Listen Up!
Deuteronomy is the last book of the Torah and spans a relatively short time compared with the rest of the Pentateuch because we see Moses standing at the door to the promised land, reminding the Israelites of the Law. The previous generation had witnessed great miracles through the parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of the Egyptian army. However, they soon forgot God's goodness and complained, longing for the leeks and onions by the Nile. Having spent the last 400 years in Egypt, the Israelites were deeply entrenched in a pagan culture. Moses spent the previous 40 years in the desert teaching this new generation God's ways and guiding them toward the worship of Him alone. I can imagine the awe, fear, and trembling at Mount Sinai as the roar of God's first command shook the mountain. "You shall have no other gods besides me."
On that day, most, if not all, of the surrounding culture worshipped many gods. Both their fathers' experience in Egypt and their future in Canaan would include coming in contact with people who worshipped multiple gods. How strange it must have been to hear - "Worship me alone." The Second commandment illustrates the adherence to Yahweh by prohibiting the production of graven images used in pagan worship. Pagan worshippers used these idols to call on the various deities to act on their behalf. God saw these acts for what they were - manipulation to get the powers that be to do the capricious bidding of the people down below. The gods were appeased, and the people benefited. God alone is to be worshipped and, more importantly, to be obeyed wholeheartedly. God is the source of all things good, and learning to listen to His voice would develop a people ready to be a beacon of hope to a world marred by the captivity of self-absorption.
The word translated "hear" in Deuteronomy 6:4 is the Hebrew word Shema, which encompasses the passive act of physical hearing and the active act of obeying. Obedience is love. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. In other words, love God with your whole being.
We live in a culture today not too dissimilar from the pagan world of the Ancient Near East. Instead of pagan gods at our disposal to get our will accomplished, we have our own idols that seek to push our agenda ahead of God's. Teaching the next generation to worship God alone begins by hearing God's Word and acting on it. It is easy to forget God's love and kindness when the devil throws a thousand temptations to distract us. We become distracted by our selfish desires and act on them outside God's purpose.
When faced with moments of uncertainty or need, my wife and I often remind ourselves that God is the source, not us. So let's lead the next generation to resist the temptation to become sucked into the old lie that says we can be like God. We do this by listening up! We listen up, not down or around. We walk by faith, believing God ultimately takes care of our needs. God will protect us; God will sustain us. Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.
~ Shan Norwood and his wife Rina have been members of LIFE Fellowship for seven years. Shan is a graduate of Gordon Conwell Seminary and holds degrees in Biblical Studies and Christian Thought. He serves as a LIFE University instructor and as a stepdad to Micah and Caleb Godsey.