Your First Love

Moses:   ⁴ “Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. ⁵ And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength (might, power). ⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷ Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. ⁸ Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. ⁹ Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NLT)

Deuteronomy 6 is probably one of the most important and most quoted chapters of the entire Holy Bible. In this chapter, Moses teaches the people the importance of wholehearted love, devotion, obedience, allegiance, and commitment to the LORD God of their first true love. Even more, the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior also quoted from Deuteronomy 6 to explain the first and greatest commandment of the Holy Bible – loving God first (see Matthew 6:33; Matthew 22:37-38; Mark 12:29-30; Luke 10:27-28). Even more, Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6 to defeat Satan’s temptations and reveal His total devotion, allegiance, trust, commitment, and worship to His Father, the living God (see Matthew 4:7, 10; Luke 4:8, 12, quoting Deuteronomy 6:13, 16). All faithful believers of Jesus are to do likewise – faithfully trust, love, and worship Jesus’ Father, the living LORD God (see Philippians 2:1-2; Hebrews 12:2).

Deuteronomy 6 begins with Moses, a faithful servant of the living God, instructing a new generation of Israelites about to enter God’s Promised Land the importance of wholeheartedly and faithfully loving, honoring, and obeying God and His moral commandments (Deuteronomy 6:1-2, 6; see also Deuteronomy 10:12-13; Joshua 24:14-15; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Moses assured the people that reverence and obedience to God and His commandments would bring God’s blessings, life, and prosperity now and for generations to come (Deuteronomy 6:2-3; e.g., see also Genesis 17:1; Genesis 26:5; Deuteronomy 4:40; Deuteronomy 32:46).

The Ten Commandments are the central requirements of God’s covenant given at Mount Sinai and are the heart of morality for all generations (see Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21). Even more, the Ten Commandments summarize what the LORD God requires of His people concerning faith, worship, and conduct. The living God wanted to protect life from murder, respect marriage as holy, protect private property from theft, honor the truth, maintain order in family life, and set aside a day for worship of Him as their only God (e.g., see Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21; Deuteronomy 32:35; Matthew 19:16-19; Romans 12:9-21; Romans 13:8-10).

Jewish rabbis counted 613 individual statues in the Old Testament Law given by the living God through Moses. However, the heart of God’s Law is found most famously in the Ten Commandments, also known as the Ten Words or the Decalogue (Deuteronomy 5:6-21; see also Exodus 20:1-17), and most concisely in the Shema from Deuteronomy 6 (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). All other statutes, regulations, and ordinances of God (approximately 613) and the Old Testament Prophets are interpretations and applications of God’s Ten Commandments and the Shema. The Ten Commandments Moses gave in Exodus 20, repeated at Deuteronomy 5, reaffirmed by Joshua at Joshua 24, and explained by Jesus Christ on the Sermon on the Mount at Matthew chapters 5 through 7 summarize the central core of morality, faith, and worship for all generations. The very essence of the Law and Prophets is the truth that there is only one God, who is the Father of Jesus, and we must love, honor, and worship Him FIRST and obey His moral commandments (e.g., see Exodus 20:3-5; Deuteronomy 6:4-6, 13; Matthew 4:10; Matthew 6:33; Matthew 22:37; Luke 4:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6).

Next, we are to love one another and be good, righteous, and kind to others (Deuteronomy 6:18-19; e.g., see also Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:43-48; Matthew 19:19; Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 6:27-36; Luke 10:27; John 13:34-35; John 15:17; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:14). Love does not harm to its neighbor, but good (e.g., see Proverbs 3:3; Romans 13:10). The living God describes love as “patient and kind . . . not jealous or boastful or proud or rude . . . does not demand its own way. . . not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. . . does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (see 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NLT). Amazingly, the definition of love describes the living God and the fruits of the Holy Spirit (see Exodus 34:6-7; Galatians 5:22-23). The Holy Scriptures reveal the disastrous natural consequences and judgments that follow for those who violated God’s covenant – the Ten Commandments – by worshipping other gods and hurting others (e.g., see 2 Kings 17:7-23; 2 Kings 18:9-12; 2 Kings 21:12-15; 2 Kings 23:26-28; 2 Kings 24:3).

Moses reminded a new generation of Israelites that faith, reverence, and obedience to the living LORD God would make Israel into a great nation in a glorious land “flowing with milk and honey” as the LORD God promised their forefathers – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deuteronomy 6:3, 10; see also; Exodus 3:8; Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 26:9, 15; Deuteronomy 27:3; Deuteronomy 31:20). The living God is faithful, and He wanted to be Israel’s protector and provider (e.g., see Exodus 23:25; Deuteronomy 7:9, 12-15; Ezra 8:22; Psalm 7:10). God’s gracious and unconditional promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob gave Israel ownership of God’s Promised Land, but Israel’s faith and obedience to the LORD God guaranteed their possession and enjoyment of the land (Genesis 15:18-21; see also Exodus 6:8; Exodus 33:1; Deuteronomy 1:8, 11, 21, 35; Deuteronomy 9:5, 27; Deuteronomy 29:13; Deuteronomy 30:20; Deuteronomy 34:4).

Forty years earlier, the living God had come down from heaven to rescue Israel from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey (see Exodus 3:8). However, the first generation of Israelites leaving Egyptian slavery repeatedly rejected God’s love, rebelled against His authority, and ignored His commands for right living (e.g., see Exodus 32:1-35; Numbers 14:9-12; Numbers 21:4-7; Numbers 25:1-9; Deuteronomy 1:28; Deuteronomy 9:23-24; Deuteronomy 32:8-14; Psalm 106:24-27; Acts 7:39-43). The first generation was in the camp of God, but their hearts and minds were still in Egypt. Because of their repeated disobedience and rebellion, the first generation of Israelites wandered the wilderness desert for 40 years and eventually died in the wilderness (see Numbers 14:21-23, 28-30; Deuteronomy 1:35-38; Deuteronomy 32:13; Joshua 5:6). Now, a new generation of Israelites listened to Moses’ farewell address in Deuteronomy as they prepared to enter God’s Promised Land (Deuteronomy 1:1-3, 5, 39-40).

In Deuteronomy 6, Moses taught a new generation of Israelites the heart of the Law and the entire Holy Bible. Moses instructed Israel:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (ESV)

Moses instructed Israel to always recognize and acknowledge with our entire being that there is only one true and living God, the God of Israel, and we must love and worship Him only with all our heart, soul, mind, intellect, power, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; see also Matthew 22:27; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). The LORD God is the only LORD of heaven and earth, and we must love the LORD and the living God must be our first love (Deuteronomy 6:4-6; e.g., see also Deuteronomy 4:35, 39; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 86:10-11; Isaiah 44:6; Acts 17:22-29; Ephesians 4:6). This great commandment requires a heart that totally loves the LORD God first. Amazingly, Deuteronomy 6 anticipates the new covenant, when the living God’s commandments will be truly and effectively written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34; see also Deuteronomy 30:6-8).

Monotheism — belief in only one God — was unique to Jewish religion because many ancient religions believed in many gods (see Deuteronomy 4:35, 39; 1 Samuel 2:2; 1 Kings 8:60-61). Moses instructed the people that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God and King of the whole earth, and He is the only true God (see also Psalm 47:7; Zechariah 14:9). Israel and later faithful followers of Jesus Christ are to be God’s kingdom people – a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (see Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:5, 9-10; Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5:10; Revelation 20:6). To love the LORD God is to be His loyal and obedient servants. God has raised up many leaders and faithful prophets to continually remind not only Israel but the entire world that the LORD God of Israel is the only true and living God alone, and He is God over all the kingdoms of the earth (e.g., see 1 Kings 18:30-39; 2 Kings 19:15-19; Nehemiah 9:5-6; Psalm 86:9-10; Isaiah 44:6; Jeremiah 10:10-12).

Later, Jesus Christ repeated Moses’ instructions from Deuteronomy and instructed His disciples to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (see Matthew 22:37-38; Mark 12:29-30; Luke 10:27-28; quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5). According to Jesus Christ, loving God with all our heart, minds, and strength is the first and greatest commandment (see Matthew 22:37-39). This command, combined with the command to love your neighbor (see Leviticus 19:18), fulfills and embraces all the Old and New Testament (see Matthew 7:12; Matthew 22:34-40; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; John 15:17; see also Romans 13:8, 10; Galatians 5:14; Colossians 3:14; James 2:8)! If you love the LORD God with a total heart commitment and love you neighbor as yourself, you are doing right and perfect (see Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Matthew 5:43; James 2:8).  

Some people question the validity of the Trinity (Godhead) – God the Father, God the Son Jesus, and God the Spirit – and whether we can worship Jesus because of Deuteronomy’s command: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD” (see Deuteronomy 6:4, KJV). However, the Holy Scriptures reference the Trinity at various locations (see e.g., Genesis 1:1-3; 26-27; Matthew 28:19-20; John 14:16, 26; John 16:13-15; John 20:21-22; Romans 15:16, 30; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Galatians 4:4-6; Ephesians 2:18; Ephesians 4:4-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 1 John 4:2, 13-14; Jude 20-21). The clearest image of the Trinity was revealed at Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist where Jesus, God the Son, was anointed for His public ministry by God the Spirit, descending as a dove, with God the Father’s declaration from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, which whom I am well pleased” (see Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22).

There is one living God, and He exists in three Persons – God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Spirit (e.g., see John 17:3, 11, 21-23; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6). This doctrine of one God that exists as three Persons is known as the Trinity, the Godhead, or the Triune God. God the Father is presently living on His throne (e.g., see Isaiah 6:1; Daniel 7:9; Revelation 4:2) and God’s Son Jesus is presently at the living God’s right hand (e.g., see Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33). The Spirit of God also known as the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost was sent directly from God the Father and His Son Jesus (e.g., see John 14:26; John 15:26). God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit (also known as the Holy Ghost) are equal in nature but different in role, duties, and relationship. The Holy Spirit receives direction and instructions from both God the Father and God the Son and the Holy Spirit carries out the unified will of both the Father and the Son. The distinctive roles typically have God the Father willing, Jesus the Son completing, and the Holy Spirit applying the work of the Son (see e.g., Genesis 1:1-3, 9-10; Roman 8). Yet, there is a Oneness with Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit (see e.g., Deuteronomy 6:4; Nehemiah 9:6). Jesus is the most definitive revelation of the Godhead because the fullness of God lived in Jesus (see e.g., John 1:1-5, 14, 18; John 14:8-9; John 20:28, 31; Acts 2:36; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Colossians 1:15-20; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:1-4).

God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ are One, and they are LORD (e.g., see John 10:30, 38; John 14:9-10, 20, 23-24; John 17:3, 11, 21-23; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Ephesians 4:4-6). In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is often called “Lord” (e.g., see Matthew 12:1; Matthew 15:22; Matthew 17:4; Mark 2:22-23; Luke 6:5; John 13:13; John 21:7, 20; Acts 1:6; Acts 2:36; Acts 10:36; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:39; Romans 10:9). Everyone who believes and calls upon the Name of LORD from their whole hearts and obeys God’s righteous commands are One with Jesus, Jesus’ Father – the LORD God, and the Holy Spirit and will be saved (see John 3:15-18; John 14:23-24; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-13; 1 John 3:23-24). Jesus is God, and He is One with His Father, the living LORD God of Israel (e.g., see John 1:1; John 14:9; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Philippians 2:6; Hebrews 1:1-3). 

Next, Moses taught the people to always teach their children and children’s children to faithfully love, honor, and respect the LORD God and obey His moral commandments with their whole hearts (Deuteronomy 6:7; see also Deuteronomy 4:9; Deuteronomy 11:18-19; Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4). Nurturing the faith of children through God-centered teaching is one of the greatest privileges and obligations of parenthood. Moses encouraged Israel to explain, teach, and discuss the living God and His righteous commandments to their children and future generations so they and their children will incorporate God and His commandments within their hearts and live god honoring lives (Deuteronomy 6:7-9; see also Deuteronomy 11:18-21).

Moreover, Moses reminded Israel that when the LORD God bring them into the good land He promised their ancestors – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the people must never forget the LORD God and His goodness in graciously giving the land to Israel (Deuteronomy 6:10-12; see also Deuteronomy 8:10-11). The living God was about to give this new generation of Israelites all the Promised Land He promised to give to their ancestors – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deuteronomy 1:8; see also Genesis 13:14-15; Genesis 15:18-21; Genesis 17:7-8; Genesis 26:2-5; Genesis 28:12-15; Genesis 50:24; Deuteronomy 30:19-20). In the Promised Land, the living God would graciously give Israel vast wealth and great cities full of good things — cities they did not build, wells they did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees you did not plant (Deuteronomy 6:11; see also Joshua 24:13; Nehemiah 9:24-25). Moses warned Israel to always wholeheartedly and faithfully love, worship, and honor the living God and not worship the other gods of the nations (Deuteronomy 6:13-14; see also Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8). The living God, who is Creator of the heavens and earth, is a jealous God, and He will not share His people’s love and worship with any false gods nor idols for the living God will have no rivals (Deuteronomy 6:15; see also Exodus 20:5-6; Deuteronomy 4:24; Deuteronomy 5:8-10; Deuteronomy 32:16-26). As Moses taught and Jesus later reminded Israel, the living God required the people’s FIRST AND WHOLEHEARTED love, devotion, worship, honor, and obedience to Him and His moral commandments (see Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 13, 16-17; Matthew 4:7, 10; Matthew 6:33; Matthew 22:37; Luke 4:8, 12; see John 14:15-16, 20-21, 23; John 15:9-10; 1 John 2:3-5; 2 John 1:6). The living LORD God loves you (see John 3:16).

Finally, Moses taught the people that our wholehearted love of God and obedience to His moral commandments reveals our righteousness and goodness in God’s eyes (Deuteronomy 6:18, 25; see also Genesis 18:19; Psalm 37:3-7, 30-31). Moses equated faithful compliance with the covenant – the Ten Commandments – to righteousness (see Deuteronomy 6:25). Our righteous acts are not “a works-righteousness” but a response to our love for the living LORD God. The LORD God’s finger personally wrote the Ten Commandments, which is the essence of God’s covenant with Israel, and these are the commandments of God (see Exodus 31:18; Exodus 32:15-16; Exodus 34:1, 27-28; Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 9:10; Deuteronomy 10:1-4). Obedience to the covenant – the Ten Commandments – is our expression and response of faithful devotion to God and saving faith (see Habakkuk 2:4).

Even more, our love and obedience to the living God and His commandments will bring God’s blessings, provisions, and protection (Deuteronomy 6:3, 18, 25; see also Hebrews 13:5-6). All blessings flow from the living God (see Deuteronomy 8:1-20). Obedience and reverence before the LORD God are the keys to God’s continued blessings, our righteousness, and leads to life (Deuteronomy 6:24-25; see also Leviticus 26:3-13; John 15:7-10; Ephesians 3:16, 19). Israel would be able to defeat their enemies because the living God would fight for and protect them (Deuteronomy 6:19; see also Exodus 23:28-30; Deuteronomy 11:22-25). The living God is filled with great power and mighty miracles, and He blesses all those who love and obey Him (Deuteronomy 6:20-24; see also Romans 10:11-13). Our wholehearted love and obedience to the LORD God leads to life and righteousness while disobedience and dishonoring of the living God leads to death and destruction (e.g., see Deuteronomy 6:25; Deuteronomy 8:19-20; Deuteronomy 11:16-17, 27-28; Deuteronomy 30:19-20). True faith – which means trust, dependence, and allegiance to the LORD God with our whole hearts – leads to life, salvation, and righteousness now and eternally (e.g., see Genesis 15:6; Deuteronomy 32:45-47; Romans 10:8-10).

There is a curious passage in the Talmud (the body of Jewish civil and religious law) which says that Moses gave 600 commands or statutes to the Israelites. As these commands might prove too numerous to commit to memory, David brought these statutes down to eleven at Psalm 15. Then, the prophet Isaiah reduced these statutes from eleven to six in his chapter 33:15. The prophet Micah further reduced the commands to three in his writings (see Micah 6:8), and then the prophet Isaiah further reduced the commands once more and brought the commands down to two (see Isaiah 56:1). From these two commands from the prophet Isaiah, the prophet Amos reduced God’s commands to one (see Amos 5:4). Finally, the prophet Habakkuk taught, “The just shall live by his faith” in God (see Habakkuk 2:4, KJV). Similarly, the apostle Paul also taught the church to live by faith in the living God as originally taught to Abraham (see Genesis 15:6; John 3:36; Romans 1:16-17).  Everyone who calls on the Name of the LORD God will be saved (see Joel 2:32; Romans 10:13).

References

Amplified Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987).

Disciple's Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1988).

Life Application Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005).

NLT Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2008).

The Living Bible Paraphrase (Tyndale House, 1971).

Wiersbe, Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary – Old Testament (Victor Books, 1989).