[A
Monday / Wednesday / Friday Devotional Feature of the First Road Blog]
If
God didn’t intend the physical commands in Deuteronomy 6:8-9 to look like the
self-righteous aberrations of the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, then what did he
intend? How do bindings on the hand, frontlets between the eyes, and engravings
on doorposts and gates relate to the conversational character of teaching while
sitting, walking, lying down, and rising up? I suggest that the one describes
the elements of daily life, and the other describes the motivation of a person’s
conduct.
“Binding”
the commandments on the hand as a “sign,” weighs in poetically in terms of
preparing our hands for work which signals something to others about the God we
love. Jesus told us, “Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father in heaven.”
The
Hebrew expression “frontlets” or “frontals” is used only here and in the two
parallel passages. The closest we come to an example has to do with a
gold plate attached to the High Priest’s turban. It covered his forehead to
represent his role as the sanctifier of the holy things of the temple. Similarly,
the command to love God should be consciously worn in our thinking to sanctify
all we do. The Apostle Paul, although thinking of armor, spoke of the helmet
of salvation.
As
for the doorposts and gates, the entrance to our homes can tell people what to
expect inside, and the way we conduct ourselves can let people know what to
expect in our lives. Is our love for God obvious and inviting to sinners
seeking God’s mercy as well as to those who have found it? At the same time, is
it obvious enough so that promoters of evil will not feel welcome?
If
you think about it, this describes Jesus himself. Watch his hands. Follow his
eyes. Notice how he draws mercy seekers and offends the self-righteous. Did the
teachers in Jerusalem sense this spirit in the twelve year old boy who engaged
them in a memorable conversation one day?
NEXT
DEVOTIONAL: NOT A MAMMA'S BOY
PREVIOUS
DEVOTIONAL: TRIPPED
UP BY TRAPPINGS
No comments:
Post a Comment