04/22/2025 – Day 296 – Deuteronomy – Chapters 4 through 6: The Jewish Shema and so much more….
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-shema
Again, if you search on “Day 296” – you will find other commentary on the Jewish Shema. The connections to the New Testament are pervasive.
Check out Revelation 22: 18 – 21, the last four verses of the Bible. Commentary here from “The Apologetics Study Bible” :
“22:18-19 It is doubtful the wording here refers to the closing the canon of the Bible. The ‘Book (Greek biblion, ‘scroll’) that is not be tampered with (as new religions and other groups do, adding to or taking away from the final scriptural form) is the book of Revelation. However, in a more subtle manner, the wording does imply a canonical perspective. The context in Revelation is of a new Eden (vv. 1-5). In Genesis 3, Eve added to the Word of God (Genesis 3:3) and the serpent took away from what the Lord had said (Genesis 3:4). The bookend effect of Revelation 22: 18 – 19 looking back to Genesis 3: 3-4 infers that this curse for altering Scripture at the end of Revelation should be viewed as the last biblical word on. the subject.”
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The selection of commentary here is also by way of the “Apologetics Study Bible”:
“4:2. This statement supports the common biblical idea that all Scripture is inspired by God and none of it is of human origin only (12:32; Jeremiah 36: 28, 32; 2 Timothy 3: 16-17; 2 Peter 1: 20-21). No one therefore can add to or delete from it.”
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“4:24 God is jealous in the sense that he tolerates no rival claims to deity and sovereignty. He alone is God, and all else is His creation. To worship the creature, rather than the Creator, is to rob God of his uniqueness and incomparability (vv. 35:39 ; Acts 17: 22-28; Romans 1:28; Romans 1:25). The Hebrew word translated ‘jealous’ (ganna) also means love and care for His people and His demand that they honor His unique and incomparable nature.”
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“4:34 God’s selection of Israel as a special people to the exclusion of all others can be explained only on the basis of His grace and hidden purposes. There was nothing in Israel, or even the nation’s founding ancestor Abraham, that commended them to the Lord. Merit or deserving qualities have nothing to do with God’s sovereign choice of nations and individuals, out of all the options available to Him (7: 6-9; cp. Exodus 19: 5-6). The vessel has no right to ask the potter why he has shaped him thus (Romans 9: 14-26).”
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“6:4. The claim that the Lord alone is God is sometimes used as evidence for the composition of Deuteronomy at a time long after that of Moses. Old Testament monotheism, the argument runs, was a late development in the history of Israel’s religion, perhaps as late as Amos (eighth century) and other writing prophets. This claim assumes an evolutionary view of how religions developed. This assumption runs counter to the biblical view that holds that idolatry and polytheism are corruptions of authentic worship of God (Romans 1: 18-23). In addition, historical evidence can be brought to bear that runs counter to evolutionary accounts of how religions develop. There is no reason to deny monotheism to the Mosaic period, which was foundational for Israelite faith.”
“6:16 The words do not mean to test the Lord in the sense of tempting Him to do evil. The Hebrew verb (nasa) means to put to the test or challenge. This was what the Israelites had done in the desert (Exodus 17:7) in their exasperation over lack of food and water. To test God is to manifest a lack of faith.”
Soli Deo Gloria!
-Of course, I encourage y’all to add your own verse(s) for fellowship; questions; and/or reflection.
Questions for fellowship generation, the lifelong sanctification process:
- What does the text reveal about God’s character?
- How has this reading generated prayer for you and/or us?
- What themes stand out to you in this bible study?
- How does our reading fit into the bigger picture (creation, the fall, restoration, etc.)?
- What verse(s) jumped out at you like never before? Is it explainable at this point?
- Do you have any questions you would like to put before the group as to how to interpret any particular verse(s) in our reading. Let scripture testify to scripture: Share with us where you sense contradiction between passages elsewhere.
- What did you find convicting and inspiring at the same time? Share with us how the Spirit of God is working within you as a messenger, both within and outside of our fellowship group.
- Share with the group how our study is calling or confirming to you a new mission to glorify God in our times.