Loving God

During Jesus’ ministry, a teacher of the law came to him and asked a question, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (Mark 12:28) Jesus replied with a citation from the book of Deuteronomy, from a speech of Moses to the people of Israel. “‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”‘” (Mark 12:29-30; Deut. 6:4-5)

Upon hearing this, the teacher agreed with Jesus. This was apparently the answer that he was looking for. Jesus went on to commend him for his wise answer. Both Jesus and the Jewish teachers of his day agreed that loving God was the greatest commandment in the Torah. But what does this command involve?

The passage in Deuteronomy 6 that Jesus quoted goes on to say, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deut. 6:6-9) This passage, known in Judaism as the “Sh’ma” for the Hebrew word for “Hear”, is one of the most-often repeated passages in synagogue worship to this day. After the command to love God with one’s whole being, the passage emphasizes learning and remembering the commands of God that Moses was relating to them in this long speech. There seems to be a distinct connection intended between loving God and keeping his commands.

This connection is made several more times throughout the book of Deuteronomy. In chapter 10 when Moses is summarizing what God wants from them, he says, “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” (10:12-13) Moses repeats this same theme a short time later in 11:1. “Love the LORD your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.”

Later in the book Moses mentions this same connection when he talks about establishing cities of refuge. “If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your forefathers, and gives you the whole land he promised them, because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today — to love the LORD your God and to walk always in his ways — then you are to set aside three more cities.” (19:8-9) He mentions it one more time as he’s winding up his speech and presenting the options of life or death. “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.” (30:15-16) To Moses, the idea of loving God was closely tied to obeying his commandments.

But what about other parts of the Hebrew scriptures? Do other writers make this same connection? When Joshua is summoning the 2 1/2 tribes who decided to stay on the eastern side of the Jordan, he tells them, “Now that the LORD your God has given your brothers rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” (Joshua 22:4-5)

Later in Israel’s history, after the exile, Nehemiah begins his prayer with “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands,” (Nehemiah 1:5) The prophet Isaiah mentions this connection even involving Gentiles who turn to Israel’s God. “And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant — these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:6-8) This is a prophecy of the future time when Gentiles would be invited to join the people of God. Jesus mentions this in John 10 when he says, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:16)

We’ve seen that in the history of Israel the command to love God was connected with keeping his commandments. Is that still true in the time after the ministry of Jesus? We see in John 14 that Jesus tells his disciples that if they love him, they will do what he commands. “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” (14:15-16) Are Jesus’ commands the same as God’s commands? It’s inconceivable that they be otherwise, given Jesus’ repeated self-identification with God. In case there is any doubt, Jesus assures us in Matthew 5:18 that God’s commands are eternal and immutable.

What about in the epistles? Is the connection made between loving God and obeying his commands? Probably the strongest such connection is made in I John 5. “This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” (I John 5:2-3) In this passage obeying God’s commands is connected not only with loving God, but also with loving his children.

It’s clear that throughout scripture the main way to exhibit loving God is to obey his commands. It’s a shame that so much of the church has cast aside the commands that God gave to his people, Israel. We need to focus our lives on returning to a stance of loving God with our entire being and learning and obeying his commands.