He Said, Set Your Hearts

Deuteronomy 32:46, 47

I. Set Your Heart on These Words

A. God gave His people holy wisdom to fill their minds, which had been emptied by the wisdom of sin at the fall. “And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 32:46)

B. Godless wisdom comes from a bad source and is exceedingly expensive. “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1)

C. Godless wisdom parades false and deadly promises. “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)

D. Sinful humanity struggles to find ways around the obvious message of Scripture. “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3)

II. Command Your Children

A. The best learning comes through teaching; the best students are people we love and people love their children if they love at all. “And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 32:46)

B. Every aspect of life must present an opportunity in which to reflect upon the revelation of God and communicate it to those in the care of believers. “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deuteronomy 6:7)

C. The knowledge of God, which comes through Scripture by the influence of the Holy Spirit, is the source for all good things in life. “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.” (Proverbs 3:1-4)

D. God provides His word for believers and their seed as He provided the ark to Noah and his heirs. “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;” (Hebrews 2:1-3)

III. This Is Your Life

A. Engagement with Scripture is not so much a feature of the Christian life as it is for the believer what the water in which the fish lives and moves is for the fish. “For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.” (Deuteronomy 32:47)

B. An institution which is not overwhelmed by the Word of God is not a true church and the person who does not thirst for the Word will never make progress as a Christian; Scripture is too obvious for such nonsense. “For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 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? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.” (Deuteronomy 30:11-14) C. God’s people are thirsty for what the Bible brings them from the throne of grace. “To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” (Psalm 42:1)

D. God will bless this concentration on Him rather than any human program, asset, or person. “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)

E. All Christian teaching—sin stinks, hell is hot, judgment is certain, eternity is long, and salvation is free—leads to God in Christ and that is peace. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)