Deuteronomy 6:10, commentary and pictures

The promise is that the Lord would bring Israel into the land sworn to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them great and good cities they did not build, with houses full of good things they did not fill, wells they did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees they did not plant. The words were addressed to Israel as they were coming into the promised land and encamped on its borders about to go over Jordan to possess it. They were directed by the invisible Leader in the cloud through Moses, who knew he himself had been shut out through their sin from sharing the inheritance.

The land was to be theirs soon on condition of obedience to the law of God. It becomes theirs in truth only by occupation, by complying with the conditions and by exercising living faith that appropriates the promises while obeying instruction, since mere knowledge and singing about Canaan could not bring possession of the great cities and the vineyards and olive groves of the goodly land. The gift and abundance of the land brings danger that when they have eaten and are full they will forget the Lord who brought them out of Egypt from the house of bondage and forget His covenant, so amid prosperity and comfort they must remember Him with gratitude rather than forget Him. Remembering the Lord means keeping His commands in the heart, fearing the Lord, serving Him alone, swearing by His name, diligently keeping His commandments, testimonies, statutes and judgments, surrendering the heart's affections to God, valuing His words above all without negligence, and refusing to go after other gods of the peoples round about or to tempt the Lord as at Massah, because He is a jealous God among them.

The commandments must be kept constantly before them as frontlets between the eyes to keep them from every false way. They must be taught diligently to children when sitting in the house and walking by the way and lying down and rising up and written on the posts of the house and on the gates, following the example of Abraham commanding his household, with fathers and mothers hearing the direction sharply and with an understanding heart. To the disobedient there are no promises and no blessings but the threatenings of the Lord, for He is a consuming fire, and if they do evil in His sight they will soon utterly perish from the land. Nor can God take such to His kingdom and the City of God because they would make a second rebellion in heaven.

The verse belongs to the instruction in Deuteronomy 4-8, also described as 4-11, that shows what God required of His ancient people that they might be a holy people to Himself and teaches His dealings with them. Its directions are to be observed carefully from the greatest to what may seem least, applying in every age to those carrying responsibilities in sanitarium work and to parents, calling God's people to walk humbly with Him and remain faithful rather than turn to other gods. The passage is to be studied now with profit for preparation because the day of God's great final review is near, when the people of the world must stand before the Judge of all the earth to answer for their deeds, and the present is the time of investigation before which every character will have been investigated and every case decided for eternity. In the same way, building on Christ is by obeying His word, the righteous person is not one who merely enjoys righteousness but one who does righteousness, and holiness is surrendering all to God and doing the will of the heavenly Father.