❤️ Deuteronomy 6:4-5 | Law and Love

📧 In today’s email…

• The connection between Law and Love ⚖️

• The Lawgiver behind the Law ❤️

• Tuesday Trivia 📊

 🧠 Memorize

_{see if you know what words go in the blanks}

Hear, O ______: The Lord our ___, ___ Lord __ one.

You shall love ___ ____ ____ God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

All In 🕺

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 takes place just after Moses proclaimed the Ten Commandments on behalf of God, to the people of Israel.

Imagine hearing the Law and then asking yourself,

“So what? What am I supposed to do with this?”

The end of chapter 5 and the beginning of chapter 6 describe that God’s commandments are to be taught and obeyed.

They aren’t just for information; instead, the Law is for transformation.

The Shema 👂️ 

Yesterday, we learned that the Shema is a famous prayer that has been memorized by generations of Jews and Christians.

The word ‘shema’ means ‘hear’ or ‘listen.’

BUT it’s not just a physical, literal listening - it’s means to listen and respond to what you hear.

Put another way:

• Shema = Listen + Respond

• Listen + Respond = OBEY

Knowing this actually makes 6:4-5 even more powerful.

If the Law expects us to do something about it, how do we best live out our response?

By loving the Lord. And not just half-heartedly.

 We are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and strength.

Apply & Respond: Looking for Love

In general, what has been your response to the commandments of God throughout your life?

Reflect 🤔 

Do you resist obeying? Do you reluctantly comply? Do you even know what God’s commandments are?

Or have you experienced life and freedom by obeying God? Do you find joy in diving into scripture and living in response?

Have you discovered that immersing yourself in God’s word is actually an expression of your love for him?

Read 📖 

This week, slowly read the Ten Commandments out loud.

(They can be found in 2 places: Exodus 20:2–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21.)

Ask God to reveal more about himself as you read them.

Then, spend time in prayer (out loud) and get to know the Lawgiver behind the Law.

💡 Note: Reading God’s Word and speaking to Him out loud has been a fruitful practice for me.

I’ve found that vocalizing His Word and my thoughts helps me connect with the Father in a unique way.

👀 Throughout the rest of the week, we’ll talk about practical ways to love God with everything we have.

Trivia 📊 

Click one of the options below. Let’s see how you do..

Answer key ✅ 

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