The call to love God "with all your heart, with all your being ('soul'), and with all your strength" became a most important part of both the Yahwistic and later the Jewish tradition, where it became a prayer comparable in importance for Judaism to the "Our Father" for Christianity. What was so important in this call? After all, love for God is spoken of not only...
The call to love God "with all your heart, with all your being ('soul'), and with all your strength" became a most important part of both the Yahwistic and later the Jewish tradition, where it became a prayer comparable in importance for Judaism to the "Our Father" for Christianity. What was so important in this call? After all, love for God is spoken of not only in this chapter of the book of Deuteronomy. But it is precisely here that we are told how love for God grows in a person and how relationship with Him is built.
Everything naturally begins with the heart, for in the language of the biblical books the heart designates the spiritual center of the human person, where choices are made and decisions are taken. And they are taken on the basis of the system of values and life priorities by which a person is guided after making one or another life choice. Naturally, when a person turns to God, not to some abstract "God in general," but to the God of the Bible, he chooses the Torah and the path of righteousness, the path of following the commandments given by God; and this, in turn, forms in such a person's heart a new system of values and priorities corresponding to the Torah. And then one can say that the person gives his heart to God.
But this is only the beginning. A new system of values and priorities changes a person's whole inner life, his "soul." In this case we are not speaking about the soul in the sense in which we understand the word today, but about a person's inner life as a whole, about his thoughts, feelings, emotions, about what today we collectively call a person's inner world. Naturally, it cannot fail to change in accordance with the new system of values and priorities by which the person, after turning to God, has begun to be guided.
But even this is not all: after a person's inner life, his outer life also changes, provided that conversion as a spiritual process reaches its logical completion. The corresponding Hebrew word designates not only a person's physical and mental powers, but also all his abilities and possibilities connected with outward manifestations, possibilities determined not only by his own inner potential but also by external circumstances. In fact, this is exactly what we usually call outer life, to some degree setting it in contrast to inner life.
It is no wonder that in a spiritually whole person the outer life will correspond to the inner life; it will be determined by the same system of values and priorities as the inner life. And only then can one say that the person belongs wholly to God, and that his love for God is shown not only in words but also in deed.
6 A persuasive to obedience, Deu 6:1-3.
The first truth, God is One, the first duty, to love him, Deu 6:4-5.
The means hereto, Deu 6:6-9.
A caution not to forget God in prosperity, Deu 6:10-13.
Not to worship idols, or tempt God, Deu 6:14-16.
Exhortation to obedience, Deu 6:17-19.
And to teach their children, Deu 6:20-25.
6:5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart - And is this only an external commandment? Can any then say, that the Sinai - covenant was merely external? With all thy heart - With an entire love. He is One; therefore our hearts must be united in his love. And the whole stream of our affections must run toward Him.O that this love of God may be shed abroad in our hearts.
6:7 Teach them diligently - Heb. whet, or sharpen them, so as they may pierce deep into their hearts. This metaphor signifies the manner of instructing them, that it is to be done diligently, earnestly, frequently, discreetly.
6:8 Thou shalt bind them - Thou shalt give all diligence, and use all means to keep them in thy remembrance, as men often bind something upon their hands, or put it before their eyes to prevent forgetfulness of a thing which they much desire to remember.
6:13 Shalt swear by his name - When thou hast a call and just cause to swear, not by idols, or any creatures.
6:15 Among you - Heb. In the midst of you, to see and observe all your ways and your turnings aside to other Gods.
6:16 Ye shall not tempt - Not provoke him, as the following instance explains. Sinners, especially presumptuous sinners, are said to tempt God, that is, to make a trial of God, whether he be, so wise as to see their sins, so just and true and powerful as to take vengeance on them, concerning which they are very apt to doubt because of the present impunity and prosperity of many such persons.
6:17 Ye diligently keep - Negligence will ruin us: but we cannot be saved without diligence.
6:25 It shall be our righteousness - Heb. Righteousness shall be to us. We shall be owned and pronounced by God to be righteous and holy persons, if we sincerely obey him, otherwise we shall be declared to be unrighteous and ungodly. Or, mercy shall be to us, or with us.For as the Hebrew word rendered righteousness is very often put for mercy, (as Psa 24:5 Psa 36:10, Psa 51:14, Deu 6, Pro 10:2, Pro 11:4, Deu 6, Dan 9:16, ) so this sense seems best to agree both with the scripture use of this phrase, (in which righteousness, seldom or never, but grace or mercy frequently, is said to be to us or with us) and with the foregoing verse and argument God, saith he, Deu 5:24, commanded these things for our good, that he might preserve us alive, as it is this day.And, saith he in this verse, this is not all; for as he hath done us good, so he will go on to do us more and more good, and God's mercy shall be to us, or with us, in the remainder of our lives, and for ever, if we observe these commandments.