Love, the Cure for Rebellion- Week 8: Numbers 31-36; Deuteronomy 1-12

Last week’s readings detailed a number of rebellions by the people as they were in the wilderness. This week, Deuteronomy provides the cure for rebellion. The cure is love expressed through keeping God’s laws. This truth is expressed in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

“4 Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one (echad — unity)! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

In Deuteronomy 10:12-13 Moses tells the people: 12 “Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?

Please note that Moses defines loving God as being obedient to Him. Love is an action not just an emotion. He goes on to describe the blessing that result from obedience and the negative consequences of disobedience. He tells them they must make a choice and encourages them to pick obedience and blessings over disobedience and punishment.

The obedience with its resultant blessings were to be a witness to the other nations so that they would want to know and have a relationship with Yehovah like Israel. Deuteronomy 4:6-8 states: 6 So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7 For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him? 8 Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today?

In the Shema we are told that Yehovah is one. The Hebrew word is not the number one but instead the word echad meaning “unity.” Orthodox Christianity believes in the trinity – one God expressed in 3 beings – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In Genesis we are taught that during marriage that the man and the woman become “one flesh.” Again the word is echad. They are two and yet are one.

A useful analogy is the atom. An atom is made up of protons, electrons and neutrons and yet the three components are all part of the same unified element. No analogy is perfect and our human minds may never be able to fully comprehend the triune nature of a single God but it is important to understand that the concept of the trinity does not violate what is taught in Deuteronomy.

Prior to his death and the people entering the promised land, Moses takes time to remind them of the importance of loving God – by being obedient to Him.