This post is all about how God’s commands are rooted in love and what our response to them should be because of who God is.
Deuteronomy is known as the “second law” because Moses expounds on the law already given to the Israelites. In these chapters, Moses reminds the Israelites that God made the covenant with them and rescued them from the land of Slavery. He makes it plain that all of God’s commands are rooted in love. It is the Israelite’s job to not only know the commands but follow them wholeheartedly because of the God they serve.
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Read all about how God’s commands are rooted in love, before reflecting on it below.
Deuteronomy 5-7
Your part in the covenant
Before Moses reminds the Israelites of the Ten Commandments given at Mount Sinai, he begins by affirming a crucial truth: the covenant God made was not only with their ancestors who stood at Sinai, but with every subsequent generation. This includes us today. Each generation, and each individual, must personally embrace their place in God’s covenant to experience its full blessings.
Do you recognize your part in the bigger covenantal picture of God (Jeremiah 31:31-34)?
Why keep the commands?
The foundation for following God’s commands is laid out plainly in Deuteronomy 5:6: “I am the Lord your God.” The only reason needed for following the commandments is based on who God is and what He has already done for us. Obedience isn’t rooted in a fear of consequences or a desire for reward, but in who God is and what He has done. For the Israelites, God delivered them from slavery in Egypt and preserved them through the wilderness. For us, His grace is evident in countless ways, from answered prayers to undeserved blessings. We don’t follow because of our own merit, but because of His faithfulness. And we don’t keep God’s commands because we are trying to earn His favor. We obey because we are already recipients of His grace and want to live in response to His goodness.
How have you seen the faithfulness of God in your own life? Is His demonstration of faithfulness enough for you to remain faithful to Him (1 Samuel 12:24)?
all of God’s commands are rooted in love
After the Israelites heard the commands given by the voice of God at Mount Sinai, they were afraid that they would be consumed by His great fire and die. They were correct that the commands reminded them that they were unworthy to approach God. He is holy, and they are not. However, God’s commands were not meant to push them away, but to draw them near. They missed the key detail that all of God’s commands are rooted in love. The commands were not given merely to make them afraid in their unworthiness. Instead, it was given to help them draw closer to God while showing them thier need for a savior.
Do you follow God’s commands out of fear of not being good enough? Or do you follow His commands because you see them as an expression of His love (1 John 1:1-5)?
The Lord is One
An important truth is found in Deuteronomy 6:4, which says, “The Lord is One.” This is a case where knowing the original Hebrew is helpful in understanding the scripture. Although the Hebrew word, אֶחָד (‘eḥāḏ), does mean “one” it is often used to refer to multiple parts of the same thing. Other places in the Old Testament that use this word include Genesis 1:5, where there was evening and morning (two parts) on the first (one) day. Genesis 2:24 also used it in saying the two shall become one flesh. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is One God. As a response to who God is, we must love Him with our heart, soul, and strength.
The trinity of God is seen throughout the Old and New Testament, even though the word “trinity” is never mentioned. How much do you know and understand about this important theological characteristic of God (2 Corinthians 13:14)?
reaping what you did not sow
Moses reminds the Israelites that when they enter the Promised Land, they will live in cities they did not build. They will drink from wells they did not dig and eat from which they did not plant. They would be very blessed in the Promised Land, and they would have to be careful that in their prosperity, they did not forget where they came from and how they got there. It is only by the grace of God that they can partake in His blessings.
In the same way, how many things do you have that are gifts from God, yet you fail to thank Him for them (Psalm 100:4)?
tell your children your testimony {How God’s commands are rooted in Love}
Living in the blessings of the Promised Land comes with a responsibility: ensuring that the next generation knows the faithfulness of God. Children won’t know of His past goodness unless parents are intentional about sharing their testimonies. That is why, when the Israelite children ask “what is the meaning of the Law?” the parents are to answer that they were slaves but God brought them out to bring them into something better. The more the younger generation hears the testimony of God’s faithfulness to the older generation, the less likely they will be to forget God and walk away from Him.
Do you tell your children your testimony – How God rescued you from death and brought you to life and freedom in Him? Do you live out your testimony for all to see (Revelation 12:11)?
Working for the promises of God
Although God was going to give the Canaanites over to the Israelites, the battle would not be quick and painless. The Israelites would have to work in order to defeat the Canaanites. And they would have to completely destroy them and their idols before they could live in the Promised land. If they did not, the Canaanites and their gods would turn the Israelites away from the One true God and lead them into false and foreign worship. In the same way, we need to destroy anything that would lead us away from God.
Is there something in your life that you need to completely destroy and turn over to God so that it does not lead you away from Him (Galatians 4:8-9)?
Little by little
When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, God would not hand over all of the surrounding nations immediately. Instead, the Israelites would need to rely on God. They would have to trust His timing and listen to His voice for when they would fight the nations. Often, we want immediate victory over the battles we are facing. We don’t want to struggle against an enemy for years on end. Yet, there is often more that can be learned in the waiting than could be if God handed us the solution when we want it.
Related Post: 7 Things to Do While Waiting on God
It can be frustrating to wait on God. However, you can see the wisdom in His timing once the battle has been won. Are you waiting for God to bring you through something right now? How can you stay faithful while waiting (Isaiah 40:31)?
Reflect on God’s commands being rooted in love
Have you seen the evidence of God’s love in His commands before? After reading these chapters, how has your perception of God’s love changed?
This Bible study was all about how God’s love is evident in His commands to His people.
