DEUT.6:4 "Listen, Israel; The Lord is our God, the Lord is one. 6:5 You must love your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength.6:6 These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, 6:7 and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along thw way, as you lie down, and as you get up. 6:8 You should tie them as a reminder on you forearm and fasten them as symbols on your forehead 6:9Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and gates." (Deut 6:4-6:9, NET)
The above is called the "Shema" for the initial word in 6:4, "Listen" or "Hear". This is what Jesus quoted when He gave us the "Great Commandment" This is also the basis for the first part of what I call the "Simple Hermeneutic" Serve/Love God first, all others second, and then yourself. Verses 6:4 and 6:5 present us with the principle. Verses 6:6-6:9 explain the principle for our daily lives. Summed up into one sentence I believe it goes something like this: We must Love our God with our entire beings all the time. I further believe that this is exactly what the apostle Paul had in mind when he exhorted us to "Pray without ceasing." |
