Psalm 22

Posted on January 17, 2013 by yourphariseefriend

Psalm 22

Missionaries points to Psalm 22 as a key Messianic prophecy. The individual described in this passage suffers grievously and is ultimately saved by God. The salvation of this individual is then to be related in the assembly of Israel. The story of this deliverance will then cause all the nations to turn to God. Missionaries contend that no other individual fits this description aside from the Christian Messiah .

Missionaries see the conversion of the world to faith in Jesus as an essential element in Christianity’s claim that Jesus is the Messiah of the Jewish Bible. The central “provable” prophecy that missionaries believe that Jesus fulfilled is the conversion of the world.

 

The problem with this argument is that it flies in the face of the Jewish scriptures. The scriptures clearly tell us exactly how the conversion of the world will be achieved. The message is repeated quite a number of times in an open and unambiguous manner. Isaiah compares the error of the nations to a veil that covers their faces (25:7), and to a thick cloud of darkness (60:2). The prophets teach that God will use the physical salvation of the Jewish people to dispel this dark error. When the downtrodden and persecuted nation is exalted, and their enemies are destroyed, the nations will see the light and be converted to the service of God. Israel’s deliverance is the catalyst for the conversion of the nations. This lesson is repeated by the prophets again and again (Isaiah 17:12 – 18:7, 25:1 – 8, 30:26, 34:1 – 35:10, 40:1 – 11, 41:17 – 20, 49:8 – 13, 52:7 – 10, Zephaniah 3:8 – 20, Psalm 9:8 – 13, 40, 66, 69, 98, 102, 117 ). Any faith that the nations are coming to before the light of God is openly revealed upon Israel, can only be a part of the darkness that the prophets yearned to see dispelled (Isaiah 60:1 – 3).

David’s own suffering and deliverance play a central role in this procedure. David’s personal experiences forged his own relationship with God, and inspired the nation of Israel in her relationship with God. Under the guidance of David’s songs the nation of Israel will ultimately repair her own relationship with God and be delivered from their troubles. When this deliverance occurs, all of the nations will join Israel in paying homage to God.

In Psalm 22 these concepts appear in historical progression. The first section of the Psalm describes David’s personal suffering and his subsequent deliverance. Verses 23 – 26 describe David’s praise of God amongst the congregation of Israel. Verses 25 and 27 speak of Israel’s subsequent praise of God (- the “meek” and the “seekers of God” that the Psalmist speaks of are the people of Israel – see Isaiah 61:1-3, Psalm 9:13,19, 24:6, 69:33, 149:4 – ). Israel’s turning to God draws the nations of the earth to join them in paying homage to God (verse 28).

If you found this article helpful please consider making a donation to Judaism Resources by clicking on the link below.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FEAQ55Y7MR3E6

Judaism Resources is a recognized 501(c) 3 public charity and your donation is tax exempt.

Thank You

Yisroel C. Blumenthal

 

Posted in Scripture | 4 Comments

Psalm 110

Posted on January 17, 2013 by yourphariseefriend

Psalm 110

In this Psalm we find that the Messiah (or his ancestor David) is designated with a priestly title. The Psalmist declares God’s words to the King – “You are a priest forever after the manner of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4). But there is no reason to make the leap and assume that the only connotation that the priesthood carries is the function of expiating sin as missionaries would have us believe. In the days of Melchizedek, when there was no Temple – anyone could have brought an offering. The processing of the animal offerings was not limited to the priesthood except in the context of the Temple or the Tabernacle. The priests were always charged with administering justice (Deuteronomy 17:9). As king of Salem, it is clear that this duty was well within the scope of Melchizedek’s station. If the scriptures wanted to imply that the Messiah’s role includes the expiation of sin, it would have referred to the Aaronic priesthood, which is explicitly associated with atonement.  The fact that the Psalmist refers to Melchizedek and not to Aaron, indicates that the Messiah is charged with the roles of teacher and judge (Isaiah 11:4).

If you found this article helpful please consider making a donation to Judaism Resources by clicking on the link below.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FEAQ55Y7MR3E6

Judaism Resources is a recognized 501(c) 3 public charity and your donation is tax exempt.

Thank You

Yisroel C. Blumenthal

Posted in Scripture | 10 Comments

Zechariah 12:10

Posted on January 17, 2013 by yourphariseefriend

Zechariah 12:10

“- and they will look to Me concerning the one who was pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall be in bitterness over him as one is in bitterness over a firstborn.”

The missionary interpretation of this section of the verse has Jesus as the “one who was pierced” and the mourning described, is the Jewish embarrassment upon discovering that their rejection of him was unjustified.

This interpretation fails for several reasons. Firstly, the mourning is described as the mourning for a lost child, and not as a cry of shame. (For a scriptural description of an admission of shame, see Micah 7:7-17.)

Secondly, the missionary interpretation ignores the context of the verse. The chapter in Zechariah in which this verse is found, speaks of the siege of Jerusalem. The prophet describes how the nations will besiege Jerusalem, but they will not succeed. The prophet describes how a Jewish contingent in the besieging army will do battle against the nations that have come to besiege Jerusalem. The Jewish warriors will succeed, and the nations besieging Jerusalem will be destroyed. It is in the context of this battle that there will be a great mourning for the “one who was pierced.”

The Talmud (Succah 52a) understands that this verse is a reference to the death of a Messiah from the tribe of Joseph. This leader, who successfully led the Jewish people in battle against their enemies, will fall at the hands of the nations. At the time of the ultimate victory (under the leadership of Messiah from the lineage of David) the people will mourn for the loss of their former leader. The fact that their leader had died in battle will generate a spirit of repentance and turning back to God. Thus the prophet declares in the name of God that the people will look to me (God) on account of the one that was pierced.

This is obviously parallel to the first events of David’s monarchy. The first activity that David engaged in as King of his people was to mourn for Saul (2Samuel 1:17). In fact the only two people in scripture who died through piercing, and were mourned, are Saul and the unspecified person in this verse in Zechariah. Although David (and his descendant the Messiah) is the ultimate leader chosen by God to guide the nation, the Davidic Kings recognize the sacrifice of the leaders that preceded them and that laid the groundwork for their kingship. Their first act as leader of their people is to mourn for those who suffered and died before they reached that ultimate victory.

If you found this article helpful please consider making a donation to Judaism Resources by clicking on the link below.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FEAQ55Y7MR3E6

Judaism Resources is a recognized 501(c) 3 public charity and your donation is tax exempt.

Thank You

Yisroel C. Blumenthal

Posted in Scripture | 17 Comments

Malachi 3:1-4

Posted on January 17, 2013 by yourphariseefriend

Malachi 3:1-4

“Behold I send My messenger, and he will clear the path before Me, and suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to His sanctuary, and the messenger of the covenant for whom you yearn, behold he comes, says the Lord of hosts. Who can bear the day of his coming and who can survive when he appears? For he will be like the smelters fire and like the launderer’s soap. He will sit smelting and purifying silver; he will purify the children of Levi and refine them like gold and like silver, and they will be for the Lord presenters of offerings in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in years gone by.”

In this passage the prophet speaks of a visitation of the Divine into the Temple, but it does not specify in which Temple the manifestation will occur. The prophet simply states that the Master will enter His sanctuary suddenly. This could refer to the future Third Temple as easily as it could refer to the Second. This passage cannot be used as evidence that the Messiah must come before the destruction of the Second Temple as missionaries contend, because the prophecy does not indicate which Temple it is referring to.

What this passage does tell us is that when the manifestation does occur, it will not be a Christian manifestation. Christianity believes that the sacrificial system and the Levitical priesthood were terminated with the advent of Jesus. Malachi has a different message. Malachi teaches that the Levites will be purified so that the offerings of Israel will be pleasing to God exactly as they were in days gone by. There is no way that one can repudiate the Levitical priesthood together with the sacrificial system and claim to fulfill this prophecy at the same time.

If you found this article helpful please consider making a donation to Judaism Resources by clicking on the link below.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FEAQ55Y7MR3E6

Judaism Resources is a recognized 501(c) 3 public charity and your donation is tax exempt.

Thank You

Yisroel C. Blumenthal

Posted in Scripture | 11 Comments

The Language of the Realm

Posted on January 8, 2013 by yourphariseefriend

The Language of the Realm

The famous cartoonist; Gary Larson, presented a humorous caricature that sheds light on the Jewish Christian polemic. In the cartoon we see a professor standing in front of a blackboard lecturing to his students. The blackboard is covered by a lengthy and complicated equation in which the letter “W” is prominently featured. The caption under the cartoon reads: “Two wrongs don’t make a right – but four wrongs squared…”

The point of this cartoon is that no mathematical equation can change wrong into right. A humorous (and sometimes tragic) side to human life is that people often overlook this obvious truth and attempt to use measurements and tools that are applicable to one realm in life and apply it to another. Different realms of life have different languages, different frameworks and different categories. To apply the language of mathematics in the realm of ethics and morality is a misapplication of mathematics.

Another example of an inappropriate application of the language of one realm to a realm where this language is not heard is when someone attempts to justify a violation of a marriage covenant with a legal argument. The intricate arguments of the lawyer are appropriate in the halls of government and in courts of justice; these arguments have no place in a covenant of love that was sealed between two hearts.

The Church advocates devotion to a character described in the pages of the Christian Scriptures. This devotion is a violation of the covenant that God shares with every human being and it is a double violation of the covenant that God shares with the Jewish people.

In order to justify this violation the Church presents a plethora of complicated philosophical arguments. But philosophical arguments are not the language spoken in the realm of covenant. Philosophy can help you speculate about life, about humanity and even about God. But philosophy cannot justify a redirection of worship.

Israel is married to God. This covenant has forever bound our hearts to the One Creator of all existence. The Church’s usage of philosophy to justify a call to devotion that is not present in the original marriage covenant is simply out of place. The language of philosophy is not spoken in the realm of love.

If you found this article helpful please consider making a donation to Judaism Resources by clicking on the link below.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FEAQ55Y7MR3E6

Judaism Resources is a recognized 501(c) 3 public charity and your donation is tax exempt.

Thank You

Yisroel C. Blumenthal

Posted in General | 1 Comment

Arrogance, Confidence and Jewish Pride

Posted on January 7, 2013 by yourphariseefriend

Arrogance, Confidence and Jewish Pride

Christians pride themselves in their humility towards Jesus. They see the bending of their hearts in devotion towards the character described in the pages of the Christian Scriptures as an act of humility and self-effacement. Conversely; these Christians look down at the Jewish refusal to bow towards Jesus as an act of arrogance and conceit.

Let us examine the heart of the matter.

We all find arrogance and haughtiness to be distasteful (at least when we see these qualities in other people). On the other hand we find that confidence is a positive and necessary human characteristic. Who enjoys working with an arrogant snot? Yet at the same time we find it so difficult to work with a person who has no confidence in themselves. How are these two qualities; arrogance and confidence, different from each other?

Both the haughty person and the confident person believe in themselves but here is where the similarity ends. The haughty person needs to measure himself against other people. The characteristic of arrogance is evident when a person sees themselves as superior than other people. Confidence is a belief in oneself that does need to put down other people.

The arrogant person needs to believe that the qualities that she possesses are entirely her own and are not shared by anyone else – at least not to the degree that these qualities are present in her own personality. The confident person recognizes their own qualities but has no difficulty recognizing similar or different qualities in other people. The arrogant person is blind to his own faults and is also blind to the positive characteristics present in other people. The confident person does not need to deny reality. The confident person can acknowledge their own failings and faults and can accept that other people possess admirable qualities.

Haughtiness pits the arrogant person against the rest of the world. Haughtiness and arrogance are bitter and vindictive. The confident person does not see herself as competing with the rest of the world for her sense of self-worth. The confident person is not bitter or vindictive. The confident person faces the world with serenity and peace.

Which of these two human qualities stands behind the Jewish refusal to bend towards Jesus? Is it arrogance or is it confidence?

The Jewish refusal to direct devotion towards Jesus is rooted in a deep confidence. A confidence that believes that every human being; Jew, Christian, Moslem, Hindu and even Jesus himself is completely subject to God and to no one else. The Jewish rejection of the Christian message is not bitter or vindictive. The heart of the Jew is filled with confidence that the light that God poured into our hearts will one day fill the world. God promised and His word is true (Isaiah 60:3; 40:8).

If you found this article helpful please consider making a donation to Judaism Resources by clicking on the link below.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FEAQ55Y7MR3E6

Judaism Resources is a recognized 501(c) 3 public charity and your donation is tax exempt.

Thank You

Yisroel C. Blumenthal

 

Posted in General | 3 Comments

The Bush is Not Consumed

Posted on January 6, 2013 by yourphariseefriend

The Bush is Not Consumed

In the Book of Exodus the Torah describes Moses’ first prophetic experience (Exodus 3:2-4:17). We are told that Moses said to himself: “Let me turn and see this great sight; why will the bush not be burned?” We are then told that God saw that Moses had “turned to see” so God called to Moses from the bush.

The narrative of the Torah makes it clear that it was entirely possible for Moses not to “turn and see” the burning bush. If Moses would have chosen the path of ignoring the burning bush we get the impression that God would not have spoken to him. It is only because God saw that Moses “turned to see” that God then called and spoke to Moses.

There is a deep lesson to be learned from this detail of the Scriptural narrative. We tend to enjoy our comfort and complacency and we tend to avoid concepts and ideas that we sense may upset the smooth flow of life to which we have become habituated. These ideas may be awesome and wondrous but we avoid looking them in the eye because we are frightened that we may have to move from the “business as usual” mode.

One concept which has the power to shake us from our sense of complacency is the burning bush of history. For the past several thousand years the Jewish people were but a bush on the landscape of human history. The Jewish people were dwarfed by the mighty nations around them in terms of power and wealth as a bush is dwarfed by the tall trees that surround it. The fury of these trees was directed at the Jewish people so that they were constantly faced with the fire of hate. Yet the bush did not get consumed. The Jewish people are still here as fresh and as vibrant as ever.

This holds true not only on the physical level but on a spiritual plane as well. The belief system of Judaism has faced the fires of hate, ridicule contempt and vilification in both Christian Europe and in the lands of Islam. Yet the bush is not consumed. Walk into the study hall of a Yeshiva and you will see how the bush is as verdant and lively as ever.

Look and allow yourself to be impressed by this wondrous phenomenon. Stop to absorb the miracle of Jewish survival. Don’t just walk on but “turn to see”.

Remember; if Moses would not have “turned to see”, then the greatest prophet we ever had would have missed his calling in life.

If you found this article helpful please consider making a donation to Judaism Resources by clicking on the link below.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FEAQ55Y7MR3E6

Judaism Resources is a recognized 501(c) 3 public charity and your donation is tax exempt.

Thank You

Yisroel C. Blumenthal

Posted in General | 6 Comments

All the Nations

Posted on January 6, 2013 by yourphariseefriend

All the Nations

“For then I will change the nations [to speak] a pure language so that they will all proclaim in the Name of the Lord to worship Him with a united resolve.” (Zephaniah 3:9)

The prophets looked forward to a time when all the nations of the world serve the Creator of the universe shoulder to shoulder with the people of Israel. This does not mean that the nations will convert to Judaism. The prophets made it clear that the various nations will maintain their own identity and they will be serving God as gentiles; not as Jews (as an example see Zachariah 14:16).

The picture that emerges from various historical texts is that during the Second Temple Era there were many gentiles who joined the Jewish people in their worship of God but did not join the covenant community through a complete conversion. The Ibn Ezra explains that when the Psalmist makes reference to “those who fear God” (Psalm 116:11; 118:4) he is referring to these gentile worshippers of the God of Israel.

With the rise of Christianity and Islam this phenomena went into decline. No longer were there gentile individuals associating with the Jewish communities on the level of worship or religious devotion in any way. As a consequence of this historical fact the Jewish community no longer has a clear precedent of such interaction that could guide us in a practical way. The general attitude of the Jewish community as it relates to the spiritual state of gentiles is “either in or out”. We don’t seem to have a clear cultural model that would guide us in relating to a gentile who loves and reveres the God of Israel but does not see it as their calling to join the covenant community.

This has had another sad consequence. The entire relationship that is possible between a gentile and the God of Israel is seriously underappreciated. Both Jews and gentiles tend to look at a relationship with the Creator as a “Jewish” thing. But it is not. The prophets taught us that a relationship with God is a “human” thing.

In recent decades this trend has started to reverse. Many gentiles have let go of the false teachings of the church and have come to embrace a relationship with the God of Israel. These people generally use names like Noachide or Bnei Noach to identify themselves and their beliefs.

This is certainly a positive development in this area but there still is much to accomplish. Perhaps it is the Jewish community who needs to develop and build both an appreciation for the gentile relationship with God and a practical community structure to be able to interact with these gentiles.

The relationship that is possible between every human being and the One Creator of all is deeply meaningful and fulfilling. This relationship has the breadth to encompass every aspect of life and imbue it with holiness and purpose. It is important that both Jew and gentile develop an appreciation for this relationship. The gentile benefits from the study of this relationship because this is the gentile’s calling in life. The Jew benefits from the study of this relationship because it is the calling of the Jew as well. The Jew is not exempt from developing a relationship with God as a human being. The covenantal relationship of the Jew does not cancel out the Jew’s relationship with the Creator as a human being. The covenantal relationship is built on the foundation of the Jew’s relationship with God as a human being. A building cannot be stronger than its foundation.

By developing a stronger appreciation for the gentile’s relationship with the God of Israel we can make our world a holier place.

If you found this article helpful please consider making a donation to Judaism Resources by clicking on the link below.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FEAQ55Y7MR3E6

Judaism Resources is a recognized 501(c) 3 public charity and your donation is tax exempt.

Thank You

Yisroel C. Blumenthal

  

 

Posted in The Righteous Gentile | 38 Comments

Birthday of the Sun

Posted on December 27, 2012 by yourphariseefriend

Birthday of the Sun

The fact that the most prominent holiday in the Christian yearly cycle is pagan in origin is relatively well known. Some Christian leaders argue for an abandonment of this pagan celebration while most observe this holiday and use the time as an opportunity to call attention to the message of Christianity.

Many churchmen justify the adoption of a pagan holiday with the argument that this was simply a historical circumstance. The expanding Church found that so many people were already celebrating this time, so instead of attempting to repress this celebration, the Church converted it from paganism to Christianity. The “conversion” of the holiday was achieved by artificially associating the Christian message with the observance of the holiday. This merger turned the commemoration of the birthday of the sun into a celebration that commemorates the birthday of the “son”.

Are these two celebrations really so different? If we look into the heart of the pagan celebration and worship we will see that no conversion was achieved. The Christian celebration is essentially just as idolatrous as the pagan celebration. The only change that was achieved was that the attention given to one idol is now turned to another.

The pagans chose their deities in the following manner. People would be inspired and overawed by various entities in the natural world. Be it the power and radiance of the sun, the mighty sound of thunder, the majestic beauty of a river or the magical appeal of the dark forces of the night. Instead of recognizing that these are but creations of the same Creator who granted us all the gift of existence the pagan would bend in submission towards the mysterious awe and majesty projected by these entities.

The heart of Christianity, in all of its manifestations, is the submission towards the aura projected by a certain human being. No one saw this person create the world and no one saw this person standing as a second person in a triune godhead. These were theories developed by hearts that were already bent in submission to the aura associated with the personality of Jesus.

The worshippers of the sun and the worshippers of the “son” are both engaged in the same type of worship. They are both allowing themselves to be overwhelmed by the attributes inherent in a fellow citizen of this universe.

The witness of the Jew is that everything in this universe and all of the majesty, beauty, mystery, charisma and holiness that these entities may possess are all but gifts from the One Creator who stands above and beyond all of nature while at the same time sustaining and nurturing every detail of existence. It is to Him, and to Him alone, that our worship is due. Not only our own worship, but even those entities that overwhelm men with their majesty, beauty, holiness and mystery, they too, owe all worship to the One Creator.

The day will yet come when everyone and everything rejoices in the worship of the Creator (Psalm 98:7). May it happen soon and in our days.

If you found this article helpful please consider making a donation to Judaism Resources by clicking on the link below.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FEAQ55Y7MR3E6

Judaism Resources is a recognized 501(c) 3 public charity and your donation is tax exempt.

Thank You

Yisroel C. Blumenthal

Posted in General, The Righteous Gentile, The Ultimate Truth | 83 Comments

Chanukah – Isaiah 2:5

Posted on December 12, 2012 by yourphariseefriend

Chanukah – Isaiah 2:5

The celebration of Chanukah was instituted after prophecy had already ceased from the community of Israel. The religious leadership of the people established this holiday as an expression of thanksgiving to God that is to last through the generations.

This holiday brings to the forefront the question of the authority of the religious leadership of Israel. Who are they to decide on my behalf? Who are they to dictate my personal relationship with God?

In order to answer these questions we need to understand a basic Scriptural concept. The concept I speak of is the entity called “Israel”. This entity is not just a gathering of individuals. It is a community. A community that stands as one before God from the days of the exodus into the future.

This community is human. We have made mistakes and we will make mistakes but this doesn’t change the fact that we stand in a covenantal relationship with God as a community. It is this entity – Eternal Israel, whom God chose to marry. He tied Himself to this community in a covenantal union and it is this covenant that stands at the heart of this community. As partners to God we seek to dispense our duty as a united community before God.

A group of people cannot be united without leadership. Is the leader perfect? Is the leader infallible? Not necessarily, but without a leader there is no community, only a collection of individuals.

How does Israel choose her leaders?

We choose our leaders based on our understanding of our covenantal responsibilities as a community. These are all spelled out in the Law that God gave to Moses. There are various factors that we consider in our choice of a leader. Does this person excel in the grasp of the myriad of details that make up the Law? Does this person embody an understanding of the spirit of the Law? Is this person dedicated to the Law with the fiery love that the Psalmist displayed towards the Law (Psalm 119:97)? Does this person live with an understanding and a vision of the community’s responsibility throughout the ages as did leaders before them (Joshua 22:24-29; Esther 9:27).

We consider these factors and the leaders rise to the top. These are the ones whom God chose to guide this ship of ours through the dark exile. Throughout history various groups jumped ship and made off in their own vessels; some of those may have been larger than the ship we ride today. But all of those deviants went lost in the sea of assimilation.

Yes; there is room for correction and the community corrects itself from time to time. But the process of correction takes place in the context of a community correcting itself. One cannot insist on calling themselves “Jews” while repudiating the entire concept of an Eternal community. Those who join the community must first submit to the concept of Eternal Israel; they cannot expect to be a part of the covenant on their own terms. Ruth; the quintessential convert, first declared: “Your nation is my nation” before she declared: “Your God is my God” (Ruth 1:16).

Chanukah is the celebration of the light that God entrusted us with. The ultimate goal is described in Isaiah 60:3; when the nations will all walk to our light. Meanwhile we carry that light, a light that is larger and brighter than ourselves, but as God’s bride He entrusted it to us to carry through the darkness and we carry it as a community.

If you found this article helpful please consider making a donation to Judaism Resources by clicking on the link below.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FEAQ55Y7MR3E6

Judaism Resources is a recognized 501(c) 3 public charity and your donation is tax exempt.

Thank You

Yisroel C. Blumenthal

 

Posted in Holidays, Scripture | 10 Comments