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    Loving God – Ekev

    Some academic scholars of the Bible think that when the Shema tells Israel to love the Lord (Deut. 6:5, 11:13), it is using a technical term – the idiom common in the ancient world whereby the sovereign makes laws and his subjects must obey them; in this view, “love” means “obey”.

    Judaism certainly believes that God must be obeyed but it uses the word “love” in the normal sense as an emotion, not a legal concept. A person who loves God has a deep affection towards Him, feeling in love with God and God’s presence. Psalm 116 says, “I love the Lord who hears my voice”.

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