From Command to Covenant Love
I was sitting in a coffee shop the other day with my Bible open to Deuteronomy 6.
Not rushing.
Not skimming.
Not trying to check off a reading plan.
Just… slowing down.
I wanted to pay attention to the words—not just what my English translation said, but what was originally spoken. I kept hearing Kristi McLelland in my mind:
“Shift your lens toward the Middle East. Ask what this teaches you about God—not what it says about you.”
So that’s what I did.
And somewhere between the lines of Deuteronomy, my posture began to shift—from seeking knowledge… to being fed.
How Did We Get Here?
Before we ever arrive at the Shema in Deuteronomy 6, something significant has already unfolded.
The book of Deuteronomy is Moses’ final message to the Israelites—a people standing on the edge of the Promised Land after 40 years in the wilderness. A new generation. A moment of transition. A sacred pause.
Moses isn’t introducing something new. He’s reminding them.
Chapters 1–5 walk back through their story:
God’s faithfulness in bringing them out of Egypt
His provision in the wilderness
The giving of the law at Mount Sinai
And then in chapter 5, we see the Ten Commandments repeated—not as cold rules, but as covenant language between a faithful God and His people.
This is important.
Because by the time we reach Deuteronomy 6, God is not speaking to strangers.
He is speaking to a people He has rescued, carried, and provided for.
The Command That Was Never Meant to Be Heavy
Deuteronomy 6 begins with what Scripture calls a command.
But the Hebrew word used here is mitzvah.
As Western readers, we tend to hear “command” and immediately think:
obligation
pressure
performance
“do this or else”
But in the original context, mitzvah wasn’t burdensome.
It was relational. It was an invitation.
For the Israelites, receiving God’s instruction wasn’t about control—it was about connection. It was their way of living in response to a God who had already proven Himself to be faithful, just, and merciful.
They didn’t obey to earn His love.
They obeyed because they already had it.
Shema: More Than Hearing
Then we arrive at Deuteronomy 6:4–5: “Hear, O Israel…”
The Hebrew word here is Shema.
But Shema doesn’t just mean “hear” in the way we think of hearing.
It means:
to hear
to understand
to respond
to obey
All wrapped into one.
There is no category in Hebrew for hearing without responding.
To truly hear… is to act.
And what are they being called to?
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
This is not about behavior modification. This is about wholehearted devotion.
From Commands to Relationship
Here’s where everything shifted for me as I sat in that coffee shop.
As Westerners, we often read the Torah and focus on the commands.
We ask:
What do I need to do?
What am I supposed to follow?
Where am I falling short?
But the original audience didn’t receive it that way.
They received it as mitzvah—a gift.
A way to express their love and gratitude to a God who had:
delivered them from slavery
walked with them through the wilderness
provided for them daily
Obedience wasn’t a burden.
It was worship.
Hear and Obey… Listen and Love
We often reduce “hear and obey” to something rigid.
“Do as I say.”
But that’s not the heart of God.
God is not like us.
He doesn’t lead the way we lead.
He doesn’t parent the way we parent.
He doesn’t demand from a distance.
He invites into relationship.
Shema—hear and obey—is really about listen and love.
It’s about a life that responds to God not out of fear… but out of devotion.
Not out of obligation… but out of relationship.
Not to earn something… but because we’ve already been given everything.
A Question Worth Sitting With
As I closed my Bible that day, two questions lingered:
What would it look like to approach Scripture as a place to be fed, not just informed?
Where is God inviting you to not just hear… but respond?
An Invitation
This is the heart behind what we’ll be stepping into at the Shema Women’s Conference at Carbon Church later this month.
Not just learning more.
Not just gathering information.
But shifting our posture.
From striving → to surrender
From performance → to presence
From hearing → to loving obedience
Because Shema isn’t just something we study.
It’s something we live.
If your heart is stirring toward that kind of deeper, more relational walk with God, I’d love for you to join me at the Shema Women’s Conference. You can find more details and registration information here.
