6:4 Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one. 6:5 You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength.
Exhortation to Teach the Covenant Principles
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 the way, as you lie down, and as you get up. 6:8 You should tie them as a reminder on your forearm and fasten them as symbols on your forehead. 6:9 Inscribe 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 and thereby alluded to when He gave us the "Great Commandment".The Quote I began the thread with says "The Essence of the Covenant Principles". In other words we are not so much discussing "Covenant(s)" per se. We are discussing the underlying principles behind them. What I am proposing is that these do NOT change with the advent of any New Covenant. These principles were in place in the Garden and are still in place today and will be in place forever. These are Eternal Principles. I further suggest that the editor(s) of the New English Translation were correct when they called the "Shema" the "essence" of these principles. Infact, that is why I included their heading in this thread.6:4 and 6:5 give us the principle. 6:6-6:9 explain the principle for our daily lives.
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 the way, as you lie down, and as you get up. 6:8 You should tie them as a reminder on your forearm and fasten them as symbols on your forehead. 6:9 Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and gates. "
Simply put, "You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength," all the time. I believe that this is what Paul had in mind as he exhorted us to "pray without ceasing."
Gal. 5: 24 "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." (Gal 5:24-26)
Col.3:"Put on the New Self and The Holy Spirit will quicken your mortal body if the Spirit dwells in you. Walking the New Covenant by having it written upon my heart and not tired around my neck but put on the door post of my heart.1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Col:3-17)
I believe that the key here is WORSHIP. And, I believe that there are three essentials to worship. Prayer, Study (Scripture), and Communion (a.k.a. group fellowship/worship). These three are the building blocks to a sound relationship with the LORD
Prayer = Communication with God. It's a dialogue.
Study = In depth, delving into the Word, prayerfully, faithfully, with God's help.
Communion = worship with others, meeting as the Body of Christ to hear the Word and worship God and pray.
I suggest that the SHEMA is about building a deeply personal relationship with God. It's about God permeating everything about one's self. It's about God dwelling in faithful to such a degree that all of one's actions, all of words, all of one's thoughts are given back to God. Even one's breath is given back to God. How cool is that? What would be like to have other people meet God just by meeting you? I think that would be awesome indeed! AMEN
