In the Jewish prayer book (commonly called the siddur = sid-dooer), the Shema is preceded by three
Hebrew words: El melekh ne‘eman, which translated is: ̳God, Faithful King‘. The first letters of these three
Hebrew words spell the Hebrew word amein (ah-main‘), which means: ―firm, faithful, truly, verily‖; and is used
as a confirmation that one agrees with what has just been stated. The full or long form of the Shema is as
follows:
“Hear, O Israel YHWH our God, YHWH is one!” Blessed is the Name of His Glorious Kingdom forever and
ever.
“You shall love YHWH your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.”
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently
to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when
you lie down,
and when you rise up.”
“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.”
(Deut 6:4-9, also in Deut. 11:13-21 and Num. 15:37-41)
The Message of the Shema- The Oneness of Elohim *
The first and foremost understanding that we should receive from this beautiful statement of faith is that
YHWH is our Elohim and YHWH is one (echad). Today, western society is very familiar with the concept of
monotheism; that there is only one Elohim who is the Creator of all things. In Moses‘ day, this was a highly
unusual concept, for the pagan religions had whole pantheons of gods and goddesses. For the Israelites to
come along and worship only one YHWH Elohim was, in the opinion of the pagans, a very foolish thing to do.
What if that Elohim was unable to effect a desired change for the worshipper? They thought it far better to
have a whole lot of gods and goddesses, so one could call on the appropriate one to intervene in a particular
situation. Then when the pagans learned that the Israelites were not allowed to make any kind of image of
their Elohim, they really thought it was wacko.
The First Century Greeks, being more highly educated than many of their neighbours, did perceive that the
universe needed some kind of ―first cause‖; some god or power that was the creator and ruler of all the other
lesser gods and goddesses. Some called this being the ―Unknown God‖.
(22) ―Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things
ye are too superstitious.
(23) For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE
UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
(24) God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth
not in temples made with hands;
(25) Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life,
and breath, and all things;
(26) And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath
determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
(27) That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far
from every one of us:
(28) For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said,
For we are also his offspring.
(29) Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto
gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
(30) And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
(31) Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man
whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the
dead.‖ (Acts 17:22-31)
This ―Unknown God‖ that Paul proclaimed to the Greeks was the YHWH Elohim of the Israelite patriarchs.
He was not a multitude of gods; rather He was One Elohim. He was not a god that warred with others of
equal rank, He was the Creator of all things and therefore above all things. Now, Paul proclaimed that that
great Elohim had sent His only begotten Son (the Man) to die for the sins of the world and was resurrected
from the dead. And now that Father and Son are united as one.
―I and My Father are one.‖ (John 10:30)