THURSDAY

SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 6:1-12

The lesson last Sabbath focused on the journey to Mt. Sinai. On that journey, the children of Israel learned to trust God’s provision through manna in the mornings, water from the rock, protection from enemies as Moses lifted his hands to God, and the wisdom of Jethro, who showed Moses the importance of sharing the load and connecting with family. There was still a lot of road ahead for them, and much still to learn, but when the time finally came to enter the Promised Land, in one of his final addresses, Moses once again shared the larger context in which the law was to be heard and understood. After reciting for them again the Ten Commandments in chapter 5, some of what he went on to share is found in our passage for today. It is here that he reminds them of the reason for the Commandments, and a bit of what is on God’s heart for them as well. God’s desire for them is to live long and prosper in the land they would be given. He then goes on to summarize the Commandments in much the same way Jesus later would (verses 4-5). Moses reminds them that the Commandments were not ever about just keeping ten rules in order to qualify as God’s children, but rather a way of living that would impact every area of their lives as they lived out what it meant to love well. He reminds them of the importance of remembering that all that they had and would receive was not the result of their hard work, but of God’s grace. That was the context in which these Ten Commandments were recited again, and need to be understood in that light. As you read and continue to reflect on today’s passage, consider the following:

• As you reflect on verses 1-3, how would you describe what seems to be on God’s heart for the children of Israel?

• As you reflect on verses 4-9, how would you describe how God wanted the Commandments to be experienced?

• As you reflect on verses 10-12, how important does it seem for Israel to remember that God was giving them a gift of grace, not something they had qualified for and earned? Why do you think this realization was so important for them to keep in mind?

• In Matthew 5:17-18, Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” How do these words of Jesus relate to today’s passage?

• As you continue to reflect on today’s passage, what seems to speak to you the most powerfully?

Take a few moments to share with God in prayer what has surfaced for you as you have been reflecting on the passage today.