Deuteronômio 30
G. Campbell Morgan · Citado em PreceptAustin
Deuteronômio 30
Morgan - ALL YOUR HEART - The Bible nowhere allows partial devotion to the Lord. Instead it says: Seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.... Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.... What does the Lord your God ask of you except to fear the Lord your God by walking in all His ways... and to worship the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul?... Return to the Lord your God and obey Him with all your heart.... Obey the Lord your God by keeping His commands and statutes that are written in this book of the law and return to Him with all your heart and all your soul.... Remain faithful to Him, and serve Him with all your heart and all your soul.... You know with all your heart and all your soul that none of the good promises the Lord your God made to you has failed.... If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths that are among you, dedicate yourselves to the Lord, and worship only Him.... Above all, fear the Lord and worship Him faithfully with all your heart, considering the great things He has done for you.... Trust in the Lord with all your heart,... Think about Him in all your ways.... Believe with all your heart. (My All in All Devotional) Moody and the Inquirer - A Man said to me the other night in the inquiry-room, “Mr. Moody, I wish you would tell me why I can’t find the Lord.” Said I, “I can tell you why you can’t find him.” “Why is it?” “Why, you haven’t sought for him with all your heart.” He looked at me, and said he thought he had. “Well,” said I, “I think you haven’t; because you will surely find him when you seek for him with all your heart. Now, my friend, I can tell you the day and hour you are going to be converted.” The man looked at me, and I have no doubt thought I was a little wild. Said I, “The Scripture tells me, ‘Ye shall find me when ye seek for me with all your heart.’” It don’t take a man long to find the Lord when he makes his mind up to do it. Deuteronomy 30:3 then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. KJV - That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. then the Ps 106:45-47; 126:1-4; Isaiah 56:8; Jeremiah 29:14; 31:10; Lamentations 3:22,32; Romans 11:23,26,31 will gather you - Ezra 1:1-4; Ps 147:2; Jer 32:37-44; Ezekiel 34:12,13; 36:24; Zech 8:7,8 Deuteronomy 30 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ISRAEL'S FUTURE RESTORATION AND REGATHERING Then - Then is an important expression of time, especially in prophetic passages as it helps identify the sequence of events. In this case, the "then" occurs after their repentance in Dt 30:2. The LORD your God will restore you from captivity - NET = "reverse your captivity." NIV = "restore your fortunes" If sinners turn (i.e., repent), then God turns (i.e., restores). The Hebrew word word for RESTORE is the word shub/sub, the same word translate RETURN in Dt 30:2. This recalls the words in Zechariah 3 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares the LORD of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did not listen or give heed to Me,” declares the LORD (Zech 1:3-4) Related Passages: Isaiah 31:6 Return to Him from whom you have deeply defected, O sons of Israel. Isaiah 55:6 Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Hosea 6:1+ "Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. Hosea 14:1 Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Joel 2:12+ "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping, and mourning;13 And rend your heart and not your garments." Now return to the LORD your God, For (WHY? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE FOR A SINFUL NATION OR INDIVIDUAL?) He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, And relenting of evil. Malachi 3:7+ "From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes, and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts. "But you say, 'How shall we return?' The Septuagint of Dt 30:3 has an interesting rendering of the Hebrew translating it as the "Lord (kurios) will Himself (middle voice) heal/cure (iaomai) your sins (hamartia)." This makes sense because sin is a harsh master which keeps its victims in bondage and captivity (cf Ro 6:12-13+)! This was the very redemptive purpose for which Jesus came to earth as a Man, even as He announced at the "inauguration" of His ministry in the synagogue in Luke 4 THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. (KJV adds "he hath sent me to heal [iaomai] the brokenhearted") HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, (Luke 4:18-note, quoting Isaiah 61:1) Have compassion (07355)(racham from rechem = womb ~ suggesting a connection between the place of the developing child and the strong feelings of love a mother has toward her child) speaks a deep love of one for another rooted in some "natural" bond (cp rechem = womb). Racham manifests itself as an "emotional" response to one's needs. Racham means to feel another's pain so deeply that you are moved to do something about it. Racham means to have compassion, to have mercy, to find mercy. "The word pictures a deep, kindly sympathy and sorrow felt for another who has been struck with affliction or misfortune, accompanied with a desire to relieve the suffering." (Baker) The Septuagint translates racham here with the verb eleeo (from eleos [word study]) which means “to feel sympathy with the misery of another, especially such sympathy which manifests itself in action, less frequently in word.” Describes the general sense of one who has compassion or person on someone in need. Grace is God giving us what we don't deserve. Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve. Instead in mercy God gives us what we need. Kalland - That a dispersion of Israel is still in effect can be seen by the population distribution of Jewish people. In 1990 according to various almanacs and encyclopedias, there were about 13 million Jews scattered throughout the world and only about 4.4 million in Israel--for a total of 17.5 million. (The Expositor's Bible Commentary) Related Resources: What does the Bible mean when it refers to the Diaspora? What happened to the lost tribes of Israel? And will gather you again from all the peoples - This divine promise is repeated in Dt 30:4. The Septuagint translates gather (qabats) with sunago which means to cause to come together. TSK - This seems to refer to a more extensive captivity and regathering than that which the Jews experienced in Babylon. Ezekiel 20 describes the gathering and winnowing of Israel “As I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “surely with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out (cf Great Tribulation), I shall be king over you. 34 “I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out; 35 and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 “As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,” declares the Lord GOD. 37 “I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant (THE NEW COVENANT); 38 and I will purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me (THOSE WHO DO NOT ENTER THE NEW COVENANT); I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the LORD. (Ezekiel 20:33-38 - See Dr Walvoord's comments below) Arnold Fruchtenbaum comments: "In these verses God draws a simile with the Exodus. At the Exodus, under Moses, God brought the entire nation of Israel out of the land of Egypt and into the wilderness of the Sinai peninsula. God's plan and program for Israel in the Sinai was to accomplish two things: first, to receive the Law of Moses; and, secondly, to build the tabernacle through which much of the Law could then be maintained. With these two things accomplished, they were to press on and enter into the Promised Land itself. However, because of a long series of murmurings against God's revealed will, finally, in a place called Kadesh Barnea, right at the border of the Promised Land itself, God entered into judgment with His people. The judgment was that the entire nation that had come out of the land of Egypt would now have to continue wandering in the wilderness until a forty-year period was up. During that forty-year period everyone who came out of Egypt, except for two men (Joshua and Caleb) and those under the age of twenty, would die in the wilderness. Forty years later it would be a new nation, a nation that was bom as free men in the wilderness and not as slaves in Egypt who would enter the Promised Land under Joshua. Ezekiel says that a similar thing was to occur in the future; God will begin to regather his people from all parts of the world, a regathering we have been observing with the present and modem Jewish State of Israel. However, at some point God will enter into judgment with His people. By means of the Tribulation judgments, the rebels will be purged out (ED: cf Da 11:35+, Da 12:10+), the unbelievers will be purged and regenerated. (ED: Ezek 20:37 says the Lord God will make them pass under the rod and enter the bond of covenant). They will turn away from seeking to establish their own righteousness and will seek the righteousness of God through Jesus the Messiah and that will bring about their national regeneration (ED: cf Ro 11:26-27+). It is going to be a new nation, a regenerate nation that will enter the Millennial Israel under King Messiah. In Zechariah God says “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; 8 and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness (THIS IS COVENANT LANGUAGE - THE NEW COVENANT). (Zech 8:7,8) Gather (06908). קָבַץ qāḇatṣ: A verb meaning to gather, to collect, to assemble. The passive form is used to signify the gathering or assembling of people, especially for battle (Josh. 9:2; Neh. 4:20[14]; Jer. 49:14); and for religious and national purposes (1 1 Chr. 11:1; Ezra 10:1, 7). The word in an active form often signifies the gathering of materials: food into storehouses (Gen. 41:35); sheaves (Mic. 4:12); money and wealth (2 Chr. 24:5; Prov. 28:8); lambs by a shepherd (Isa. 13:14; 40:11; Jer. 23:3). The word also refers to God’s gathering of nations for judgment in the end times (Isa. 43:9; 66:18; Joel 3:2); and especially to the gathering of His scattered people, Israel (Ps. 106:47; Jer. 29:14; 31:10; Hos. 1:11). Qabats is used 3x in Dt - Dt 13:16, Dt 30:3, Dt 30:4. 1) to gather, assemble 1a) (Qal) to gather, collect, assemble 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to assemble, gather 1b2) to be gathered 1c) (Piel) to gather, gather together, take away 1d) (Pual) to be gathered together 1e) (Hithpael) to gather together, be gathered together Vine - First, qabats means “to gather” things together into a single location. The word may focus on the process of “gathering,” as in Gen. 41:35 (the first occurrence): Joseph advised Pharaoh to appoint overseers to “gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh.…” The verb may also focus on the result of the process, as in Gen. 41:48: “And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt.…” Only in one passage does qabats mean “to harvest” (Isa. 62:9): “But they that have gathered [harvested] it [grain] shall eat it and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it [wine] together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.” This verb is used metaphorically of things that can be “gathered” only in a figurative sense. So in Ps. 41:6, the enemy’s “heart gathereth iniquity to itself” while visiting—i.e., the enemy considers how he can use everything he hears and sees against his host. Qabac is often used of “gathering” people or “assembling” them. This “gathering” is usually a response to a summons, but not always. In 1 Kings 11:24, David “gathered men unto him, and became captain over a [marauding] band.” This action was not the result of a summons David issued, but resulted from reports that circulated about him. The entire story makes it quite clear that David was not seeking to set up a force rivaling Saul’s. But when men came to him, he marshalled them. Quite often this verb is used of “summoning” people to a central location. When Jacob blessed his sons, for example, he “summoned” them to him and then told them to gather around closer (Gen. 49:2). This same word is used of “summoning” the militia. All able-bodied men in Israel between the ages of 20 and 40 were members of the militia. In times of peace they were farmers and tradesmen; but when danger threatened, a leader would “assemble” them or “summon” them to a common location and organize them into an army (cf. Judg. 12:4). All Israel could be “summoned” or “gathered” for battle (as a militia); thus “… Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa” (1 Sam. 28:4). This military use may also signify “marshalling” a standing army in the sense of “setting them up” for battle. The men of Gibeon said: “All the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us” (Josh. 10:6). In 1 Kings 20:1, qabats carries this sense in addition to overtones of “concentrating” an entire army against a particular point: “And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.” Ordered assemblies may include assemblies for covenant-making: “And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a league with thee …” (2 Sam. 3:21). In several instances, assemblies are “convened” for public worship activities: “Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh.… And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day …” (1 Sam. 7:5–6; cf. Joel 2:16). When qabats appears in the intensive stem, God is often the subject. This usage connotes that something will result that would not result if things were left to themselves. The verb is used in this sense to refer to “divine judgment”: “As they gathered silver, and brass … into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury (Ezek. 22:20). Qabats is also applied to “divine deliverance”: “… The Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee” (Deut. 30:3). A special use of the verb qabats appears in Joel 2:6, namely “to glow” or “glow with excitement” or “become pale [white]”: “Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.” Qabats - 120v - assemble(7), assembled(7), brought the together(1), collect(1), collected(2), gather(52), gathered(45), gathers(4), grown(1), meet(1), rally(1), regather(1), surely gather(1), turn(1). Gen. 41:35; Gen. 41:48; Gen. 49:2; Deut. 13:16; Deut. 30:3; Deut. 30:4; Jos. 9:2; Jos. 10:6; Jdg. 9:47; Jdg. 12:4; 1 Sam. 7:5; 1 Sam. 7:6; 1 Sam. 7:7; 1 Sam. 8:4; 1 Sam. 22:2; 1 Sam. 25:1; 1 Sam. 28:1; 1 Sam. 28:4; 1 Sam. 29:1; 2 Sam. 2:25; 2 Sam. 2:30; 2 Sam. 3:21; 1 Ki. 11:24; 1 Ki. 18:19; 1 Ki. 18:20; 1 Ki. 20:1; 1 Ki. 22:6; 2 Ki. 6:24; 2 Ki. 10:18; 1 Chr. 11:1; 1 Chr. 13:2; 1 Chr. 16:35; 2 Chr. 13:7; 2 Chr. 15:9; 2 Chr. 15:10; 2 Chr. 18:5; 2 Chr. 20:4; 2 Chr. 23:2; 2 Chr. 24:5; 2 Chr. 25:5; 2 Chr. 32:4; 2 Chr. 32:6; Ezr. 7:28; Ezr. 8:15; Ezr. 10:1; Ezr. 10:7; Ezr. 10:9; Neh. 1:9; Neh. 4:20; Neh. 5:16; Neh. 7:5; Neh. 13:11; Est. 2:3; Est. 2:8; Est. 2:19; Ps. 41:6; Ps. 102:22; Ps. 106:47; Ps. 107:3; Prov. 13:11; Prov. 28:8; Isa. 11:12; Isa. 13:14; Isa. 22:9; Isa. 34:15; Isa. 34:16; Isa. 40:11; Isa. 43:5; Isa. 43:9; Isa. 44:11; Isa. 45:20; Isa. 48:14; Isa. 49:18; Isa. 54:7; Isa. 56:8; Isa. 60:4; Isa. 60:7; Isa. 62:9; Isa. 66:18; Jer. 23:3; Jer. 29:14; Jer. 31:8; Jer. 31:10; Jer. 32:37; Jer. 40:15; Jer. 49:5; Jer. 49:14; Ezek. 11:17; Ezek. 16:37; Ezek. 20:34; Ezek. 20:41; Ezek. 22:19; Ezek. 22:20; Ezek. 28:25; Ezek. 29:5; Ezek. 29:13; Ezek. 34:13; Ezek. 36:24; Ezek. 37:21; Ezek. 38:8; Ezek. 39:17; Ezek. 39:27; Hos. 1:11; Hos. 8:10; Hos. 9:6; Joel 2:6; Joel 2:16; Joel 3:2; Joel 3:11; Mic. 1:7; Mic. 2:12; Mic. 4:6; Mic. 4:12; Nah. 2:10; Nah. 3:18; Zeph. 3:8; Zeph. 3:19; Zeph. 3:20; Zech. 10:8; Zech. 10:10 Where the LORD your God has scattered you - Israel's dispersion was the result of God's sovereign hand. The verb scattered (pûtṣ ) is used 3 times in Deuteronomy all prophesying of Israel's future dispersion! Here are the other two prophecies: Deuteronomy 4:27+ “The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD drives you. Deuteronomy 28:64+ “Moreover, the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth (NOT JUST EXILE TO ASSYRIA AND BABYLON BUT GLOBAL, A PROPHECY THAT HAS BEEN FULFILLED FOR JEWS ARE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD); and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known. Warren
Deuteronômio 30
Morgan - Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible) Deuteronomy 30:11 No Fine Print Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Missy Sullivan noted that many user agreements, warranties, and disclaimers that come with products are nearly unreadable. Intentionally set in very small type, they actually discourage people from understanding them. Because of this, many people don’t read all the terms of contracts before signing them. A university professor of graphic communication pointed to a 32-page user agreement that came with his new smart phone, and said of the company, “They don’t want you to read it.” In contrast, the Lord is always seeking to communicate with His people in clear and compelling ways, with no attempt to confuse or deceive. When Moses spoke to the Israelites just before they entered the Promised Land, he said, “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off… I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deut. 30:11,19). Father, we want to learn and experience more of who You are in our relationship with You. Teach us so that we will grow in our understanding of You and Your plan for our lives. There is no fine print in God’s communication with us. Deuteronomy 30:11–14; 2 Corinthians 4:1–2 No Secret Codes Here The Voynich Manuscript is a 204-page volume in an unknown alphabet. It was purchased in 1912 by a British book dealer, who gave copies to anyone wanting to decipher it. Many tried and as many failed. Finally, in 1921, a professor from the University of Pennsylvania said he had broken the manuscript’s code: it was the work of Roger Bacon, the thirteenth-century inventor. Though his findings made him a celebrity among scholars at the time, later evidence discredited his theory. In 1969 the manuscript was given to Yale University, where it remains, an enigma to all who view it. God revealed himself with unmistakable clarity, so anyone could understand him. No one can complain that we do not know what is true, right, or moral. The Bible has made itself much too plain for anyone to claim ignorance. It speaks powerfully of judgment against sin but just as forcefully promises forgiveness of sin. No, spiritual ignorance cannot be excused, nor can it be explained on the basis of the Bible’s difficulty. The problem is that while the Bible remains a yearly best-seller, it goes largely unread! God has purposely written his book to enchant all levels of intelligence and spiritual growth—what he has written demands to be read. -Speaker’s sourcebook of new illustrations NO FINE PRINT For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. —Deuteronomy 30:11 A writer for a financial newspaper noted that many user agreements and small prints that come with products are nearly unreadable. Because the text is so small, it actually discourages people from understanding them. Because of this, many people don’t read all the terms of contracts before signing them. In contrast the Lord is always seeking to communicate with His people in clear and understandable ways, with no attempt to confuse or deceive. When Moses spoke to the Israelites just before they entered the Promised Land, he said, “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. . . . I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deut. 30:11,19). THERE IS NO SMALL PRINT IN GOD’S COMMUNICATION WITH US. Deuteronomy 30:12 "It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it? Proverbs 30:4; John 3:13; Romans 10:6,7 Deuteronomy 30 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it? - (see picture) It is not beyond normal human capacity to acquire. True, the Law originated from God and God was in Heaven, but He gave His Law through Moses as His Word which was both spoken and written. Thus there is no need for anyone to ascend to heaven to get it. They already have it! Notice the verbs go...get...make us hear...observe (shama) - You have to have the Word to obey the Word, but they in fact did have the Word. But it is not enough to just hear it but one must observe it. Keil say regarding the commandment that it is not "too far off: it is neither in heaven, i.e., at an inaccessible height." Coakley - Paul quoted vv. 12–14 in Rm 10:6–8 (see the comments there). The Jewish people could not say that the law was too obtuse or inaccessible to them in Moses’ day and thereafter. God made every provision to make it readily available to them. Paul’s point in citing this text was to draw a parallel with the gospel of Jesus Christ. God, through Paul and the other apostles, had made the gospel available and accessible. The problem was not that God had not done enough; the problem was (and remains) the refusal of people to embrace Jesus as their Messiah. (Moody Bible Commentary) Deuteronomy 30:13 "Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it? KJV - Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Who will Acts 10:22,33; 16:9; Romans 10:14-15 the sea Proverbs 2:1-5; 3:13-18; 8:11; 16:6; Matthew 12:42; John 6:27; Acts 8:27-40 Deuteronomy 30 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries GOD'S COMMANDMENT NOT BEYOND THE SEA Nor is it beyond the sea (see picture) Similar to the explanation in Dt 30:12, there is no need to travel across the ocean to get God's commandment. They have it. Now they are to "DO" it, to obey it, to observe, to keep it. And make us hear it - ESV = " that we may hear it and do it?' They did not need anyone to tell them about it. They had already heard it. Keil say regarding the command that it is not "beyond the sea, i.e., at an unattainable distance, at the end of the world, so that any one could say, Who is able to fetch it thence?" Hear (08085)(shama) means to hear (Adam and Eve hearing God = Ge 3:8, 10, Ge 18:10 = "overheard"), to listen (Ge 3:17, Ge 16:2 [= this was a big mistake and was the origin of Jews and Arabs!] Ex 6:9,16:20, 18:19, Webster's 1828 on "listen" = to hearken; to give ear; to attend closely with a view to hear. To obey; to yield to advice; to follow admonition) and since hearing/listening are often closely linked to obedience, shama is translated obey (1 Sa 15:22, Ge 22:18, 26:5, 39:10, Ex 19:5, disobedience = Lev 26:14, 18, 21, 27) or to understand. KJV translates shama "hearken" (196x) a word which means to give respectful attention. Of God's hearing in general or hearing our prayers (Hab 1:2, Ps 66:18, click here for more in the Psalms, cf God's hearing in Zeph 2:8, Ge 16:11, 17:20, 30:17, 22, Ge 21:17, 29:33, 30:6, 17, 22; Ex 2:24, Ex 16:8, 9, 12, Nu 11:1, 12:2). Shama means “to hear intelligently and attentively and respond appropriately." In other words to hear does not convey the idea of "in one ear and out the other!" The most famous use is the so-called "Shema" in Dt 6:4 “Hear, (a command, in Greek Lxx = present imperative - habitually, continually) O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" 5 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. The greatest significance of the use of shama is that of relation of man to God, especially where the context speaks of obedience. Obedience is the supreme test of faith and reverence for God. The Old Testament conception of obedience was vital. It was the one important relationship which must not be broken. While sometimes this relation may have been formal and cold, it nevertheless was the one strong tie which held the people close to God. The significant spiritual relation is expressed by Samuel when he asks the question, “Hath Yahweh as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying (shama) the voice of Yahweh? Behold, to obey (shama) is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Sa 15:22). It was the condition without which no right relation might be sustained to Yahweh. This is most clearly stated in the relation between Abraham and Yahweh when he is assured “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed (shama) my voice” (Ge 22:18). In prophetic utterances, future blessing and prosperity were conditioned upon obedience: “If ye be willing and obedient (shama), ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isa 1:19). After surveying the glories of the Messianic kingdom, the prophet assures the people that “this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey (shama) the voice of Yahweh your God” (Zec 6:15). On the other hand misfortune, calamity, distress and famine are due to their disobedience and distrust of Yahweh. Wendell G