6 v.6 There is a development and contrast in Proverbs regarding the heart. Proverbs 3:5 4:21 Which develop the principle laid out in the law here in Deuteronomy. Proverbs 6:14 The following passages show why we must have the law in our hearts - to drive out 'foolishness' Proverbs 12:20, 22:15, 23:7, 28:26

7 v.6 special people The concept of Israel [and us] being a special or peculiar treasure is a theme which runs through the Scriptures. However notice how the same word is used in 1 Chronicles 29 and Ecclesiastes 2 to speak of monetary wealth as well. Exodus 19:5 here Deuteronomy 14:2 26:18 1 Chronicles 29:3 Psalm 135:4 Ecclesiastes 2:8 Malachi 3:17 Titus 1:14 1 Peter 2:9

6:10 Another use of the words of Joseph (Genesis 50:24)
6:14 When Moses reminded the people that they should not go after other Gods they must have still had clear in their minds the matter of Balaam and the punishment that was meted out to those who were joined to Baal-Peor.

7:1 When Abraham learnt about the deliverance from Egypt (Genesis 15) he was told that 'the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full' (Genesis 15:16). Their iniquity was not filled up - so the children of Israel had no reason to fear them. Just as God had brought them out of Egypt He would give them the land.
But notice that whereas Genesis 15:19-21) lists ten nations Deuteronomy 7:1 only lists seven. What happened to the other three?

6:3 God's commands are not given just to place a burden upon Israel. There were to be benefits which flowed from keeping them. Sadly the Pharisees made them a burden.

7:2 The command about not making covenants with the inhabitants of the land was re presented to Israel almost as soon as they entered the land under Joshua (Judges 2:2) - sadly over time the commandment was forgotten to Israel's hurt.

6:9-12 The injunction to the nation to write the law is the basis for the way that the king was to write a copy of the law (Deut 17:18)

7:9  The faithful God is a further reassurance that the God who promised to give Israel the land will keep his word - it is this background which reinforces Paul's use (2Thess 3:3) of this idea.

The state of spiritual Israel (true followers of Jesus) mirrors that of natural Israel (7:6,7).

It is emphasized that God is a unity (6:4), followed by the greatest commandment of all (6:5; Matt 22:37,38).

The command to the Israelites not to follow other gods (6:14) also applies to those in Christ.  In this modern age, these gods can take many forms.  In brief, they are the objects, ideas, or pursuits that detract from worshipping Yahweh (1John 2:16).

The words of God must be "in thine heart" (Deut 6:6).  The Law was to be a link between Heaven and earth.  God's people should "live" the law.  It had to be internalised.  So the law of Christ is to us.

The words of God must be in thine heart (Deut 6:6).  The Law was to be a link between Heaven and earth.  God's people should live the law.  It had to be internalised.  So the law of Christ is to us.

6:4-5       This command – which Israel really took to heart – but did not generally obey – re states what we commented abut yesterday. God is seeking a unique relationship with us. This can only be found if He is the only one we worship.

6:12 ‘Lest ye forget’ – a reminder of the frailty of the human mind. Moses has already given this warning before – Deut 4:23

7:3      The command not to make marriages with the inhabitants of the land was violated – Judg 3:6

6:8 Small black leather boxes called phylacteries (Heb. tefillin) are worn by religious Jewish men during morning-prayer services today. The boxes contain scrolls of parchment on which written texts remind the wearer of Yahweh's bringing the Children of Israel out of Egypt.

6:7-9 Whilst the law was to be in the ‘hearts’ of Israel they perverted these words and created rituals which had an outward show but did not, of themselves, change the heart and thinking of the Jew. Actually placing parts of the law on their doorposts and in phylacteries reduced the force of what God said It did nothing to cause the Jew to read the law and observe it.

6:4 Jews lay great stress on this verse.  It is one of the four passages that are written on their phylacteries. Moreover, devout Jews have recited it twice per day, from Old Testament times until today.  It is burned in their memory that Yahweh, the God of Israel, is one divine person.  Jesus reiterates this most important statement in Mark 12:29. 

The emphasis on this verse is to dissuade any kind of polytheism or pantheism.

But, Christendom, in the fourth century AD, decided that the God of Heaven has three entities: God; Jesus; and the Holy Spirit.  This ludicrous idea is nothing more than polytheism which is contrary to any scriptural understanding of Yahweh; His Son; and the power by which His will is accomplished. 

7:6 There are devoutly religious Jews today.  But, they are in the minority.  Many Jews today are either not religious, or have joined synagogues that are so loosey-goosey in their religious adherence that you might wonder where you are.  They follow worldly trends and fashions and rationalize their conduct and beliefs in humanistic terms.  There is much intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews.  They want to be part of the world and accepted by the world, just like the Jews who wanted a king (1Sam 8:5).

Yahweh must be saddened by the refusal of His people to love Him.  At some point, His sadness will turn to anger and much hurt will befall His people.  This has been the pattern throughout history.

Deut 6:4-5;Mark 12:28-31. Deut 6:5;Luke 10:25-28. Deut 6:13;Matt 4:10;Luke 4:8. Deut 6:16;Matt 4:7;Luke 4:12.

Deut 6:5-10 - Perhaps Christ is an echo of this - Christ loved and obeyed God (and loved his neighbor) more than any other man; he fulfilled the law which was written on his pure heart; he continues to teach his true children; he was bound to a cross and obediently fulfilled the afore written word with his pierced hands and thorn crowned head so that by his sacrificial blood he might provide the passover door (from bondage to sin and death) to the ultimate promised land upon his return.

Deut 7:1-2 - this lists the 7 nations that God would prophetically deliver into Israel's hand (Josh 24:11). Gen 15:18-21 - lists 10 nations whose land Abram's descendants would be given (not 7) and the first three were the Kenites (Judg 1:16;1Chron 2:55;Jer 35:1-19), the Kenizzites (Num 32:12), and the Kadmonites [(6935) they were Oriental i.e. from the East and may be connected with Matt 2:1] were perhaps not wicked as were the other nations.

6:16 The comment about the historical event at ‘Massah’ harks back to the beginning of the wilderness journey where, after the complaint about the lack of water the place was named ‘Massah’ – Exo 17:7 – thus showing that events which were not part of the experience of people are used by God to teach the current generation Diving principles.

v.14 - the event that happeneth to them all is surely death (Psa.49:10). The wise and the foolish both go the same way. The difference is whether they stay there. This passage also reminds us of the sentiments of ch.9:11 - time and chance refers also to finite life and inevitable death, but as well as that to the opportunities. We each have the same opportunities. It is up to us to use those wisely.

Solomon , in using this language, is showing how he systematically violated the commands of God.

The Preacher faces mortality and finds that death is no respecter of persons.  The same fate awaits both the wise and the foolish (v.16).  What a man has built up is left for someone else (v.18).  He considers all this meaningless.  And so it is if there is no continuance of life.  But that has been promised through the Lord Jesus (Rom 6:22; Titus 3:7).

2:3 all the days’ quotes Deut 12:1. The repeated use in Ecc 5:18, 6:12, 9:9 – shows that life is a ‘wilderness journey’ with God working in the lives of those who care to notice His acts.

2:3  We should not think that it is a good idea to try out the things of the world so that we can conclude that they are vanity. We should be able to learn from the errors of others rather than have to imitate their mistakes.

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2:17   That Solomon ‘hated life’ seems to be an extreme way of speaking but Jesus seems to catch the same idea – Luke 14:26

2:14 The light / dark motif is found throughout Scripture, starting in Gen 1:4-5- and forms a major element of Jesus’ teaching – Luke 1:79, John 8:12

V.24 This is misleading in English.  The phrase nothing better promotes what follows. In Hebrew, that phrase says: ayn tov which means it is not good.  Therefore, the real sense of this passage is that: it is not good to engage in eating and drinking and enjoying one‘s work.  This practice is at the expense of worshipping God. That is what people were doing in Noah’s day before the flood.  And that is what people are now doing before Jesus returns (Matt 24:37-39).

2:11-12 After all his acquisitions Solomon looked at it and concluded – it was worthless. This simple point is a powerful warning to each and every one of us.

19:7     Having failed to obtain Jesus death on the trumped up charge of treason against Rome the Jews now change tack and invoke their own religious laws.

19:10-11 Jesus’ words seem to have caused Pilate to wish to release Jesus. There was another reason. His wife had been troubled with a dream that night – Matt 27:19. So maybe we can conclude that the events we are reading about in these verses was immediately after Pilate’s wife had sent her message to him.

Clothes are a very interesting study. Back in Matt 26:65 the High Priest tore his clothes, while trying Jesus. This was completely against God’s law in Lev 21:10. Then in today’s chapter, John 19:23 Jesus’ coat is like the High Priest’s ephod – without seam. Is this telling us that Jesus was High Priest designate? Then in John 20:6,7 Jesus’ grave-clothes are seen folded up and left in the tomb. God obviously made Jesus new clothes when he was resurrected. If clothes symbolise that which covers our humanity, or sin (see Gen 3:21), how fitting it was that Jesus’ grave-clothes should be left in mother earth. He was now “without sin, unto salvation” (Heb 9:28).

Some believe that sin is sin is sin in the sight of Yahweh. They suggest that Yahweh does not distinguish between what we might consider small or large sins. However, Jesus does suggest degrees of sin when He uses the comparative adjective greater (Gr. meizon) in v.11.

19:18    Pilate was ‘the more afraid’ because he knew that there was no valid charge against Jesus and yet, because he feared the Jews, he could not let Jesus go. So we see that both the Jewish leaders were compromised by their attitude and so was Pilate.

19:1 The Bible narrative is not very descriptive of the physical punishment that Jesus endured before his crucifixion. There is more details about the physical details of the trials and crucifixion of Jesus in the Old Testament than there is in the New Testament. There is a powerful reason for this. Jesus’ sacrifice was his life of service which culminated in his death. It was not just his death. Many people have died terrible deaths for different causes. But no one except the lord gave his whole life for a cause.

V.5 The word thorns is translated from the Greek akanthinos. It is likely then that the crown was made of the acanthus.  This plant, often called bears’ foot, has large green leaves and is prickly but not thorny. A crown of green acanthus leaves with prickles would act as a mock laurel leaf crown for victors. When struck on the crown the prickles would dig into the head  (Matt 27:30).

Awaiting re-birth

Jesus had said to Nicodemus "unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". (3:3) Have you ever wondered what implications Nicodemus would have drawn from that statement? If someone is to be born again, of necessity they must die first. This is implied in the first part of Nicodemus' question in 3:4 "can he enter a second time into the womb?". So Nicodemus, more than any other, may have been quietly waiting to see whether Jesus would die and be raised again.

This would explain why it is him in particular who brought a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes, so that when he awoke Jesus would smell a pleasing, Kingly odour. Myrrh was an expensive perfume (see Exo 30:23, Est 2:12, Song 3:6) certainly not associated with death in scripture. In Psa 45 the writer says Prophetically: "My heart is overflowing with a good theme concerning the King.. your God has annointed you with the oil of gladness, all your garments are scented with Myrrh and Aloes and Cassia". Hardly a burial song, but rather one of joy. Nicodemus, by his actions in supplying these particular perfumes, finally showed his faith in what Jesus had told him.

19:10-11 The clear thinking of Jesus when confronted by Pilate – Jesus realised that God was in control – is a wonderful example for us to follow. We might say |God is in control in our lives when things are going well but how do we respond in times of difficulties?