Lesson 4, October 16 - 22
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Deuteronomy 6:4, 5; 10:12; Ephesians 2:1-10; Revelation 14:6, 7; Deuteronomy 4:37; 11:1; Mark 12:28-30.
Memory Text: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deuteronomy 6:5
In the Jewish religion, one of the most important prayers is taken from Deuteronomy 6. It is known as “The Shema,” based on the first Hebrew word of the prayer, from the root, shama‘, which means “to listen,” or even “to obey” — a word that appears over and over, not just in Deuteronomy but all through the Old Testament.
The first line of The Shema reads like this:
Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohenu Adonai echad.
It means: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Many times when Jews pray it, they cover their eyes, the idea being to let nothing distract them from thinking about God. This first line of The Shema is deemed an affirmation of the monotheistic nature of Adonai Elohenu, “the Lord our God,” and Israel’s loyalty to Him alone and to no other “god.” In fact, it could also be read as “the Lord is our God.”
This one line is part of the first speech that Moses gave to the children of Israel as they were about to enter the Promised Land. What follows that opening line, however, is a powerful expression of truth that remains as crucial now as it was then.
