Hear and Heed Deuteronomy 6 -  The Great Shema

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I. People who teach inaccurate tradition rather than Truth fail to understand that God is gracious, loving, and just (rewarder/blesser of those who faithfully seek Him and discipliner/diminsher of those who are unfaithful) in OT&NT

Dt = Covenant renewal document,

Dt 6:25 it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before LORD our God, as He has commanded us.' Dt 32:46 Set your hearts on all the words which I testify/exhort among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe --- all the words of this law. 47 For it is not a futile/vain/idle thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess." 

II. OT faith exercising believers were redeemed, baptized and blessed, yet those who failed to faithfully obey, lost the blessings.

1Cor 10:1 brethren, I do not want you to be unaware/ignorant that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed thru the sea, Ex 14 faith) 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food,4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them...destroyed...

Phil 2:12 work out your salvation with fear and trembling 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to do for His good pleasure.

III. God graciously redeems His chosen people, and gives them blessings yet destroys those who do not faithfully obey 

Dt 4:1 "Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you.2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.3 Your eyes have seen what LORD did at Baal Peor; for the LORD your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor. Num 24:1-10

4 But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive today, every one of you. Heb 10:31 fearful to fall into the hands of the living God. 1Pt 4:17 judgment to begin at the house of God...what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

IV. The OT law (summed up in loyally loving God first, and your neighbor as yourself) was the basis of blessing. Cf Jn 14:21

4:6 Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' 7 "For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? 8 And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? 9 Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. 10...Horeb, when the LORD said to me, 'Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.'  Eph 5:21 submit...fear of God; 2Cor 7:1 holy

1Pt 2:17 love brotherhood, fear God; Mt 10:28; Rev14:7 Fear God, give Him glory, 'cs  His judgment has come; worship Him 

V. All believers have the responsibility to take heed lest they displease the Lord and lose their inheritance (Num 13-14; 2Jn 8; 1Cor 3)

4:15 "Take careful heed to yourselves,..16 lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves...19 And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, 21 LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I would not cross over the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. 23 Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God 24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. 25 act corruptly and make a carved image...and do evil in the sight of  LORD your God to provoke Him to anger, 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land...will be utterly destroyed. 27 And the LORD will scatter you among the people. 29 But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice 31 (for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. Lk 21:8 Take heed that you not be deceived. 34 take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. Acts 20:28  take heed 

VI. God is jealously loyal to those who loyally love and obey Him, and “hates” those who are disloyal, breaking covenant w/ Him

4:35 To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none other besides Him. 39 Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.40 You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you...in the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time."  Rm 11:20 Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Consider...severity of God: on those who fell, but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief will be grafted in 30 and so all Israel will be saved!

Dt 5:1 "Hear, O Israel, the statutes...that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. 6 ' I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 7' You shall have no other gods before Me.' You shall not make for yourself...any likeness...For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity...those who hate Me,10 but showing hesed to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 11 ' You shall not take/bear the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who bears His name in vain. 27 You go...tell us all that the LORD our God says///and we will hear and do it.' 29 Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever! 33 that it may be well with you

VII. Believers need to internalize God's law (in heart/values) so that they fear and serve Him and get blessed, not cursed PS 1

6:1"Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess,2 that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all...which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. 3 Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you

 4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength/might. 6"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, 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 frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 

Jn 14:21who has My commandments and keeps them, loves Me..will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him

10 "So it shall be, when the LORD your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers...to give you,,eaten and are full 12 then beware, lest you forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.13 You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. 14 You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you1 5 (for the LORD your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the LORD your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.

VIII. Doing what is right in God's sight is Biblical righteousness. Everything else is wicked culpable lip-service (Ps 50) 

6:16 "You shall not tempt the LORD your God as you tempted Him in Massah Ex 17:7  17 You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you. 18 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the LORD swore to your fathers, 19 to cast out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has spoken.

20 "When your son asks you Ex 13:14 What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD our God has commanded you? 23 He brought us out from there to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers.24 And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. 25 Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before LORD our God, as He has commanded us.' Rm 1:17 ii it righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith...The just shall live by faith

Rm 8:4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk acc to the flesh but acc to the Spirit.5 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

IX. Holiness/separateness is a function of a renewed mind/life that by the HS puts to death the deeds of the flesh and yields life

7:6 "For you are a holy people to LORD your God;  LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. 7 The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage  9 "Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and hesed for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;10 and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.11 Therefore you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them. 

12 "Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the hesed which He swore to your fathers.13 And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you.14 You shall be blessed above all peoples; 15 And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.16 Also you shall destroy all the peoples whom the LORD your God delivers over to you; your eye shall have no pity on them; nor shall you serves their gods, for that will be a snare to you.

2Cor 7:1 promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.. 

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. Why some people think that the OT is all about works and the NT is all about grace? Eph 2:8-10? Has God changed?

2. Did God expect the Jews to obey Him? How did they have a rlshp with Him when they sinned? (Day of Atonement)

3. Do you view the Law or commands as irrelevant or legalism or as something which expresses God's will for us (Rm 8)?

4  Does loving God mean feeling positively toward him or obeying Him? Did Jesus obey Him so we don't have to?

5. Do Bad Things Happen to Bad Believers (see Truthbase.net)? How diligently to you peruse the commands for NT believers?