How does Proverbs 6:21 connect with Deuteronomy 6:6-9 about God's commandments? The Heart of the Command Proverbs 6:21: “Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.” “6 These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.” Shared Emphases • Internalization: both passages insist God’s words be “upon your heart.” • Visible Reminders: Proverbs points to the neck; Deuteronomy points to hands, foreheads, doorposts, gates. • Continuity: each text calls for a constant, never-off duty relationship with Scripture. • Family Transmission: Deuteronomy’s command to teach children echoes the parental voice of Proverbs (“My son,” v. 20). Why the Different Images? • Heart – the control center of thought and will; Scripture must be internal reality. • Neck – the place of breath and life; wearing Scripture like a necklace pictures continual dependence (cf. Proverbs 3:3). • Hands & Foreheads – actions and thoughts; every deed and decision to be shaped by God’s word. • Doorposts & Gates – public testimony; the home and community become theaters for divine truth. One Unified Call Both writers urge: – Remember: do not forget or neglect (Proverbs 6:20; Deuteronomy 6:12). – Repeat: daily conversation, teaching, meditation (Psalm 1:2; Colossians 3:16). – Reflect: allow the word to guide, guard, and speak (Proverbs 6:22). Living It Out Today • Memorize key passages; rehearse them aloud when rising and retiring (Psalm 119:11). • Place Scripture where eyes and hands meet it—phone lock screens, wall plaques, jewelry. • Speak verses naturally during meals, travel, and work shifts (Joshua 1:8). • Model obedience so children see the word lived, not merely recited (James 1:22). Supporting Texts Proverbs 3:1-3; 7:1-3 " Psalm 119:97; 2 Timothy 3:16-17 " Matthew 22:37‐38 " Revelation 1:3 |
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