Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!
— Deuteronomy 6:4 —
Juan Antonio Ortega Montoya: Word of Grace Biblical Seminary | Mexico
Jewish teachers have long considered this text the heart of the whole Law. In fact, this confession is so important that obedient Jews even in our own time recite it at least twice a day. Known as the Shema, which means “hear,” it has played a foundational role in Jewish thought for thousands of years. This verse teaches that there is only one God. The Lord alone is God, and there is no other. Our thoughts should be captivated by Him [God] and His Word, and our lives spent in joyful obedience to Him. This is by no means in opposition to the doctrine of the Trinity; rather, it emphasizes the self-consistency and oneness of the Lord, who alone is God. God requires His people to love Him wholeheartedly. Just as God is one, so we His people are to be of one mind and one heart, loving no other gods, and loving the Lord completely. We are not to love Him simply more than any other god, or worship Him as the greatest of the gods. Rather, we are to worship Him only, and love Him in a way that we love nothing else. Our thoughts should be captivated by Him and His word, and our lives spent in joyful obedience to Him. The call to remember God’s oneness is a call to refocus our hearts on God. The Shema calls us to turn away from the many things that vie for our attention and affection. It is a call to restore the Lord to the center of our lives, to esteem Him above all else, and to give Him in our own hearts His rightful place as God.
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