Deuteronomy 11:18, commentary and pictures

Therefore the words are to be treasured inwardly in the heart and soul and kept continually in mind as a constant guide for life. Binding them upon the hand is not literal, but means they must govern every action and undertaking, so that nothing done violates His law by idolatry, covetousness, or other disobedience. Having them as frontlets between the eyes means dwelling on their truth and holding them continually before the sight, letting their principles govern the mind and what is looked upon in remembrance of close relationship with God and pledge to obey. They are to be taught diligently to children at all times, at home and abroad, sitting, walking, lying down, and rising up, and set before them on doorposts and gates, so that days are multiplied. Full obedience in love and service brings blessing of multiplied days, rain in due season, fruitful fields and flocks, and favor, while being deceived into turning aside to other gods brings wrath, shut heaven, unfruitful land, and perishing from the good land.

Meaning of the Symbols

The verse commands laying up God's words inwardly in the heart and soul and keeping them continually in mind and in view as a constant guide for life. They are to be held deeply within and continually before the eyes and put into practice, with a constant place in thought and conduct, and faithfully taught to children as part of daily life. Binding them for a sign upon the hand is not literal, but means God's commandments must govern and influence every action and transaction of life and everything people do and put their hands to. The hands are never to be used in ways that violate God's law, including by idolatry and by coveting what God has forbidden, or by other disobedience.

Having them as frontlets between the eyes means dwelling on their truth, holding them continually before the mind and sight, and letting their principles govern the mind. The eyes represent what people look upon and behold, and in all their actions and what they behold they are to remember their close relationship with God and their pledge to obey His law. Israel was commanded to bind portions of the law about the wrist and forehead and to place the Ten Commandments in brief, embroidered on a ribbon of blue in the border of garments, as a continual reminder of duty to love God supremely and neighbor as self. The Jews perverted this into ostentatious piety, wearing the Scriptures to gain recognition and deference for assumed sanctity, making broad their phylacteries and adding to the words God had specified should be traced on the ribbon. The farther they departed from primitive purity and simplicity and the more their daily lives opposed the law of God, the more particular they became in this outward display, so that while outwardly expressing the deepest devotion their acts stood in strong contrast with their profession.

The instruction belongs to Moses' rehearsal of God's instruction to Israel before they entered Canaan, among important words God's people must keep in mind and take seriously. The charge to teach children was given through Moses by Christ who led Israel through the wilderness, requiring parents to educate the children given them by laying up His words in heart and soul and teaching His commandments continually when sitting down and rising up, at home and when walking abroad. Every chapter and every verse of the Bible is a communication from God to men whose precepts are to be bound as signs upon the hands and as frontlets between the eyes. Studied and obeyed, it leads God's people as Israel was led by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.

Blessing and Curse

Deuteronomy 11 sets before God's people a direct choice between blessing for fully obeying, loving and serving the Lord with heart and soul, and curse for refusing obedience and being deceived into turning aside to serve other gods and follow teachings that draw away from His words. Laying up His words in heart and soul and holding them constantly in thought and action belongs to that obedience, and the lesson applied to Israel and applies to God's people in every age. Although the Lord is longsuffering and full of compassion and love, continued rebellion and obstinacy passes a boundary line beyond which punishment will follow the transgressor.

Faithfulness brings multiplied days for parents and children in the promised land as the days of heaven upon the earth. Loving the Lord and serving Him brings rain in due season, including the first rain and the latter rain, with corn and wine and oil, and grass for cattle to eat and be full. Obedience also brings blessing on fields and flocks, God's favor, and building up in righteousness and truth.

Turning aside with a deceived heart to serve other gods brings the Lord's wrath, shut heaven with no rain, unfruitful land, and perishing quickly from the good land given by God. Keeping the words treasured inwardly and constantly before mind and action was provided for spiritual welfare as a barrier of divine grace against such apostasy. Losing sight of that provision from generation to generation lets ruinous influences sweep aside every barrier until God visits His people with the severest of His judgments, as was terribly fulfilled in three years with no rain.

The warnings and commands lay grave responsibility on all who know the truth and are required through each successive age, for they come from One with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning. This includes honoring the sanctified seventh day rather than substituting another day, and living by every word God has spoken. It calls for faithfully keeping His commandments, and God's faithful people will still be keeping them when the Lord comes and they enter His kingdom.

Teaching Children Daily

The command calls for laying up God's words inwardly and keeping them continually in thought and action, then teaching them diligently to children as part of all of daily life. They are to be spoken of at all times when sitting in the house and walking by the way and lying down and rising up, at home and abroad, from morning to night. They are also to be written upon the doorposts and gates and houses and marked upon the home, so that days are multiplied for parents and children in the land promised to the fathers as the days of heaven upon the earth. This faithful remembrance and teaching is connected with continued life in the land and with blessing for loving and serving the Lord fully, while a deceived heart turning aside to serve other gods brings wrath, shut heaven with no rain, unfruitful land, and quickly perishing from the good land.

The charge rests not on men alone but on all the women and the little ones, because they also must know and do their duty. Parents themselves must keep the words in their own hearts and souls and make them a constant guide in life in order to teach them diligently to their children. That charge for how Israel was to teach their children was given through Moses by Christ who led Israel through the wilderness. Doing this brings God's promised blessing on fields and flocks and brings His people forth to serve and glorify Him.

This is God's appointed method for training children to avoid the idolatry and wickedness of the heathen nations. It is carried out especially by mothers teaching their children from their very cradles to control passion, to deny appetite, and to overcome selfishness. The instruction is to be gradual and constant, line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, joining inward keeping with continual teaching in all of daily life.

It is kept by reading the whole law aloud before the whole assembly of men and women and children and strangers, so they may hear and learn and fear the Lord and observe to do all its words. That public reading was to be repeated every seventh year at the year of release at the Feast of Tabernacles. At home God's works and promises were to be often recounted, and figures and symbols were used to help fix these lessons in memory. The commandments were also to be composed into song so they would not be forgotten, and obedience would bring God's favor and build the people up in righteousness and truth.