The First Of All The Commandments Is -- "Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God Is One Lord" - Part 1904

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me ..." (John 10:27)

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that [Jesus] had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?" And Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is, "Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is One Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

And the scribe said unto Him, "Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is One God; and there is none other but He: And to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, He said unto him, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." And no man after that durst ask Him any question. (Mark 12:28-34)

Matthew relates the same conversation between the scribe and Jesus, writing, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:36-40)

What we are witnessing here is Jesus summarizing the law given by God unto Moses in Exodus, wherein the Lord thy God is instructing us to have no other gods before Him, for He is a jealous God and wants us to worship Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and understanding. I have pasted (in part) the corresponding scriptural account from Exodus below, so that we are aware that our first and foremost desire should always be to love the Lord thy God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Our very essence devoted solely to Him and His purpose for our life. Herein. we use the term -- stand in the offering plate. We ourselves standing in the offering plate in our totality, asking the Lord what He desires for us to do.

Some might suggest that if and when we do give everything we have to the Lord thy God, then there is nothing left, and yes, that is essentially what we as believers in Jesus by faith should be doing. Our very being in God our Saviour. Our thoughts. Our praise and honour in everything that we do -- in both word and deed -- should be in our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ.

Why? Because He gave everything He had (on the cross) to woo us unto Him. Indeed, He became as one of us, robed in flesh and dwelling among us, so that we might know that in His Name -- we could have life. Eternal life. Abundant life. His peace and joy and love and mercy dwelling within us.

Therefore, in this current dispensation of grace, our heart response and desire should be to follow our Lord God and Saviour. David the psalmist put it this way -- "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." (Psalm 23:6)

In the New Testament, there are numerous examples of dwelling in the house of the Lord forever.

For instance, Jesus said unto His disciples, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24) In another place, Jesus said, "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." (Mark 8:34) And again, Jesus said to them all, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." (Luke 9:23)

Not a portion of us, or a ten percent tithe as it was in the days of old, but serving and worshipping the Lord in every breath. "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalm 150:6)

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him." (Colossians 3:17)

For "whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James 1:25)

Stand in the offering plate.

From Exodus: And God spake all these words, saying, "I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain." (Exodus 20:1-7)