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COMING TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF GOD AND HIS PEOPLE ISRAEL

Answer for yourself: Can the teachings and nuances of first century Israel be fully understood from the perspective of twentieth century?

As far as settlement of peoples other than the American Indian, our nation is only about 220 years old. Our nation was established in 1776, a little over 200 years ago. The Americas were settled a little over 500 years ago. This gives us, at best, a historical perspective of five centuries. In the "New Testament:" we are looking at a culture half-way around the world some 2,000 years ago. This same culture started some 4,000 years before that. Continuous in the same place for about 6,000 years is a people from which our faith springs.

I will quote some statements that will clarify my position. I trust these will help you to understand why I have the interest that I have and spark some interest in you as well.

"The Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of; but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people...he has made a marvelous fight in this world, in all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him...the Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound, and splendor, then faded to dream- stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed and made a vast noise, and they're gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was...all things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?"- by Mark Twain

"To explore and understand the Jewish roots of our faith is to expand and to enrich our Christian experience. This premise is at the heart of the educational endeavors of Bet Emet Ministries, and other Ministries like it, that are restoring to the Church an appreciation of its full Hebrew heritage."

It is my hope to assist believers in developing a deeper, more intimate relationship with God through Yeshua His Messiah by way of the study of Hebrew language and culture.

The Babylonian Talmud (Sukkah 42A) states that Jewish boys were taught Deuteronomy 6:4 (Shema) as soon as they could speak. The Talmud specifies that "The father must teach him." Early sources suggest that this must have been the first portion from the Hebrew Bible that Yeshua committed to memory. We may assume that Joseph was responsible for fulfilling this task. This portion of scripture is known simply as "The Shema."

In HEBREW it is..."Shema Yisra'el Adoni Eloheynu Adoni Ehad"

In ENGLISH…"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One."

The Shema was to be recited first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Countless martyrs through the ages have died with the Shema as the last utterance from their lips, leaving this world with the proclamation of God the last words spoken. This is an affirmation of monotheism in opposition to a polytheistic environment. The Hebrews were/are to know there is only one God, not many.

Answer for yourself: From the beginning there were only two classes of people; Jews and Gentiles, those who believed in the one true God and everyone else...who, then, are we?

We believe in the one true God. This is a Hebrew concept. We are therefore no longer Gentiles, regardless of our ethnic or geographical background. We, in fact, are spiritually Jewish. Spiritual Hebrews. We have not replaced the Jews as some would have us believe, the Jews have not passed away or become irrelevant with the advent of "the Jewish Christ" seen in Jesus. Judaism, as an avenue to God for both the Jew as well as the "non-Jew", is just as valid today as it was 2,000 years ago. We as non-Jewish believers are now grafted into the root of the Olive Tree, Israel, according to the eleventh chapter of Romans.

Paul, or a later Pauline writer, teaches us that God did not reject His people, Romans 11:1-6. The elect obtained what Israel so earnestly sought, the rest rejected it, and because of this, salvation came to the Gentiles according to verses 7-12. This Pauline writer seeks to arouse the Jews to envy and save them. Verse 16 says that "If the root is holy, so are the branches." Paul declares that the root is holy! Furthermore, he declares that the grafted in branches are holy! We are not to despise the Jews, we are to embrace them. They are our spiritual kinsmen and, as such, we have much to learn from them. We as Christians and followers of "the Christ" have much to learn from our Jewish brothers, but it must be done in love and not from arrogance thinking that we are citadel of all truth when we carry forged Hebrew texts in our Bibles. We see that branches have been broken off and wild olive shoots are grafted in to the Olive Tree of Israel - we, Gentiles, and most likely Christians in the Western Hemisphere, have accepted God through the ministry of this "Jesus" and thereby are grafted into Biblical Judaism [not Christian denominationalism or non-denominationalism] - we do not support the root but the root supports us! We are warned not to be arrogant for if the natural branches were not spared, neither will the grafted in branches be spared. We are part of the same tree by grace, God is also able to engraft the natural branches again if they believe (verses 17-24.) The Christian Church is blinded to her Jewish heritage and Jewish Roots of her faith and has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles have been saved (grafted in) and then all Israel will be saved. Understand that this Israel is a mixed multitude of "Jews" and "non-Jew". We are all candidates for mercy (verses 25-32.)

Quite simply said Paul said it best in the book of Ephesians. Notice this was written to the non-Jew and not the Jew. This is of utmost importance and remains so for the Gentile Christian today.

Eph 2:11-12 11 Wherefore remember, that ye (non-Jews) being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Messiah, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (KJV)

After reading the above verse you can more easily understand why "salvation is of the Jews" and not the Church. The non-Jew has nothing apart from Israel and the Revelation of God given to them by the Jews

This is why I feel it is important to study our Jewish background. Christians are "grafted in Jews," [Christians are Israel and not Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, etc.]. We need to know who we are, where we come from and how we are to relate to our roots. Without this understanding, we can hardly expect to grasp the depth of the scripture. I would like to quote David Bivin and Roy Blizzard from their book Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus:

"The writers are Hebrew, the culture is Hebrew, the religion is Hebrew, the traditions are Hebrew, and the concepts are Hebrew."

Answer for yourself: If this is true, shouldn't we try to know just who the Hebrews were and are today?

Answer for yourself: Should you not know about the fathers of your faith?

It is interesting that when Jesus was asked the greatest commandment in Mark 12:28-31, He answers by quoting The Shema, the very central core of his faith, Biblical Judaism, and not the "Apostle's Creed" nor the Baptist Faith and Message or some denominational faith and message statement which are so familiar with us today when few Christians have ever heard or know of the Shema!

This is something we need to ponder. Shalom.

Let us continue our studies.

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