GREAT EXPECTATIONS OF MAN'S LOVE:
IN THE LAW—LOVE THAT DEDICATES (Deut 6:4-6)
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2005
IN THE LAW—LOVE THAT DEDICATES (Deut 6:4-6)
Dr. Paul Manuel—2005
What are you worth? That probably depends on whom you ask. Your mother would probably give a different answer than your boss, who would give a different answer than a person who does not know you. Discovering someone's opinion about you can be elevating or deflating.
Our previous sermon series noted that the divine attribute of love has always been an important part of God's relating to man. It is a consistent and persistent thread that wends its way through scripture, from the first collection of biblical books to the last. It is also not one-sided. Just as God has extended His love to us, so He expects us to reciprocate. This, too, is a thread that wends its way through scripture, from the first collection of biblical books to the last. So, from Great Expressions of God's Love, we turn next to Great Expectations of Man's Love, exploring how we are to make this divine attribute our own attribute. As before, we will select an example of what God expects from each of the main biblical collections.
I. Israel must have a singular appreciation of the LORD (v. 4).
"The Shema" is both a declaration of faith in and a pledge of allegiance to the one true God. It is part of the regular morning and evening prayers, part of the Sabbath and holiday liturgies. It is the first verse a Jewish child learns and is among the last words a Jew may utter before his death.3
Did you notice the word that appears twice in this verse? ...It is the name of God, rendered in many English translations as LORD (all caps). If you did not know it was His name, if you thought that the LORD and God were synonyms, the first statement would not make sense. To say "the LORD is God" would be like saying "the gift is free." All gifts are free. That is the definition of a gift. If it costs anything, then it is not a gift. Likewise, if LORD is just another word for God, then Moses is not really saying anything. Moses does have a point to make, though, and it is an important point for the Israelites. This particular deity could have decided to work through any nation on earth, but He chose them.4 That is quite an honor, so Moses says...
Anything you put before the Lord, anything that takes your devotion away from Him, can have the same effect as a false god. Things that are not inherently sinful, even something necessary or good—such as your job, or the time you spend with family and friends, or a hobby—can become a detriment if it is out of its proper place. As you review the past week, did you make anything more important than the Lord? Did you let something intrude on your time with Him? Did you even spend time with Him? God expects and deserves your wholehearted commitment.9
It is also to your advantage, as Paul writes to the Corinthian church...
There is another danger, one that relates more directly to this passage. You must not become conceited in your relationship with the Lord, thinking you know enough about God and need study Him no further. Jesus says that in the last
days...
After stating that God's people must have a singular appreciation of the Lord, Moses says that...
II. Israel must have a singular approach to the LORD (vv. 5-6).
No matter how often or fervently I profess my love to my wife, if I repeatedly ignore her wishes and disregard her concerns, she will soon notice the discrepancy. Likewise, when you profess your love for God—as you often do in worship—if you repeatedly ignore His wishes and disregard His concerns, He will notice the discrepancy, that you do not mean what you say. Obedience to God is how you prove the truthfulness of your professed love for God.
Do the Israelites need this reminder? Are they likely to grow lax in their commitment to Him? Unfortunately, many Israelites will fall away once they settle in Canaan. The prophet Jeremiah will issue some harsh words...
Have you ever done something that you knew displeased God and waited in dread for Him to punish you in some way? Have you ever not done something that you knew displeased God, because you were afraid He would punish you? Fear can be an effective motivator.12
The most intense courses in seminary are the biblical language classes: Hebrew and Greek. Students usually have one year to gain a reading proficiency that other schools spread out over two or more years. Although I tried to make the material as clear as possible for those in my Hebrew classes, there was no avoiding an enormous amount of memorization as well as two or three hours of homework a night. Complicating matters further, students insisted on taking courses in addition to mine, just because they did not want to add another year to their program. Where were their priorities? That meant I had to compete with Old Testament Survey, Theology, Counseling, and Homiletics (preaching). I tried to make it enjoyable for them but was under no illusions that they all loved my class. How does a teacher motivate students who are not motivated by the subject? ...He gives them quizzes and exams. Do you think they studied because they wanted to please me? Hardly. They studied because they were afraid I would fail them. Fear can be an effective motivator.
The primary reason, however, that the Bible gives to obey God is...love.13 The apostle John says...
There is another danger, one that relates more directly to this passage. You must not become complacent in your relationship with the Lord, thinking you are close enough to God and need pursue Him no further. Jesus says that in the last days...
In his final address to the Israelites about to enter Canaan, Moses stresses what is most important. In his remarks, he offers one of the Great Expectations of Man's Love for God, a Love that Dedicates all you are to Him who deserves all you have.
Early one morning, a woman made a mad dash out of the house when she heard the garbage truck pulling away. She was still in an old bathrobe and beat-up slippers, her hair wrapped in curlers and her face covered with sticky cream. In short, she was a frightful sight. "Wait," she called. "Am I too late for the garbage?" ..."No," came the reply.... "Hop right in." (Adapted from Hodgin 1994:26)Thankfully, God views us as worth keeping. How do we regard His worth, and how do we demonstrate that view?
Our previous sermon series noted that the divine attribute of love has always been an important part of God's relating to man. It is a consistent and persistent thread that wends its way through scripture, from the first collection of biblical books to the last. It is also not one-sided. Just as God has extended His love to us, so He expects us to reciprocate. This, too, is a thread that wends its way through scripture, from the first collection of biblical books to the last. So, from Great Expressions of God's Love, we turn next to Great Expectations of Man's Love, exploring how we are to make this divine attribute our own attribute. As before, we will select an example of what God expects from each of the main biblical collections.
- From the Law: Love that Dedicates (Deut 6:4-6)
- From the Prophets: Love that Decides (Mic 6:6-8)
- From the Writings: Love that Discriminates (Ps 97:10)
- From the Gospels: Love that Defines (John 13:34-35)
- From the Epistles: Love that Dominates (1 Cor 13)
I. Israel must have a singular appreciation of the LORD (v. 4).
Deut 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.For many Jews, this is the single most important verse in the Old Testament.2 It is called "The Shema," because that is the verse's first word in Hebrew:
Did you notice the word that appears twice in this verse? ...It is the name of God, rendered in many English translations as LORD (all caps). If you did not know it was His name, if you thought that the LORD and God were synonyms, the first statement would not make sense. To say "the LORD is God" would be like saying "the gift is free." All gifts are free. That is the definition of a gift. If it costs anything, then it is not a gift. Likewise, if LORD is just another word for God, then Moses is not really saying anything. Moses does have a point to make, though, and it is an important point for the Israelites. This particular deity could have decided to work through any nation on earth, but He chose them.4 That is quite an honor, so Moses says...
A. He is "our God."The next clause seems to be missing a word: When Moses says, "The LORD is one," what does he have in mind...one what?
- Is this like the chant sports fans use at a game: "We're number one"?
- In that case, God would be saying He is the one worthy of their devotion.
- Is this like the Muskateers' motto: "One for all"?
- In that case, God would be saying He is the one concerned for all their needs.
- Is this like the US military's ad campaign: "An army of one"?
While all these are true of Israel's God, when Moses says...
- In that case, God would be saying He is the one able to guarantee their security.
B. He is "one."it probably means that the LORD is...
1. The same one Israel has had since Egypt (diachronic monotheism).5...or...
2. The only one Israel may have in Canaan (synchronic monotheism).6Do the Israelites need this reminder? Are they likely to forget the LORD's goodness to them again?7 Unfortunately, many Israelites will fall away when they encounter the Canaanites, who worship another god with a different name.8 Who is the Canaanite god? ...At one point, the prophet Elijah asks them...
1 Kgs 18:21b How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.Only the exile will cure them of this problem. We may wonder how the Israelites, especially those who had witnessed the LORD's mighty acts, could turn away from Him. Thankfully, Christians are immune to such difficulties. They do not have a problem with other gods. Right?
Anything you put before the Lord, anything that takes your devotion away from Him, can have the same effect as a false god. Things that are not inherently sinful, even something necessary or good—such as your job, or the time you spend with family and friends, or a hobby—can become a detriment if it is out of its proper place. As you review the past week, did you make anything more important than the Lord? Did you let something intrude on your time with Him? Did you even spend time with Him? God expects and deserves your wholehearted commitment.9
It is also to your advantage, as Paul writes to the Corinthian church...
1 Cor 7:35 ...for your own good...live in...undivided devotion to the Lord.God should not just be an important part of your life but the most important part of your life.
There is another danger, one that relates more directly to this passage. You must not become conceited in your relationship with the Lord, thinking you know enough about God and need study Him no further. Jesus says that in the last
days...
Matt 24:24 ...false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect....Apparently, "the elect," which would include Christians, are not immune to the attraction of other gods. Whether or not you encounter such forces, forewarned is forearmed.
After stating that God's people must have a singular appreciation of the Lord, Moses says that...
II. Israel must have a singular approach to the LORD (vv. 5-6).
Deut 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.When Moses explains the extent of their love for God, he covers the bases.
- The heart is the seat of emotions.
- The soul is the essence of personality, one's mind.10
- Strength is one's physical abilities.
A. They must love Him completely.Then Moses explains that they show their love for God by the way they heed His instructions....
B. The must obey Him willingly....not grudgingly.11 "[O]bedience would be possible only when it was a response of love to the God who had brought the people out of Egypt and was leading them into the promise land" (Craigie 1976:169-170).
No matter how often or fervently I profess my love to my wife, if I repeatedly ignore her wishes and disregard her concerns, she will soon notice the discrepancy. Likewise, when you profess your love for God—as you often do in worship—if you repeatedly ignore His wishes and disregard His concerns, He will notice the discrepancy, that you do not mean what you say. Obedience to God is how you prove the truthfulness of your professed love for God.
Do the Israelites need this reminder? Are they likely to grow lax in their commitment to Him? Unfortunately, many Israelites will fall away once they settle in Canaan. The prophet Jeremiah will issue some harsh words...
Jer 11:3c Cursed is the man who does not obey the terms of this covenant [and]
Jer 48: 10a A curse on him who is lax in doing the LORD's work!We may wonder how the Israelites, especially those who experienced the Lord's gracious provision for their needs, could lapse in their devotion to Him. Thankfully, Christians are immune to such difficulties. They do not have a problem with commitment. Right?
Have you ever done something that you knew displeased God and waited in dread for Him to punish you in some way? Have you ever not done something that you knew displeased God, because you were afraid He would punish you? Fear can be an effective motivator.12
The most intense courses in seminary are the biblical language classes: Hebrew and Greek. Students usually have one year to gain a reading proficiency that other schools spread out over two or more years. Although I tried to make the material as clear as possible for those in my Hebrew classes, there was no avoiding an enormous amount of memorization as well as two or three hours of homework a night. Complicating matters further, students insisted on taking courses in addition to mine, just because they did not want to add another year to their program. Where were their priorities? That meant I had to compete with Old Testament Survey, Theology, Counseling, and Homiletics (preaching). I tried to make it enjoyable for them but was under no illusions that they all loved my class. How does a teacher motivate students who are not motivated by the subject? ...He gives them quizzes and exams. Do you think they studied because they wanted to please me? Hardly. They studied because they were afraid I would fail them. Fear can be an effective motivator.
The primary reason, however, that the Bible gives to obey God is...love.13 The apostle John says...
1 John 5:3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,God will accept your obedience out of fear, but He would prefer your obedience out of love.
There is another danger, one that relates more directly to this passage. You must not become complacent in your relationship with the Lord, thinking you are close enough to God and need pursue Him no further. Jesus says that in the last days...
Matt 24:12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.Apparently, those Jesus expects to stand firm, which would include Christians, are not immune to the desensitizing affect of immorality. As sin becomes more acceptable in society, you must not allow that trend to diminish your awareness of what God expects.
In his final address to the Israelites about to enter Canaan, Moses stresses what is most important. In his remarks, he offers one of the Great Expectations of Man's Love for God, a Love that Dedicates all you are to Him who deserves all you have.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes see the pdf here.
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