Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Deuteronomy 6:4 NABRE
This verse begins the “Shema” the first Hebrew word of the verse, hear. It is a famous prayer that many Israelites recite, today and over the centuries, every morning and evening. Later verses are exhortations giving literal interpretation, the origin of phylacteries and the mezuzah. Phylacteries are short tassels or tapes attached to the forehead and left arm, each tassel holding a tiny box containing biblical text. The mezuzah is a small box attached to the doorposts of houses containing a parchment of two text from Deuteronomy. Jews touch the mezuzah with their fingers, which they kiss, entering or leaving the house. The quoted verse proclaims God as the one true God for Jews, an unusual claim, most nations had many gods. The next verse Jesus disciples know well, “you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength.“
Imagine being a Jew listening to Jesus speaking, He is telling you what He knows is the first command, to love God as quoted from these verses. He might reach out and touch the tassel with the Phylacteries He is wearing, knowing every Jew knows this prayer, and might have recited it along with Jesus. His touch is special, he touches them, their tassels, they would know that Jesus is special, irresistible and that He speaks from the Torah. How could he know so much? How could He touch them so intimately and lovingly? They know He speaks the truth, their hearts on fire as He speaks to them. They somehow feel the presence of God. Now imagine the words of Jesus are alive and He says them to you, touching you, having a deeper love for you than you have ever known. You want more of this God.
Do you hear Jesus speaking to you? Do you spend quiet time trying to hear Jesus?
Imagine the words of Jesus are alive and He says them to you, touching you, having a deeper love for you than you have ever known. You want more of this God. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #Shema #Lord #Deuteronomy #everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse #verseoftheday #pray #prayer #goodnews #loveeachother #godisgreat #thisVineyard #youversion