Going All In, In Loving Him Series

Which is the Jewish confession of faith (from Deuteronomy 6) that faithful Jews memorized and repeated twice a day.

NOW - Jesus would have been taught the Shema as a child, and he would have recited it morning and evening as a vow of obedience to God.

AND MGCC

THAT’S - the point. The title Shema comes from the first word in the verse —“Shema” - is Hebrew for “hear.”

BUT UNDERSTAND - the hearing described by this word is not merely sound waves hitting against our ear drums…

it’s about obedience.

YOU SEE

We are to be, Not just hearers, but doers of the Word.

NOW – I know that for many of us, the word obey sounds like a drag — like it is going against what we really want.

BUT - to God and Jesus, to obey is to live the way we were created to live.

NOW – the second word that illustrates that Jesus is not so much giving us a prayer or a preamble, but instead a pledge for allegiance is…

the word is echad, commonly translated “one.”

(Eh hodd)

NOW WHEN - this word is translated as “one,” it is understood as belief in monotheism. It is a creedal statement on the ontology of God. God is one, not a few or many.

Which is true.

BUT - what sense does that make as a logical argument to loving God and our neighbor? It makes no sense.

I MEAN - it makes no more sense than saying, “God is billions, so love God and your neighbor.”

HOWEVER - there is another way to translate the word echad (eh hodd) that fits the context better.

“The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.”

NOW - concerning this verse, the Jewish scholar Lois Tverberg (T Verr Berg) wrote the following, clarifying the difference between the two meanings, and why it matters so much…

Rather than merely being a command to a particular belief about God, it is actually a call for a person’s absolute allegiance to God. God alone is the one we should worship; him only shall we serve.

NOW – the final word that helps define and clarify the kind of relationship that God wants with us, is the word love.

The Hebrew word for love, ahavah, (ahvuff)

AND – it means “to act lovingly toward” or “to be loyal to.” UNDERSTAND

God isn’t commanding a feeling,

BUT RATHER - rather action and loyalty.

SURE - it’s nice to have feelings of love toward God, but it’s likely you will need to act your way into these feelings of love before you will feel your way into the actions

OKAY – so here is what Lois Tverberg suggests would be a good modern translation of the Shema and first commandment…

Listen up, Israel—The LORD is your God, he, and he alone!! You should love him with every thought that you think, live every hour of every day for him, be willing to sacrifice your life for him. Love him with every penny in your wallet and everything that you’ve got!

AGAIN – a proposal is on the table to enter into a relationship (an exclusive relationship) with the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.

A relationship where He will forgive you of all your sins and love you with a love that knows no bounds and that is unending, uncontainable, unconditional, unstoppable and unfailing.