R.C. Sproul

That's the preface.

And then comes the divine summons, the call, as it were, to solemn assembly with the use of the Hebrew word shema, which means hear or listen, give ear to what I'm about to say.

And so the summons goes like this, "'Hear, O Israel,

The Lord our God, the Lord is one, and you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your strength.

And so Jesus directs the attention of the scribe back to this foundational obligation that God imposed upon His people in the Shema.

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one.

and you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your strength.

When the Shema was uttered and the call was given for affection to God, it starts with an assertion about the identity of God.

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one, the Lord Yahweh, the Lord who has a name, the Lord who has a personal history with you, who's brought you out of the land of Egypt.

I'm reminded of an incident that took place in the early years of my college teaching when I was teaching a college course in theology.

And just as the bell was ringing,

To begin the period, this girl came in the doorway, and she was glowing.

She had this big smile on her face, and she was followed closely by a young man.

And as the girl entered into the classroom, there was some blinging going on as she sort of walked in like this, like her arms were broken, but really that she might display the diamond ring that was on her finger.

And I stopped her.

I said, "'Mary.'"

I said, is that a diamond ring I see on your hand?

And she allowed that it was.

And I said, does that mean that you are engaged?

And she was happy to announce that she was, yes, engaged.