Read My Life (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

SECRET FORMULA

If there were a secret formula that a person could consume, and everything that they did became successful, you would not be able to keep it on the shelves of stores. It would be marketed on the internet, and literally dozens of "copy cat" knock off brands would be trying to cash in on it's success. People would be constantly writing reviews; giving testimonials, and the popularity would continue to grow, until government and law makers would try to regulate and control the sale and distribution of the product, threatened by the power and potential of the unprecedented results achieved.

THE REAL THING

There is such a product, and it has been assaulted and assailed through the centuries, with hundreds of "knock off" brands touted as being genuine, constantly referencing the real thing, but falling short of their claims. Yet, the real thing continues to gain momentum, changing countless lives, turning failure into success; hurt into healing; desperation into hope; and releasing love, where only hate and hurt existed.

DEUTERONOMY 6:6-9 says, "...these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up, and you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between you eyes. You shall write them upon the posts of your house, and on your gates"

THE WORD OF GOD

This passage reiterates the need for constant internalizing of the holy word of God, not just for ourselves, but for future generations, so that our children consume the thoughts and meaning of scripture, and we do this by constantly speaking the Word of God, no matter what the setting, so that God's word, and His thoughts, and way of thinking will control what we do; what we see; and how we perceive; and our corresponding actions, that produce success in our lives.

DEUTERONOMY 6:6-9

"...These words you must learn by heart...you must talk about them when you are sitting at home and when you are on the road...you must tie them on your hands as a memento and wear them on your forehead as a badge..." (Moffatt)

"...these words which I am commanding you this day shall be first in your own minds and hearts; then you shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the minds and hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up and you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets (forehead bands) between your eyes and you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates" (Amplified)

"...these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart: and thou shalt tell them to thy children, and thou shalt meditate upon them sitting in thy house, and walking on the journey, sleeping and rising, and thou shalt bind them as a sign on thy hand, and they shall be and shall move between thy eyes, and thou shalt write them in the entry, and on the doors of thy house" (Douay-Rheims)

"The instructions I give you today write in your mind; impress their meaning on your children; talk about them when you sit at home, walk along the road, lie down, and get up. Bind them on your arm to remind you; wear them as bands on your forehead; write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" (Beck)

"Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead; inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" (Jewish Publication Society)

"...drill them into your children...whether you are busy or at rest...write them on the doorposts of your houses... (NAB)

INTERNALIZE

This exhortation was so that God's internalized word would control every aspect of life:

1) It starts by getting the word into our hearts, [ (6:6) ...shall be first in your own minds and hearts (AMP) ].

2) then we get the word into our children's hearts [ (6:7) ... you shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the minds and hearts of your children (AMP) ].

3) this happens by constant repetition [ (6:7)... talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up (AMP) ].

4) as parents and leaders in your home, the word that you live becomes a testimony to everyone around you [ (6:8).. you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets (forehead bands) between you eyes (AMP) ].

BEHAVIOR

The interesting observation about Deuteronomy 6:8, is that it talks about controlling behavior; referring to strapping the scripture onto the hands (where the hands represented a person's power to do or accomplish) and the foreheads, between the eyes, (where the head represented authority), but these scriptures were also literally strapped to the hands and forehead and literally written on the door posts of each house, and the gates of the town; village; or community.

LEADERS

This portion of scripture is not addressed to the children of the household, but to the leaders of the household, the parents, and probably, in Jewish culture, specifically the men, but applicable to both parents.

ORIGINALLY

Over the years, ironically, these scripture portions were contained in phylacteries; little boxes, strapped to the hands and forehead, the contents, not visible to the wearer or to anyone they met. However, when this practice was originally initiated, historical archaeological evidence supports the fact that the scriptures were inscribed on silver amulets, with the text on them, not in them. [ Amulets with scriptural inscriptions on them, have been found at Jerusalem, dating back to the 6th and 7th century B.C., JPS, Tanakh, Deut.6:8, Note ].

READ the SCRIPTURE

If the scripture was literally tied to the forehead, between the eyes, it is obvious that the wearer would not be able to read the text, and those tied to the hands, were evidently, also written, so that, not the wearer, but those they met, could read the inscriptions. Whether literally, or metaphorically, the message and intention of this passage, was that everyone a person met, would be able to "read" that individuals life, by what they wore between the eyes, on their forehead, and by what they wore on their hands, or wrists, because it wasn't written so the wearer could read it, but so that everyone that they came in contact with, could read the scriptural texts.

EXHIBITED

In other words, our lives are to be so immersed and internalized with the Word of God, that the evidence of His word working in our lives is exhibited for all to see, and there is no doubt, that it is the result of His word, that blessing and success, has encompassed our lives.

HEADS of HOUSEHOLDS

If the heads of households embrace the Word of God, and allow it to be ingested, to the point, that it alters their lives, and the lives of their children, to such a degree, that everyone can see, the dramatic change, for the best, that breeds success, in every facet of their existence; to this extent, the Word of God will impact and transform homes and communities, with it's life changing, positive power. [ (6:9) ...you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates (AMP) ].

IMPACT & CHANGE

The progression is obvious:

1) parents and leaders internalize the Word of God, to produce success

2) the children are transformed by the same positive power

3) neighbors; friends; and associates, are affected by the word lived

4) whole communities are impacted and changed

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours