Deuteronomy 6:10-25

“When the Lord your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant¹—and when you have eaten your fill, take care that you do not forget the Lord,² who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. The Lord your God you shall fear; him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall swear. Do not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are all around you, because the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a jealous God.³ The anger of the Lord your God would be kindled against you and he would destroy you from the face of the earth.”⁴

“Do not put the Lord your God to the test,⁵ as you tested him at Massah. You must diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his decrees, and his statutes that he has commanded you. Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give you, thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has promised.”⁶

“When your children ask you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the decrees and the statutes and the ordinances that the Lord our God has commanded you?’⁷ then you shall say to your children, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. The Lord displayed before our eyes great and awesome signs and wonders against Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his household.⁸ He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised on oath to our ancestors. Then the Lordcommanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our lasting good, so as to keep us alive, as is now the case. If we diligently observe this entire commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us,⁹ we will be in the right.’

1 A new way of describing the blessings of the holy land, by listing all the manmade gifts of the place.

2 Remember when you are well that God is the one who brought you to that point.

3 This “jealous god” term is hard for me, applying a very human weakness to God. But the point that is being commanded is clear.

4 Even after entering the holy land, they could still face destruction at God's hand.

5 Later quoted by Jesus.

6 God had promised, but Israel must play her part by being obedient.

7 Giving this context for the question makes the teaching realer.

8 Implying that the children do not see such wonders themselves.

9 Ninth mention in this chapter alone to obey the commands of God.


Take-home: The people are told that the ease of life in the Holy Land might lead them to forget who brought them such blessings, but they must remember God and continue to follow all his commands if it is to go well with them.