Throughout the book of Deuteronomy, the writer is seeking to carry the people of Israel to ne’er bury YHWH, who gave them the land in add-on to reminding the Hebrewss of their duties to idolize the divinity with the right attitude. Israel ‘s manner of life depended on the character of the God whom they worshiped. Israel ‘s ownership of the land depended on the character of its people. Thus the talker encourages their people to cheer and educate one another in the significance of their relationship to YHWH, the God of their History. Chapter 6:1-9 is about naming consciousness to “ The Commandment ” where YHWH boils the Law down to one individual commandment which encompasses the remainder: Yahweh must be foremost in Israel ‘s bosom for the state to be blessed
The chief focal point of Chapter 6 is love manifested in respectful fright, trueness, and obeisance, as a liege to its male monarch. Love is commanded by YHWH. Election was non an automatic warrant for the continued prosperity of Israel. It required an ceaseless worship of YHWH and a trueness to the compact offer ( 6:1-3 ) . After distributing the commandments to be obeyed ( ch. 5 ) and explicating to the people the conditional nature of YHWH ‘s gift of the land of Canaan, Moses begins a series of commendations and allusions to the Decalogue ( 6:4-19 ) . The writer begins to enter the address with the phrase in poetry 4, “ Hear, 0 Israel. ” And follows up saying YHWH is the exclusive God of Israel. The divinity is the God of Israel ‘s history and demands its obeisance, love, and trueness. And yet, even as the hegira from Egypt manifested non merely the God of the Israelite people, but besides the God of all peoples, so here, under the declaration of YHWH ‘s unique and sole compact with Israel, hides the construct that there is one God, non merely for Israel, but besides for the universe. “ YHWH, our God, is the one God for Israel and the universe. ” In Israel ‘s practical religion YHWH is its God entirely. In truth, YHWH is the God of the existence.
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The Shema continues in poetry 5 as the writer proclaims the intended consequence of YHWH ‘s loving kindness to Israel. YHWH loves Israel and has chosen them for a holy people ( 4:37 ; 7:6, 7 ; 10:15 ) . Yahweh has set Israel apart and extended the divinity ‘s clemency to Israel. Because of these approvals, which enable Israel to possess the land and unrecorded prosperously in it, the people are to reciprocate the Godhead love. Whereas single security one time rested in Israelite citizenship, now the national security is contingent upon the personal love of its people for YHWH.
This love is non mere lip-service. The Deuteronomist clearly states the deductions of this love. Israel is to fear YHWH ( 4:10 ; 5:29 ; 6:24 ; 8:6 ; 10:12 ) , to function him ( 10:12 ; 11:13 ) and to maintain his commandments ( 5:10 ; 7:9 ) . Such fidelity is motivated by Israel ‘s gratitude for what YHWH did and by a desire for Israel ‘s ain wellbeing ( 4:40 ; 5:16, 6:3 ) This love is farther intensified by the phrase “ with all your bosom and with all your life and with all your might. ” There are two possible readings of this look. First, the footings are distinguishable but complementary. The writer may be cheering the Israelites to love YHWH with their undivided trueness, committedness to YHWH, and substance. Second, the words may be interpreted as “ with your whole ego. ” An overview of the look throughout Deuteronomy confirms this thought as the book frequently states a demand for an across-the-board sense of personal devotedness to YHWH.
The compact rests on a planar love. First, love moves in the important case from YHWH to Israel and initiates the compact. Second, love, as a effect, flows from Israel to Yahweh and keeps the compact in consequence. It is YHWH ‘s initiating love, expressed
in the divinity ‘s gift of the land and of freedom from bondage, which is examined in these poetries. Following his sounding the dangers of sudden success, the writer so warns Israel of the wickedness of devotion ( 6:13-15 ) . The practical side of Israel ‘s faith is to keep the compact and to avoid inflaming YHWH ‘s Godhead choler. They can carry through this if they fear YHWH, function
him, and swear by his name. To fear YHWH is a popular construct in Deuteronomy. Although Israel ‘s motive for keeping the compact comes from YHWH ‘s initiating love, the fear and awe of YHWH ‘s powerful justness and retribution besides help the Israelites to be loyal and obedient. After YHWH has done so much for Israel, to idolize any other YHWH would be an abomination to the Lord. Because of the big gifts of grace, YHWH should be and
expects to be worshipped and praised. The writer does non deny the being of other Gods ( vs. 14 ) , but he decidedly states that Yahweh is the lone God active in the life of the state Israel. For this ground, poetry 14 announces YHWH ‘s abomination of the worship of other Gods.
YHWH will non digest the worship of other Gods by a people for whom he has done so much. YHWH is a covetous God ( 4:25 ; 5:9 ; 6:15 ) . Jealousy and wrath are merely every bit much maps of the divinity ‘s Lordship as its love and grace. They are anthropopathic properties given to YHWH on the footing of action. Even as love cements the bond of the covenantal relationship, so besides justness is of import to love. Justice localizes and charts love ‘s class. If the judicial admissions are non met, the penalty will come. A interruption in the compact relationship is the consequence of Israel ‘s wickedness. YHWH is ne’er unfaithful. YHWH will non interrupt his compact. The divinity ‘s fidelity is steadfast and if jobs occur, the Israelites, non YHWH, will are responsible. Conversely, all will be good with Israel if they diligently keep the commandments and make what is right and good ( V. 17, 18 ) .
To make what is right is to make what is right in the eyes of the Lord, to obey the compact jurisprudence. To make what is good is to obtain the abundant life as described before ( californium. 6:3, 10, 11 ) . The writer indicates that Israel ‘s goodness assures YHWH ‘s goodness and therefore maintains the
relationship. When the compact is valid, the combination of Israel ‘s obeisance and YHWH ‘s faithful promises allows Israel to possess the land when they push out all their enemies ( vs. 19 ) . In fact, irrespective of who the enemy may be, Israel will be winning with the assistance of it ‘s
instructor, male parent, and suzerain, YHWH. Yet Israel must ever retrieve to make what is right ( 12:25 ; 13:18 ; 21:9 ) and what is good ( 6:18 ; 12:28 ) in the eyes of YHWH.
Decision
In decision, the writer knows that the success or failure of Israel ‘s venture across the Jordan, even growing as a state, depends upon its ability to maintain the commandments, legislative acts, and regulations of YHWH. Simply stated, Israel must idolize the right individual — YHWH, at the right clip ( day-to-day ) in the right topographic point ( the bosom ) . To keep good wellness Israel ‘s heartfelt faith must be daily directed to YHWH. In a modern-day scene, one frequently thinks YHWH places a 100 demands on them ( ie money, clip, attempt, will, entry, etc ) but the text states what YHWH requires is love. When we genuinely love the Lord with all of our bosom, psyche, and head, so everything else flows freely to the Lord.
