In the Bible, “Shama” (שָׁמַע) means “to hear” or “to listen,” often implying not just auditory perception but also obedience and understanding. It is frequently used in the context of God’s calls to His people to heed His commandments, as seen in the Shema prayer in Deuteronomy 6:4.
Scripture
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
7 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.
8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Meaning of “Shama” in the Bible
The Hebrew word “Shama” (שָׁמַע) transcends the simple act of hearing; it embodies a deep, responsive listening that calls for action and obedience. In Deuteronomy 6:4-5, the Shema prayer begins with “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Here, “Shama” emphasizes the need for Israel not only to hear the declaration of God’s oneness but also to respond to it with love and commitment. This concept reinforces the idea that true listening integrates understanding and obedience, compelling believers to align their lives with God’s commandments and teachings.
Throughout the Old Testament, “Shama” serves as a pivotal theme that underscores the covenant relationship between God and His people. For example, in 1 Samuel 15:22, the prophet Samuel reiterates God’s preference for obedience over mere ritual, stating, “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” This illustrates that hearing God’s word involves an active choice to follow His will, highlighting what scholar Walter Brueggemann calls a transformative listening that transitions believers from passive recipients of divine revelation to active participants in God’s purpose. Thus, “Shama” encapsulates a holistic response to divine instruction—hearing, understanding, and acting—making it a central motif of faith and practice within the biblical narrative.
The concept of “Shama” further unfolds in the context of prophetic literature, where it is often used to call attention to the ways in which the people of Israel have failed to embody the responsive listening God desires. Prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah frequently lament the people’s unwillingness to truly hear and heed God’s commandments. In Isaiah 6, the Lord sends the prophet to a people whose ears are heavy and whose eyes are blind, illustrating a profound disconnect between hearing and acting. This prophetic call for “Shama” acts as both a rebuke and a plea, inviting the community to engage not only with audible words but with the transformative nature of God’s message, urging a return to a faithful understanding that begets action.
Moreover, the theme of “Shama” is echoed in the New Testament, where listening is integral to discipleship. In the gospels, Jesus often emphasizes the notion of listening as a precondition for understanding His teachings. The parable of the sower (Matthew 13) illustrates the varied responses to the Word of God, reinforcing that true hearing yields fruitful action. Here, “Shama” transcends mere auditory perception, suggesting a depth of engagement that demands one to reflect and internalize the lessons imparted. This continuation of the theme from the Old Testament underscores the enduring expectation that the faithful bear not only the title of hearers but also of doers, thus reinforcing the centrality of “Shama” as an active, relational process within the biblical framework of faith.
The Concept of Listening and Obedience
In the biblical context, “Shama” encompasses not just the act of hearing but also the imperative to respond with obedience. It signifies an active engagement with God’s word, where listening is intertwined with the commitment to act according to what is heard. This understanding emphasizes that true listening involves a transformation of the heart and actions, leading to a life that reflects divine principles.
The Relationship Between God and His People
“Shama” also highlights the relational aspect between God and His people. It signifies a two-way communication where God listens to the cries and prayers of His followers, while they, in turn, are called to listen to His guidance and commandments. This mutual listening fosters a deeper connection, illustrating the importance of being attuned to God’s voice in the journey of faith.
The Call to Unity and Community
Furthermore, “Shama” can be seen as a call to unity within the community of believers. It encourages individuals to listen to one another, fostering an environment of understanding and support. This communal aspect of listening reflects the broader biblical theme of love and harmony, urging believers to be attentive not only to God’s word but also to the needs and voices of their fellow community members.
How to Cultivate Faith Through Listening and Obedience
Cultivating faith through listening and obedience is a transformative journey that requires both intention and practice. Start by immersing yourself in Scripture, allowing the Word of God to speak to you; it’s in these quiet moments of reflection that you’ll hear His voice guiding your heart. As you listen, be open to the nudges of the Holy Spirit, which often come as gentle whispers urging you to act in love and kindness. Obedience isn’t just about following rules; it’s about responding to God’s call in your daily life, whether that means serving others, forgiving those who have wronged you, or simply being present for someone in need. Remember, faith is not a destination but a dynamic relationship with God, and each step of obedience strengthens that bond. So, take time to listen, and let your actions reflect the love and grace you’ve received, knowing that with each act of obedience, your faith will grow deeper and more resilient.
Bible References to “Shama” Meaning:
Deuteronomy 11:13-21: 13 “And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,”
14 that I will give you the rain of your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil.
15 And I will provide grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full.
16 Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them;
17 then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the Lord is giving you.
18 “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.”
19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
20 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,
21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.
Numbers 15:37-41: 37 The Lord said to Moses,
38 “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner.
39 And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after.
40 so you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.
41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the Lord your God.”
Mark 12:28-34: 28 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?”
29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30 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.
31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him.
33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Matthew 22:34-40: 34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.
Luke 10:25-28: 25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
John 14:15-21: 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.
John 15:9-17: 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Romans 10:14-17: 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?”
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
James 1:22-25: 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
24 for he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
Rev. François Dupont is a dedicated church minister with a wealth of experience in serving spiritual communities. With a calm and serene demeanor, he has been devoted to sharing the message of love, compassion, and tolerance for over two decades. Through his thoughtful sermons, compassionate counseling, and unwavering support, Rev. Dupont has touched the lives of countless individuals, allowing them to find solace and strength during difficult times. His serene presence and deep understanding of the human condition make him a trusted guide for those seeking spiritual nourishment and guidance.