“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5
These verses start with a command for the people to respond properly to God. They must listen and obey. These verses, known as the Shema (“Hear”), are the basic confession of faith in Judaism. Observant Jews still say the Shema twice daily, during morning and evening prayers.
“The Lord is one” indicates God is unique and singular in His qualities. He alone is God. This is in contrast to the Canaanite Baals that represented various powers of nature. However, the oneness of God does not militate against the unity of the three persons in the Trinity. For example, “one” is also used in Genesis 2:24 to describe the “one flesh” relationship of Adam and Eve. An early church leader wrote, “God is one divine essence who is eternal, without a body, without parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. He is the maker and preserver of all things, visible and invisible” (Nehemiah 9:6). Yet, there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
“Love … with all” is a common Hebrew term for affection. God commands His people to love Him above all else. In this context, the word translated as “love” may mean “to make one’s choice in.” God commanded His people to choose Him with all their being, and in the process to deny all other supposed deities.
“Heart … soul … strength” indicates God’s desire that His people love Him with total sincerity, without reservation, and with all their faculties.
God’s blessings on your day…