The Jesus Bible Reading PlanSample

THE TRIUNE GOD MERCIFULLY BLESSES HIS CHILDREN

Knowing God, keeping the decrees of God, loving God alone without serving other gods — the commands within Deuteronomy can be a bit overwhelming, even to the point of feeling the weight of works-based righteousness. A reader of the Bible must ask why God wanted Moses to emphasize these themes over and over again throughout this book, particularly in chapter 6. As verses 1 – 3 and 6 – 9 teach, the exhortations in this chapter are for the people’s own good and the good of their children. Moses calls Israel to love the Lord with all of one’s heart, soul and strength (vv. 4 – 5). Total love is the ideal. Why? It is for his people’s good. There is no better place to be than centering one’s life around the law — or teachings — of God because they exist to show us the path to blessing and deep joy in knowing the Father. Yet, all people know that they often pursue other things as their ultimate desire. Why is it so impossible to follow God’s way if we know that it leads to blessing and not doing so leads to sorrow?

Just as the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, unable to alter their circumstances, all people are enslaved to sin apart from God interjecting his merciful grace in their lives (Eph 2:1 – 10). As this chapter of Deuteronomy progresses, it is evident that any commands from God to his people are tied closely to the mercy he has shown to them (Dt 6:20 – 25). God’s glorious mercy takes human sin, placing it on Jesus as the atonement for humanity’s inability to love God completely as commanded in Deuteronomy 6:5. Jesus has kept the law — a requirement to be righteous before God according to Deuteronomy 6:25 — and given us the righteousness of Jesus himself (Ro 3:21 – 22). This is true because the Father draws believers to himself (Jn 6:44), Jesus offers the perfect life and sacrifice for sin, and the Spirit guides believers in truth (Jn 16:13). The triune God works mercifully on Christians’ behalf to ensure that they will experience the blessed experience of living in his favor. They do not follow the law of God in order to earn his favor but because he has shown favor in his mercy. God’s children are freed by God’s gracious mercy through Christ to experience the blessing of following God’s desires for us found in the Bible.

Jesus, thank you for your mercy. Help me to be obedient to your desires and to love you with all my heart, soul and mind. Amen.