Schoolmaster to Christ
DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 6

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6 (KJV)

"Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgements, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: that thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee; thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it, that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord."

The nation of Israel was responsible to hold fast and confess the unity of the Godhead. This truth lay at the foundation of the Jewish economy. It was the grand center around which the people were to rally. As long as they maintained this, they were happy, prosperous, and fruitful; but when they let it go, all was gone. It was their great national bulwark, marking them off from all the nations of the east. They were called to confess this glorious truth in the face of an idolatrous world, with "its gods many, and lords many." It was Israel's high privilege and holy responsibility to bear a steady witness to the truth contained in that one weighty sentence, "The Lord our God is one Lord," in marked opposition to the innumerable false gods all around. Their father Abraham had been called out from the midst of heathen idolatry, to be a witness to the one true and living God, to trust Him; walk with Him; lean on Him; and obey Him.

In his closing address to the people in the last chapter of Joshua, he makes a striking allusion to this fact; makes an important use of it. "And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor; and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac."

Here, Joshua reminds the people that their fathers had served other gods, a solemn and weighty fact; one they should have never forgotten because the remembrance of it would have taught them the need of watchfulness, to avoid being drawn back into that gross and terrible evil out of which God had called their father Abraham. It would have been wise to consider that the same evil in which their fathers had lived was the one into which they were likely to fall.

With uncommon force and vividness, Joshua presents this fact to the people, along with the leading events of their history, from the birth of their father Isaac down to the moment in which he was addressing them. He then sums up with the following appeal, "Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which, your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Note the repeated allusion to the fact that their fathers had worshipped false gods; that from one end to the other, the land into which Jehovah had brought them had been polluted by the dark abominations of heathen idolatry.

Evidently by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this faithful servant of the Lord seeks to set before the people both the importance of living up to the grand central and foundation truth of the One true and living God, and the danger of falling back into idol worship. He urges the absolute necessity of whole-hearted decision – "Choose you this day whom ye will serve." There is nothing like plain, out and out decision for God – it is always due Him. In redeeming them from the bondage of Egypt, bringing them through the wilderness, and planting them in the land of Canaan, He had unmistakably proven Himself to be for them. Therefore, it was nothing more than their reasonable service to be wholly for Him.

We know Joshua felt all this deeply, because of these memorable words: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." What lovely words; what a precious decision. National religion might, and did go to ruin; but, by the grace of God, personal and family religion could be maintained everywhere and at all times.

Thank God for this; and may we never forget it. "Me and my house" is faith's clear and delightful response to God's "Thou and thy house." Let the condition of the ostensible, professed people of God at any given time be what it may, it is the privilege of every true-hearted man of God to adopt and act on this immortal decision, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

True, it is only by the continually supplied grace of God that this holy resolution can be carried out; but we may rest assured that where the heart is determined to fully follow the Lord, all needed grace will be ministered day by day. We know this is true because of those encouraging words, "My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

Consider the apparent effect of Joshua's soul-stirring appeal to the congregation. It seemed promising. "The people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods; for the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed; and the Lord drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the Lord; for he is our God."

All this sounded very well, and looked hopeful. They seemed to have a clear sense of the moral basis of Jehovah's claim on them for implicit obedience. They could accurately recount all His mighty deeds on their behalf, make earnest and, no doubt, sincere protestations against idolatry, and promises of obedience to Jehovah, their God.

But it is evident that Joshua was not particularly sanguine about all this profession, for "He said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the Lord. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey."

Our object in referring to this passage is to show in Joshua's address the prominent place assigned to the truth of the unity of the Godhead. In view of all the nations of the earth, Israel was called to bear witness to this truth, in which they were to find their moral safe-guard against the ensnaring influences of idolatry.

But, sadly, this very truth was the one in which they signally failed. The promises, vows, and resolutions made under the powerful influence of Joshua's appeal soon proved to be like the early dew and the morning cloud that passes away.

"The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel. And Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old . . . And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers; and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim; and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth" (Jud. 2:7-13).

All this is admonitory and full of solemn warning this present age – grand, all-important, special, and characteristic truth so soon abandoned; the one only true and living God given up for Baal and Ashtaroth. As long as Joshua and the elders lived, their presence and influence kept Israel from open apostasy. But no sooner were those moral embankments removed than the dark tide of idolatry rolled in and swept away the foundations of national faith. Jehovah of Israel was displaced by Baal and Ashtaroth. Human influence is a poor prop, a feeble barrier. We must be sustained by the power of God, or else we will sooner or later give way. Faith that stands in the wisdom of men will definitely prove flimsy and worthless. Unless our faith stands in the power of God, it will not stand in the day of trial; it will not bear the furnace; it will break down.

We must not forget that second-hand faith will never do. There must be a living link connecting the soul with God. We must personally, individually have to do with God, or else we will give way when testing time comes, and it will come. Human example and influence may have some merit in their place. There was merit in looking at Joshua and the elders, observing how they followed the Lord. It is true that, "As iron sharpeneth iron, so doth the countenance of a man his friend." It is encouraging to be surrounded by truly devoted hearts; delightful to be borne along on the bosom of a tide of collective loyalty to Christ – to His Person and cause. But if this is all; if there is not a deep spring of personal faith and knowledge; if there is not the divinely formed and sustained link of individual relationship and communion, then when the human props are removed; when the tide of human influence ebbs and when general declension sets in, we will be like Israel following the Lord all the days of Joshua and the elders and then giving up the confession of His name, returning to the follies and vanities of this present world; things no better than Baal and Ashtaroth.

On the other hand, when the heart is thoroughly established in the truth and grace of God; when we can say, "I know whom I have believed; and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day;" then, even though we find ourselves left without the help of human countenance or the support of a human arm, we will find "the foundation of God" as sure as always; and the path of obedience as plain as though thousands were treading it with holy decision and energy.

We must never lose sight of the fact that it is God's purpose that His church should learn deep and holy lessons from the history of Israel. "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning; that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Our learning from the Old Testament Scriptures should not be occupied in searching out fanciful analogies, curious theories, or far-fetched illustrations. Many have tried these things, and instead of finding "comfort" in the Scriptures, they have been led away into empty and foolish conceits, if not into deadly errors.

Our business is with the living facts recorded on the pages of inspired history. These are to be our study; from these we are to draw our practical lessons. For example, take the weighty and admonitory fact now before us, a fact that stands out in deep and broad characters on the page of Israel's history from Joshua to Isaiah. It is the fact of Israel's lamentable departure from the very truth they were called to hold and confess – the unity of the Godhead. The first thing they did was to let go of this grand and all-important truth, this keystone of the arch, the foundation of the whole edifice, the heart of their national existence, the living center of their national polity. They gave it up, turning back to the idolatry of their fathers on the other side of the flood, and of the nations around them. They abandoned that glorious and distinctive truth on the maintenance of which their existence as a nation depended. They would have been invincible if they had only held fast this truth; but in surrendering it they surrendered all, and became worse than the nations around them, because, with their eyes open, they sinned against light and knowledge. They sinned in the face of solemn warnings and earnest entreaties; and in the face of vehement and oft-repeated promises and protestations of obedience.

Yes, Israel gave up worshipping their covenant God – the One true and living God, Jehovah Elohim. He was their Creator and Redeemer; the One Who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; conducted them through the Red Sea; led them through the wilderness; brought them across the Jordan, and in triumph planted them in the inheritance He had promised to their father, Abraham "A land flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands." They turned their backs on Him, and worshipped false gods. "They provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images."

It is difficult to understand how a people who had seen and known so much of the goodness and loving kindness of God; His mighty acts, His faithfulness, His majesty, and His glory, could ever bring themselves to bow down to the stock of a tree. But so it was. From the days of the calf at the foot of Mount Sinai, to the day Nebuchadnezzar reduced Jerusalem to ruins, an unconquerable spirit of idolatry marks their whole history. In His long-suffering mercy and abounding goodness, Jehovah tried in vain to raise up deliverers to lift them from beneath the terrible consequences of sin and folly. Again and again, in His inexhaustible mercy and patience, He saved them from the hand of their enemies. He raised up an Othniel, an Ehud, a Barak, a Gideon, a Jephthah, a Samson – instruments of His mercy and power; witnesses of His deep and tender love and compassion toward His infatuated people. No sooner had each judge passed from the scene, than back the nation plunged into the sin of idolatry.

It is the same melancholy, heart-rending story in the days of the kings. True, there were occasional bright spots; here and there a brilliant star shines out through the deep gloom of the nation's history. We have a David, an Asa, a Jehoshaphat, and a Hezekiah, a Josiah – refreshing and blessed exceptions to the dark and dismal rule. But even men like these failed to eradicate the pernicious root of idolatry from the nation's heart. Even amid the unexampled splendors of Solomon's reign, that root sent forth its bitter shoots in the monstrous form of high places to Ashtaroth, the goddess of the Zidonians; Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites; and Chemosh, the abomination of Moab.

Consider this; pause and contemplate the astounding fact that the writer of Ecclesiastes and Proverbs bowed at the shrine of Molech. It is hard to conceive the wisest, wealthiest and most glorious of Israel's monarchs, burning incense and offering sacrifices on the altar of Chemosh.

Truly, there is something here to ponder. It was written for our learning. The reign of Solomon affords one of the most striking and impressive evidences of Israel's complete and hopeless apostasy from the grand truth of the unity of the Godhead – their unconquerable spirit of idolatry. The truth they were specially called out to hold and confess was the very truth they persistently abandoned.

We will not here pursue the dark line of evidence further; neither will we dwell further on the appalling picture of the nation's judgment, as a result of their idolatry. They are now in the condition of which the prophet Hosea speaks: "The children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim"; "The unclean spirit of idolatry has gone out of them," during these "many days," to return, by-and-by, with "seven other spirits more wicked than himself" – the very perfection of spiritual wickedness. And then will come days of unparalleled tribulation on that long misguided and deeply revolted people – "the time of Jacob's trouble."

We pray the Lord's church will soon give serious attention to the practical application of that solemn fact in Israel's history – giving up the great truth set forth in Deuteronomy 6:4, "Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord."

Perhaps one may ask, "What bearing can this fact have on the Lord's church?" We believe it has a solemn bearing, primarily because all the great facts of Israel's history are full of instruction, admonition, and warning for us. It is our business, our bounden duty to see that we profit by them, to take heed that we carefully and seriously study them.

In contemplating the history of the Lord's church as a public witness for Christ on the earth, we find that, hardly had it been set up in all the fullness of blessing and privilege marking the opening of its career, before it began to slip away from those very truths it was responsible to maintain and confess. Like Adam, in the Garden of Eden; like Noah, in the restored earth; like Israel, in Canaan; so the church, as the responsible steward of the mysteries of God, was no sooner set in its place than it began to totter and fall. It began to give up those grand truths that characterized its existence, marking off Christianity from all that had gone before. Even under the eyes of the apostles of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, errors and evils had begun to work that sapped the very foundations of the church's testimony.

Hear the words of that blessed apostle who no doubt shed many tears and heaved many sighs over the ruins of the church. "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel: which is not another." "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?"

"Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service to them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years . . ."

So-called Christian festivals may be imposing and gratifying to religious nature; but in the judgment of the apostle and the Holy Spirit, it is simply giving up Christianity and going back to the worship of idols. "I am afraid of you"; and no wonder, when they could thus so speedily turn away from the grand characteristic truths of a heavenly Christianity, and occupy themselves with superstitious observances. "I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." "Ye did run well; who did hinder you, that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump."

And keep in mind; this was happening in the apostle's own day. The departure was even more rapid than in Israel's case; they served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua. But, in the church's sad and humiliating history, almost immediately the enemy succeeded in introducing leaven into the meal, tares among the wheat. Before the apostles themselves had left the scene, seed was sown that has been bearing its pernicious fruit ever since – seed that will continue to bear, till angelic reapers clear the field.

Let us hearken to the same inspired witness, near the close of his ministry, pouring out his heart to Timothy, a beloved son. "This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me." Again, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

Here is the testimony of a wise master builder, the man who had laid the foundation of the church. And what was his personal experience? Like his blessed Master, he was left alone, deserted by those who had once gathered around him in the freshness, bloom, and ardor of early days. His large, loving heart was broken by Judaising teachers who sought to overturn the foundations of Christianity. He wept over the ways of many who, while they made a profession, were, nevertheless, "the enemies of the cross of Christ."

From his prison at Rome, the Apostle Paul saw the hopeless wreck and ruin of the Lord's church. He saw that it would happen to that body as it had happened to the ship in which he had made his last voyage – a voyage strikingly significant and illustrative of the church's sad history in this world. But here we are dealing with the question of the church as a responsible witness for Christ on the earth. This must be distinctly seen, or else we will greatly err in our thoughts on the subject. We must accurately distinguish between the Lord's church as the body of Christ, and as His light bearer or witness in the world. In the former character, failure is impossible; in the latter, the ruin is complete and hopeless.

As the body of Christ, united to her living and glorified Head in the heavens, by the presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the church can never fail; never be smashed to pieces by the storms and billows of this hostile world, like Paul's ship. It is as safe as Christ Himself. The Head and the body are indissolubly one. No power of earth or hell, men or devils can ever touch the feeblest and most obscure member of that blessed body. All stand before God, all are under His gracious eye, in the fullness, beauty and acceptability of Christ Himself. As is the Head, so are the members, all the members together, each member in particular. All stand in the full eternal results of Christ's finished work on the cross. There is; there can be any question of responsibility here. The Head made Himself responsible for the members. He perfectly met every claim; He discharged every liability. Nothing remains but love; love, deep as the heart of Christ, perfect as His work, as unchanging as His throne. Every question that could possibly be raised against any one or all of the members of the church of our Lord was raised and on the cross forever settled between God and His Christ. All the sins, iniquities, transgressions, and guilt – yes, in the fullest and most absolute way, all was laid on Christ and borne by Him. In His inflexible justice, in His infinite holiness, in His eternal righteousness, God dealt with everything that could, in any possible manner, ever stand in the way of the full salvation, perfect blessedness, and everlasting glory of every member of the body of Christ – every true believer. Every member of the body is permeated by the life of the Head; every stone in the building is animated by the life of the chief corner-stone. All are bound together in the power of a bond that can never be dissolved.

Furthermore, we need to understand that the unity of the body of Christ is absolutely indissoluble. This is a cardinal point that must be tenaciously held, and faithfully confessed. But, obviously, it cannot be held and confessed unless it is understood and believed Judging from the expressions one sometimes hears in speaking on the subject, it is questionable if such people have grasped the glorious truth of the unity of the body of Christ – a unity maintained on earth by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

It is as true today as it was when the inspired apostle penned the fourth chapter of his epistle to the Ephesians, "There is one body," of which Christ is Head, of which the Holy Spirit is the formative power; and of which all true believers are members. This body has been on earth since the Day of Pentecost; it is on earth now and will continue on earth until that rapidly approaching moment when Christ shall come and take it to His Father's house.

Perhaps some will have difficulty with all this. It may be that in the present broken and scattered condition of true believers, some may find it hard to believe and confess the unbroken unity of the whole. Perhaps some may feel disposed to limit the application of Ephesians 4:4 to the day and age in which the apostle penned the inspired words; when Christians were manifestly one; and when there was no such thing as being a member of this church or that church; because all true believers were members of the one church.¹

However, we should not limit the Word of God. What possible right do we have to single out one clause from Ephesians 4:4-6, and say it only applied to the days of the apostles – if one clause is to be so limited, then why not all? Is there not still, "one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all"? Will any question this? Surely not; it follows that there is as surely one body as there is one Spirit, one Lord, and one God. All are intimately bound up together, and we cannot touch one without touching all. We have no more right to deny the existence of the one body than we have to deny the existence of God, because the same passage that declares one, also declares the other.

But, one may inquire, "Where is this one body to be seen? Is it not an absurdity to speak of such a thing, in the face of numberless denominations – man's organized religious institutions?" We should not surrender the truth of God because man has so signally failed to carry it out. Did not Israel fail to maintain, confess, and carry out the truth of the unity of the Godhead? As a result, was that glorious truth touched by their failure? Even though there were idolatrous altars in Jerusalem, was it not as true that there was one God, as much so as when Moses sounded those sublime words, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord"? Jehovah's truth does not depend on the faithless, foolish ways of men. In spite of the grossest human failure, it stands in its own divine integrity; it shines in its own heavenly, undimmed luster. Were it not so, what should we do? Where should we turn? Or what would become of us? If we only believe the measure of truth offered by men or that we see carried out in the ways of men, we might give up in despair, and of all men be most miserable.

But how is the truth of the one body to be practically carried out? By refusing to own any other principle of Christian fellowship – any other ground of meeting. All true believers should meet on the simple ground of membership of the body of Christ; and on no other. They should assemble on the first day of the week around the Lord's Table, and break bread as members of the one body, as we read in 1 Corinthians 10, "For we, being many, are one loaf, one body; for we are all partakers of that one loaf." This is as true and practical today, as it was when the apostle addressed the assembly at Corinth. Where there divisions at Corinth? Yes, but those divisions did not touch the truth of God. The apostle rebuked the divisions, pronouncing them carnal. He had no sympathy with the low idea that one sometimes hears advocated in our age that divisions are good things; as superinducing emulation. The apostle believed they were bad things – the fruit of the flesh, the work of Satan.

We are persuaded the apostle would not have accepted the popular illustration that religious divisions are like so many regiments, with different facings, all fighting under the same commander-in-chief. Such has no application whatsoever, but rather flatly contradicts that distinct and emphatic statement, "There is one body."

This is a glorious truth. Let us ponder it deeply. Let us judge our own position and ways by it. Are we acting on it? Do we give expression to it at the Lord's Table every Lord's Day? Be assured it is our sacred duty and high privilege so to do. Say not there are difficulties of all sorts; many stumbling blocks in the way; much to dishearten us in the conduct of those who profess to meet on this ground.

All this is but too true. We must be prepared for it. The devil leaves no stone unturned to cast dust in our eyes so that we may not see God's blessed way for His people. But we must not give heed to his suggestions or be snared by his devices. There always have been, and there always will be difficulties in the way of carrying out the precious truth of God. Perhaps one of the greatest difficulties is found in the inconsistent conduct of those who profess to act on it.

But, we must always distinguish between the truth and those who simply profess it; between the ground and the conduct of those who occupy it. Of course, they should harmonize; but they do not; and hence we are imperatively called to judge the conduct by the ground, not the ground by the conduct. For example, if we see a man farming on a principle that we knew to be thoroughly sound, but he is a bad farmer, what should we do? Of course, we should reject his mode of work, but hold on to the principle.

It was the same pertaining to the truth now before us. There were heresies at Corinth – all sorts of schisms, errors, and evils. What then? Was the truth of God to be surrendered as a myth, as something wholly impracticable? Was it all to be given up? Were the Corinthians to meet on some other principle? Were they to organize themselves on some new ground? Were they to gather round some fresh center? No, God's truth was not to be surrendered. The body of Christ was one; and the apostle simply displays in their view the banner with this blessed inscription, "Ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."

These words were addressed not only "unto the church at Corinth," but also "to all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours." Hence, the truth of the one body is abiding and universal. Every true believer is bound to recognize it, and act on it.

Perhaps someone might feel disposed to ask how it could be said to any one assembly, "Ye are the body of Christ"? Were there not saints at Ephesus, Colosse and Philippi? No doubt, and had the apostle been addressing them on the same subject, he could have also said to them, "Ye are the body of Christ," because they were the local expression of the body.

Does this hint that we might be supporting a suggestion often heard in our age: every religious organization is a part of the universal church? Such could not be further from the truth. Bear in mind that the apostle could not possibly address such words to any human organization, ancient or modern. No; nor if all organized religious institutions, call them what you please, were amalgamated into one, could he speak of it as "the body of Christ." Let it be distinctly understood, that body consists of all true believers on the face of the earth. That they are not gathered on that one and only divine ground is their serious loss, and their Lord's dishonor. The precious truth still holds true; "There is one body" and this is the divine standard by which to measure every ecclesiastical association and every organized religious system under the sun.

As Israel, in Canaan, abandoned Jehovah for Baal and Ashtaroth, so the church abandoned the pure and precious truth of God for puerile fables and deadly errors. The rapid departure is perfectly astounding; but it was just as the Apostle Paul forewarned the elders of Ephesus. "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20).

How truly deplorable, the holy apostles of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, almost immediately succeeded by "grievous wolves" and teachers of perverse things. The whole church plunged into thick darkness, the lamp of divine revelation almost hidden from view; Ecclesiastical corruption in every form; priestly domination with all its terrible accompaniments. In short, the history of the church is one of the most appalling records ever penned.

However, there is no limit to the blessing of the individual soul who hears Christ's voice and opens the door; and what is true of one is true of hundreds or thousands. But let us be real, simple, and true, feeling and accepting our feebleness and nothingness; laying aside assumption and empty pretension; not seeking to be anything or to set up anything; but holding fast Christ's Word and not denying His Name; finding our happy place at His feet – our satisfying portion in Him, and our real delight in serving Him in any little way. Thus we will get on harmoniously, lovingly, and happily together, finding our common center in Christ, and our common object in seeking to further His cause and promote His glory. May the Lord revive His work.

Let us now proceed with the sixth chapter of Deuteronomy.

Having laid down the grand foundation truth contained in the fourth verse, "Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord," Moses proceeds to press on the congregation their sacred duty in to this blessed One. It was not merely that there was a God, but He was their God. In covenant relationship He had deigned to link Himself with them. He had redeemed them, borne them on eagles' wings, and brought them to Himself in order that they might be to Him a people, and that He might be their God.

Blessed fact; blessed relationship. But Israel had to be reminded of the conduct suited to such a relationship – conduct that could only flow from a loving heart. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Here lies the secret of true practical religion. Without this all is valueless to God. "My son, give me thine heart." Where the heart is truly given, all will be right. The heart may be compared to the regulator of a watch that acts on the hairspring, and the hairspring acts on the mainspring, and the mainspring acts on the hands, as they move around the dial. If the watch goes wrong, it will not do to merely alter the hands, one must touch the regulator. God looks for real and true heart-work. His Word to us is, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

How we ought to bless Him for such touching words! They do so reveal His own loving heart to us. Assuredly, He loved us in deed and in truth; and He cannot be satisfied with anything else, whether in our ways with Him or our ways one with another All must flow straight from the heart.

"And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart" – at the source of all issues of life. This is peculiarly precious. Whatever is in the heart comes out through the lips and in the life. How important then, to have the heart full of the Word of God, so full that we will have no room for the vanities and follies of this present evil world. Thus, our conversation will always be with grace, seasoned with salt. "Out of the abundance of the heart the month speaketh." Hence we can judge what is in the heart by what comes out of the mouth. The tongue is the organ of the heart; the heart is the organ of the man. "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." When the heart is really governed by the Word of God, the whole character reveals the blessed result. It must be so, because the heart is the mainspring of our entire moral condition; it lies at the center of all those moral influences that govern our personal history and shape our practical career.

In every part of God's Volume, we see how much importance He attaches to the attitude and state of the heart. With respect to Him or His Word, the heart is one and the same thing. When the heart is true to Him, all is sure to be right; but, on the other hand, where the heart grows cold and careless regarding God and His truth, there will sooner or later be departure from the path of truth and righteousness. Therefore, there is much force and value in the exhortation addressed by Barnabas to the converts at Antioch: "He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord."

This "purpose of heart" is precious to God. It is what we may venture to call the grand moral regulator; it imparts a lovely earnestness to the Christian character that is greatly to be coveted. It is a divine antidote against coldness, deadness, and formality, all of which are hateful to God. The outward life may seem correct, and the creed may appear orthodox; but if the earnest purpose of heart is lacking – the affectionate cleaving of the whole moral being to God and His Christ is worthless.

It is through the heart that the Holy Spirit instructs us. Hence, the apostle prayed for the saints at Ephesus that, "The eyes of their heart might be enlightened." And again, "That Christ may dwell in your heart by faith."

Thus we see how all Holy Scripture is in harmony with the exhortation recorded in our chapter, "And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart." How near this would have kept them to their covenant God; how safe from all evil, especially from the abominable evil of idolatry – their national sin, their terrible besetment. If Jehovah's precious Words had only found a place in the heart, there would have been little fear of Baal, Chemosh or Ashtoreth. In other words, all idols would have found their right place and been estimated in their true value if only the Word of Jehovah had been allowed to dwell in Israel's heart.

All this is beautifully characteristic of the book of Deuteronomy. It is not so much a question of keeping up a certain order of observances, the offering of sacrifices, or attention to rites and ceremonies. No doubt, all these things had their place, but by no means are they the prominent or paramount thing in Deuteronomy. No. The all-important matter here is the WORD – Jehovah's Word in Israel's heart.

If we really desire to possess the key to the lovely book of Deuteronomy, we must seize this fact. It is not a ceremonial book; it is a book of moral and affectionate obedience. In almost every section, it teaches an invaluable lesson – the heart that loves, prizes, and honors the Word of God is ready for every act of obedience, whether it is the offering of a sacrifice or observance of a day. It might happen that an Israelite could find himself in a place, and under a circumstance in which a rigid adherence to rites and ceremonies would be impossible; but he could never be in a place or a circumstance in which he could not love, reverence and obey the Word of God. Let him go where he would; let him be carried to the ends of the earth as a captive exile, nothing could rob him of the high privilege of uttering and acting on those blessed Words,  "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

Precious words, containing the great principle of the book of Deuteronomy; as well as the great principle of the divine life, at all times and in all places. It can never lose its moral force and value. It always holds good. It was true in the days of the patriarchs; true for Israel in the land; true for Israel scattered to the ends of the earth; true for the church; and true for each individual Christian. In other words, obedience is always the creature's holy duty and exalted privilege – simple, unhesitating, unqualified obedience to the Word of the Lord. This is an unspeakable mercy for which we may praise our God day and night. He has given us His Word, and He exhorts us to let that Word richly dwell in our hearts, and assert its holy sway over our entire course and character.

"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."

All this is beautiful. The Word of God hidden in the heart; flowing out in loving instruction to children, and in holy conversation in the bosom of families; shining out in all the activities of daily life, so that all who came inside the gates or enter the house might see that the Word of God is the standard for each, for all, and in everything.

Thus it was to be with Israel of old; and thus it should be with Christians today. But is it so? Are our children thus taught? Is it our constant aim to present the Word of God to their young hearts in all its heavenly attractiveness? Do they see it shining out in our daily life? Do they see its influence on our habits, temper, family relationships, and business transactions? This is what we understand by binding the Word as a sign on the hands, having it as a frontlet between the eyes, writing it on the doorposts, and on the gates.

Is this the way it is with us? It is of little use attempting to teach children the Word of God, if that Word does not govern our lives. We do not believe in making the blessed Word of God a mere school book for the children; to do so is to turn a delightful privilege into a wearisome drudgery. Children should see that we live in the atmosphere of Scripture; that it forms the material of our conversation when we sit in the bosom of the family, in our moments of relaxation.

Sadly, in this age such is not the case. Are we humbled in the presence of God when we reflect on the general character and tone of our conversation at table, and in the family circle? How little there is today of Deuteronomy 6:7. There is much "foolish talking and jesting that is not convenient." There is evil speaking of our brethren, neighbors, and fellow-laborers. There is much idle gossip; much worthless small talk.

All this proceeds from the state of the heart. The Word of God, the commandments and sayings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, are not dwelling in our hearts; so how could they well up and flow out in living streams of grace and edification?

Will anyone say that Christians do not need to consider these things? If so, let him ponder the following wholesome words, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." And again, "Be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 4:29; 5:18-20).

These words were addressed to the saints at Ephesus; but we should diligently apply our hearts to them. Perhaps we are little aware of how deeply and constantly we fail in maintaining spiritual conversation. Our failure is manifest most in the bosom of family and in ordinary relationships. It is evident the Holy Spirit foresaw the need and graciously anticipated it. Hear what He says "to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colosse."

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Col. 3).

Lovely picture of ordinary Christian life – a fuller and higher development of what we have in chapter 6 of Deuteronomy, where the Israelite is seen in the midst of his family, with the Word of God flowing forth from his heart in loving instruction to his children, seen in his daily life – in all his relationships at home and abroad, under the hallowed influence of Jehovah's Words.

We long to see more of this in this present age. It is sorrowful and humbling to note the style of conversation that flows in movies, television, and even in the midst of family circles. What is the remedy? Hearts filled with the peace of Christ, the Word of Christ, Christ Himself. Nothing else will do. We must begin with the heart, and when that is thoroughly pre-occupied with heavenly things we will make short work of all attempts at evil speaking, foolish talking, and jesting.

"And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, and houses full of all good things which thou filledst not, and wells digged which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten, and be full; then beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage" (vv. 10-12).

Amid all the blessing, the mercies and the privileges of the land of Canaan, they were to remember that gracious and faithful One Who redeemed them out of the land of bondage. They were also to remember that all these things were His free gift. The land, with all that it contained, was bestowed on them in virtue of His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Cities built and houses furnished, flowing wells, fruitful vineyards and olive yards, all ready for their hand, the free gift of sovereign grace and covenant mercy. All they had to do was take possession in simple faith; and in their hearts remember the bounteous Giver of it all. They were to think of Him, and find in His redeeming love the true motive spring of a life of loving obedience. Wherever they turned their eyes they beheld the tokens of His goodness, the rich fruit of His marvelous love. Every city, house, well, vine, olive, and fig tree spoke to their hearts of Jehovah's abounding grace, furnishing a substantial proof of His infallible faithfulness to His promise.

"Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you. (For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you,) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth."

In this chapter, there are two great motives set before the congregation: "love" in verse 5; and "fear" in verse 13. These are found all through Scripture; and their importance in guiding life and forming character cannot be too highly estimated. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." We are exhorted to be in the fear of the Lord all the day. It is a moral safeguard against all evil. "Unto man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding."

The blessed Book abounds in passages setting forth the immense importance of fearing God. Joseph says, "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" The man who habitually walks in the fear of God is preserved from every form of moral pravity. The abiding realization of God's presence must prove an effectual shelter from every temptation. How often do we find the presence of some spiritual person a wholesome check on levity and folly; and if such be the moral influence of a fellow mortal, how much more powerful would be the realized presence of God.

Let us give serious attention to this weighty matter. Let us seek to live in the consciousness that we are in the immediate presence of God. Thus will we be preserved from a thousand forms of evil to which we are exposed from day to day, and to which we are pre-disposed. Remembering that the eye of God rests on us would exert a far more powerful influence on life and conversation than the presence of all saints on earth, and all angels in heaven. We could not speak falsely; we could not utter with our lips what we do not feel in the heart; we could not talk folly; we could not speak evil of our brother or neighbor; we could not speak unkindly of anyone, if only we felt in the presence of God. In other words, the holy fear of the Lord, of which Scripture speaks so much, would act as restraint on evil thoughts, evil words, evil ways, evil in every shape and form.

Further, it would tend to make us real and genuine in our sayings and doings. There is a vast amount of sham and nonsense in this present age. We frequently say a much more than we feel. We are not honest. We do not speak truth with our neighbor. We give expression to sentiments that are not genuine utterances of the heart. We act the hypocrite one with another.

All these things provide proof of how little we live, move, and have our being in the presence of God. If we could only bear in mind that God hears and sees us; hears every word, sees every thought and every way, how differently we would carry ourselves. What holy watchfulness we would maintain over our thoughts, tempers, and tongues. What purity of heart and mind. What truth and uprightness in our contact with others. What reality and simplicity in our deportment. What happy freedom from all affectation, assumption, and pretension. What deliverance from every form of self-occupation. Oh, to always live in the deep sense of God's presence, to walk in the fear of the Lord all day long, proving the "vast constraining influence" of His love, finding delight in doing good, tasting the spiritual luxury of making hearts glad by continually meditating on plans of usefulness. Living close to the fountain of God's love, so that we will be streams of refreshing in the midst of this thirsty scene – rays of light amid the moral gloom around us.

"The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."

This present age desperately needs and deserves to witness this moral loveliness more fully realized and faithfully exhibited by God's people. May the fear and love of God be in our hearts continually, so that our daily life may shine to His praise. May God in His infinite mercy grant it for Christ's sake.

The sixteenth verse of chapter six requires special attention. "Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah." Our blessed Lord quoted these words when tempted by Satan to cast Himself from the pinnacle of the temple. "Then the devil taketh him up into the, holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down; for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone."

This is a remarkable passage, proving how Satan can quote Scripture when it suits his purpose. But he omits an important clause, "To keep thee in all thy ways." Casting Himself from the pinnacle of the temple formed no part of the ways of Christ – it was not the path of duty. He refused to do so because He had no command from God to do any such thing. He had no need to tempt God, to put Him to the test. As a man, He had confidence in God – full assurance of His protection.

Further, Jesus was not going to abandon the path of duty in order to prove God's care of Him; and herein He teaches us a most valuable lesson. When treading the path of duty, we can always count on God's protecting hand. But, if we are walking in a self-chosen path; if we are seeking our pleasure, or our interest, our ends, or objects, then to talk of counting on God is simply wicked presumption.

No doubt, our God is merciful, gracious, and His tender mercy is over us even when we wander off the path of duty; but this is altogether another thing. It leaves completely untouched the statement that we can count on God's protection only when our feet are in the pathway of duty. If a Christian goes speed boating for self-amusement; or if he goes clambering over the Alps for self-gratification, has he any right to believe that God will take care of him? On the other hand, if God calls us to cross a stormy lake, to preach the Gospel; if He summons us to cross the Alps on some special service for Him, then, without a doubt, we can commit ourselves to His mighty hand – He will protect as from all evil. The point is to always be found in the holy path of duty. It may be narrow, rough and lonely but it is a path overshadowed by the wings of the Almighty and illumined by the light of His approving countenance.

Before turning from the subject suggested by verse 16, let us briefly notice the interesting and instructive fact that in His reply to Satan, our Lord takes no notice whatsoever that he misquotes Psalm 91:11. In place of saying to the enemy, "You have left out an important part of the passage," Jesus simply quotes another passage as authority for His conduct. Thus our Lord vanquished the tempter; and left us an example.

It is worthy of our special notice that even though He could have done so, the Lord Jesus Christ did not overcome Satan. Had He done so, it could not be an example for us. But when we see our Lord as a man, gaining a glorious victory by using the Word as His only weapon, our hearts are encouraged and comforted; and we learn a precious lesson regarding how, in our sphere and measure of conflict, we are to stand. The man, Christ Jesus, overcame by simple dependence on God, and obedience to His Word.

This fact should fill us with comfort and consolation. Satan could do nothing with our Lord and Savior because He acted only by His Father's authority and the power of the Spirit. Jesus never did His own will, though His will was absolutely perfect. In John 6, Jesus tells us that He came down from heaven not to do His own will, but the will of the Father that sent Him. He was a perfect servant from first to last. His rule of action was the Word of God; His power of action, the Holy Spirit; the will of God His only motive of action; hence the prince of this world had nothing in Him. By all his subtle wiles, Satan could not draw Him out of the path of obedience or out of the place of dependence.

Let us consider and deeply ponder these things. Let us remember that our blessed Lord and Master left us an example that we should follow His steps. May we diligently follow them during the little time remaining. By the gracious ministry of the Holy Spirit, may we more fully enter into the knowledge that we are called to walk as Jesus walked. He is our great Exemplar in all things. Let us more profoundly study Him, so that we may more faithfully reproduce Him.

We now close this lengthened section by quoting the last paragraph of the sixth chapter. It is a passage of singular fullness, depth, power, and strikingly characteristic of the entire book of Deuteronomy.

"Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and His statutes, which he hath commanded thee. And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers; to cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the Lord hath spoken. And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgements, which the Lord our God hath commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; and the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes; and he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve as alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us."

Throughout the pages and paragraphs of this book, the Word of God is kept before the soul. It is the one great subject on the heart and in the discourses of Moses, the revered lawgiver. His aim is to exalt the Word of God, whether in the form of testimonies, commandments, statutes or judgments – to set forth the moral importance, the urgent necessity of whole-hearted, earnest, diligent obedience on the part of the people. "Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God." And again, "Thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord."

Unfolded before our eyes are eternal principles that no change of dispensation, no change of scene, place or circumstances can ever touch – "That which is right and good" must always be of universal and abiding application. It reminds us of the words of the Apostle John to his beloved friend Gaius, "Beloved, follow not that which is evil; but that which is good." The assembly might be in a low condition; there might be much to try the heart and depress the spirit of Gaius; Diotrephes might be carrying himself unbecomingly and unwarrantably toward the beloved and venerable apostle and others. All this and much more might be true; the whole professing body might go wrong. What then? What was Gaius to do? Simply to follow that which was right and good; to open his heart, his hand, and his house to everyone who brought the truth – to seek to help in every right way because of Christ.

This was the business of Gaius in his day; and this is the business of every true lover of Christ in this present age, in all ages, in all places, and under all circumstances. Few may join with us; we may find ourselves almost alone; but we are still to follow what is good, no matter the cost. We are to depart from iniquity; purge ourselves from dishonorable vessels; flee youthful lusts; turn away from those who profess what they do not practice. And what then? "Follow righteousness, faith, love, peace." How; in isolation? No. We may find ourselves alone in any given place for a time; but as long as the body of Christ is on earth, there is no such thing as isolation. Therefore, we will never see the day when we cannot find a few who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Whoever and wherever they are, it is our bounden duty to find them; and, having found them, to walk with them in holy fellowship until the end.

Before continuing the remaining chapters of Deuteronomy, we pray the Lord may be graciously pleased to grant His rich blessing on the meditation thus far. We ask our Father to please clothe it with power from the Holy Spirit; and that He may also grant spiritual power to unfold the truth contained in the remaining lessons of this most profound, comprehensive and suggestive book of Holy Scripture.

We earnestly beseech the serious Christian student to prayerfully join with us, remembering those precious words, "If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father which is in heaven."

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