The Lord our God, the Lord in One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and 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 forehead. Write them on the door frame of your houses and on your gate. Deuteronomy 6:4-9
How could the Children of Israel forget that there is One God? They had experienced the terror of the death angel in Egypt, watched in amazement as the army of Pharaoh was drowned the Red Sea, been nourished by manna, refreshed by water from the rock, and witnessed the awesome presence of God on the mountain. And yet, they were commanded to be constant in their recognition of the Oneness of God. They must teach it, talk it, think it. It was to be posted on the doorframes of their homes, not just as a visible reminder but a symbol that, just as the doorframes supported the construction of the house, so these words would be the foundation of their families and their individual lives.
When Jesus was asked what was the most important commandment, He replied “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 mind and all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:29-31. Matthew includes the same conversation but adds this comment of Jesus concerning the commandments - “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Throughout the scriptures, we are reminded of the importance of these commandments - our love of God, of Who He is, our obedience to Him and our responsibility to those He has created. In the next weeks we will identify scriptures that guide us in our walk to honor our God. May our lives be a “living doorframe,” a testimony to the One true God.