Frontlets

[BarbaraW]

Deuteronomy 11:18 “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.”
“Frontlets [N] occurs only in Exodus 13:16 ; Deuteronomy 6:8 , and 11:18. The meaning of the injunction to the Israelites, with regard to the statues and precepts given them, that they should ‘bind them for a sign upon their hand, and have them as frontlets between their eyes,’ was that they should keep them distinctly in view and carefully attend to them. But soon after their return from Babylon they began to interpret this injunction literally, and had accordingly portions of the law written out and worn about their person. …” (an online Bible dictionary)

Sounds like wearing God’s laws instead of keeping them uppermost in thought and living them. This hit home for me. I equate it with doing right things regarding church but only halfheartedly. It’s not quite the same thing maybe, but certainly similar.

[BarbaraW]

This statement from Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy (page 4) ties in with the above and fits so well with this weeks lesson, “Outward worship is not of itself sufficient to express loyal and heartfelt gratitude, since he has said: ‘If ye love me, keep my commandments.’” She begins the paragraph with her statement about “patience, meekness, love, and good deeds.” Now there’s some good preparation for participation in church activities, really is church activity, not to mention making our daily lives more divine.

[Michael Pupko]

Thanks for these posts. I can see why this ‘order’ was turned into a material act of attaching notes of prayer to the body because even when I write myself a note for the day when the going gets tough I forget to pull out the Word of God to get me back on track by “lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul.”

These posts opened my eyes to this in Proverbs that I read this morning which helps me understand better where and how to integrate this into practice:
Pro. 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

[BarbaraW]

Thanks so much for your response Michael.

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