Deut. 6:4, 5; Deut. 10:12; Eph. 2:1-10; Rev. 14:6, 7; Deut. 4:37; Deut. 11:1; Mark 12:28-30.

 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5, NKJV).

 In the Jewish religion, one of the most important prayers is taken from Deuteronomy 6. It is known as “The Shema,” based on the first Hebrew word of the prayer, from the root, shama’, which means “to listen,” or even “to obey” — a word that appears over and over, not just in Deuteronomy but all through the Old Testament.

 The first line of The Shema reads like this:

 Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohenu Adonai echad.

 It means: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!” (Deut. 6:4, NKJV). Many times when Jews pray it, they cover their eyes, the idea being to let nothing distract them from thinking about God. This first line of The Shema is deemed an affirmation of the monotheistic nature of Adonai Elohenu, “the Lord our God,” and Israel’s loyalty to Him alone and to no other “god.” In fact, it could also be read as “the Lord is our God.”

 This one line is part of the first speech that Moses gave to the children of Israel as they were about to enter the Promised Land. What follows that opening line, however, is a powerful expression of truth that remains as crucial now as it was then.

 Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 23.