FEAR THE LORD YOUR GOD

Deuteronomy 6:10-25 / Keywords 6:13

Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.

 

6:10 When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

13 Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15 for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. 16 Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. 17 Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors, 19 thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the Lord said.

20 In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” 21 tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 23 But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. 25 And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.”

 

1. God was bringing them into the Promised Land, fulfilling his promises to the Patriarchs. But the danger of enjoying the land full of milk and honey - including houses they didn’t build, good things they didn’t provide, wells they didn’t dig, and vineyards they didn’t plant - would tempt them to forget the LORD. God’s grace of redemption must not be forgotten! They suffered as slaves in Egypt, but God brought them out. To remember God’s grace, they must fear the LORD and serve him only (13) and keep his commands out of love (17). Instead of following the evil example of past generations, they must do what is right in the LORD’s sight (18).

2. As children grow up, they will ask their parents about their lifestyle. Parents are to respond with the story of God’s redemptive grace. They obey God and strive for righteousness because of God’s love for them (25). This righteousness is fulfilled in Jesus and imparted to us by faith (2Co 5:21). We must not forget the grace of God, who delivered us from the power of sin. Instead, we love God by obeying and fearing the LORD our God. Telling stories of God’s grace to us and how we responded with obedience is the best way to explain the fear of the LORD to others. This testimony sets a beautiful legacy for a thousand generations.

Prayer Father, help me never forget your saving grace to me through Jesus, but to tell the story of your love to everyone.

One Word Do not forget the LORD your God