Wholehearted Love: The Call of the Shema
Summary
Summary
Today, we explored the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4-9, a passage foundational not only to Jewish faith but also to our Christian walk. The Shema calls us to a deep, holistic love for God—one that involves hearing, understanding, and responding with our entire being. We began by considering the Hebrew word "Shema," which means far more than simply hearing; it is a call to listen intently, pay attention, and respond in obedience. In the biblical worldview, to truly hear is to act.
We then reflected on the significance of God’s personal name, Yahweh, and how the reverence for this name shaped both Jewish and Christian traditions. The Shema’s declaration that “the Lord is one” stands in stark contrast to the polytheism of the ancient world, reminding us of the unique, singular devotion God calls for.
The word "love" in this passage, "ahava," is not just an emotion but an active, covenantal commitment. God’s love for us is demonstrated in action, and our love for Him must be lived out in obedience and faithfulness. This love is not passive; it is a daily, lived reality.
We also examined what it means to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. In Hebrew thought, the "heart" (lev) is the center of intellect, will, and emotion—not just feelings, but the very seat of decision-making. The "soul" (nefesh) is not a disembodied spirit but the whole living person—our physical existence, our breath, our life. "Strength" (mehod) is perhaps the most expansive, meaning “muchness”—all our resources, abilities, opportunities, and capacities. It is a call to love God with everything we are and everything we have.
Finally, we considered how this ancient prayer is not just a recitation but a daily challenge: to love God with our whole selves, in every moment, with every opportunity. It is a call to a singular, passionate pursuit of God, echoing the words of the song, “Give me one pure and holy passion, one magnificent obsession—to know and follow hard after You.”
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Key Takeaways
- Hearing God Means Obeying Him
The Hebrew word "Shema" teaches that true listening is inseparable from action. In God’s eyes, to hear is to respond—passive hearing is not enough. Our faith is authenticated not by what we know, but by how we live out what we have heard from God. This challenges us to examine whether our spiritual life is marked by mere knowledge or by transformative obedience. [34:54]
- God’s Name Invites Intimacy and Reverence
The revelation of God’s personal name, Yahweh, is an invitation into relationship, not just religion. Yet, the reverence with which the Israelites treated this name reminds us that intimacy with God never negates awe. We are called to know God personally, but also to honor Him as the Holy One, whose uniqueness demands our exclusive devotion. [36:19]
- Love for God Is Demonstrated in Action
Biblical love, "ahava," is not a fleeting feeling but a covenantal commitment expressed through concrete actions. God’s love for us is seen in His redemptive acts, and our love for Him is proven by our obedience and service. If our actions do not align with our professed love, we must question whether our love is genuine or merely sentimental. [43:14]
- The Heart Is the Center of Our Whole Life
In the biblical worldview, the heart is not just the seat of emotion but the core of our intellect, will, and desires. Our decisions, affections, and even our failures flow from the heart. True transformation, therefore, requires a new heart—a work only God can accomplish, as seen in the promises of a heart of flesh replacing a heart of stone. [48:28]
- Loving God with “All Your Muchness”
The call to love God with all our "mehod" is a summons to total devotion—every resource, opportunity, and capacity is to be offered to Him. This is not limited to strength or wealth or intellect, but encompasses everything that makes us who we are. Every moment and every ability is an opportunity to honor God, making our entire life an act of worship. [56:53]
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Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[29:39] - Introduction to the Shema
[31:44] - The Meaning of “Shema” (Hear/Listen)
[33:07] - Shema as Obedience
[34:54] - Hearing and Doing: The Heart of Obedience
[36:19] - The Name of the Lord: Yahweh
[38:00] - Yahweh, Adonai, and Jehovah
[39:57] - The Depth of “Ahava” (Love)
[42:16] - Love as Action, Not Just Emotion
[43:14] - Obedience as the Proof of Love
[44:22] - The Biblical Concept of the Heart (Lev)
[46:12] - The Heart as the Center of Life
[48:28] - The Need for a New Heart
[50:19] - The True Meaning of “Soul” (Nefesh)
[54:29] - “Strength” as “Muchness” (Mehod)
[56:53] - Loving God with Everything
[57:40] - Jesus and the Greatest Commandment
[59:06] - What Does “Muchness” Mean for Us?
[01:00:26] - A Pure and Holy Passion
[01:01:41] - Closing Prayer and Benediction
[01:05:33] - Final Blessing and Amen
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Shema – Loving God with All We Are
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### Bible Reading
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NIV)
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress 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. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
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### Observation Questions
1. According to Deuteronomy 6:4-9, what are the Israelites commanded to do with God’s words besides just hearing them?
2. The sermon explained that the Hebrew word “Shema” means more than just “hear.” What are the different layers of meaning for “Shema” as described in the message? [[33:07]]
3. What does the passage say about how often and in what situations God’s commandments should be talked about or remembered?
4. In the sermon, what is the significance of God’s name “Yahweh” and why did the Israelites treat it with such reverence? [[36:19]]
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### Interpretation Questions
1. The Shema calls for loving God with all our heart, soul, and strength. Based on the sermon, what does it mean to love God with your “heart” in the biblical sense? How is this different from how we usually think about the heart? [[46:12]]
2. The sermon said that “ahava” (love) is not just a feeling but a covenantal commitment shown in action. Why is it important that love for God is demonstrated through obedience and not just emotion? [[43:14]]
3. The word “mehod” was explained as “muchness”—all our resources, abilities, and opportunities. What does it look like to love God with all your “muchness” in everyday life? [[56:53]]
4. The message highlighted that hearing God means obeying Him. Why do you think God connects listening so closely with action? [[34:54]]
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### Application Questions
1. The Shema challenges us to listen and obey, not just hear. Think about a recent time when you sensed God prompting you to do something. Did you act on it, or just think about it? What would it look like to “Shema”—to truly listen and respond—in that situation? [[34:54]]
2. The Israelites treated God’s name with deep reverence, even to the point of not saying it aloud. How do you balance intimacy with God and reverence for Him in your own relationship with Him? Are there ways you could grow in honoring God’s holiness? [[36:19]]
3. The sermon said that love for God is proven by obedience. Is there an area of your life where your actions don’t match your professed love for God? What is one step you could take this week to align your actions with your love for Him? [[43:14]]
4. The biblical idea of “heart” includes our decisions, desires, and will—not just our feelings. Are there decisions or desires in your life right now that you need to surrender to God? What would it look like to invite God to transform your heart in that area? [[48:28]]
5. “Soul” (nefesh) means our whole being—our physical life, not just a spiritual part. How can you love God with your physical existence this week? Is there a way you can honor God with your body, your energy, or your daily routines? [[50:19]]
6. “Strength” (mehod) means loving God with all your “muchness”—your resources, abilities, and opportunities. What is one resource or ability you have that you could use more intentionally to honor God? [[56:53]]
7. The sermon ended with the challenge to have “one pure and holy passion” for God. What is currently your greatest passion or obsession? Is there something you need to let go of or re-prioritize so that knowing and following God becomes your main pursuit? [[01:00:26]]
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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite the group to pray for God to give each person a new heart, a deeper love, and the desire to love Him with all their heart, soul, and muchness.
Devotional
Day 1: Obedient Listening as True Hearing
True hearing in the biblical sense goes beyond simply perceiving sound; it demands an active response. The Hebrew word "Shema" calls believers to listen intently and obey what they hear from God. Hearing God’s voice is inseparable from doing His will. This means that faith is not measured by knowledge alone but by the transformation that obedience brings to daily life. When you hear God’s commands, the challenge is to respond with action, allowing His word to shape your decisions and character. This kind of hearing invites a deeper, living relationship with God that moves beyond passive reception to active participation. [34:54]
“Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.” (Psalm 78:1-3 ESV)
Reflection: What is one specific command or truth you have heard from God recently that you have not yet acted upon? How can you take a concrete step today to obey it?
Day 2: Reverence and Intimacy in God’s Name
God’s personal name, Yahweh, reveals both His nearness and His holiness. This name invites believers into an intimate relationship with the living God, who is not distant but deeply involved in His people’s lives. At the same time, the reverence shown to this name in Scripture reminds us that intimacy with God does not diminish His awe-inspiring holiness. Knowing God personally means embracing both closeness and respect, recognizing that He alone is worthy of exclusive devotion. This balance shapes how we approach God—with love that is tender yet reverent, familiar yet worshipful. [36:19]
“The LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.” (Deuteronomy 10:17 ESV)
Reflection: In what ways do you balance your personal relationship with God and your reverence for His holiness? How might you cultivate a deeper sense of awe while growing closer to Him?
Day 3: Covenant Love Expressed Through Action
The Hebrew word "ahava" describes love as an active, covenantal commitment rather than a fleeting emotion. God’s love is demonstrated through His redemptive acts, and in response, believers are called to express their love through obedience and faithful service. Love without action risks becoming sentimental or superficial. Genuine love for God is visible in how one lives—through choices, sacrifices, and daily faithfulness. This kind of love is a lived reality, a continuous demonstration of commitment that reflects the covenant relationship God initiates and sustains. [43:14]
“By this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 2:3-4 ESV)
Reflection: Identify one way your love for God can be more clearly demonstrated through your actions this week. What practical step can you take to align your love with obedience?
Day 4: The Heart as the Seat of Life and Decision
In biblical thought, the heart (lev) is the center of intellect, will, and emotion—it is the core from which all decisions and desires flow. Transformation begins with the heart, as it governs not only feelings but also choices and affections. God’s promise to give a new heart speaks to the need for inner renewal that only He can accomplish. When the heart is changed, it leads to a life that reflects God’s character and purposes. This understanding calls believers to seek God’s work in their innermost being, trusting Him to replace hardness with softness, rebellion with devotion. [48:28]
“Then I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26 ESV)
Reflection: What attitudes or decisions in your heart need God’s renewing touch? Can you invite Him today to begin transforming your inner life?
Day 5: Loving God with All Your “Muchness”
The Hebrew term "mehod," translated as “muchness,” calls believers to love God with the totality of their resources, abilities, and opportunities. This is a summons to wholehearted devotion that encompasses every part of life—strength, time, talents, and possessions. Loving God with all your muchness means offering everything you are and have as an act of worship. It challenges believers to see every moment and capacity as a chance to honor God, making life itself a continuous expression of love and surrender. This total devotion reflects the singular passion God desires from His people. [56:53]
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10 ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life—time, talent, or treasure—that you have been holding back from fully giving to God? How can you begin to offer your “muchness” to Him starting today?
Quotes
So here's one from Psalm 27. Shema my voice when I call, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me. King David is asking God to act, to do something about it. Now, don't just listen to what I'm saying, but take it and do something about it. And God uses the word Shema in the same way when he speaks to his people. [00:33:47] (26 seconds)
When the people of Israel come to Mount Sinai, God says, If you Shema me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all the nations you will be my treasured possession. In fact, this verse in Exodus, it actually repeats the word Shema. If you Shema Shema, meaning listen very carefully, pay very close attention to. And notice that what God is asking is not, again, that they just, Okay, I physically heard these words. I recognize what you've said. I can understand it. No, he's asking them to respond to it and do something about it. [00:34:13] (41 seconds)
And he chose you because of his ahava for you. Kind of a circular logic there, right? He showed you ahava because of his ahava. That's who God is. God is love. It's just a natural outgrowth from the character of God. He loves because he loves. And it's not a duty. It's a genuine feeling. It's an affection that God experiences. The prophet Hosea famously compares God's love for his people to a husband's ahava for his wife. And again, that comes into the New Testament when we as the church are seen as the bride of Christ. [00:41:29] (47 seconds)
But ahava doesn't just mean that God's love is a feeling, right? Sometimes in our English culture or in our modern -day culture, we talk about this experience of falling into love like it's a puddle that you can't avoid or something like that, right? No, it's more of a choice, of an action. It's something that you do. Because of his ahava for your ancestors, he brought you out of Egypt with great power. [00:42:14] (31 seconds)
Of course, in the New Testament, Jesus says this same thing. When I was a kid growing up in the CRC, we had a boys' club called the Cadets. And my sisters went to the matching girls thing called Calvinettes. And they got a new theme verse every year. But I guess because boys are a little slower than girls, we had the same theme verse every year. And our theme verse was John 14, verse 15. It says, If you love me, you will keep my commandments. [00:43:50] (32 seconds)
Jesus makes it very plain in that famous chapter in John 14. If you love me, right, you might say that you do, but if you do, you will keep my commandments. Ahava is more than just an emotion or feeling. It's something you actually do. So then, the Shema unpacks itself into how are we supposed to love. And we have three words left. We're right in the middle of the service. We're halfway, all right? So don't lose focus on me. You can hang in there. We're halfway through. We have three words left. Heart, soul, and strength. So let's start with heart. [00:44:22] (40 seconds)
Every day we're called to love with our whole body and mind, with our emotions and choices, with all of our future and our failings. Fifth, soul. [00:49:35] (16 seconds)
Everyone is familiar with this feeling of being thirsty. You long to know and be known by your creator. So what does all this have to do with your nefesh? Well, it means to devote your entire physical existence to your creator. All of who you are belongs to him. [00:54:08] (21 seconds)
Everything in a person's life, every moment and every opportunity, every ability and every capacity offers a chance to love and honor the one who made you. It's a call to love God with everything you are. So how do we do that? [00:59:46] (23 seconds)
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