Day 72 – Deuteronomy 5-7

Talking Points

• The Ten Commandments are reiterated, as the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land. In this new land, they are called to stand apart in life and in worship. The commands are to bless the people and to bring honor to God.
• The truth is given — to live in obedience will result in the great blessing of God. God makes it clear that He is pleased in obedience. At the same time to live in disobedience will result in disaster and ruin. God makes it equally clear that He is grieved in our disobedience. Pretty straightforward, right? So, what is the issue? Why do we still disobey? It is evidently not the reward promised or the punishment to be faced. The issue is our heart. What God wants is for our hearts to be totally given to Him. The hearts of His people are to be with Him.

Thoughts

I think that sometimes we can get stuck in a state of apathy when it comes to our knowledge of God. We become apathetic when we think it really doesn’t matter how much we know about Him, His past deeds, or His promises. Maybe we look at preachers, pastors, authors, or teachers and think, “God didn’t call me to be a theologian. That’s not my job.”

But, the call in these chapters is to all of God’s people. It’s not just to the priests, not just to the Levites, and not just to the leaders. Here’s the call: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 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” (6:5-7). The call is an individual call for each of God’s people.

While you might never write a book, teach a class, or preach from a pulpit, you do have a heart, a soul, might, and a mind (added by Jesus in Mark 12:30). You are going to be around children — maybe your own, maybe your relatives’, maybe some at the church you serve in. Here’s the truth: you can’t teach diligently that which you do not know. If you are a parent, you are your child’s first and foremost teacher. Don’t overlook or minimize the importance of that privilege that God has given you, and only you. You get to learn of God, to write His words on your own heart, and then to teach them to children, that they may love the Lord.

What a beautiful privilege! Today, may God teach us more about Him through His Word. May we give all of our hearts, souls, mights, and minds to Him. May we then teach His words diligently to our children. And, all glory be to Christ!