to possess the strength and resolve to stand firm in their faithfulness in teaching their children. May they do so for Your glory. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.