We are continuing to look at the Shema this week, the name for Deuteronomy 6:4-5:
“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.”
Last week we talked about how v. 4 of the Shema teaches that there is only one true God. And since there is only one true God we should beware of the lure of false gods, who seek to take away our allegiance with their promises of help and hope when, in fact, only the true God can truly meet our needs.
Today we want to look more at verse 5 and loving God.
1. What it means to “love” God
In America we usually think of love as an emotion. Then we apply this to God. To love God then means that we
- feel good about God
- like God
- have warm feelings for God
- feel attached to God
In the Scriptures, however, loving God is about loyalty that issues in obedience to God. In Deuteronomy love of God and obedience to God go hand in hand.
- Deuteronomy 11:1 – “You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always.”
- Deuteronomy 11:13 – “And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul . . .”
Jesus confirms this connection in John 14:15. He says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
John says this – “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” – 1 John 5:3
So love is certainly not just an emotion. It has to do with things like:
- commitment
- devotion
- and loyalty
all of which lead to obedience. It’s a choice we make to do what God says. That’s why we can’t say, ‘I don’t feel like loving God today.’ You choose to love God day in and day out, whether you feel like it or not, by walking in his ways.
2. The Shema calls us to complete love of God
This comes out in the words used in Deuteronomy 6 – “heart,” “soul,” and “might.” This covers every part of us, from our inner person to our physical strength.
Actually, when the Shema gets repeated, the descriptions of the parts of us change:
- Deuteronomy 6 – (Hebrew text): heart, soul, might
- Deuteronomy 6 – (Greek text): mind, soul, strength
- Jesus in Mark 12: heart, soul, mind strength
- The scribe in Mark 12: heart, the understanding, strength
- Jesus in Matthew 22: heart, soul, mind
- The scribe in Luke 10: heart, soul, strength, mind
Different parts of us are mentioned, with different words and in different orders. The point, however, in all of these is the same – we are to love God with our whole person, with every part of us, however you want to say that.
But not only are we to love God with every part of us, we are to love God with all of every part of us. V. 5 says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”Not a portion of each part of us, but all of each part of us.
You can’t say it more clearly. The Shema calls us to complete love for God.
3. The greatest temptation is to try to love Yahweh and another god
It is often not choosing between Yahweh or another god, but between serving Yahweh alone or Yahweh along with another god or gods. A little background here. In a world where there were many gods/idols, you need several gods to get all the help you need; to cover all the bases.
- one for good crops
- one for fertility
- one for warfare
- one for healing
What this means is that you have to give a part of your devotion to all of these gods, in order to get what you need. Many gods equals many loves.
This is why the Shema is the way it is. V. 4 teaches us first of all that there is one only true God, who can care for all of our needs. Then v. 5 calls us to love the true God will all of our heart, soul, and strength.
Since there is only one God, there is need for only one love on our part. We don’t need to divide our loyalties to this god for this thing and other gods for other things.
This was the constant temptation of Israel – to serve Yahweh, but also another god. They believed in Yahweh but would sneak along another idol for a particular need, where they weren’t sure Yahweh could take care of them.
But we do the same thing, for instance with wealth. God can take care of us, but I will also pile up a load of wealth – just in case.
But as Jesus so clearly teaches us, you can’t be loyal to two gods at once. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” – Matthew 6:24. You have to choose. If you don’t you will just end up despising your heavenly Father.
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So I like to say the Shema in my prayer times and in corporate worship, to remind us that we have one true God. And to call us to give our whole selves to this God, who can care for all of our needs. It is a kind of pledge of allegiance for followers of Jesus.
William Higgins
Christian teaching 