What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 11:18? Fix these words of mine “Fix these words of mine” (Deuteronomy 11:18) calls for securing God’s revelation so firmly that it cannot be shaken loose. Moses is urging a deliberate, lifelong decision. • The same urgency is heard earlier: “These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts” (Deuteronomy 6:6). • Joshua is told, “This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night” (Joshua 1:8). • Psalm 119:11 echoes the result: “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” When Scripture is “fixed,” it becomes a settled authority—more than information, it is the standard by which every thought and choice are measured. in your hearts and minds God wants His word enthroned in both the emotional center (heart) and the intellectual center (mind). • Jeremiah 31:33 looks ahead to the New Covenant: “I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts.” • Mary modeled this posture when she “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). • Colossians 3:16 urges, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Internalizing Scripture guards affections, shapes reasoning, and fuels joyful obedience. It is an intentional habit of memorization, meditation, and continuous recall. tie them as reminders on your hands Hands symbolize what we do. By telling Israel to tie His words on their hands, God links Scripture to daily activity. • Exodus 13:9 shows a similar sign: “It shall be a sign for you on your hand and a reminder on your forehead.” • James 2:17 warns that “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Practical ways to “tie” the word today: - Keep verses where you work—phone lock screens, sticky notes, tool boxes. - Let every task, whether spreadsheets or diapers, be done mindful of God’s commands (1 Corinthians 10:31). The goal is not jewelry but living deeds that constantly broadcast God’s truth. bind them on your foreheads The forehead represents thought life and visible identity. What sits there is noticed first. • Deuteronomy 6:8 gives the same instruction, showing its importance. • In Revelation 7:3 servants of God are “sealed… on their foreheads,” marking ownership and protection. • Romans 12:2 tells believers to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Binding the word on the forehead means: - Letting Scripture govern perspective before any other influence. - Being unashamed when biblical convictions are public. - Allowing people to recognize whose we are by the way we think and speak. summary Deuteronomy 11:18 commands a holistic embrace of God’s word: fasten it securely, internalize it deeply, let it guide every action, and let it mark your very way of thinking. When Scripture owns the heart, fills the mind, directs the hands, and crowns the head, God’s people are equipped to live faithfully and shine His glory in every arena of life. |
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