HomeWord - Oct. 26, 2006
The Shema
This devotional was written by Mike DeVries
“Hear, O
Today’s Scripture passage is known as “the shema” and is the central proclamation of the Jewish people. In it, they proclaim that the LORD their God is whole and unified, and that He is the only true God. They also acknowledge the absolute necessity of passing along their spiritual heritage to the next generation.
Now, for the longest time, I read the shema through the eyes of a parent. Yet, if there is one thing that we know for sure, we know that the ancient near east, including the Jewish world, thought in communal terms, not individual terms. When they thought about being a follower of God, it was in terms of being a part of the people of God, the community – not about the popular thought of “just Jesus and me.”
This has some profound implications, especially in regards to the shema.
The “impress them upon your children” was not merely a call to parents, but to the community as a whole. (The first three words of the shema are a giveaway. It says, “Hear, O Israel,” not “Hear, O you parents…”) The Jewish culture saw it as the calling of the entire Jewish community to pass along the knowledge of who God is and what He has done for His people.
Think about what this means for your church and for you.
It is not only the job of parents to pass along a spiritual heritage to their children; the rest of the faith community has a role, as well. Whether or not we have children, if we call ourselves followers of Jesus, we each have a personal responsibility to make sure that the next generation knows the God who has embraced us and whom we embrace.
But what happens if we don’t?
Judges 2 offers some startling insight.
“After that whole generation was gathered together to their fathers, another generation grew up, who neither knew the LORD nor what he had done for
This new generation did not “know the LORD,” nor what He had done for
What was at stake, both then and now, is the very preservation of the faith.
May we be the kinds of people who faithfully pass on the spiritual heritage of those who have gone before us. May we be the kinds of people who pass along a vibrant knowledge of God to the next generation – whether they are our own children or not.
To comment on today's devotional, click here .
GOING DEEPER:
1. What are some tangible ways in which we can “impress these things” upon the next generation?
2. How can you personally be involved in this kind of life?
FURTHER READING:
Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 3:14-4:9; Judges 2:6-15
Encouraging Parents…Building Families |
|
|
Other FREE resources from HomeWord and Jim Burns: |
 |
