Directions for the Journey
Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Imagine with me if you would that you were going on a long trip to somewhere you’d never been before and imagine not just that you were going on a trip, but that you were leaving everything behind to find a new life in a new land. And say this was before the age of the internet and photography, before Expedia and TripAdvisor, and so you were going somewhere you’d never even seen before, somewhere you’ve heard about, but not somewhere you’ve seen. Admittedly this would be a tremendous task, not for the faint of heart. And if this was our situation, then wouldn’t we want to do everything we could to find out what was needed to successfully reach our destination? What were the landmarks along the way? What were the dangers to avoid? What was the quickest route? How long will it take? Well, in Deuteronomy 6 Moses addresses the children of Israel with sound guidance for their trip that it might go well with them. You see, they were on their way to the Promised Land, to that land that God had promised to their fathers before them that they would possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. And before we think that this OT passage is too far removed from our experience to apply to us, let’s remember that we too are on a pilgrimage to another land, but in our case we are on our way to the heavenly country, which means we would also do well to listen in to what Moses is telling Israel. Moses helps us with three directives for our faith.