The Lord Our God is Echad!

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Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Deuteronomy 6:4 TLV



I am so excited to share my most recent treasure from God's Word.  It has everything to do with this verse that has become a stumbling block for many.  Let's skip forward to the gospels in the new testament, to begin unpacking....

 The gospel books tell and retell many of the same histories from different perspectives.  I love fitting them together to make complete pictures of the events that took place during the ministry of Yeshua.  Today's treasure has to do with one of those "fit togethers" that supports Deut 6:4.  I mentioned that this verse is a stumbling block for many.  Those who do not understand that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one (echad) believe that those of us who do are worshiping multiple gods (little g gods) and are therefore guilty of breaking the most important commandment.  That's a BIG deal...so, are we guilty?  Let's put some puzzle pieces together and revisit the question.

 We will begin in Mark 13.  Yeshua is coaching the disciples about the end times and what to expect.  He has given them the news that they will be arrested for the cause of Yeshua, and He comforts them with these words: "...do not worry beforehand about what to say.  Say whatever is given to you in that hour, for it is not you who speaks but the Holy Spirit" (v11).

The same history is recorded in Luke 21: "So make up your minds not to prepare ahead of time to defend yourselves--for I Myself will give you speech and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute" (v14-15).

 Did you notice the difference?  In Mark, Yeshua tells the disciples that the Holy Spirit will give them words to speak, and in Luke Yeshua tells them that He Himself will give them the words.  So which is true?

Revisit time...BOTH ARE TRUE, because "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one!"  So Yeshua Himself gives us proof that He and The Holy Spirit are one (echad).  But what about God The Father?

Fast forward to John 1:  "In the beginning was the Word.  The Word was with God, and the Word was God" (v1).  "And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.  We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth" (v14).

Let's put the puzzle together:
  1. The Word was God...and The Word tabernacled among us -- God the Father and Yeshua are echad (one).
  2. Yeshua says the Holy Spirit will give the disciples the words to say -- Holy Spirit
  3. Yeshua says, I Myself will give the disciples the words to say -- Yeshua is echad (one) with the Holy Spirit
This comes full circle.  

Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Deut 6:4 TLV

So, to follow Yeshua is to follow God.  To have His Holy Spirit dwell in our hearts is to have the very essence of God literally present in our lives.  Wow!  That's BIG.  The Word who created everything that was created  Lives.  In.  Me.  I cannot comprehend....

How about you?  Does The Word live in YOU?  If not, today could be the day of your salvation.  Repent of your sins, and ask HIM to live in you.  He will, and you will be forever changed.  

Please join me in praying for eyes to be opened and hearts to be changed by the truth that God the Father, Yeshua, and The Holy Spirit are indeed echad (one), and when we love HIM, we are keeping the greatest commandment.

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