Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from “Forever for Our Good,” a study of Deuteronomy, released by Lifeway Women this month.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 is one of the most foundational passages of the Old Testament. In Hebrew culture, and even in modern Judaism, this verse is known as the Shema (pronounced, “sheh-MAH”). The word, Shema, means “hear,” which is the first word of this passage in Hebrew. (Your Bible may translate it “listen.”) The Shema is a central Jewish prayer that is recited each morning and evening. It reads as follows:
“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
In Hebrew, the meaning of “love” in the Shema is ahahvah. There are several definitions for this word, but the fullest understanding of it is devotion. Ahahvah describes an exclusive loyalty, one that directs and determines our priorities, our beliefs and our choices. To love the Lord means to be devoted to Him, and to Him alone, with the totality of your being – heart, soul, and strength. This kind of love shapes and reshapes our schedules, our spending habits, our daily rhythms, our worldviews and our choices.
Chances are that your definitions reflect your culture. In the West (think ancient Greece, not cowboys), how we understand our lives – especially our hearts and our minds – is deeply influenced by philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. What we believe about our hearts can be traced back to their beliefs about human nature. Greek philosophers claimed the heart was the source of affections and emotions, essentially what we feel. But to the Hebrew mind, the heart had a different significance. In their understanding, the heart (leb), represented your intellect, your cognition and your reasoning. It included your thoughts and your will. While feelings may have been part of this definition, the emphasis of the Hebrew heart had more to do with desires. This doesn’t mean God isn’t interested in our affections. Not at all. But how we feel is often the overflow of how we think and what we believe.
Our idea of the soul is similar. The Greek concept of the soul is considered totally separate from the body. This is known as Greek body-soul dualism. This view of human nature believed the mind was important and the body was irrelevant. But in Hebrew culture, your soul encompassed your entire being. It was seen as the whole of who you are, including the full range of human emotion. Your soul was not just your inner life; it was all of you.
Not surprisingly, strength has a cultural nuance as well. The Western idea of strength means power, ability or might. But to the Hebrew mind, strength means “to the fullest extent.” It could also be translated as “with your very-muchness.” It carries the idea of totality and fullness.
When we put these three descriptions together, we get a fuller sense of the Shema’s meaning. Love for God is a choice, one that demands all of who we are and to the fullest degree. This is an unrivaled love for an unrivaled God. As I consider the Shema and how it applies to my own life, I might paraphrase it like this:
The Lord is the one and only true God. There is no one else like Him – not even close – and no one else worthy of my total devotion. I was made to love the Lord with everything in me and to submit my desires, ambitions, opinions, affections, motives, direction, and choices entirely to His service.
Take a few moments and ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of God’s love for you. Romans 5:5 says He pours the love of God out into our hearts. Ask yourself: Am I loving God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength? If not, what do I need to change in my life?
