SHEMA: Hear and Obeyਨਮੂਨਾ

On the night of January 27, 1986, engineers gathered at Cape Canaveral to make a critical call about the Challenger launch. Allan McDonald, head of the launch approval team, raised urgent concerns about the space shuttle’s O-rings and how the cold temperatures could cause them to fail. His warning was heard—but not heeded. The next morning, at 11:39 a.m., Challenger lifted off. Just 73 seconds into flight, the shuttle broke apart—killing all seven crew members aboard.

Hearing without heeding led to tragedy.

That’s a modern echo of what Scripture means when it uses the Hebrew word shema, translated as “hear” in Deuteronomy 6:4. In English, hearing is often passive—sound enters, and we move on. But in ancient Hebrew, shema means to hear in such a way that it results in action. It carries both listening and obedience in one breath. There’s no separate Hebrew word for “obey.” To hear is to respond.

God models this kind of hearing Himself. In Exodus 2:24, we’re told, “God heard [shema] the groaning of His people”—and acted. In Psalm 34:17, David writes, “When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears [shema] and delivers them.” In both, divine hearing leads to movement. God doesn’t just listen. He responds.

This same expectation rests on us. In Exodus 19:5, God says, “If you will obey [shema] my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession.” And in 1 Samuel 15:22, Samuel rebukes Saul’s disobedience with a piercing truth: “To obey [shema] is better than sacrifice.” In both, hearing without doing misses the mark.

Jesus doesn’t just point to this idea—He builds with it. In Matthew 7:24–27, He tells of two men who hear His words. One builds on rock. The other on sand. The difference isn’t information—it’s obedience. The Greek word used in this passage is akouō (ἀκούω), the same word the Septuagint uses to translate shema in the Old Testament. Jesus is drawing a straight line from ancient Hebrew understanding to the foundation of a life that won’t collapse. In His framework, hearing without doing isn’t just incomplete—it’s catastrophic.

REFLECTION:
What have you heard from God that hasn’t yet shaped your actions?