The Shema (Bible Tag 8)

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Download the free printable (6 verses) below.

Shema means hear or listen. However, shema has a far broader and more profound meaning than "to detect sound." It incorporates various concepts like listening, paying attention, and acting on what one has heard.

The Shema is also a Hebrew prayer that Jews recite daily. Jewish children learn to recite the Shema as soon as they can talk.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4–9

Jesus used the opening exhortation of the Shema to be the first of his two greatest commandments.

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:29-31).

God "writes" the Word on our hearts, and we become "living epistles" that others can read, influencing them to trust Christ. How we live is significant because it supports what we say. The Shema emphasized obedience to God's Word in everything we think and do.

Understanding the word Shema also explains why Jesus frequently closed his talks with the words, "Let anyone who has ears to hear, hear!"

Week 8 Prompt

As you stitch your Bible tag this week, use a verse about hearing or listening. Include a fabric yoyo (suffix puff). You can use any circle if you don't want to learn how to make a yoyo.

Click here to download the free printable.

Helpful Links

Here is a video by Daniela on making yoyos.

Clover Yoyo Maker

I use a Clover Yoyo Maker. Best to use a good strong thread. They are fun to make. The smaller ones are a bit harder to make but fit the best on a tag.

Listen

My Tag from Week 7

The prompt was a promise verse and a rainbow.

God kept His promises! We can claim these assurances through faith as God's people. God's covenant with us will not fail; God's might and wisdom can give us victory over any enemy, and God's promises can be trusted regardless of the circumstances.

God's covenant, power, and promises are the spiritual resources on which we can rely as we claim our inheritance in Jesus Christ.