What's Your Priority?

Big Idea of the Message: God instructed Israel to prioritize obedience to God’s commands so they could live the lives he had planned for them.

Formula

In life there seems to be a “Formula” to everything;

Formulas - patterns - help to guide a better out come for everything;

Imagine making a cake and leaving out even the smallest ingredient - the end product may look like a cake, it may smell like a cake, but chances are that it will not taste like cake;

But the thing is if you add something that doesn’t belong the end result will be the same as leaving out;

Here we find Moses sharing the “Formula” of obedience to Israel and letting them know - if you will follow this formula God will fulfill His promise “a land flowing with milk and honey”;

Now while these words are meant for and spoken to Israel we can learn something that we can apply to our lives;

So Moses is giving Israel the technical terms of the Mosaic Covenant;

Now we will find similarity between chapter five and chapter 6 of Deuteronomy when compared;

Deuteronomy (1) Exhortation to Keep Them (6:1–3)

The similarity extends beyond this initial comparison, though the precise wording of 5:32–33 differs from that of 6:2–3. Thus the exhortation not to turn to the right or to the left (5:32) becomes an injunction to fear the Lord, a fear that results in obedience to the decrees and commands for generations to come (6:2).

Now let’s look at Deuteronomy 5:32-33 “32 “Therefore you shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.”

What the words are implying is that there needs to be a straight direction to there walk, no veering right of left but rather straight in the path of God;

Now in verse 3 they were told to “Therefore hear” or listen with intentionality followed by “be careful to observe” or to follow with purpose;

So Moses has told them what the ingredients are - the commandments - what to do with them - hear and observe - but he also telling where this must be occur - “the land flowing with milk and honey”;

Deuteronomy (1) Exhortation to Keep Them (6:1–3)

The phrase “milk and honey” is a hyperbolic way of describing the richness of the land of promise. These two commodities, the one the product of human labor, or agriculture, and the other the product of nature, represent the fullness of blessing associated with the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Moses is reminding Israel that this was promise by God to their fathers that they will receive - if they will walk - follow - in His desires and their own;

Who’s desires are you walking in today?

Attention

Moses is once again call Israel to by close “Attention” to what he has to say to them;

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 6

The affirmation of loyalty to Yahweh in this verse is traditionally called the “Shema” from this opening call to attention, which in Hebrew is shema’ yisra’el.

Verse 4 is a revealing of God’s essence in person and purpose;

Another thing verse 4 points to is the uniqueness of God - that He is the one and only God;

Deuteronomy (2) The Essence of the Principles (6:4–5)

This is not in opposition to the later Christian doctrine of the Trinity but rather functions here as a witness to the self-consistency of the Lord, who is not ambivalent and who has a single purpose or objective for creation and history.

This verse does not discount or remove the idea of the Trinity but it does bring justification for a monotheistic faith;

Deuteronomy (2) The Essence of the Principles (6:4–5)

The confession of the Lord’s unique oneness leads to the demand that Israel recognize him as such by obedience to all that that implies. In language appropriate to covenant, that obedience is construed as love; that is, to obey is to love God with every aspect and element of one’s being.

Israel’s love for Yahweh (God) is what would bring them to obedience and these verses are important reminders;

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 6

The Shema represents the greatest commandment of Judaism and Christianity, as it represents God’s expectation that God’s people will remain wholly loyal to him.

Verse 5 describes “God’s expectation” that His people will love Him with their everything;

Deuteronomy (2) The Essence of the Principles (6:4–5)

To love God as it commands is to place oneself within the orbit of his saving grace because the Shema, the heart and core of the Old Testament law, was designed, as Paul said, to be “put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith” (Gal 3:24).

With what part your essence are you loving God?

Forward

Moses now tells Israel that these words are to be shared not withheld;

Deuteronomy (3) Exhortation to Teach Them (6:6–9)

As noted already (4:9–10; 6:2), an important demand of the covenant relationship was that it be perpetuated beyond the immediate generation of those with whom the Lord made it, for its promises and provisions were for generations yet unborn (4:25, 40; 5:9–10, 29).

But how could this be done - mostly through the family father to son and son to grandson;

Israel is instructed to that these word “shall be in your heart”;

Today we think of the heart as the location of emotions or desires yet that was not the case during the writing of Deuteronomy;

Deuteronomy (3) Exhortation to Teach Them (6:6–9)

In the psychology of the Old Testament the heart is not the center of emotional life and response but the seat of the intellect or rational side of humankind. To “be upon the heart” is to be in one’s constant, conscious reflection.

Today we may say that the knowledge of the word should be so ingrained that they become second nature and therefore at the forefront of everything that is done;

While these instruction in verses 8 and 9 can be taken metaphorically the importance of keeping these words in the forefront of their mind is most definitely implicit;

Where are you keeping God’s word today?

Application Point: As we look toward the rest of the year, we must re-prioritize our schedules to make sure we spend time learning from God’s Word and obeying His instructions.