Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Introduction

The Joshua and Caleb generation is poised to enter the Promised Land. Moses won’t be going with them, but he is preparing them for faithfulness once they enter in.

That faithfulness will look like faithfulness to the Mosaic Covenant— the covenant established between God and His people on Mt. Sinai (also know in Deuteronomy as Mt. Horeb).

Much of Deuteronomy is a reestablishing and explanation of that covenant.

It is summed up in the Ten Commandments.

God promised His people blessing if they obeyed His commandments.

A joyous obedience to these commandments was the heart of what it meant for them to be God’s people and for God to be their God.

This joyous obedience and devotion to God is what’s called for in the Shema—Deuteronomy 6:4-9—a basic confession of faith for these Israelites as they enter the Promised Land.

Shema is the word hear, the first word in Deuteronomy 6:4—and just as it was for the Israelites in Deuteronomy, this is certainly a word we need to hear; it’s a confession we need to make.

[READING - Deuteronomy 6:4-9]

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 NASB95

4 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 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. 8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

[PRAYER]

[TS] There are four PARTS of this confession that I want us to talk about tonight…

Major Ideas

PART #1: Declaration (Deut. 6:4)

Deuteronomy 6:4 NASB95

4 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!

[Q] Why is this an important declaration as the Israelites enter the Promised Land?

[EXP] Israel will enter a land with many little-g gods. The people in the land worshipped many different gods, and Israel will be tempted to worship those gods as well.

They will be tempted to worship those gods alongside YHWH.

And they will be tempted to worship those gods instead of YHWH.

But they could answer that temptation with this declaration, “The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!”

[APP] We need to understand that there is only one God and besides Him there is no other; we need to confess that there is one God and besides Him there is no other; and we need to declare that there is only one God and besides Him there is no other.

Sometimes it seems as if we are living in an atheistic age where people don’t believe in any god at all.

And sometimes it seems as if we are living in a pluralistic age where people worship many, many things.

Either way, we are always living in an idolatrous age.

Of course the pluralist worships many different idols, but the atheist worships the idol of his own intellect.

But ‘Hear, O Israel’ was not spoken to atheists or pluralists; it was spoken to the people of God—the very people who claimed to worship the one true God.

It was they who might be tempted.

It is we.

It is you and me.

If we give in to atheistic doubt, and say like the fool, “There is no God,” it will not change the fact that God is.

If we should come to believe that there are many different gods, it will not change the fact that there is only one God.

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Hear, O men of God, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Hear, O women of God, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Hear, O children of the Lord, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

You must worship and serve Him only.

You shall have no other gods before Him.

[TS] …

PART #2: Devotion (Deut. 6:5-6)

Deuteronomy 6:5–6 NASB95

5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.

[Q] Why do you think the Israelites must love the Lord and obey His commands from the heart?

[EXP] Whatever sits on the throne of your heart rules your life. Whatever sits on the throne of your heart demands your total devotion. God said to His people that He must rule in their hearts.

This was to be a total devotion; a love of heart, soul, and might.

They are to be consumed with God, enamored by God, spending all their energies on pleasing Him.

This was to be an everyday devotion not just a once and awhile or ‘at church’ type of thing.

This was to be an active devotion; not mere lip service but actual obedience to God’s commands.

This was to be a personal devotion; not just a communal or general but a devotion specific to each person.

[APP] In the NT, Jesus emphasizes that this is the kind of devotion we must have to God. He gave as the greatest commandment that we must love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. But the greatest commandment is impossible without Jesus.

The devotion called for here in Deuteronomy 6:5-6 was only perfectly accomplished by Jesus.

It is only through Jesus that our lack of devotion can be atoned for.

It is only through Jesus that we can be empowered to pursue the kind of devotion commanded.

[TS] …

PART #3: Discipleship (Deut. 6:7)

Deuteronomy 6:7 NASB95

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.

[Q] Finish this thought, “If Israelite parents were personally devoted to God and His Word, then when they taught their children their children would…”

[EXP] One key to v. 7 is the personal devotion of vv. 5-6. If we are not personally devoted, our children will sense it quickly and not take it seriously when we try to teach them.

Another key to v. 7 is the word 'diligently,’ which we have defined for us.

Diligence in this case is not dropping your kids off at church. It is not making sure that they make it to VBS once a year. It’s not even making sure that they get a family devotion a few nights a week.

Diligence here is an around-the-clock conversation about God.

The conversation might take place in the house or outside of the house; it might take place at the breakfast table or next to the bed when you say goodnight.

Parents are to make sure that these disciple-making conversations take place early and often.

[ILLUS] When Dalton was a few years younger, he and I were walking in the field behind the church. They had been studying about Cain and Able in Sunday, so he asked, “Dad, where did Cain kill Able?” I said, “In a field.” He then asked, “And why did Cain kill Able?” I said, “Because he was jealous of him.” Dalton then said with a grin as we walked in the field, “Well, I’m jealous of you!”

A little discipleship conversation as we walked in the field.

[ILLUS] This afternoon when we got home, Cheryl asked Lydia, “What was your Sunday School lesson about?” Lydia explained about how a camera comes to life with batteries inside and how we come to life when the Holy Spirit comes to live in us.

A little discipleship conversation after lunch.

[APP] We often think of discipleship as a formal thing in a classroom with chairs in nice rows. But discipleship is often not an in classroom thing. Rather, it is very often an as-yo- go-along thing.

Whether you’re a parent or grandparent or just a disciple-making friend or coworker, let’s commit ourselves to making disciples as we go along.

[TS] …

PART #4: Direction (Deut. 6:8-9)

Deuteronomy 6:8–9 NASB95

8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

[Q] What is the point of having God’s Word bound as a sign on the hand and as frontals on the forehead? And what’s the point of having God’s Word written on the doorposts of the house and on the gates?

[EXP] God’s Word was to guide all of Israel doing and thinking. That’s the point of having God’s Word bound to the hand and forehead.

God’s Word was to also guide all their behavior in the home and outside of it. That’s the point of having God’s Word written on the doorposts and on the gates.

Later on, some Israelites will take these commands literally and actually tie boxes to their arms and heads containing Scripture.

They will also put up boxes on their doorframes and gates filled with Scripture.

But again, the point is that everything be governed by the Word of God.

[ILLUS] Some people have an exceptional sort of Christianity. They make exceptions for all sorts of disobedience to God!

Church history is replete with men who were eloquent in the pulpit and evil at home.

I hear stories about businesses not wanting to do business with ministers because ministers have a reputation for not paying their bills. They preach moral responsibility to their people but then make exceptions for themselves.

This ought not to be so among pastors.

It ought not to be so among any of God’s people.

[APP] As the people of God we are governed by the Word of God in the church and in the home. We are governed by the Word of God in pulpit or pew and in the community.

If we really are God’s people through faith in Christ, we will be guided by God’s Word in every aspect of life.

[TS] …

Conclusion

[Q] A question for the brave as we close—which part of of this passage is most challenging to you?

The declaration in v. 4?

The devotion called for in vv. 5-6?

The diligence in discipleship in v. 7?

Or allowing God’s Word to direct our lives as called for in vv. 8-9?

No matter which part of this is most challenging or convicting, we know that even though we’ve fallen short, Jesus hasn’t.

He did all this perfectly, and His perfection has been credited to us.

Furthermore, we know that all our sinful shortcomings have been paid for by His death and resurrection.

Our lack of devotion, our laziness in discipleship has been erased by Jesus’s work on the cross.

And Jesus offers us forgiveness even now for failing to live up to this confession…

…and He empowers us through the Holy Spirit to commit anew to the truths and commands we find in this passage.