READING • DEUTERONOMY 6
God’s Word is for everyday life
Israel was not merely asked to hear God’s commandments. They were to remember them, teach them, speak about them and live by them. The same principle matters for every disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Israel in the wilderness
The Old Testament records how God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, brought them through the sea and led them towards the land promised to Abraham. Their rescue was God’s work, but they were then called to trust Him and obey His Word.
“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;”
1 Corinthians 10:1–2 • King James Version
Paul uses Israel’s passage through the sea as a lesson for baptized believers. Deliverance was the beginning of a new relationship with God, not the end of their responsibilities.
A people who promised to obey
At Sinai, God made a covenant with Israel. He had saved them; now He called them to listen to His voice and become a holy people.
“Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.”
Exodus 19:5–6 • King James Version
The people answered, “All that the LORD hath spoken we will do” (Exodus 19:8). Their later history shows how easy it is to make a sincere promise and yet fail to carry it into everyday life.
Words to keep in the heart
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 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.”
Deuteronomy 6:4–7 • King James Version
Israel’s experience — and ours
The New Testament repeatedly uses Israel’s wilderness experience as a warning and an encouragement to disciples. The details are not identical, but the pattern is instructive: God rescues, calls, teaches and asks for faithful obedience.
Israel
Disciples of Jesus today
Israel was enslaved in Egypt.
Before baptism we are enslaved to sin (Romans 6:16–18).
God provided the Passover deliverance.
God has provided salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ; Paul calls Christ “our passover” (1 Corinthians 5:7).
Israel left Egypt behind.
A disciple turns from the old way of life and begins a new one.
Israel passed through the sea.
Believers are baptized into Christ and begin a new relationship with God.
Israel received God’s commandments.
We receive God’s Word to teach, correct and guide us.
Israel had to trust and obey during the journey.
We must continue in faith and obedience as we look forward to God’s Kingdom.
What does the Bible mean to you?
The question is not simply whether we own a Bible, but whether God’s Word is shaping our thinking and behaviour. These questions are worth answering privately and honestly:
Do I make time to read Scripture regularly, including passages I find difficult?
Can I find my way around the Bible and understand how its books fit together?
Can I explain my beliefs from Scripture rather than merely repeat what someone else has said?
Do I remember key passages well enough for them to help me when I face temptation or difficulty?
Does my Bible reading actually change the way I speak, choose, work, worship and treat other people?
Why can the Bible be difficult?
Some passages are immediately clear; others need patience, context and careful comparison with the rest of Scripture. We should not expect God’s thoughts to be identical to our natural way of thinking.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8–9 • King James Version
Difficulty is not a reason to give up. It is a reason to read more carefully, pray for understanding and search the Scriptures.
“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”
Proverbs 25:2 • King James Version
The inspired Word of God
Paul reminded Timothy that Scripture had shaped his faith from childhood and must continue to shape his life. The King James Version uses the phrase “given by inspiration of God”:
“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
2 Timothy 3:14–17 • King James Version
“Inspiration”
The Bible presents Scripture as coming from God through human writers. This is why disciples approach it with reverence, while still reading each passage in its own historical and literary context.
Why read the whole Bible?
The Old and New Testaments belong together. The promises, history, poetry and prophets of the Old Testament provide the background to the Gospel; the New Testament shows how God’s purpose centres in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Scripture does this
Examples
Examines our motives and thoughts.
Hebrews 4:12
Helps us resist sin by storing God’s Word in the heart.
Psalm 119:9–11
Builds believers up and strengthens them.
Acts 20:32; 1 Peter 2:2
Corrects and instructs us.
2 Timothy 3:16–17
Sanctifies — sets disciples apart in truth.
John 17:17
Strengthens faith.
Romans 10:17
Gives patience, comfort and hope.
Romans 15:4
Teaches us about God’s purpose and His Son.
John 5:39; John 20:31
Spiritual food
Physical food is needed regularly. Jesus used the same picture for the Word of God:
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Matthew 4:4 • King James Version
Daily reading does not earn salvation, nor is it a mechanical ritual. It gives God’s Word repeated access to our minds, so that faith, judgement and character can grow.
Jesus and the Word
Jesus is the supreme example of a life governed by God’s Word. John says that “the Word was made flesh” (John 1:14). In Christadelphian understanding, God’s purpose and Word were perfectly expressed in the man Jesus: his teaching and conduct revealed his Father.
“For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”
John 12:49–50 • King James Version
Reading must become doing
Knowledge by itself is not the goal. Israel heard God’s commandments but repeatedly failed to live by them. The same danger exists for us. James gives the simple test:
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
James 1:22 • King James Version
A useful question after every reading is: “What does this teach me about God, about His purpose, about the Lord Jesus, or about the way I should live today?”
A practical daily pattern
Step
A useful habit
1 Pray
Ask God to help you read humbly and understand what He has revealed.
2 Read
Read the passage carefully rather than rushing merely to complete a schedule.
3 Check the context
Look at what comes before and after, who is speaking, and why.
4 Ask questions
Note words, ideas or references you do not understand and investigate them.
5 Compare Scripture
Use cross-references and related passages, allowing the Bible to explain the Bible.
6 Meditate
Think about what the passage means and why it matters.
7 Apply
Choose one practical lesson to remember in the decisions of the day.
8 Share
Where appropriate, discuss what you have learned with your family or fellow believers.
Reading in the family
Deuteronomy 6 places teaching within ordinary family life: sitting at home, travelling, beginning the day and ending it. Family Bible reading should therefore be more than reading words aloud. Parents can encourage questions, explain difficult expressions and show how Scripture applies to real situations.
Let the Word guide the whole day
The lesson from Deuteronomy 6 is simple but demanding: God’s words belong in the heart and in ordinary life. They are not reserved for a meeting, a Bible class or a few minutes of private study. They should influence our decisions, conversations, relationships, priorities and worship.
Checklist for spiritual growth
1. Read part of the Bible every day where possible, using a plan that gradually takes you through the whole of Scripture.
2. Pray before you read, asking for humility, concentration and understanding.
3. Encourage your family to read and discuss the Bible with you whenever this is possible.
4. Keep a record of questions and difficult passages. Ask mature believers for help, but always return to Scripture itself to test the answer.
5. Meditate on what you have read and deliberately apply its lessons during the day.
6. Learn important verses by heart so that God’s Word is available to your mind when you need it.
7. Do not be discouraged by difficult passages. Understanding grows over years of repeated reading.
A lamp for the journey
Israel had a journey from slavery towards the promised land. Disciples also have a journey: from the old life towards the Kingdom of God. We need direction every day. The Psalmist describes the role of God’s Word in one memorable sentence:
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Psalm 119:105 • King James Version
The aim
Do not read merely to finish chapters or collect information. Read so that you know God better, understand His purpose more clearly, grow in the character of His Son and become a more faithful disciple in everyday life.
SUMMARY
1
God’s Word belongs in everyday life. Deuteronomy 6 joins hearing, remembering, teaching and obeying.
2
Deliverance brings responsibility. Like Israel after Egypt, baptized disciples are called to continue in faith and obedience.
3
All Scripture deserves careful attention. The Old and New Testaments together teach, correct, strengthen and give hope.
4
Bible reading must lead to action. We are called to be doers of the Word, not hearers only.
5
Regular reading shapes the mind. Prayerful, thoughtful reading helps God’s ways become increasingly part of our own thinking and conduct.
Chapters to read
Deuteronomy 6 • Psalm 19 • Psalm 119:89–112 • 2 Timothy 3:14–17 • John 17
LEARN BY HEART • PSALM 119:105
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
CHRISTADELPHIAN BIBLE MISSION • 5
CHRISTADELPHIAN BIBLE MISSION • 1