How does Deuteronomy 6:17 connect with Jesus' teachings in the New Testament? Setting the Old Testament Foundation Deuteronomy 6 as a whole urges God’s people to love Him wholeheartedly and to demonstrate that love through obedience. Verse 17 captures the heartbeat of this call: “You are to diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God and the testimonies and statutes He has given you.” (Deuteronomy 6:17) Diligent Obedience in Deuteronomy 6:17 • “Diligently keep” shows continual, wholehearted attention. • “Commandments … testimonies … statutes” covers every type of instruction God delivered—moral, civil, ceremonial. • The verse links obedience to covenant faithfulness: keeping commands is how Israel shows it belongs to the LORD. Jesus Echoes the Call to Obedience Jesus does not sidestep this Old Testament theme; He amplifies it. • John 14:15—“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” • John 15:10—“If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.” • Matthew 28:20—The Great Commission includes “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” These statements mirror Deuteronomy 6:17’s insistence that love for God is proved by obeying His words. Jesus Deepens the Command in the Sermon on the Mount • Matthew 5:17—“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.” • Matthew 5:19—Whoever “practices and teaches” even the least command is “great in the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus fulfills the Law by embodying it perfectly and by unveiling its fuller, heart-level intent (Matthew 5:21-48). The call to “diligently keep” now includes inward motives, not just outward acts. Love and Obedience: The New Covenant Harmony • The Spirit empowers what Deuteronomy demanded (Ezekiel 36:27; Romans 8:3-4). • 1 John 2:3—“By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.” • Thus, obedience remains a covenant marker, now written on believing hearts (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10). Walking It Out Today • View God’s commands as a privilege, not a burden (1 John 5:3). • Let love motivate obedience—Jesus ties the two inseparably. • Lean on the Spirit for power to “diligently keep” what Christ teaches. • Teach and model obedience in homes and churches, just as Deuteronomy 6 instructed Israel to impress God’s words on their children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Deuteronomy 6:17 and Jesus’ words form one seamless call: genuine love for God expresses itself in careful, joyful obedience to His commands. |
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