"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. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates."
To the Israelite living under the old covenant "religion" was not just a matter of private devotion. It was not just another "area of life" separate from other "areas" such as social, economic, political, recreational, vocational or any other area we have established. Rather their "religion" was the all consuming aspect of every part of life, Yahweh was King in every part.
Moses said to them that the commandments were to find their way into their heart, the words of God are transformational if we allow them into our heart, what is in our heart is going to be what comes out in our actions. Jesus said "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34)
Moses commands them to teach these things to their children, we want to give to the next generation the very best we can give, God's truth isn't going to come bubbling up from within us rather it proceeds from God in his word and is taught to us. Give to them the treasure of his word, in words and in the deeds of our own lives to see it lived.
Talk about them often at home and on the road, how thankful I am for all the long talks I was able to have with my Grandmother, I called her "Nanny". We would sit sometimes for hours and discuss the words of God. Let the talk about God be in your life, initiate dialogue with others about God, we may not always agree on every point but don't let that hinder fruitful and loving conversation.
Let God's word be in your mind at bedtime and at daybreak, perhaps as times of prayer at the closing of one day and the arrival of another one, seek for communion with him, pray back to God the word of God itself for example the Psalms or the "Lord's Prayer".
Tie them as symbols on your hands and let the word be bound to your forehead. Whatever work you put your hands to, let them be guided by God, do all things for his glory. Whatever your job is glorify God, help others with your hands. Let God's word be your meditation through the day.
Write them on your door-frame so that when you go out into the world you are taking his word with you God's desire for us is to be "missional" people, Jesus said "you are the salt of the earth", "you are the light of the world", "a city set upon a hill cannot be hidden". And write them on your gate so that when you come home you give again to your family the words of God and a life that is directed by it.
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