God’s Great Commandment

Revering The Deity of God

Text: Deuteronomy 6-12

Focus: Deuteronomy 6:4-18

There should be no doubt in the heart of the Christian that Jehovah God is the only Lord, He is the only God, He is the only Creator, He is the only Savior and He is the only Redeemer. It is only with this faith that we can be a witness to the world.

No matter what the world thinks or believes the obedience of any nation should be based the spiritual principles of Jehovah God and not on personal principles.

We will only be a force in this world we live in when we are encouraged by the right motives. That right motive is Jesus Christ!

God gave Israel these moral laws to be a guideline to build this nation! There must be rules to live by in every nation.

There are no better rules than the moral laws of God! Peace and welfare can only come when there is a civilized society!

To be civilized is the opposite of being criminal. To be civilized is to have order in our society. Order must rule to stop anarchy, and to have a government that has a goal to make things better for it’s people.

To be criminal or any other thing is to violate our moral obligations to God. If we do not see anything else in America, we see our nation becoming more and more uncivilized by God’s standards and more and more criminalized and it begins with our own government and men in power who believe themselves to be above the law.

To Israel, the standards for civilization were to be the Laws of God. What we know that happened is that over the years, Israel had religious leaders that either added to or took away from the Word of God and Israel became a society based on “Traditions”. This is also failure to obey the Word of God.

God’s Law and God’s Word is intended to draw all people closer to Him and our obedience must come from the heart before it can be noticed in our actions.

Love is an “action” word! We must be active in our “Faith”! Love is not a lustful word which comes from being covetous!

We should all ask ourselves this question, “Why should we obey God’s Word’ in a world where most people ignore what God has to say?

If our love is right then our obedience will be right!

God’s love is expressed in His Law. The great principle of the law is love!

Jesus said:

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

This not a hard thing to do when we focus on Jesus.

Salvation is a “love affair” with Jesus Christ!

The Bible says:

1Jn 4:19  We love him, because he first loved us.

In the New Testament the love of God is seen in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

God took His Word that He gave to Israel and because “Love” is an action word God came down out of Heaven to show us how much He loves us by dying for our sin.

He next showed His power in the resurrection!

1Jn 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

If God’s Word was all talk and no action we would never believe what He tells us. If we open our eyes we can see that our Lord is still a God of action in this world we live in. None other religion have a touchable God who is active in the lives of believers!

There are only two types of people in this world. Those that love Jehovah God and those that hate Jehovah God.

This new generation of Israel must understand and be obedient to this covenants basic principles before they can obey more detailed instructions!

They must realize:

1.) There is a purpose for life.
2.) There are principles for life.
3.) God has a plan for life.
4.) But, There will be perils in this life.

We must realize these things also:

Our Text:

*****Deu 6:4  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

When we see the title “LORD” (all capitol letters) in our Bible this is YHWH or JHVH and this is the title Yahweh or Jehovah.

Jehovah means the self-existing or it can mean eternal. This is Our God, who does not require any part of His creation to sustain Him!

Jehovah is the proper name of the One True God.

His name is not Allah.

His name is not Buddha.

His name is not any of the gods of Hinduism.

His name is not associated with any other religion except Judaism which is based on works and not faith!

When we see the phrase, “LORD thy God” , we are seeing Jehovah thy Elohim. Elohim, which is plural and therefore “Jehovah our Trinity”.

Our Trinity: The Father, The Son, The Holy Ghost, are the One God Jehovah!

Unless we can wrap ourselves around this fact, we will fall into the traps Satan plants about us.

We are all, “that are saved”, headed to the same place, the place where Jehovah the Trinity, abides!

There is only one Jehovah and we have His Word given to us which is the only truth and all the truth we need!

At this time of the beginning of Israel, the world was filled with Polytheism, nations that worshipped many gods and and had many idols.

Though this is still true today we also find a world that is full of Atheists, but the message of God does not change.

We have the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit but they are still THE ONE Jehovah!

*****Deu 6:5  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

According to Our Savior, this is the greatest commandment in the Bible:

And Jesus also said:

Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

This is a question we should ask our selves. Just how much do we love Jehovah God? If this is our measuring stick, not many of us can say we meet this standard, “But” it should still be our Goal!

We should be as the Apostle Paul:

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

There are many who question some of the things of the Apostle Paul, not I, but we cannot  question his desire to be more like Jesus Christ and that is what being a Christian is all about. If we are not growing in Jesus every day, then we are going back wards.

I love the Lord but it is rare that I show that love as I should. Just as Jesus asked Paul, “why are you persecuting me”, He probably wonders the same thing about me many days. I have no excuse and have no answer when I realize I have failed Him. You can judge your own selves, I know that I am, “just a sinner in absolute awe of a wonderful God” [who has enough love to look beyond my failures and still loves me].

If we have one ounce of hate for any person on this earth no matter who or what they are, we are failing in our love!

*****Deu 6:6  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

We must not only hear and receive the Word of God, we must make a place in our heart to keep it.

1Th 2:13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

We must receive the Word of God as the absolute truth or we will miss out on it’s meaning!

We must not only receive the Word of God as truth but we must be living epistles of Jesus Christ!

2Co 3:3  Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

This cannot happen without the Holy Spirit who lives within each child of God!

*****Deu 6:7  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Again, where have I failed, I did not learn the Word of God so that I could teach my own children. How can I complain about how they turned out. I just pray I have not waited to late to learn about God’s love.

God reminds us even after we are saved:

Eph 6:4  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

We must never quit on our children, because Jesus Christ never quits on anyone. To be a quitter is to be a failure!

The Bible still says:

Pro 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

How we live is the most important thing we can show our children and our grandchildren.

*****Deu 6:8  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

There should not be any doubt that Satan takes full advantage of our eyes. Most every billboard advertises sin. Everything that is sold on this earth and advertised on the television is introduced by a beautiful woman and most of them not properly dressed. Signs and neon lights advertise sin. We are confronted with sin daily and it is only getting worse.

God says that if we keep a copy of the Bible in our hands and keep His Word before our eyes we will not see these other things.

The professing Jew will recite a prayer at least daily called a Shema, that prayer begins with these verses of the Book of Deuteronomy 6: 3-9.

The professing Jew wore what is called a Phylactery on there forehead or their hand which contained their Shema, their prayer.

They took these words of Deuteronomy serious and if we spent more time in the Bible and less time with the television we could take the Word of God more serious and we would be better off.

These were physical things that were constant reminders of the importance of the Word of God!

*****Deu 6:9  And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

It is not hard to see that God’s Word should be around us at all times!

God’s Word should even control who is permitted to come in our yards and into our houses!

The practicing Jew will put a Mezuzah on their front door and on every door in their house. This box also contained the Shema prayer which began with these words of Deuteronomy.

Every Jew would touch the Mezuzah before entering the house and before entering any room.

These Jew have a great respect for the Word of God. It was a sign that the house was to be a sanctuary for the Lord and a place where the Word of God was loved.

Our homes must be a place where God dwells.

Our homes must be a place where the scriptures are honored.

Our homes must show the world that we are not afraid of our faith.

Our homes must be a witness that we belong to the Lord.

There are some places where this would bring death to those inside the home, but not in America and we need to do these things, not only for ourselves but on behalf of all those that are around the world.

We are God’s Witness to the world around us and we need to act like it!

To not do so shows that we are ashamed of the Lord!

*****Deu 6:10  And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,
Deu 6:11  And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;
Deu 6:12  Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

It is always a strange thing with people, once they are blessed they forget where that blessing came from. It is real easy sometimes to forget our Creator. The world has no respect for our Creator and the Church is being swayed by those that think science has the answers.

I have the Book of Genesis, I do not need some scientist to explain creation to me! When I understand this, it is easier for me to see the blessings God gives freely every day.

Moses was equipping this new generation of Israel to enter into the promised land of God and he knew that they would see all the billboards, the neon signs, their false worship centers and their idols, things that would tempt Israel. Now there may not have been any billboards or neon signs but we can be sure these things had their beginnings at this time:

God sent Ezekiel to see them:

Eze 8:9  And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
Eze 8:10  So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, [pourtrayed upon the wall round about.]

Moses knew Canaan land would be a place of temptation:

They would be tempted from the riches of the spoils of war and forget the Lord who won the victory.

They would be tempted by their pagan religions and forget to be a separate people.

*****Deu 6:13  Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

The Lord Jesus Himself used this verse when He was tempted of Satan:

Luk 4:8  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

We have a great responsibility when we become God’s children. We must fear Our Lord and obey Him.

This what we are committing to, when we pray the sinners prayer!

It is a great privilege to serve the Lord, “especially in this time He has chosen for us”.

*****Deu 6:14  Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
Deu 6:15  (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

We cannot expect the benefit of God’s promises unless we make conscience all of His precepts. God’s name is “Jealous” and we cannot worship Him right if we do not worship Him alone!

Exo 34:14  For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church:

1Co 10:20  But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
1Co 10:21  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.
1Co 10:22  Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

When we are tolerant of any false religion, we are tolerant to their gods! There is only one God and we have already stated that it is Jehovah the God of the Holy Trinity. No other religion beyond Christianity worships Jehovah of the Holy Trinity.

The Jew call His name Jehovah but do not recognize the Holy Trinity.

The Jehovah’s Witness include Him in their name but do not recognize the Holy Trinity, what a slap in the face of Jesus this is!

The Muslim worship Allah and this is not Jehovah at all!

We cannot have fellowship with devils and we cannot eat at the Lord’s table and also at the tables of devils.

We must not get confused with what the world says!

*****Deu 6:16  Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
Deu 6:17  Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.

In the words of Jesus our Lord to Satan himself:

Luk 4:12  And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Even though Satan will attack the Word of God, we must put forth more effort to keep it. If Israel did not at this time in their history, they would loose the land they were promised and we know that happened. They were removed from their land in 70 AD and could not return fully until May 14, 1948 when again they were recognized as a nation.

We cannot miss these important facts of God’s Word!

And we must diligently keep the commandments of the Lord our God or Jehovah of the Holy Trinity.

*****Deu 6:18  And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,

God’s purpose for bringing Israel out of Egypt was so He could take them to the promised land.

God’s purpose for sending the Lord Jesus Christ to take us out of the bondage of sin was so He can take us to our promised land which is Heaven. The church does not have an earthly land of promise!

The church has a Heavenly Promise.

And, It’s all because of Jesus we have this privilege:

Rom 4:24  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Rom 4:25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

We already have eternal life!

We already stand before Jehovah God because of Jesus!

God is working in our lives now!

God is working in us at His will and for His pleasure!

God will not discourage us and He is not through with us!

God is preparing our Home and He will return soon to take us there!

We know God is not through because, when He returns we will be like Him:

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

*****Not part of this lesson but let’s take a moment to see another verse:

Deu 12:4  Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God.
Deu 12:5  But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:

Israel was to have only one way to worship.

They were to bring all sacrifices to only one altar.

They were to have only one Tabernacle or one Temple.

They were never to worship Jehovah God in the ways that the false religions worshipped their false gods.

As the church, we are to offer up all “Spiritual Sacrifices” to God in the name of Jesus Christ. This is where our hope lies:

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

As the people of God, and the Body of Christ are the people of God!

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Pe 2:10  Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

As the chosen people of God, we must worship in the way that He commands and not imitate the religious practices of any false religion. This is a command of the Lord just as any other command!

The Christian faith and the Jewish faith came by the revelation of God and are not “man-made”!

Not by man’s invention nor by Satan’s instruction!

The most important activity of the church is to “worship our Lord”.

The next most important activity is to “make disciples”.

Then come the mission’s work.

God said to the Philadelphian Church:

Rev 3:8  I know thy works: behold, [I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it]: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

Rev 3:10  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

God says that there are no closed doors to the that body of believers that keep His Word!

When we try to imitate the world we will become what God calls the Laodicean Church.

If we love the Lord like we say we do, then let’s worship the way we are commanded and serve the way we should:

Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Jesus was a Jew from Judah, it was Israel that preserved God’s Word for us. We have already said that Jehovah is the God of the Holy Trinity and there is no other. To believe these things is to be saved and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

The Holy Spirit will teach us about Jesus and it is Jesus that made the way for us because there is no other way!

This is the truth and all else is a lie!

Let’s Pray!