God’s love is transformational, but sometimes we would rather it be transactional. We read scripture as if it offers a a formula for how to gain God’s favor.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Moses said: Now this is the commandment–the statutes and the ordinances–that the Lord your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, so that you and your children and your children’s children, may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Obedience Is The Blessing
The Israelites were charged with observing all the commandments that Moses gave them that day. They are charged with not only keeping them but memorizing them so that they could recite them to their children and talk about them. Bind, fix and write them everywhere on your bodies, homes and fences…or so it would seem that’s what they are being told to do.
Today we have the gift of hindsight and know that this vision for God’s people, was not meant to be taken literally. Taking all this literally made them trust in their obedience rather than in God’s goodness and love. At first it seems as if Moses is presenting God as transactional in His blessings.
Keep all his decrees and commandments = long life
Observe them diligently = it may go well with you, you may multiply greatly, the land will flow with milk and honey
Obeying vs. Loving
Moses shifts things a little when he offers that keeping the law or obedience to God is how we love God. And further, to keep the whole law is to love God with all our heart, mind and strength.
What if Moses is not presenting God as transactional towards our obedience but rather he is simply saying these are the results you can expect. Moses is reassuring them that this strange new law and this God of their ancestors can be trusted even though He is different from what they know. Egyptian Gods demanded animal sacrifices in order to bless. They weren’t concerned with obedience as much as they needed to be appeased. Moses is saying that their Yahweh does not demand those things. He wants to bless them for following His laws and decrees. Sacrifices laid out in Leviticus were a way to love God, not appease Him.
At first glance, this still seems transactional. Yahweh’s blessings are not transactional though. They are transformational. Yahweh’s original vision for the law was that by following it, they would cultivate a love for neighbor. And by loving their neighbor, they in turn are learning to love God. And that itself is what blesses our lives. When our hearts are transformed then our eyes are opened to see the blessings that He has already given us.
Power To Transform
When we submit to God and trust in His guidance, a transformation happens within us. In my own life, I’ve seen this clearly: whenever I chose my own way over God’s, I often faced unexpected struggles and challenges. Eventually, I would realize that God’s way was better all along. I used to believe these challenges were God’s way of punishing me for not trusting Him. Now, I see them differently. I understand that God was actually trying to protect me from setbacks and obstacles—things I could have avoided if I had trusted Him from the start.
Moses urges the people to obey the laws and ordinances he’s sharing. Highlighting how different they are from the gods of Egypt. Unlike the Egyptians’ many gods, which required endless efforts to appease, Moses tells the Israelites there is only one God who wants a relationship with them. This God doesn’t watch from a distance, waiting to get angry; instead, He wants to be involved in every part of their lives, guiding and teaching them. These laws aren’t just rules—they’re a path to personal transformation. They should become part of daily life, so naturally integrated that when parents talk to their children, God’s teachings are part of the conversation.
Moses emphasizes that living out these commandments shouldn’t be limited to certain times or places; instead, God’s words are to be woven into everyday actions. A literal interpretation of “binding them to your hands and foreheads” or “writing them on your doorframes” misses the point. A symbolic understanding is more powerful. Whatever work you put your hands to. The ideas you put your mind to. Wherever you live—let these teachings guide you in all things.
Transformation Is Not A Formula
Today, as Christians, we sometimes believe we can reach spiritual goals through visible, transactional actions:
- If I obey Jesus perfectly, then God will bless me with what I want.
- If I keep Scripture where I can see it, I’ll become more spiritual.
- If I wear or carry symbols of faith, associate with my church, or adhere strictly to Jesus’ teachings, God will notice me and bless me.
But what truly transforms us isn’t transactional faith; it’s a life of radical love, just as it was for the Israelites. God’s purpose for His people was that this new way of living would change them—and that transformation would be their blessing. This remains true for us today. When we learn to love our neighbors and our enemies, we undergo real change. This kind of love challenges us to forgive, show kindness to those who have hurt us, and let go of anger and bitterness. When we do, we’re set free. We rejoice in others’ successes, even those who may have wronged us, and desire no harm upon them.
This inner transformation—choosing mercy over revenge—becomes the blessing itself. Trusting God to guide us in these ways writes love upon our hearts, creating a profound, lasting change
