Deuteronomy 6:4-9 – Loving God makes obeying Him easy

One of the most foundational declaration of the Jewish faith is “the Shema.” It is derived from Deuteronomy 6:4 that says “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” It is a declaration of faith and allegiance to the One God. The word “Shema” in Hebrew means “hear.” It is taken from the first word of this verse. It is a declaration for the people of Israel to hear, take note, and to impart to their children in every subsequent generation.

Israel must never forget that their covenant God is One. This assertion is important in the light of the polytheistic environment that they would soon be encountering in the promised land. Unlike the nations surrounding them, Israel owed their allegiance to only this one God. Their devotion must never be shared with competing deities in Canaan that they would be entering. This God had pledged Himself to Israel by covenant. The covenant relationship God had with them was based on His unfailing, undying love. Hence the appropriate response to such a deep love was to reciprocate by loving Him in return. The manner to love God must be whole and complete. It must be given to Him with one’s whole heart, soul, and might. They were not only expected to diligently observe this call to love Him unreservedly, but they must also seize every opportunity to teach their children this very important thing.  

Just as loving God was to be central to the people of Israel, it must also be central to us who have the New Covenant relationship with God through Christ. The Lord Jesus in the Gospel had called on us people who would follow Him to love God the same way. In Luke 10:27, He was seen telling a young lawyer, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” The same thing was said to a lawyer who stood up to test Him in Matthew 22. He told him in verse 37 saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

Like the Israelites then, loving God the same way they were told to do is just as important to us today. Our desire to obey God’s Word can only be meaningfully realized when we love Him. Without love, we will grudgingly do what God has said. But with love, our obedience will be given willingly.