Welcome to the Bible in a Year for 2025. Intro to this series and resource links available here, plus here’s how I’m approaching this year.
Scriptures for Today:
Reflection:
We’ve made it to two of the most famous passages in the Bible in chapters 5 and 6. Let’s take a look…
The original Top Ten list (Deut. 5:6-21) - There’s something new to notice in the Ten Commandments every time you read them. This time around, I notice that they help us add specifics to the big commands to love God and love our neighbor. The first three are purely focused on love of God: no gods before God, no idols, no misuse of God’s name. The fourth, keeping of Sabbath does a kind of double-duty, setting aside time weekly for worship and rest in the Lord, while also commanding that this be extended to the whole household, including servants and foreigners living among you. In contrast with Egypt, where people were treated like things only valued for their production, Israel is to be a place where people are treated as humans, valuable in themselves, regardless of their place in society. The final six are focused on love of others: honoring parents, life, marriage, property, honesty, and relationships.
“The Shema” - the Jewish Creed (Deut. 6:4-9) - For Israel, their creed—summary statement of essential belief—is here in verse four: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (or alternately, “the Lord alone.” The Hebrew word for “hear,” as in “listen up!” is “Shema,” hence why this verse and creedal assertion is known as “the Shema.” Interestingly, in the original text, the Hebrew letters are oversized in order to emphasize its critical importance for their faith. There is one God and they are to serve Him alone. Even Christians, who believe in the Trinity (one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), share this essential affirmation. I love the way these verses describe practical ways to keep our focus on the Lord in conversation, throughout our day, in our homes, etc.
No compromise in faith practices (Deut. 7) - At this point in history, there were no secular societies in which a plurality of religions might be practiced. All nations (or city-states) were specifically religious states. For Israel, then, God knew the temptation for them to blend/compromise or abandon their faith due to the influence of other religious practices continuing to be tolerated and commanded them to have a hard boundary. We have a different context, of course, and in terms of Christian mission, we are called to be among people who believe differently so that we can bear witness in words and actions in order to lead people to faith in Jesus. Just the same, the warning about temptations to water down or compromise our faith is worth taking seriously in our own practice and underscores the significance of consistent participation in a Christian community/church that can help reinforce worship, study, service, and other practices that keep us growing in Christ.
Questions:
How do the Ten Commandments speak to you today?
How do you cultivate reminders about God’s presence throughout your day?
When are you tempted to compromise your faith with the priorities of the world around you?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, keep your word ever before me, that I may grow in your grace and truth and be a faithful witness to those around me. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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