Deuteronomy 11:18-21 (The Message)
18-21 Place these words on your hearts. Get them deep inside you. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder. Teach them to your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning until you fall into bed at night. Inscribe them on the doorposts and gates of your cities so that you’ll live a long time, and your children with you, on the soil that God promised to give your ancestors for as long as there is a sky over the Earth.
In our Old Testament passage today, God commissions Moses to teach His people to love and obey His commands. This is so God’s people can enjoy divine blessings for generations to come. Please note, God’s plan for His people is to reclaim the land that has been under the world’s evil system; they will overcome by their worship and faith in God’s provision. They must not turn from following God’s commands, because if they begin to worship other gods they will experience a curse instead of a blessing.
To guard future generations, God’s people are to fix His words (commands) on their minds and hearts and tie them like symbols on their hands and foreheads. In the New Testament Book of Revelation ch 13, the Antichrist will also require a mark—on the hand or forehead—for people; this is how Satan will provide for them under the evil world’s system. Satan never does anything original; he only mocks and mimics God. The Lord Yahweh desires for his people to experience his love and goodness, but to receive what He has in store for us, we must acknowledge that He exists and that He is a Rewarder of those who seek Him and follow His Word (Heb. 11:6). Let’s seek Him wholeheartedly.
Prayer: Lord, help me talk about your love and commands everywhere I go today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.