In Deuteronomy 6:5, Moses commanded the people of Israel saying, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” In that context, Moses instructed the people to let the words he commanded them, that is, the Word of God, “be in your heart” (v. 6).
If you truly love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength, God’s Word will dwell inside you. You will study it, learn it, memorize it, and live by it. Your life will be governed by God’s Word. Everything you do and say will be guided by God’s Word.
Moses went on to say, that if you truly love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength, you will “diligently” (v. 7a) teach God’s Word to your children and to all who will listen. He says that you are to talk of God’s Word “when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up” (v. 7b).
If you truly love the Lord, you will talk about Him and His Word wherever you are, any time of day. You will seek His guidance in all that you do. You will speak openly and freely of Jesus with everyone you meet.
Moses then added a command: if you truly love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength, you will “bind” God’s Word “as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (vs. 8-9).
The Jewish people would write the words of Deuteronomy 6:4-9 on a small parchment and bind it to their hand for a sign, or wear it as bands or frontlets between the eyes. They would also roll up a similar parchment and place it in a small cylinder of wood or metal which they would attach to the right side of every door in their house. This is called a mezuzah. The pious Jew would touch it every time he passed through those doors. This was their way of fulfilling the command to keep God’s Word ever before you.
As for us, though not commanded to follow such rigid steps, if you were to hang a portion of God’s Word on your walls as a reminder to always keep God’s Word before your eyes, this would be a praiseworthy act. God is pleased with any effort to know and remember His Word.
After all, that is what this command is about. God wants you to love Him dearly and to follow His Word closely. That means reading it and remembering it. That means ever keeping it before your eyes, so that you do not stray from His Word as you live your life from day to day.
A “lawyer” asked Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25), Jesus responded with a question: “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” (v. 26). His answer: “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself’” (v. 27). The lawyer quoted Moses in Deuteronomy 6:5. Jesus replied, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live” (v. 28).
When you truly love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, you will prove that love by your actions. You will learn God’s Word and live by it every day. You will take steps to keep God’s Word ever before you. You will speak of God and His Word to your children and to all who will listen. You will not be ashamed to be called His child. Amen.
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