Reflection On Deuteronomy 6:4-9

In this journal post, I have been asked to reflect on a passage of Scripture. It comes from Deuteronomy 6:

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. ⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Followed by this closing thought from my lesson: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is an interesting summary of the law. It affirms that the people gathered before Moses should love God completely, obey the commandments, and teach the commandments to their children. This passage gives us a threefold perspective on the quality of life indicated by the Old Testament. This is worth reflecting upon as we study ethical living.

It seems so simple, right? love God, obey his commands, and pass them on. Do this and you will have a good life. Why does it seem that life gets so complicated that we stray so far away from this simple formula? It is a wise individual who can continue to keep this simple formula active in their life, and find balance in the moral life. It is my hope as I continue in this course that I can continue to come back to this simple concept of walking in step with God.