Human Love Has Always Been Important To God

God is grossly misrepresented in far too many instances! Were you to be asked about the emphasis of Deuteronomy as an Old Testament book, many would respond, "It is a book about obedience." If you were asked about the role of God's law in Deuteronomy, many would respond, "Deuteronomy's stress on the God's Law is a stress on obedience." If you were asked if Deuteronomy contained an emphasis on love, many would say rather quickly, "No!"

Unfortunately, too many associate Deuteronomy with behavioral control with or without [mostly without] heart control. Unfortuately, the impression has been created and persists that God is delighted with correct behavior regardless of why the person behaves correctly. Unfortunately, the concept persists that God is primarily concerned about controlling behavior regardless of the motives of the person.

Deuteronomy 6 begins an emphasis on Moses' instructions to Israel. The main focus on the preceeding 5 chapters place the stress more on Israel's reasons for being obedient than on instructions to be obeyed. [Though in those 5 chapters, instructions certainly exist--such as the instruction to establish cities of refuge and the declaration of the ten commandments.] Chapter 6 begins with this statement: Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it . . . (Deuteronomy 6:1).

In verses 4, 5 these statements follow: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one! And thou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your might. Moses began an emphasis on God's commandment, statutes, and judgments by including the importance of Israel loving God with all their heart. This is part of one of the statements devout Jews placed in their phylacteries.

This is not some quirk of wording in Deuteronomy. In fact, this heart concern in Deuteronomy is seen earlier in 5:29. Moses speaking in God's words said, Oh, that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandsments always, that it may be well with them and their sons forever! This love relationship between God and Israel is stressed from God's side of the relationship in Deuteronmy 7. Listen to verses 7 and 8: The Lord did not set His love on you or choose you because your were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Read Deuteronomy 10:12-22 and note the role of love in the God-Israel relationship. Especially note verse 16: Circumcise then your heart, and stiffen your neck no more. Physical circumcision of the body was not enough! If a love relationship was to exist between God and Israel, that relationship must begin with Israel's circumcised hearts. The type of obedience that would win God's favor began with love, not a mere control expressed in behaviorial compliance.

There is no competition between love and obedience! The core motivation for obedience comes from the heart. Obedience that touches God is the compliance of love.

Jew or non-Jew, we all need to learn three basic lessons about the relationship between obedience and love [they are inseparable!]. Lesson one: fearing God begins with loving God. Lesson two: loving God is based on learning and remembering what God has done and continues to do for us. Lesson three: obedience is much more than a declaration of "who is in charge." Obedience is an expression of appreciation voiced in love's voice.

If you wish to obey God, learn to love God. If you wish to love God, appreciate what He did and does for us.