Introduction
I
think I’ve confessed to you that one of the reasons I use the NIV version of
the Bible for my lessons is because my copy is very important to me personally.
I have many notes in the margins and in the blank back pages. Many of the notes
are textual clarifications. However, many of the notes are written specifically
with my two girls in mind. Also included in the back are important pictures,
letters and notes I have received from them, my wife and other special people
in my life. There is also a faded copy of a second-grade astronomy test from my
oldest daughter who is now a college senior. I kept it because of the way she
answered one of the questions. The question reads: “Describe how a star is
born.” She answered: “God made them in the sky.” She got it wrong (hail the
all-knowing public school system {read:
sarcasm}). I kept it because it was the first time that what I taught her smashed
head-on into the teaching of the world. It wouldn’t be the last time either. In
any event, reading over that elementary school test and looking at some of the
pictures I keep in my Bible reminded me of all the times I told them stories
about God when we were together. We talked about God as we walked to and from
school. We talked about God when we drove somewhere in the car. We talked about
God when we played in the yard or at the park. We talked about God during bath-time
and at bedtime. I got to thinking about it—we talked about God all the time. And
you know what? We still do now that they are grown up. They are very natural
children of God and it warms my heart every time they talk to me about the
strength of their faith, the struggles of their faith and their desire to
always go deeper in their relationship with God and be obedient followers of
Jesus Christ. It made me think about the way Hebrew fathers not just interacted
with their children but the way they were commanded by God to instruct them.
Hebrew fathers and mothers introduced their children at a very early age to The
Shema which in Hebrew means “Hear.” The Shema is a beautiful
Hebrew prayer found in the Book of Deuteronomy and was one of the very first
things children, particularly boys, were required to memorize. One of the
things I tried to reinforce in my own children is that Christianity is not so
much what we do as it is who we are and The Shema is the perfect Hebrew
representation of that principle.
Subject
Text
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
1These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me
to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to
possess, 2so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all
his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may
enjoy long life. 3Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go
well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing
with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers,
promised you. 4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and
when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Context
When
Moses references the commands, decrees and laws he was directed to teach the
people, it wasn’t what follows our subject text but what precedes it. In
Chapter 5 we again find the Ten Commandments originally given to Moses during
their Exodus from Egypt (Ex 20). It wasn’t enough to reiterate the paramount
importance of the Ten Commandments and all of the other directives given by
God, Moses tells the people that they are to incorporate them into the everyday
events of their lives implicitly and explicitly—talk about them all the time;
keep them close; write them down and post them where they will always be a
reminder. This instruction is contained in The Shema! The ancient Hebrew
religious tradition was primarily passed along orally. Therefore, it was not
unusual for large portions of the Torah to be memorized. However, memorizing The
Shema was not optional. You could
say that The Shema was the Hebrew Pledge of Allegiance and was required
to be recited twice a day—once in the evening and once in the morning (cf. “talk
about them when you lie down and when you get up”).
Text
Analysis
Vv. 1-2
indicate that the Israelites are still being led by Moses and have still not
crossed over the Jordan to take possession of the Promised Land. Moses tells
them that God has directed him to teach the people to observe all of God’s
obstructions as the way and means to live in the Promised Land. “The purpose of
this discourse on the law is not primarily to inform the Israelites,
but rather to form them spiritually.”[1]
By passing God’s instructions on to their children and the succeeding
generations, it would become their heritage. Ultimately, it wouldn’t just be
something they did, it would become who they were. The principle is simple, if
we hear or repeat something often enough and for long enough, it becomes a
natural part of who we are. And in this case, God is teaching them who they
were always supposed to be—children of God.
God
had a very specific plan of prosperity in store for the Israelites when they
took possession of the Land. Their responsibility was to obey God’s
instructions. V. 3 is a basic conditional clause saying that “if” the
Israelites obeyed everything God commanded, “then” they would receive all the
blessings God has promised them. “The orientation of the exhortations is
consistently toward the future life of Israel in the Promised Land, not only in
the present generation but in those to come.”[2]
Think about how easy it should have been, but we know from history that they
failed time and again to follow God’s instructions resulting in hardships,
famine, death, military conquests by neighboring nations and the destruction of
their city, more than once. Was it because God’s commands where too
comprehensive and complex or was it because humanity insists on being in
charge. Adam and Eve were given one command—don’t eat from the tree in the
middle of the Garden. Simple enough yet we see how well that worked {read: sarcasm}.
V. 4
is the opening verse of The Shema and it is the line in the
sand differentiating Israel from the surrounding nations. The monotheism
announced in v. 4 was rare in the Ancient Near East. Most, if not all, other
nations practiced polytheism. The English doesn’t really capture the full sense
of the Hebrew in v. 4. The sense does not just convey the explicit theology
that God is one but the implicit theology that there is no other God. “The word
used for ‘one’ is the numeral—literally, ‘The LORD our God, the LORD, one.’ At
the same time, Deut. 6:4f. does exclude any concept of polytheism, for God is
not many but one. Above all, there is an exclusiveness about Yahweh which
demands total love (loyalty, commitment, dedication) from his people…The name
‘monolatry’ (worship of one god) is sometimes given to the early Israelite
view, since it does not explicitly deny the existence of other gods. However,
both monotheism and monolatry are philosophical concepts, and the Israelites do
not appear to have been speculative philosophers. They did not conjecture about
God. They knew him from their experiences with him. God had delivered them from
Egypt and, consequently, demanded their complete devotion. Their faith was the
result of experience and not the conclusion of abstract logic.”[3]
This
is the verse so many use to refute the Christian claim of not only the divinity
of Jesus Christ but the inclusion of the Holy Spirit within the Triune Godhead
of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, Trinitarianism is not
contradictory to monotheism. While it may be difficult to understand, it is not
inconsistent. For a more thorough understanding of the Trinity, please see my
previous lessons on the topic. You can access those lessons at: http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2011/12/defending-trinity-pt-1.html,
http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2011/12/defending-trinity-pt-2.html,
and http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2011/12/defending-trinity-pt-3-conclusion.html.
When
the religious leaders asked Jesus which commandment he considered to be the
greatest, v. 5 is the one he identified (Mt 22:36-40). To which Jesus adds the
second greatest commandment that we are to love each other as we love
ourselves. Jesus claims that all of God’s laws and the message conveyed by the
Prophets can be summarized by these two commandments. We can see this principle
specifically in the Ten Commandments as the first four commandments are
God-centered and the last six are people-centered. V. 5 is trying to convey the
sense that we are to love God with every fiber of our being. This love is not
to be a passing fancy or hobby. Instead, we are called to be in a love-relationship
with God. Many see the relationship between God and humanity as comprised of
commandments, laws, and rules. However, this has never been the case. That’s
not to say it didn’t or hasn’t become that, but that was and is the fault of
poor teaching by religious leaders. The first thing identified in our subject
text is the singularity of God and the second thing is the call to be in a love-relationship
with Him. Obedience to all other laws and commandments, while not optional,
should be a natural response to that love-relationship. “Moses highlights the
intensity of this commitment with a triad of qualifiers, which the NIV renders
as ‘with all your heart and with all your soul and will all your strength.’ The
rendering is traditional, but it is somewhat misleading and obscures the
profundity of this statement.”[4]
Specifically,
the Hebrew word for “heart” metaphorically conveys the idea of being the center
of a person’s emotions and will. However, the word also refers to a person’s
“mind” which is the center of a person’s thoughts. The Hebrew word for “soul” is
used metaphorically in a variety of ways. In a raw sense it means
“throat/gullet.” However, it is used metaphorically to describe
“appetite/desire,” or “life,” or a “living being,” or the “whole self,” or even
a corpse. In v. 5 the sense being conveyed is the “whole self” or “our entire
being.” Finally, the Hebrew word for “strength” can also be translated as
“power” and is sometimes used adverbially to mean “greatly, exceedingly.”
However, the best translation for v. 5 is probably “resources,” which includes
our strength but is not limited to our strength. Instead, our “resources” includes
our physical strength, our financial strength, our social strength, our
political strength and extends to include the strength of our possessions. In
essence, the sense of v. 5 is that we are to love God emotionally and
thoughtfully; with every part of who we are; and with all our personal and
impersonal resources.
The
instruction in v. 6 that God’s commands are to be “upon your hearts” can be a
little difficult to understand. We just got finished learning about loving God
with our whole “heart” so what does it mean to have the commandments “upon your
hearts?” With the understanding of “heart” from above, “Deuteronomy 6:6 is part
of a strong stream of OT teaching that calls for the internalizing of the law
in the heart, i.e., at the center of a person’s mind, will, and character.”[5] V. 6 is part of the
process of becoming the people God intends them to become. Remember the goal is
incorporating God’s commands so thoroughly in their lives so that what they
believe and practice is actually who they become.
When
v. 7 says that they were to “impress” them [God’s commands] on their children,
imagine leaving an “impression” in soft clay or wax and you begin to get to the
sense of the text here. What is one thing you have heard about children? You’ve
probably even said it yourself a few times when it comes to exposing children
to something harmful. Children are very…impressionable! V. 7 is where the
tradition began of the recitation of The
Shema twice a day. “By reflecting on the commandments, they were reflecting
on God’s words; and by understanding the path of life set down by the
commandments, they would at the same time be discovering the way in which God’s
love for them was given expression. Having understood the commandments for
themselves, the people were then responsible for their children.”[6]
Have
you ever made notes to yourself as a reminder of something you needed to do or
remember to buy? The point is that if we write something down and keep it with
us or stick it on the refrigerator or on our bedroom mirror where we see it all
the time, it is less likely that we will forget. The instruction in vv. 8-9 is
really no different. It is difficult to discern from the text if the
instruction to tie the commandments as symbols around their wrists and to their
foreheads (frontlet/phylactery) was meant to be taken literally or, similarly,
if they were literally required to write them on their doorposts and entry
gates (Hb mezuzah). “Whether or not
the words here were intended in a metaphorical sense, they came to be taken
literally in subsequent Jewish history. The frontlet, or phylactery, came into
use as a small container for a parchment containing certain biblical verses.
Though the actual texts vary slightly, the standard texts used were Exod
13:1-10, 11-16; Deut 6:4-9; 11:13-21; and sometimes the Decalogue [Ten Commandments]…The
mezuzah also came into use as a small box containing parchment, one of which
was discovered at Qumran containing the text of Deut 10:12-11:21.”[7]
Ultimately,
the trajectory of The Shema is that God and his commands were to flood every part
of the lives of the Israelites. They were to study God’s commands, talk about
them at every opportunity, write them down so they didn’t forget them and post
them so that those who enter their homes or city understand that everything
about their life, privately and publicly, revolves around God and his wise
commandments. “As the custom of repeating The Shema developed over the
centuries, the Jewish community came to view its recitation as a distinct means
by which individuals are able to bear witness to the essence of Jewish
belief…Boys were required to memorize The Shema as soon as they could
speak. Martyrs and those on their death beds have also made proclamation of The
Shema a practice…Thus, from early childhood to the moment of death,
Jews are taught to bear witness to the oneness of God’s name. This central
theological strand—the acknowledgement of one Supreme Ruler—is brought to its
climax in the messianic age. At that time, ‘The LORD will be king over the
whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name’
(Zech 14:9).”[8]
For a better understanding of this theological trajectory surrounding the name
of the LORD, Jesus, you can access a previous lesson called, What’s In A Name at: http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2013/04/whats-in-name.html.
Application
As
I’ve mentioned before, I grew up Catholic and for all its faults, one of the
things I appreciate about Catholicism is its focus on repetition. Of course
they take it to extremes where nothing is original about their Mass, but at
least they practice the recitation of some creeds that embody their theological
framework. In fact, I use one of those creeds, The Nicene Creed, as the
Statement of Faith for this ministry. Unfortunately, Evangelicals generally
have an irrational disdain for creeds as a knee-jerk reaction against Catholicism’s
unbiblical reverence of them. There is nothing unbiblical about creeds, in and
of themselves. The only thing unbiblical about them is how they are used. As a
proclamation for the framework of a theological system of belief they are
perfect. Elevating them to some divine significance takes them beyond their
proper theological place. In the place of creeds, Evangelicals emphasize
Scripture memorization. I am a huge proponent of Scripture memorization.
However, memorizing the English translation, especially of the Old Testament,
can be difficult. The words maintain their theological significance but the
language, compared to the Hebrew, loses much of its rhythm and beauty that
lends to the ease of memorization. One of the first things we were required to
do in Hebrew class at Seminary was to memorize The Shema. I encourage
you to memorize as many Scripture verses as possible—memorize the entire Bible
for that matter if you can. However, I’d like to teach you The Shema in Hebrew so
you can memorize and enjoy just this small bit of Scripture in its original
language. At a minimum, the first verse is sung. The entire thing can be sung
but the first verse is generally always sung. I have included the words below
transliterated so you can read them from left to right instead of the Hebrew
which is read from right to left that way it will be easy to follow along in
the English which I have included as well. I have recorded it for you to hear
how the words are pronounced so you can follow along and practice. Once you’ve
done it a few times, you’ll see how the rhythm of the words make memorization
in the Hebrew much easier. Once you have mastered it, teach it to your
children. If you don’t have any children, teach it to at least one friend or to
someone else’s children. Have fun!!!
The Shema—Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Sh'ma Yis'ra'eil Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad.
Hear, O Israel:
The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.
|
V'ahav'ta eit Adonai
Elohekha b'khol l'vav'kha uv'khol naf'sh'kha uv'khol m'odekha.
Love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
strength.
|
V'hayu had'varim ha'eileh asher anokhi m'tzav'kha hayom al l'vavekha.
These
commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
|
V'shinan'tam l'vanekha v'dibar'ta bam
Impress them on
your children. Talk about them
|
b'shiv't'kha b'veitekha uv'lekh't'kha vaderekh uv'shakh'b'kha uv'kumekha
when you sit at
home, and when you walk along the road, and when you lie down and when you get
up.
|
Uk'shar'tam l'ot al
yadekha v'hayu l'totafot bein einekha.
Tie them as
symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
|
Ukh'tav'tam al m'zuzot
beitekha uvish'arekha.
Write them on
the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
|
[1]
Bill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Beyer, Encountering
The Old Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999), p. 146.
[2] T.
Desmond Alexander & David W. Baker, ed., Dictionary of the Old Testament Pentateuch, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 2003), p. 183.
[3]
William Sanford Lasor, David Allan Hubbard, Frederick William Bush, The Message, Form, and Background of the Old
Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1996), p.
119.
[4]
Daniel I. Block, Deuteronomy—The NIV
Application Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), p. 183.
[5]
Christopher Wright, Deuteronomy—New
International Biblical Commentary, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers,
1996), p. 100.
[6]
Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy,
(Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976), p. 170.
[7]
Duane L. Christensen, Deuteronomy
1-11—Word Biblical Commentary, (Dallas, TX: Word Books, 1991), p. 144.
[8]
Willem A. VanGemeren, gen. ed., New
International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, Vol. 4,
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997), p. 1217.
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