The Purpose of God's Commands
Study note
Moses explained that these commands were given so the people would respect God, obey him, and enjoy a long life in the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
1 "These are the commands, rules, and laws the Lord your God instructed me to teach you. Practice them in the land you are heading into. 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:
2 Honor the Lord your God by living according to all his rules and commands that I am passing on to you. This goes for you, your children, and your grandchildren -- for your entire lifetime. If you do, you will enjoy a long life. That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
3 Pay attention, Israel, and be careful to follow these instructions. Then life will go well for you, and your nation will grow large in a land overflowing with good things, just as the Lord, the God of your forefathers, told you. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
The Shema: Love the Lord Completely
Study note
The Shema (Hebrew for 'hear') begins with the declaration that the Lord is one God, followed by the command to love him with everything you have. These words were to be constantly on their hearts, taught to their children, and even placed on their doorposts. This passage became the central prayer of Jewish worship.
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 Lock these commands I am giving you today deep inside your heart. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 Talk about them constantly with your children. Bring them up when you are sitting at home, when you are walking down the road, when you are getting ready for bed, and when you wake up in the morning. 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.
8 Fasten them on your hands as reminders and wear them across your forehead. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 Carve them into the frames around your doors and onto your gates. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
Do Not Forget God When Life Is Good
Study note
Moses warned that when they entered the Promised Land and enjoyed cities, houses, wells, and vineyards they did not build, they must not forget the God who rescued them from slavery. Prosperity would be a test of their faithfulness.
10 "The Lord your God will bring you into the land. He promised it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It has big, lovely cities that other people built. 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,
11 Homes already full of good things. Wells already dug. Vineyards and olive groves already planted. You will settle in and have plenty to eat. 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;
12 watch out! Do not forget the Lord who rescued you from Egypt, from that place of slavery. Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
13 Honor the Lord your God, work only for him, and swear your oaths by his name alone. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
14 Never chase after the gods of the people living around you. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
15 The Lord your God, who lives right among you, demands your total loyalty. If you turn to other gods, his anger will explode against you, and he will erase you from the face of the earth. (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
Do Not Test God
Study note
Moses warned the people not to test God as they did at Massah, where they demanded water and questioned whether God was really among them. Instead, they should carefully obey and do what is right.
16 "Never put the Lord your God to the test, the way you did at Massah. Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
17 Make it your priority to obey the commands, rules, and laws the Lord your God has given you. Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.
18 Do whatever the Lord considers right and good. Then life will go well for you, and you will move in and take over the excellent land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,
19 The Lord will push all your enemies out of the way ahead of you, exactly as he promised. To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.
Teaching the Next Generation
Study note
When children ask why God gave these laws, parents should tell the story of the exodus from Egypt. They should explain that obeying God's commands is for their own good and is the way to a right relationship with God.
20 "Someday your children will ask you, 'What is the meaning of all these commands, rules, and laws that the Lord our God gave you?' And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you?
21 You should tell them, 'We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt. But the Lord brought us out of there with his mighty power.' Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:
22 The Lord did stunning, scary wonders against Egypt. He struck Pharaoh and everyone in his palace. We watched it all happen. And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:
23 He brought us out of Egypt for one reason. He wanted to lead us to the land he had promised our ancestors and give it to us. And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
24 The Lord told us to obey all these laws and to honor him. This is always for our benefit, to keep us alive and well, just as we are today. And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.
25 We must carefully obey all these commands before the Lord our God. He told us what to do. That is living right before God.'" And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.