Can a piece of jewelry remind me of Who God says He is, who He created me to be, and instruct me in how to walk “With” God as His witness on this journey called Life?
I believe it can. Often the Hebrew language says it best.
In Deuteronomy 6:4 the Hebrew word Shama is translated as Hear. While the following verses 5-9 spell out the rest of the deeper meaning of Shama. The fulness of Shama is to Hear, Declare, and Obey.
6:4 “Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!
5 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
7 And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.
8 You shall also tie them as a sign to your hand, and they shall be as frontlets on your forehead.
9 You shall also write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Now, we must not be tempted to think this is only for Israel.
This Bible Lesson is for all of us who believe in the One True God. Therefore, let us connect these foundational truths from Deuteronomy to some New Testament verses.
· In verse 4: Moses tells us Who God says He is: The One and Only God. The entire Bible is full of explanations of Who God is… but let’s look at a similar statement that Jesus says about God in John 10:29-30 29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” God is greater than all and Jesus and the Father are One. Hallelujah!
· Jesus brings Deuteronomy 6:5 front and center in Matthew 22:36-38 where He is asked… 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment.
· Deuteronomy 6:6 tells us to keep these words in our hearts… While Matthew 12:34-35 expresses the seriousness of what we treasure in our hearts. 34 “You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart. 35 The good person brings out of his good treasure good things; and the evil person brings out of his evil treasure evil things.”
· Verse 7 tells us to teach these truths to our children. Not occasionally but all day every day and everywhere. And likewise, we are solemnly exhorted in 2 Timothy 4:2 “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.”
· Verse 8 and 9 encourage us to have a constant reminder with me and in front of me all the time and everywhere. Ephesians 6:10-18 takes this concept a step further with the armor of God. 10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
I love how God’s Word is alive and connects the dots from Genesis to Revelation. The Hebrew Word Shama is a perfect example of an in-depth Bible Lesson encapsulated in a single Word.
Shama: Hear~Declare~Obey
We Hear: Know God as Who He says he is. There are many ways that He reveals Himself. Through His Word, His creation, His people, and our intimate relationship with Him.
We Declare: Share what we know about God and His Kingdom. Through our thoughts, words, and creativity, and by reflecting Him as we walk as the person, He created us to be. All of this Glorifies His Name and establishes His Kingdom here on earth as it is in Heaven. Matthew 6:10
We Obey: Our Obedience is the evidence that we have heard…. not just listened with our ears.
Words encourage and remind us of deep truths: of Who God is, and of who He created us to be.
I transform words into jewelry because jewelry is beautiful and compact. I can’t think of a better way to remain mindful of the things that God has revealed or demonstrated in my life than to wear a beautiful piece of jewelry. Bobbie
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