The Blessings Of Obedience (6:1-25)
Neal Pollard
After reviewing the ten commandments with the people, Moses proceeds to tell them why obeying them was so important to their lives and future. He does so with prepositions and conjunctions (translated eight times in the chapter as “that”). He does so with motivations for themselves and their descendants. Altogether, his words are meant to encourage the people to keep the Law for their own good and prosperity. Consider the blessings Moses attaches to obedience.
The Fear Of The Lord (1-2,12-16,24). Moses returns to this theme three times during this chapter. The fear of the Lord would spur on their obedience (2), keep Him as the sole object of their worship (12), and ensure their good and survival (24). This takes in reverence, but also an appreciation for the dread and terror that comes in failing to obey. Yet, Scripture lists so many blessings that follow the fear of the Lord–knowledge (Prov. 1:7), wisdom (Prov. 9:10), life (Prov. 10:27), strong confidence (Prov. 14:26), spiritual treasure (Isa. 33:6), spiritual growth (Acts 9:31), and persuasion (2 Cor. 5:11).
Wellness (3). For Israel, this wellness is primarily physical. But God lavished those physical blessings on them so that they would understand their source and serve and glorify Him. Contextually, being well is equated with inhabiting the land flowing with milk and honey. Think about how under Christ, that is magnified and improved. He gives us gifts to use for His cause, promising us a dwelling place far greater (John 14:1-5; 1 Th. 4:13-18).
An Intimate Relationship With God (4-9). On one of our trips to Israel, Kathy and I bought “Shema rings” which we wear every day. We have had a mezuzah, purchased over there, fixed to the door casing of our house, too. It also contains verses from the Shema. But more important than wearing or seeing Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is securing it in our hearts. God through Moses urges the people to wholeheartedly love Him, keep His word within them, and constantly share Him and His word with their children. By this, they would bond themselves to Him. Notice how it begins with love and the heart. When these are engaged, obedience becomes far easier.
Unmerited Favor (10-11). Building on the last blessing, their obedience would lead them to blessings they did not earn or deserve. Moses enumerates them–land, cities, houses, contents, cisterns, vineyards, and food. While He has certainly blessed us in like manner (Acts 14:17), He has given us infinitely more through Christ. Grace, God’s unmerited favor, opens the door to all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:1-8).
Divine Assistance (17-23). Notice that this blessing begins with phrases like “you shall” (18, 21) and “you should” (17). They had a part to play, that part being obedience. Yet, doing good and right in God’s sight (18) would lead Him to drive out their enemies and deliver them (19,22). As we trust and obey, God will help us with everything we attempt that honors Him and is in harmony with His will.
Righteousness (25). In summation, Moses says, “It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the Lord our God, just as He commanded us.” Harold Stigers writes, “The covenant requires obedience to God by the nation and is the way of his people (Ps 1:1–6; Deut 6:25), a way of righteousness. God is righteous, under the covenant, when he delivers his people from trouble” (TWOT, 754). God opens the way of life and preservation when we carefully observe what He commands. Jesus will echo this idea in the Sermon on the Mount as He emphasizes true righteousness (Matt. 5:20; 7:13-14).
The covenant contained in this Law was for the good of Israel. It is summarized in the very first three verses of Psalms: ” How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers” (1:1-3). God blesses the obedient, then and now!
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