Deuteronomy 11:1-15 NKJV
11 “Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always. 2 Know today that I do not speak with your children, who have not known and who have not seen the chastening of the Lord your God, His greatness and His mighty hand and His outstretched arm— 3 His signs and His acts which He did in the midst of Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to all his land; 4 what He did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and their chariots: how He made the waters of the Red Sea overflow them as they pursued you, and how the Lord has destroyed them to this day; 5 what He did for you in the wilderness until you came to this place; 6 and what He did to Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, their households, their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel— 7 but your eyes have seen every great act of the Lord which He did.
8 “Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess, 9 and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord swore to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ 10 For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; 11 but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, 12 a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.
13 ‘And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. 15 And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.’
Someone once said that if God had given only the First Commandment, it would still be more than enough. Someone else posited that commandments 2-10 are simply commentaries on the First. These statements are true, for everything in the life of the Christian is ultimately a matter of the First Commandment: “You shall have no other Gods before Me.” Keeping God’s name holy and keeping the Sabbath rightly are extensions of the First Commandment. Honoring those in authority over you, respecting all life, understanding that your body is the Spirit’s temple, not stealing, not speaking ill of others, and not coveting – all these are extensions of the First Commandment. They reflect how a person understands the fact that there is only one true God.
Luther’s meaning to the First Commandment says, “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” And in the first verse of today’s reading, God, through Moses, tells the people, “Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always.” If the First Commandment is kept, respected, and reverenced, then all other things will be taken care of. That’s what God was reminding the Israelites of constantly as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. Basically, God said, “I promise to take care of you, lead you, guide you, protect you, and prosper you, as long as you obey Me and keep My Word. I know what is best for you, and if you know what is best for you, you will take Me seriously, and it will redound for your good and My glory. Always.”
The God of Holy Scripture is the only true God; all others are false and will lead you astray. Believe by God-given faith in Him. He has given His Son into death to pay for all your sins and give you the promise of everlasting life with Him in heaven. Repent of any unbelief, and run to Christ for His forgiveness, strength, and the peace which passes all understanding.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for dying and rising for me and giving me faith to trust and believe in You alone. Amen.