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Monday 8 May 2023

Deuteronomy 6:20-25 - When your son asks you

6:20

Earlier the people had been told to explain to future generations why they celebrated the Passover. Now we have a similar thing with explaining “the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord your God has commanded you”. There is an important general principle here, and it is that we don’t just say “this is the truth, believe it” without any explanation. God wants us to understand. Now there are times when we should just do something because God has said do it, but the general principle is that we should understand His ways as well.


6:21-3

As with the Passover, the explanation goes back to the release from slavery in Egypt.  They were slaves, but the Lord set them free by mighty acts of power. Various plagues were unleashed on Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The Lord brought them out of slavery and into the land He had promised to give them, promises made to their ancestors. So why does this explain why they should follow His decrees? Various reasons can be given. One is that the way they lived before was not good, this applies directly if we draw a parallel between the gospel and the release from Egypt. Another is that we owe everything to God. Without God they would still be in slavery.


6:24,25

Then we get another reason, the laws were given in order that things would go well with the people. So that they would be fruitful and prosperous in the Promised Land. If they obeyed all the Lord’s commands, then “that will be our righteousness”. As we know they did not keep the laws, so they had no righteousness, and things did not go well with them. 


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