HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 535
DEUTER ONOM Y 6
page 165
and other livestock, and any foreigners
living among you. All your male and female
servants must rest as you do. 15 Remember
that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the
Lord your God brought you out with his
strong hand and powerful arm. That is why
the Lord your God has commanded you to
rest on the Sabbath day.
16 “Honor your father and mother, as the Lord
your God commanded you. Then you will
live a long, full life in the land the Lord your
God is giving you.
17 “You must not murder.
18 “You must not commit adultery.
19 “You must not steal.
20 “You must not testify falsely against your
neighbor.
21 “You must not covet your neighbor’s wife.
You must not covet your neighbor’s house
or land, male or female servant, ox or
donkey, or anything else that belongs to
your neighbor.
22 “The Lord spoke these words to all of you
assembled there at the foot of the mountain. He
spoke with a loud voice from the heart of the fire,
surrounded by clouds and deep darkness. This
was all he said at that time, and he wrote his
words on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
23 “But when you heard the voice from the
heart of the darkness, while the mountain was
blazing with fire, all your tribal leaders and elders came to me. 24 They said, ‘Look, the Lord
our God has shown us his glory and greatness,
and we have heard his voice from the heart of
the fire. Today we have seen that God can speak
to us humans, and yet we live! 25 But now, why
should we risk death again? If the Lord our God
speaks to us again, we will certainly die and be
consumed by this awesome fire. 26 Can any living
thing hear the voice of the living God from the
heart of the fire as we did and yet survive? 27 Go
yourself and listen to what the Lord our God
says. Then come and tell us everything he tells
you, and we will listen and obey.’
28 “The Lord heard the request you made to me.
And he said, ‘I have heard what the people said
to you, and they are right. 29 Oh, that they would
always have hearts like this, that they might fear
me and obey all my commands! If they did, they
and their descendants would prosper forever.
30 Go and tell them, “Return to your tents.” 31 But
you stand here with me so I can give you all my
commands, decrees, and regulations. You must
teach them to the people so they can obey them
in the land I am giving them as their possession.’”
32 So Moses told the people, “You must be
careful to obey all the commands of the Lord
your God, following his instructions in every detail. 33 Stay on the path that the Lord your God
has commanded you to follow. Then you will
live long and prosperous lives in the land you
are about to enter and occupy.
A Call for Wholehearted Commitment
“These are the commands, decrees, and
regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them
in the land you are about to enter and occupy,
2 and you and your children and grandchildren
must fear the Lord your God as long as you live.
If you obey all his decrees and commands, you
will enjoy a long life. 3 Listen closely, Israel, and
be careful to obey. Then all will go well with
you, and you will have many children in the
land flowing with milk and honey, just as the
Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
6
• Desires
DE U TE R ON OM Y 5:21
This verse speaks of desire that turns
into covetousness, which leads to no
good. When David saw Bathsheba
bathing, he desired his neighbor’s wife
so much that, ultimately, he killed to get
her (2 Samuel 11). Most of us cannot
imagine doing such a thing, but a simple
desire for something another person has
can flare into an obsession. Allowing your
mind to dwell on such desires can keep
the fire alive until an opportune moment
comes along; then you find yourself doing
something you never dreamed possible.
Passion-fueled dreams can lead to
passion-powered actions.
• Family
DE U TE R ON OM Y 6:4-9
Colloquial wisdom has always maintained
that spiritual values and character are
“caught” as much as taught. And whether
they realize it or not, parents are the
primary role models children “catch”
their values from. Parents who drop their
children off at Sunday school on their
way to the pool or golf course are as
hypocritical as those who light up a
cigarette while telling their children not to
smoke. The Bible teaches that parents
bear the fundamental responsibility of
spiritual education and that spiritual values
are most effectively taught when they are
integrated into the very fabric of family life.
If a child watched your life, what would
that child conclude about the importance
of a relationship with God?