Preschool
The Lord is my helper. Hebrews 13:6
Hear the Word of the Lord
Memory Verses
Primary
The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Hebrews 13:6
Junior
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Hebrews 13:6
Background Scripture: Deuteronomy 5-6
Lesson Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:1-15
Introduction
When God created man, He began to speak with him. He spoke directly to Adam and Eve, Noah, and others. Sometimes God spoke to people through prophets such as Isaiah or through His appointed leaders such as Moses. Mary the mother of Jesus and Zacharias in the temple heard God’s message from angels. Today God speaks to our hearts through His Word as we read and study it and through the preaching of His Word by the ministers. We hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, bringing us wisdom and direction. When we err, we have no justifiable reason to say that the Lord did not tell us; rather, we should say that we did not listen or were not obedient to His message.
May we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit as we study this lesson and pay attention to the message the Lord sends us. When we are doers of the Word and not hearers only, we can confidently face life with its perplexities and challenges and be successful.
Key Verse
O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! (Deut. 5:29).
Lesson Scripture
Deuteronomy 6:1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:
2 That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
3 Hear, therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
10 And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,
11 And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;
12 Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
13 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
15 (For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
Studying the Lesson
The children of Israel were nearing the end of their journey, and Moses was nearing the end of his life. Deuteronomy means the “second giving of the Law” and this is just what Moses was doing. The Israelites had spent forty years wandering in the wilderness while the complainers who had been twenty years of age and older when they refused to enter the Promised Land had died.
This new generation of Israelites had not been adults to experience the events of the trek from Egypt to the Promised Land, including the first reading of the law at Mount Sinai. Moses related how the people had reacted to the findings of the spies and how they had refused to listen to the voice of the Lord. He reminded them of how blessed they were to serve a mighty God who had helped them to defeat their enemies and would lead them into Canaan with power and might. Moses emphasized that God had not chosen Israel because they were so righteous or so great in number, but because He loved them and would keep the promises He made to their faithful forefathers.
In today’s lesson scripture, Moses encouraged the people to be careful to not forget the commandments and statutes of the Lord, but to teach them to their children and to their children’s children. Time dulls one’s memory, and while in many ways it is good to forget the past and live in the present, Moses encouraged the Israelites to remember from where they had come and who had brought them to this land of plenty. They were to keep the commandments in their hearts and not shift their worship from the true God to the gods of the people around them.
Practical Truths for Today
Humanism, a philosophy of today’s world, teaches that man is essentially good. This constantly shifting ideology wants us to place our faith in ourselves and those who tell us what to think. Satan seeks to indoctrinate us to accept as truth only what we can see and understand with our minds. The Word of God teaches us not to lean on our own understanding but to trust in the Lord (Prov. 3:5). We are to place our faith in the Lord and trust the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The moral principles that God taught His children in the Old Testament are the standard He has for mankind today. Christ and the apostles upheld this standard. It never changes with the passage of time or the changing values of society. Christ taught purity, not only in action but, more importantly, of thought and intent.
The law revealed the righteousness of God and the depravity of man. The many sacrifices of the law taught man that “almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb. 9:22). The death of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection from the grave completed the salvation plan. “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Heb. 9:28). “Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Cor. 15:20).
God, in His infinite wisdom, waited until the ascension of Christ to send the Holy Spirit into the hearts of all those who accept and worship Him. We must open our ears, minds, and hearts to the voice of the Lord. As we listen to an inspired message, God’s Spirit warms our hearts. As we read the Holy Scriptures, the Holy Spirit reminds us of something we need to address in our lives. He fills our heart with love when we listen to the concerns of a brother or sister. To enjoy the blessings of the Word of the Lord, we must spend time with Him, focusing on what He tells us for our spiritual well-being. As the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit encourages us to be obedient and comforts us when we are faithful.
Moses warned the Israelites 3400 years ago to beware when they would settle a conquered territory and live there without the effort of digging wells and planting vineyards. They would be tempted to forget the One who brought them there and to worship the gods of the people they conquered. Does this sound familiar?
We are made of the same flesh and blood as the Israelites. When things go well and we “have it made,” we are prone to forget the One who delivered us from sin. We are tempted to trust in financial abundance, in ownership of property and possessions, and to enjoy the position of influence we may have in our social circles. These are gods of the world. Though we may tire of these admonitions, they are important for our spiritual welfare. He who neglects admonition is as “he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful” (Matt. 13:22).
While we are not perfect of ourselves and often fail, we become perfect in Christ as we allow Him to work in our hearts. God does not expect perfect performance, but He does require admission of our depravity, submission to His reproofs, and obedience to His Spirit. As we admit our failures and commit our lives to Him, we live in the grace of God. When we hear the Word and do what it says, we become living examples of the truth of God. His Word is powerful as it presents light, gives comfort, and moves the hearts of men.
The way parents follow the Lord is the way they teach their children to walk. Do we teach children to be obedient, or do we allow subtle or even willful disobedience? It has been said that a child’s concept of God is influenced by the impression he has of his father. It is important to portray to our children an impression of God’s righteousness together with His love and mercy.
The Lord speaks through the church to His people and reinforces these concerns to the individual through the personal witness of the Holy Spirit. Of equal importance, the personal convictions of the individual member become acceptable when they align with the directives of the church. Let us be diligent in supporting and obeying the teachings of the church. If I complain of her repeated concerns, I instill in my children a lack of appreciation for the authority of God’s church. Later in life, they could be handicapped because of thinking too lightly of the counsel of the church. The example our children see in us may have eternal consequences.
Young Christians who read and study their Bible will have direction for life. Open your hearts and ask the Lord to speak to you; be faithful in accepting His guidance. True freedom comes through humble obedience to God’s Word. Let us not selfishly compromise His teaching to accommodate the world and its friendship. Rather, let us exercise ourselves in God’s service and enjoy the blessings He has for those who follow the Word of the Lord.
Illustration
Saul of Tarsus was a fervent believer of the law and did his utmost to hinder and destroy the followers of Christ who, he believed, were blasphemous. The Christians lived in uncertainty, never knowing when to expect Saul’s violence and persecution. Saul stood nearby as Stephen was stoned. He continued to seek and arrest the believers, even as the gospel was being spread with the disciples of Christ fleeing to other cities. One day on the road to Damascus the Lord spoke to him, and as Saul listened to Jesus’s voice, his heart was changed. He saw the error of his way and responded with a total commitment to the Lord. The fervency Saul had used against the Christians was now used to build and strengthen the church. The Lord spoke, andSaul listened and obeyed unquestioningly. Truly a beautiful example!
Questions
- What hinders us from hearing the Lord’s voice?
- What are the gods that can draw our attention away from the Lord?
- How can parents help their teenagers identify and hear God’s voice?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).