THURSDAY 10 February 2022 “Shema” Deuteronomy 5:1-6:5

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Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends all around the world,

Here’s an important question for us: Should foundational, life truth apply to all cultures, all societies, all ethnicities, in all generations? Has God designed the human experience to be built on the same, foundational life truths, no matter when in history you live or where in the world you live? Now ponder that for a moment!

We’re walking these days with Moses, seeking to learn important life lessons. He’s very near the end of both his life and his season of leadership. He has led more than 1 million Hebrew people for more than 40 years by the time we come to Deuteronomy 5 and they are camped along the Jordan river preparing to enter the land of God’s promise. This entire book of Deuteronomy is a compilation of Moses’ farewell messages. Moses’ messages are following a pattern. First Moses recounts a significant event in their history, calling them to remember what happened and then instructing them as to the event’s importance, and then instructing the people in application of the truths found in that event. There’s wisdom in that my friends, do you see it? We have much to learn by looking back and clearly seeing events in our past through lenses of maturity and then seeking God’s perspective on the event to learn what God wants us to learn through that experience.

Deuteronomy 5 is Moses’ call to the people to relive the unique experience from 39 years before when God audibly spoke what is called the “10 Commandments” to the people at Mount Sinai. Then Moses reminds them of the vital decision the people made that day. Moses said to the people: “These are the commandments the LORD proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there at the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness… Then the LORD wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.

When you heard the voice… and the mountain was ablaze, the leading men of your tribes came to me and said, ‘The LORD our God has shown us His glory and majesty and we have heard His voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with Him...” (Deut. 5:22-24)

I wonder if Moses paused right there, as the older people in this huge crowd were shaking their heads agreeing with Moses’ recollection of that day. I wonder how often older people said to their kids and grandkids… “He’s right, that’s exactly how it happened. I was there, I saw it with my own eyes and heard God’s voice with my own ears.” That was important. The next generation needed to know it was more than just a story, that their parents and grandparents had been eyewitnesses of this miracle. May I ask my friends, what miraculous stories have your parents and grandparents told you of events many years ago, that they experienced?

Then Moses, with a sudden change, continued his account of what those leaders had said to him that day, 40 years ago: “You said, ‘But now why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer. For what mortal man has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?” (Deut. 5:25,26) I wonder if the older ones were still nodding in agreement as they remembered the events of that day? I wonder if younger ones asked their parents… “Is that true? Did you actually say that? But how could you have changed your mind so fast? First you said it was a wonderful thing that God had spoken to you and no harm had come to you, and then suddenly you stated that if you continued listening to the voice of God somehow the fire on the mountain would come down and consume you? What happened Mom and Dad? Why did you suddenly turn afraid of God?”

I can see the older generation shaking their heads, furrowing their brows, and looking away from their kids and grandkids! Oh it’s hard to look our kids in the eye when they ask penetrating questions that reveal our weaknesses and shortcomings, isn’t it? The kids were right in asking such hard questions. What had happened back there? Why had they gone from being overwhelmed with God’s majesty and glory to being afraid of God and actually assuming God was going to burn them alive if they stayed in His Presence?! By the way you’ll find that event in Exodus 20.

Now friends, again I ask us to reflect on our own lives. Have we done the same thing? Have we had great experiences with God, maybe even miraculous experiences, and then somehow our imagination, our anxiety, the stress of life, or maybe the conversation around us on social media, or the political rhetoric causes us to think in a distorted way, and we then pull away from God, we distrust God? Do you see that’s what happened here? Moses reminded the people that in response to this attitude and these words spoken by the leaders, God had said to Moses: “I have heard what this people said to you… Oh that their hearts would be included to fear Me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever.“ Friends, do you hear God’s love in this statement and His great desire to bless this people for generations to come?

And so Moses made this summary statement of advice to the people before him here at the Jordan river: “So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or the left. Walk in all the ways that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.” (Deut. 4:32,33) Do you hear God’s formula for living a blessed, content and long life? It’s very clear and not very complicated my friends, and it can apply, I believe, to all people in all places at all times in History! Live with your life fully aligned with God’s commandments, not turning aside to any other lifestyle. Daily walk in the path of life guided by God Himself and His truth, and you will live a God blessed life. Now, look around my friends. Do you see how turning away from living in this way brings pain and conflict and dysfunction into life and relationships?

I can see the people of all ages in front of Moses that day nodding in agreement, maybe even shouting ‘amen’ or ‘yeah man’ or some other phrases of agreement. But Moses, as a very old man, nearly 120 years old that day, by far the oldest man in the crowd… Moses knew time passes, old people die and new children are born, so how do we keep this agreement alive as generations come and go? And so Moses said: “These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live…so that you may enjoy long life.” (Deut. 6:1,2) Do you see three generations in this powerful challenge from Moses? Have you thought about how many times God calls us to see at least three generations in the Bible? How about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…and Jacob’s sons, that’s four generations. (Exodus 3:6) Or Timothy, his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois… three generations. (2 Tim. 1:5) While God is working in the present, He’s building on the past, in anticipation of the future… even in families, can you see that my friends? You are living your life in the shadow of your parents and your grandparents, and you are casting a shadow over your children, and even grandchildren, can you see it?

So the obvious question the people had that day, and we have today… HOW Moses, HOW do we pass it on from one generation to the next? Look at Moses’ answer, it’s very significant. In fact for Jews it’s called the “Shema” and it’s the first thing a young Jewish child learns: “Hear O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deut. 6:4,5) There it is my friends, the central core issue, the key! That which you love most will most impact and shape and consume your life! It doesn’t take very much time spent with a person and you can tell what they cherish most. Is it money, is it affirmation from others, is it their family, is it their job or their hobbies, is it God or…what is it? It’s not hard to tell, is it? Because it captivates their heart, they will find time for it, no matter how busy their schedule. They will find money for it, even if they have to squeeze their budget. That which captivates their heart will creep into their conversation often, and with enthusiasm. So… what is obviously the passion of your heart, my friends?

I think Moses may have paused right here, giving every person present with him that day and through the entire Israelite nation, time to reflect and decide what to do with this statement! So let’s do the same. We have some deep thinking to do, don’t we? What captivates your heart and mine? Why? How does it affect our lives, our choices, our relationships, our reputation? How does it affect your relationship with God? Here’s a worship song to help us in this reflection about our hearts…

Today’s Scripture is Deuteronomy 5:1-6:5.

Choose below to read or listen.

Deuteronomy 5

Deuteronomy 6:1-5

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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