Shema - Hear and Obey

I recently started reading a book called "Walking in the dust of Rabbi Jesus" by Lois Tverberg. (if you want a copy, I have an extra). In this book Lois talks about some of the Jewish traditions and the culture Jesus would have been brought up in. Lois's purpose is to give us a better idea of the meaning of some of Jesus's teachings, in the context they were given.

The second chapter of the book is about the Shema, a set of three scriptures Jews spoke out loud both morning and night. The first of these scriptures happens to be the one many faith at home advocates quote - Deuteronomy 6:4-9. (The other two are Deuteronomy 13:11-21 and Numbers 15:37-41). The first line in the Shema is "Hear (Shema), O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one".

The word Shema has different meanings, and is usually translated as 'hear' in the English Bible translations. However, the meaning is deeper than just hearing, it really means 'hear and obey'. Often, the verb in ancient languages, like Hebrew, meant not only the action (hear), but also the result (what I hear I will obey). "To hear" meant "I hear what you are saying and I will obey". (Wouldn't it be great if our children "heard" us more often!).

So as I read the words of Jesus and come to places in scripture, like the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, where, after Jesus has given the parable, he says "Whoever has ears, let them hear", I can add "and obey". Will I obey? Will I become fertile soil where, when God sows the seed into my mind I will let it travel to my heart and change what I do?

Want to know more about the Shema? Try here.