“Now, Israel, listen to
the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live
and enter and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your
ancestors, is giving you.”
(Deuteronomy 4:1,)
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, Peace and Love of
Christ be with you.
Today we hear the voice
of Moses, the faithful servant of the Lord, speaking to us at this very moment
of our human history.
“Now, Israel, Shema…” : The
word “Shema” is more than hear, it is a call to listen with the
ears of your soul, with a readiness to respond. It is active listening,
where hearing and obeying are intertwined like a vine around the Word of God. God
is not merely asking for our attention. He is asking for our devotion.
“Observe - va'asitem
the statutes and ordinances…” : Here, the word “observe” comes
from the verb asah, meaning to do, to apply, to put
into action. It is not about knowing the Law, it is about living it.
Knowledge that does not become practice is lifeless. But the Word of God, when done,
becomes life, “that you may live” vich'yitem.
🕊️ The
Word of God is not a burden. It is a gift that brings life! We understand it
better by living it.
Verse 5 reminds us: “See, I now teach you decrees
chukkim and laws – mishpatim just as the Lord my God
commanded me…” These Hebrew words are precious.
- Chukkim – these are
divine statutes that may not always seem rational but are obeyed out of
trust and reverence.
- Mishpatim – these are
just ordinances that express God’s righteous order and wisdom.
Together, they reveal
that God's law is both mystery and justice, faith and reason, love and
structure of our relationship with God.
And now, the why:
“So that you may enter and possess the land…”. God’s blessings are tied
not just to inheritance, but to obedience. The land is not simply a
gift; it is a covenantal promise that blossoms through faithful living.
Called
to Witness to the Nations : Verse 6 explodes with a
missionary tone: “Observe
them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding
to the nations…”
Child of God, your obedience is your witness. The
world will not be drawn by empty rituals or religious slogans, but by a people
who live the Word with humble faithfulness. You become a living Torah,
an epistle written by God and read by men (2 Cor 3:2)!
But Be Careful... Do Not
Forget! "Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget–
pen tishkach the things your eyes have seen…" (v.9). Here, the Hebrew word
shakach, to forget, is not merely a lapse of memory. It is
a slipping away, a loss of heart, a spiritual amnesia. It’s when
we begin to live as though we never encountered the God who parted the seas,
who guided us through the wilderness, who spoke from the fire.
So Moses pleads: “Do
not forget!” “…make them known to your children and to your
children’s children.” This is legacy. This is mission. This is how faith
becomes a flame that does not die, when it is passed from heart to heart,
generation to generation.
Dear friends, the Word
of God today asks us three things: Listen with the ears of the
heart. Observe with a life of faithful obedience. Do not forget, never let go of what
God has done for you.
Let us be a people whose
memory is alive, whose faith is visible, and whose obedience is radiant. Then
truly, the nations will say: “Surely this great nation is a wise and
understanding people.”(v.6)
Amen.
Let us go and live this
Word, because when the people of God remember and obey, they shine like a light
to the world.
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