Have you heard of the Shema? The Shema is actually some instructions given to the Israelites in the Old Testament by Moses (Deuteronomy 6) before they entered into the promised land. It was a reminder to take their dedication to the Lord seriously and have it on their heart. This section of Deuteronomy is called the Shema and it has been a common prayer to this day.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Close Your Eyes to See
It is my understanding that many Jewish people say the Shema every morning and evening. When they do this they cover their eyes for the first part of the scriptures. Many believe that by covering your eyes you’re able to listen better. In the scripture, the very first sentence says to hear (meaning to actively listen). Some believe by closing our eyes that we are able to disconnect from the world and connect to God at a deeper level. A ‘close your eyes to see’ perspective.
The Greatest Commandment
I have always loved the Shema but lately, I feel like the Lord wants me to dig deeper into it and share what I learn. If you notice, the very first part of the Shema scriptures are actually seen in our New Testament, as well, when a scribe asks Jesus what is the greatest commandment.
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that He answered them well, asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31
Jesus is reminding the disciples of the greatest commandment as laid out in the Old Testament. They are to love and be dedicated to God, but also to show love to others. In Matthew 22, the scripture says that all the law and prophets depend on the these two commandments
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to Him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40
Many times people stay focused on the second commandment to love your neighbor, but in this article I am focusing on the very first commandment – loving God.
Favor and Blessings
What’s interesting, is that the section right before the Shema is actually a retelling of the Ten Commandments. The original telling of the commandments was in Exodus 20. Moses, explains in chapter 6 that the Israelites will be going into a time of favor and blessings, and that it was important to not forget about God. The warning in Deuteronomy, is for the Israelites to take the greatest commandment seriously and to teach it to their children. That way they would not forget God and things would go well for them.
Interestingly, throughout the whole book of Deuteronomy, and really the entire Bible, not forgetting God is the theme. The Shema is a daily reminder, morning and night, to be dedicated to the Lord. It has visual imagery, implying that the word of God is bound around someone’s hand and stamped on their forehead. Today, many Christians barely read their Bibles, let alone make this kind of commitment to the Lord.
Going Into Battle
Something to consider about the book of Deuteronomy is that when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He quotes out of this book of the Bible. Two of scriptures are in the very same chapter as the Shema.
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4 (referencing Deuteronomy 8:3)
Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Matthew 4:7 (referencing Deuteronomy 6:16)
You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve. Matthew 4:10 (referencing Deuteronomy 6:13-14)
These scriptures are all pulled from the book of Deuteronomy. Knowing scripture is our weapon against the enemy. In Ephesians 6, the Word is the sword and is part of the armor of God. It is our offensive weapon. We should study the scriptures diligently so that we are ready for battle against the enemy.
Our Commitment
I really wanted to stress the level of commitment that the Israelites portrayed when they recited the Shema. Do we have that same level of commitment today with Jesus? If the first and greatest commandment is still to love the Lord, our God, with all our heart, with all our soul, strength and mind, how can we walk that out spiritually? How can we be dedicated? Is everything we do done through the lens of the Holy Spirit?
Again referencing Ephesians 6, we are told to put on the whole armor of God. If we look at it from that perspective, we are soldiers in the Lord’s army. Being a soldier means that you bear the seal of the one you serve. We literally go into battle for the one we are dedicated to. But we get to bear the seal willingly, not by force. When we truly know Jesus, we gladly want to bear His name. If we are God’s soldier, we will obey His instructions and go into battle for Him.
Written On Our Hearts
Thankfully, we as Christians are no longer under the law. When Jesus came, the law was to be written on our hearts when we receive the Holy Spirit. So it’s not about performance. It’s about the heart.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Hebrews 8:10
When we have the Holy Spirit in our heart, He convicts us of sin so we can repent and get back on the right track. The scriptures are our guide. As we see in Matthew 5, when Jesus explains the Commandments more deeply. His explanation is talking about our heart posture. For example, if we don’t commit adultery, but are still lusting after people in our heart, then we aren’t fulfilling what God wants for us.
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:27-28
Heart Posture
God didn’t want the law to just be something people did. It was to be on their hearts. The law was a framework of better things to come. Trying to reconcile the Old and New Testaments in difficult. Paul does a good job explaining it in Romans 6.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:1-4
We have the holy scriptures to help us understand the ways of God. When we are constantly bombarded with conflicting messages from the world and even the church, it can cause confusion. That is why it is crucial to read the Bible for yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Read your Bibles daily. This commitment will bring you closer to Jesus.
Shema Inspired Prayer
If we were to recite the Shema, by inserting Jesus into it, I believe it would go something like this:
Lord, I am listening. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one. I love you Jesus with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my might. Your Commandments will be on my heart. I will teach them diligently to my children, and will talk of them when I sit in my house and when I walk by the way, and they will be on my heart when I go to bed and when I get up. I will bind them as a sign on my hand, and they will be as frontlets between my eyes. I will write them on the doorposts of my house and on my gates.
Can you imagine how that could impact our faith? If we gave Jesus this kind of commitment? When we make a commitment to Jesus, we will be convicted to follow His commandments. We begin to distinctively see, through the Holy Spirit, the division between right and wrong. We receive confirmation through the scriptures. Knowing scripture allows us to understand God’s love and discern what the Holy Spirit may be trying to teach us. We should always be open to God’s teaching and correction because it brings blessings and closeness to Him.
Stay Strong
This is the commitment we can give the Lord. That HIS brand and seal will be upon us. It is His scriptures that save us and give us hope. As you can see, the world is getting pretty rough out there. Keep praying Psalm 91, keep your spiritual armor on and stay close to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We need His guidance more than ever. Stay strong brothers and sisters!
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