AN INTERPRETATION OF DEUTERONOMY 6:1–25 | A Call for Wholehearted Commitment
I took a deep look at Deuteronomy 6:1–25 and its central message: Listen to God, obey Him, and love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength. From Egypt’s exodus to entering into the Promised Land, the final book in the Pentateuch called Deuteronomy contains the last three sermons by Moses and two prophetic poses about Israel’s future. Moses urges the people through remembrance not to repeat the same errors when they enter the Promised Land. Even though the possession of Canaan will fulfill the promises that were made, if the people of Israel fail to obey the law, they will be exiled. This post will reflect on the scriptures in Deuteronomy 6:1–25. The scriptures’ historical and literary background and the relationship to the overarching theology of the Bible are made clear.
A detailed understanding of the scriptures is provided through a cultural lens to deliver more meaning to the stories and characters. The enclosed details of the time and place when Deuteronomy was authored are valuable for understanding the scriptures rather than judging them based on today’s standards. An insight into Deuteronomy’s author also explains what the scriptures are about and provides his purpose.
Deuteronomy 6 contains some of the most straightforward instructions for Israel and serves as the book’s fundamental theme: God demands their fervent and restricted loyalty. This post will speak to how the fear of God is the most commanding value of obedience. Not only us but our children should fear the Lord. Given that religion and righteousness develop and protect people’s prosperity, we must receive these instructions with our whole heart.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Not only is the Bible a part of our history, but history also fills the Bible. The book of Deuteronomy — the fifth book of the Christian Old Testament — is no exception to history’s fulfillment. Deuteronomy provides invaluable recorded historical and cultural stories and understanding them. The book’s author and the audience will help discover the truths and values expressed in these scriptures.
The historical context of the many verses, books, or passages we read in the Bible is a factor in interpreting scripture. There were specific times in history and distinct circumstances present when the authors wrote each word. That outside information provides valuable insight as to the purpose of Deuteronomy 6:1–25. The scriptures’ historical context in discussion is better understood by knowing the why, when, and where. During the interpretation of Deuteronomy 6:1–25, the historical context set the scene for interpretation. This process allowed the author’s words to become more meaningful as significant.
Understanding this passage through a cultural lens is just as important as a historical understanding. Culture has evolved a lot since the author wrote the scripture. Readers need to be careful not to let our cultural prejudices impact our learning. Understanding the contextual and cultural meaning behind the scriptures is essential because they contain instructions from God. The process for interpreting Deuteronomy 6:1–25 was first to understand the original context and culture and then analyze it for theological principles. Another vital knowledge point during interpretation was knowing who wrote the scriptures and what level of theological maturity they possessed during the writing.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR
The question “Who wrote the Bible?” has been asked many times throughout history and has had many responses. Those responses range from God wrote the Bible through the Holy Spirit that moved prophets and apostles to the reaction that many authors wrote the Bible over many years. There is truth to the many ranges of responses that exist. To know the author is to know their inspiration. The Journal of Biblical Literature published a paper by Bernard M. Levinson stating:
As readers of older texts and writers of new ones, the Deuteronomic authors were also conscious of their departure from older tradition. In order to legitimate their reform program, they drew upon those older texts, precisely at the points of conflict, revising them and incorporating them into their own new composition.
In seeking a better understanding of the historical/cultural background of Deuteronomy 6:1–25, it is essential to know who wrote it. When looking at biblical authors, it is not without the possible attribution of an abundance of possible human authors. Those authors include prophets, sages, historians, and apostles. Deuteronomy has traditionally appertained to Moses. When referring to Moses, a writer, Daniel I. Block, pointed out that “Moses’ flow of thought in the respective sections is not always smooth or logical by modern definitions, and occasionally a modern reader may get bogged down with the repetition.”
One of the most significant figures in the Bible was the Prophet Moses and considered the essential religious history leader. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity acknowledge Moses as the founder of monotheistic belief. The Prophet’s name comes from the word Moshe. Moshe is a verb in Hebrew meaning “draw out of the water” or “pull water out of water.” Moses was born to Hebrew slaves in Egypt at the worst possible time. His birth time was not good because the Egyptian ruler, Pharaoh, ordered all male Hebrew babies’ execution. To save Moses’ life, his family placed him in a basket and let him drift down the Nile River, where Pharaoh’s daughter later discovered him. Pharaoh’s daughter raised Moses as if he were her own. Moses was a prophet who served as the channel between the Hebrews and God. He communicated the blueprint to live as God expected.
Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus, Review for Religious — Issue 54.1 notes:
In the book of Deuteronomy particularly, the Israelites are summoned to remember God’s past mercies as the basis for their present fidelity to the covenant. The role of memory and tradition is often stressed in Deuteronomy regarding Yahweh’s appearance at Mount Horeb.
In his article, “A Heartfelt Love: An Exegesis of Deuteronomy 6:4–19”, Bruce E. Willoughby also provided a good look into Moses’ desires with his communication to the people of Israel:
The author of Deuteronomy desires that the people never forget the gracious God who gave them the land nor their responsibilities to worship him with the correct attitude. Israel’s way of life depended on the character of the God whom they worshiped. Israel’s possession of the land depended on the character of her people.
Beyond the first five books of the Bible — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy –that are credited to the Prophet Moses, he continues to be referenced throughout the Bible and often cited in the New Testament. Moses’ authoring Deuteronomy is supported by Deuteronomy 31:9. Deuteronomy 31:9 reads, “And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and unto all the elders of Israel.” Deuteronomy 34 also supports Moses’ authorship. Here the recording of Moses’ death was more than likely written by his successor Joshua. In a 2005 paper by Katherine Stoot, it is noted, “In Deuteronomy, we learn that ‘the book of the law’ was authored by Moses and placed alongside the Ark of the Covenant.”
ENTER A NEW GENERATION
When interpreting scripture, it is essential to consider the writings’ time and place. It was around 1400 BC when Moses wrote Deuteronomy. Moses began to write the book of Deuteronomy near the end of the nation of Israel’s forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Deuteronomy 1:1 communicates that this was when the people took refuge near the Jordan River, on the east side near Moab’s plains. It was the end of the long journey from Egypt to Canaan. Yes, Israel’s people were about to enter the promised land, but Moses could not join them. The people who originally left Egypt as children were now adults. Their readiness showed now was the time to claim the promises when a succession of judges ruled Israel’s land.
Understanding a book’s audience is essential to help a biblical interpreter better understand the author’s purpose of the book and translate the book’s complicated elements. Before the people — Moses’ audience — were to end their wilderness journey, God reiterated His covenantal laws through Moses. Before the Israelites entered the promised land to disinherit its current inhabitants, Moses reviewed the directions he received at Mount Sinai. We must remember that Moses was speaking to a new generation, most born during forty years of wandering. These were the Exodus age products and had no personal recollection of Egyptian slavery or the revelation of the law at the mountain of God. Petros Vassiliadis’ article in the International Review of Mission, “God’s will for His People: Deuteronomy 6:20–25,” said it well when he wrote, “People know God because he confronts them by his action. Only on such a background can we rightly conceive the meaning of the Law.”
LANGUAGE + LITERATURE ANALYSIS
A significant step towards interpreting the Bible is understanding literary context. There are general guidelines to various forms of literature, which we should be aware of if we hope to accurately solve what we are reading. These rules for those new to biblical interpretation are acknowledged before the commencement of formal theological studies. At times, it is not until seminary work that they become aware of the erroneous practice of applying presuppositions to biblical studies and how they impact making sense out of whatever literary genre was being read.
By taking the time to understand what Moses wanted to communicate in Deuteronomy 6:1–25, The words and literary forms he chose to convey his message were carefully studied. During interpretation of these verses, there was a continual reminder that there are cohesive units of thought in scripture, just as in other literary types. It helps to understand what the passage is uncovering by looking deeper into how Moses composed the scriptures logically and cohesively. Like other biblical authors, Moses intentionally ordered his work. His words make up sentences. His sentences form paragraphs. His paragraphs make up 25 verses of Deuteronomy 1, sharing his first address to Israel’s people to the scouts exploring the land.
There has long been a debate over what type of literature is Deuteronomy. Scriptures in the book refer to it as torah. Examples are Deuteronomy 1:5 “On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,” and Deuteronomy 29:21 “And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law.” After taking a closer at the translation of torah, it is seen why this literary type falls into place. In ancient Hebrew literature, the definition of torah is any decision or instruction in matters of the law and conduct given by the sacred authority.
While interpreting Deuteronomy 6:1–25, applying the proper literary rules needed to study the scriptures was imperative. A key to studying scripture is understanding the text’s literary composition, which classifies its biblical genre. One of the most specific genres in the Bible to understand is Narratives, which are the historical accounts of biblical events. There are two sub-genres within Narratives: Law and History. Through the scriptures providing God’s commands for living, worshiping, and governance, as part of the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy is classified under biblical law. The book of Deuteronomy is the foundation of the Bible’s instructions and commands on how we should live. This foundational instruction deals with a wide range of subject areas, including war, slavery, tithes, sacrifices, kosher food, religious festivals, prophecy, the monarchy, and the central sanctuary. The temptations and possible violations are pointed out to the people by Moses. This foundation comes from the great contributors to theology, the Ten Commandments. These core principles that govern the nation and its people’s work describe the critical requirements of Israel’s covenant with God. The most memorable statement in the book of Deuteronomy is, “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” (Deut. 6:4–5). Centuries later, Jesus pointed out that this is the greatest commandment of the Bible.
Deuteronomy 6 begins with the heart of God’s law. The first verse leads the chapter with: “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” (Deut. 6:1). Moses calling attention to “these commandments” is his all-inclusive introduction to the one ruling principle that God reduces the law to one commandment encompassing all commandments in later verses. The scriptures share that the lives of those who remain faithful to the Lord in a spirit of the law will be filled with blessing. However, those who do not obey can expect to be cursed (Deut. 6:2–3).
The first and greatest commandment is “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” A central theme of Deuteronomy is it required an undivided love and loyalty from the Israelites because He alone is their God. For this reason, Moses began his speech by saying, “Hear, O Israel” (Deut. 6:1). Hear is a verb that in Hebrew is translated as shema. Hearing is the mental process of hearing with ears and processing with the brain. That is, when we hear God’s word, obedience should always follow what He has said. Moses then reiterated that “The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deut. 6:4). It is essential to recognize this as the crucial truth about God. God has an individual personality, and a combination of forces, substances, and laws manifested in the universe, as believed in pantheism, does not make Him. As one God, opposing forms cannot represent Him. Since the Lord our God is one, there is none more significant. “The Lord our God” speaks to the plurality of God.
Elohim is a name frequently used in the Hebrew Bible for God. Although grammatically, Elohim is a plural noun for gods, it possesses a plural intensive syntax and is singular. “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deut. 6:5) is a prerequisite to knowing who God is — knowing God enables us to live our lives rightly towards Him. It allows us to give God His due.
Deuteronomy 6:6–9 covers just about every aspect of our everyday life. The verses read, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 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. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” Here Moses shares from God that it doesn’t matter what we do. It does not matter what we say. Regardless of what we face each day, we should live as a reflection of the mind of God. The way we walk, how we talk, and our attitude towards others are all part of that reflection. We must live as examples and serve as teachers to our youth. Ronald P. Byars provided the following answer regarding why it is so important to tell children the story?
One reason is simply that we live in a culture that is both very secular and extravagantly religious, and each is potentially a threat to biblical faith. The very religiosity that flows all around us can be seductive in its various appeals to our egos and our longings. The antidote to trivial or unhealthy or dangerous religious faith is the kind of faith that is proven and reliable and sound, healthy for children as well as adults and for the planet itself. For the Christian church, faith that is been tested and found reliable over the generations is biblical faith.
The scriptures remind us that the children should witness samples of God everywhere they look. Not just in the way we work, but also in work itself.
With disobedience comes danger. Deuteronomy 6:10–13 is a message and a warning about leaving the Lord in our times of prosperity. The scriptures specifically read, “And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”
This passage concerns both the positive results of loving the Lord and the dangers inherent in receiving our good. The promise is absolute: If we devote all our energy to expressing the power of our indwelling Christ, our lives will be blessed and abundant. Sometimes it is easier to maintain that spiritual focus when we are in the midst of a wilderness experience. Once we begin to move out of the wilderness, receive and experience the rewards of our spiritual focus, there is a temptation to forget the source of those rewards and start thinking that we are doing it ourselves. We must never forget that the joy, beauty, and abundance we experience in life are not the result of our abilities. They are expressions of divine energy. The Lord is the Source, and our focus on the Lord within us is the means that allows that energy to express.
The scriptures in Deuteronomy also delivers the law not to abandon our belief. Starting with Deuteronomy 6:13, “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.” This verse reflects the recognition of Him as the Judge and Lawgiver and our sole Creator and object of adoration. To “swear by his name” is our pledge and oath that this is true — We can cross-reference this in the New Testament in Matthew 4:10 and Luke 4:8. It is through our commitment that we are bound under obligation to fulfill those words. The fear is our deep respect. It speaks to the tremendous respect we must-have for the Lord. Since there is none greater than Him, God swore by His own name.
We should have fear in testing God. We are testing God if we demand that He do something for us or we deny His love. We are acting as if God must answer our standards and tempt Him to judge us. In Deuteronomy 6:16, God reminded the people of Israel that they tempted the Lord before by distrustful expressions of His love for them. Just as Israel’s people did then, today, we have no right to carry out a test of God. Instead, to do the will of God must be carried in our hearts. When we are obedient to God’s will, He will bless us far above what we could ever think of or request.
Deuteronomy 6 comes to a close just before Moses is about to leave Israel. The scriptures discussed earlier shared that God had provided many commandments to His people. Throughout the book, Moses referred to these commandments as laws, statues, and sometimes even ordinances. We read how the commandments touch every aspect of our lives. Moses also delivered the message that these laws apply to children too. At the beginning of Chapter 6, there are the recognized words that the father shall teach these commandments to his children. When a son asks what is the meaning of the law in Deut. 6:20 God instructed the father first to explain the bondage in Egypt, speak to the miraculous delivery of the Israelites and judgment of the Egyptians, then explain how this word is following God’s promises, and finally how God provides His law so that His people might obey it.
Deuteronomy 6:25 closes the chapter with “And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us.” This scripture is one of the most important instructions. To stand in righteousness is to be in the right standing with God. We were the ones who gave Jesus our sin, and in turn, He clothed us with His righteousness. Standing in righteousness with God is the greatest thing we can have in life.
The meaning of Deuteronomy 6:1–25, as intended by Moses, is to listen to God, obey Him, and love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength.
THEOLOGICAL SYNTHESIS
The concept of the covenant is the center of the theology of Deuteronomy. There are three contractual agreements with any covenant that serve as the relationship’s description, precisely the purpose, nature, and relationship requirements. Through theophany and the word, God reveals himself throughout the book. God’s revelation begins as Creator and continues through his relationship to Israel and his disclosure as the redeemer and benefactor of his people. There are typical biblical patterns that follow the revelation of God’s person in the book of Deuteronomy. Throughout the book and in having highly human characteristics, God is said to have hands, an arm, a mouth, a face, a finger, eyes, the ability to walk, and uniqueness (Deut. 6:4, Deut. 6:15).
The book of Deuteronomy is remarkable, climactic, and a book unified in a presentation. The first construction of the great commandment, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deut. 6:5) lies within this book. Up until the Lord buried Moses in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab (Deut. 34), the book’s focus was the deliverance of sermons to remind, encourage, insist, and warn the people of Israel (Deut. 1:6–33:39). One of the themes in Deuteronomy is work, and the book focuses on many topics regarding work, including the value of work, relationships, justice, leadership, and rest. All of these topics interrelate throughout the overall theology of the Bible. Deuteronomy is referred to in the New Testament more than fifty times. Except for Psalms and Isaiah, there is not another book referenced as much as Deuteronomy.
Another central theological theme of Deuteronomy is the relationship to the recipient of the covenant initiated by God and the primary references to a single nation, Israel, and its people. The nation of Israel plays an operative role in Deuteronomy with a mission to model God’s kingdom.
The form and the content of the covenant itself is a third function of the theology of Deuteronomy. However, of greater theological importance than the form of Deuteronomy is its content. The content to covenant relationship is so connected that Deuteronomy is viewed continually as a statement of the relationship between the people of Israel and God. More precisely, the book of Deuteronomy is more of a covenant renewal document than it is a statement of covenant establishment. Moses introduced a reminder to the people of Israel as general stipulations of the covenant. He used commands, statutes, and judgments to describe these stipulations (Deut. 6:1). Moses also infers to the stipulations in Deuteronomy 6:4–5. The purpose of these stipulations to set forth life application and is summarized in Deuteronomy 6:6 “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.”
Israel’s covenant with one true God underlies all the themes throughout the book of Deuteronomy. This covenant and the work of the people is deep-rooted, as stated by James Gordon McConville in Law and Theology in Deuteronomy:
We shall continue to ask what light is shed in which Deuteronomy is to be understood as covenant. As a preliminary comment we merely notice that Deuteronomy’s record of Yahweh’s past goodness to Israel, the call to respond and the promise of blessing all correspond to important elements of Deuteronomy’s treaty-form. The themes are, however, parcelled out neatly to the formally corresponding parts of the treaty-form. Rather they pervade the book in a fundamental way, suggesting that the covenantal idea lies very much below the surface.
The underpinning of the book flows from the covenant. The overarching message is that when we worship God alone, do productive work, implement good governance, practice ethical commerce, display good civility, and give others fair treatment, the same will result in society.
One of theology’s most significant contributors is the Ten Commandments. Moses began his account of Israel’s people in Deuteronomy 6:4 with “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord” meaning obedience follows hearing. The Ten Commandments is the account of Israel’s covenant with God. The commandments are the moral compass that governs the nation and the work of the people.
All IN ALL
Deuteronomy 6 is one of 34 chapters in the book. The setting for Deuteronomy is in Moab, 40 days before the people of Israel reach the Promised Land. Moses was 120 years old and aware that he would soon die, so he used his time to speak to obedience and remind the people of God’s covenants. Moses narrates the historical 40 years. He expresses to the people that before they enter Canaan, he will die, and Joshua will replace him. He provided three reasons why the people of Israel should renew their obedience to the Lord: God’s historical goodness has been provided to his people, God’s laws are good, and the people’s future holds an unconditional promise full of blessings.
Deuteronomy 6 is without question one of the most essential and informative chapters in all of God’s Word. We must be mindful of how the reasons for obedience that Moses provided apply to life today. First, it urges us to start life right from the very beginning. It urges us to build a strong foundation for our lives. Weak foundations will lead to weak lives. Second, we are encouraged to be truthful about life. We cannot abandon our instructions when things are going well in our lives. Deuteronomy reminds us we must always correctly acknowledge who provided what we have and who created who we are. Finally, we must be proactive to avoid living with regrets. To proactively avoid mistakes, our real-life plan should be to obey the life manual that God has provided us. -#ToddCPittman
