And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart;
Commentary for this Verse
The call to love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul and might comes first. Then comes this verse: His words must live in the heart. The verse raises the question of what God actually wants from His people — a set of religious duties, or an inward hold on His word that then shapes speech, home, and daily life.
The heart as the source
The place chosen for these words matters. God puts them at the spring from which everything else in life flows.
C. H. Mackintosh"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart" — at the very source of all that flows out in life. This is precious. Whatever is in the heart comes out through the lips, and in the life. How important, then, to fill the heart with the word of God — so full that no room is left for the empty, foolish things of this present evil world... When the word of God rules the heart, the whole character shows the blessed result. It must be so, since the heart is the mainspring of our entire moral condition.
Whose words these are
The command comes right after the statement that the LORD alone is God. That setting shapes the loyalty He asks for.
William KellyThe point for the Jew was the one true God. "The LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt" — He was the only God... "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children." They were to tie them on as a sign. They were to make much of them everywhere — outside the house and inside, and at all times... It was to be real loyalty: not merely a teaching held on paper, but something known as a fact.
Affection, not ceremony
This book leans very little on ritual. What it asks for can be kept in any circumstance.
C. H. MackintoshIt is not a book of ceremony; it is a book of moral and affectionate obedience. In almost every section it teaches one priceless lesson. The heart that loves, values and honours the word of God is ready for every act of obedience — offering a sacrifice, or keeping a day. An Israelite could end up somewhere that made careful attention to rites and ceremonies impossible. But he could never be anywhere that stopped him loving, revering and obeying the word of God.
Why an accurate life is not enough
Since the command reaches the heart, a life that looks right on the surface can still miss it entirely.
C. H. MackintoshAn earnest purpose of heart is most precious to God. We may dare to call it the great regulator of our moral life. It gives the Christian character an attractive earnestness that we should all want. It is a divine antidote against coldness, deadness and formality, all of which God hates. The outward life may be very correct, and the beliefs held may be entirely sound. But if the earnest purpose of heart is missing — the affectionate clinging of the whole being to God and His Christ — it is all worthless.
Order matters: God, then His word
The command comes right after the call to love. One writer treats that order as the condition for everything else.
Frank WallaceVerses 4 and 5 are necessary if this is to be fulfilled: you must "love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." All that follows completes it. God first, and then His word.
Verse 6 before verse 7
The teaching of children in the next verse depends entirely on this one. A parent hands on only what he already holds.
The Christian's FriendFirst, the word taught must be in the parent's own heart. He must own it and love it. No one can teach a truth whose power he has not felt himself. Second, the responsibility is personal, and no one else can carry it: the parent himself must be the teacher. Third, he must be diligent. He must seize every passing opportunity to press God's word on his children's hearts.
What only God can do
The same book looks ahead. God promises to do inside His people what the command asks of them.
Truth & Testimony"And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live" (Deut. 30:6). This verse looks on to the future... The terms of the New Covenant come to mind here: "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts" (Jer. 31:33).
Summary
- Heart first. God aims His word at the mainspring of life. What fills the heart comes out through the lips and in the way we live.
- Heart, not ritual. Circumstances can make ceremonies impossible. Nothing can stop you loving and obeying God's word.
- Heart, not veneer. A correct life and sound beliefs are worthless without an earnest purpose of heart.
- Heart, then home. Only a parent who owns and loves the word can pass it on, and no one else can do it for him.
- Heart, given by God. God promises to write on the heart Himself what He first told Israel to keep there.