Paul Wilbur - Shema Lyrics
Lyrics
Sh'ma Yisrael
Adonai Eloheinu
Adonai Echad
Adonai Echad
Hear O Israel all you chosen ones
The Lord our God the Lord is One
Blessed be Your name
Glorious kingdom come
The Lord our God the Lord is One
Majesty too great to dwell
In temples made of stone
You have chosen hearts of flesh
To make Your glory known
Let Your kingdom come (repeat)
Let Your will be done (repeat)
Wind of Heaven blow (repeat)
Make Your presence known (repeat)
Like an ocean wide (repeat)
Let Your glory rise (repeat)
Cover all the earth
Hear O Israel
Our God is One
Hear O Israel all you chosen ones
The Lord our God the Lord is One
Faithful Father Spirit of the Lord
Messiah Son our God is One
Majesty too great to dwell
In temples made of stone
You have chosen hearts of flesh
To make Your glory known
Hear O Israel
The Lord our God is one God
The Lord is one
Video
Shema [Live]
Meaning & Inspiration
Paul Wilbur's "Shema," a profound declaration of faith from his album *The Watchman [feat. Integrity's Hosanna! Music]*, was released on July 12, 2005. This powerful song draws its name and core message from the ancient Hebrew prayer, "Sh'ma Yisrael," meaning "Hear, O Israel." It is the central affirmation of monotheism in Judaism, a divine command found in Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." Wilbur, known for his Messianic Jewish worship style, masterfully takes this foundational truth and illuminates it through a New Covenant understanding, inviting a broad spectrum of believers to grasp the singular, unified nature of God, expressed in both Old and New Testaments.
The song immediately immerses the heart in its sacred roots, beginning with the Hebrew "Sh'ma Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad" before translating and expanding on this essential truth: "Hear O Israel all you chosen ones / The Lord our God the Lord is One." This opening is not merely a statement but a summons, an invitation to a deep, personal acknowledgment of God's unparalleled unity and sovereignty. The declaration "Blessed be Your name / Glorious kingdom come" further underscores a worshipful posture, aligning with Psalm 113:2, which calls for God's name to be blessed from this time forth and forevermore. The song then broadens the understanding of God's dwelling, proclaiming, "Majesty too great to dwell / In temples made of stone / You have chosen hearts of flesh / To make Your glory known." This verse beautifully articulates a pivotal shift in divine presence, moving from the physical temple of Jerusalem to the spiritual indwelling within believers, echoing Acts 7:48-49, where Stephen quotes Isaiah 66:1-2: "The Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands." Instead, as promised in Ezekiel 36:26-27 and Jeremiah 31:33, God places His Spirit and writes His law upon new hearts of flesh, making each believer a living temple for His glory (1 Corinthians 6:19).
The song progresses into a fervent prayer, a series of earnest requests for God's transformative work on earth: "Let Your kingdom come / Let Your will be done / Wind of Heaven blow / Make Your presence known / Like an ocean wide / Let Your glory rise / Cover all the earth." These lines are deeply rooted in biblical yearning. The petition for God's kingdom and will directly recalls the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:10, a universal appeal for God’s reign to manifest fully on earth. The invocation for the "Wind of Heaven" immediately brings to mind the Holy Spirit, often depicted as wind or breath (John 3:8, Acts 2:2), signifying a desperate longing for His active, life-giving presence. The imagery of God's glory rising "like an ocean wide" and covering "all the earth" draws from powerful prophetic visions, most notably Habakkuk 2:14: "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." It’s a vision of ultimate spiritual saturation, a worldwide revelation of God's majesty that inspires profound hope.
Perhaps the most compelling and distinctly Messianic Christian aspect of the song emerges in the verse: "Faithful Father Spirit of the Lord / Messiah Son our God is One." Here, Wilbur skillfully reconciles the absolute monotheism of the Shema ("Adonai Echad") with the New Testament understanding of God in three persons—Father, Son (Messiah), and Holy Spirit. This is not a contradiction but a profound interpretation, demonstrating how the "one God" reveals Himself in distinct yet unified expressions. It affirms the divinity of Jesus, the Messiah, as part of the unified Godhead, a truth central to Christian doctrine (Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14). This declaration provides a comprehensive and inclusive understanding of God, suitable for those who embrace the continuity between the Old Covenant's foundational truths and the New Covenant's fuller revelation. "Shema" ultimately serves as an inspiring anthem, calling all who claim God as their own to embrace His singular identity, His indwelling power, and His global redemptive plan, reminding every soul that the Lord our God, indeed, is one.