Dueteronomy 6:4-9 is one of the most popular passages in the entire Old Testament. Those verses serve as instruction about intentionally passing on faith to the next generation before the Hebrews enter the promised land. There are four words in Deuteronomy 6 that are later echoed in Psalm 1 and Paul’s letter to the Ephesians…I have put them in bold,
“4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the way/path, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.“
Here they are in Psalm 1,
“Blessed is the one
who does not walk in the way/path of the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.“
Here they are in the book of Ephesians,
Sit:
Ephesians 1:19-20 – “That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms” [Christ is seated]
Ephesians 2:6 – “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,” [we are seated with Christ]
Walk (many of these are missed in the NIV and NRSV as they are translated to live):
Ephesians 2:2 – “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked ”
Ephesians 2:10 – “ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
Ephesians 4:1 – “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called”
Ephesians 4:17 – “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind”
Ephesians 5:1-2 – “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”
Ephesians 5:8 – “for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light”
Ephesians 5:15 – “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,”
Stand:
Ephesians 6:11 – “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”
Ephesians 6:13-14 – “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,”
Way:
Like Psalm 1, Ephesians also talks about two “ways”:
- Way of the world
- “ in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” – Eph 2:2
- “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;” – Eph 4:22
- Way of Christ
- “That, however, is not the way of life you learned” – Eph 4:20
- “ and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” – Eph 5:2
It seems to me that Paul is drawing off of two of the most famous passages from the Law (Torah) and the Writings (Ketuvim) and cast them in a new light in Christ for us to be able to appreciate the great blessings we have in Christ. I am indebted to the powerful little book by Watchman Nee entitled, “Sit, Walk, Stand” where he points Paul’s use of those three words in Ephesians.
