THE JEWS
- apple of God’s eye
The Jews were
selected as a special race of people when God chose
Abraham and
took him out of Ur around 1876 BC,
promising him
that he would be the father of
countless
descendants.
Since then, nation upon nation has come to ruin
attempting to subdue
them, as God has rescued His people by miraculous means and methods.
We’ll look at
the
beliefs of Judaism
against 5
headings and
what the King James
1. Who is God?
2. Who is man?
3. Salvation
4. Behaviour
5. Worship
*********
“I (God) have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be
there ...For now
have I chosen and sanctified this house (the Temple), that my name may
be there
forever, and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually ...
ln this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen ...
will I put my name forever.” 2 Chronicles 6:6; 7:16; 33:7
“The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath
chosen Jerusalem
rebuke thee: Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” Zechariah
3:2
“If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget
her cunning.” Psalm
137:5
BACKGROUND
The Jews have
been repeatedly conquered throughout
history and dispersed into other nations. They are the most
multinational of
all races but have maintained their identity in spite of a background
of
upheaval.
There are
basically four groups today:
1. Orthodox
- maintain strict adherence to traditional customs and beliefs
2.
Reform or liberal
- apply Judaic notions to a contemporary culture in a humanistic manner
3.
Conservatives - try to forge a middle way between the previous but hold
onto a
strong Jewish identity
4. Hasidic - follow a mystical path and are seen
to be
the right wing of the Orthodox.
WHO IS GOD?
A powerful and
just ruler while being a merciful
and loving deliverer. To the Jew God is Lord even in the midst of a
painful and
evil world. God is not a force but a person with emotions with whom the
Jew can
have a relationship. To the Jew, God may seem remote at times leading
to
passionate appeals by them for communication with Him.
The Jews don’t
see that God came in the flesh as
the man, Jesus Christ, and are still awaiting for Him to come. They
rejected
Jesus the first time as they were looking for a man of war - a
deliverer from
the oppression of the Romans. Now they are looking for a man of peace
to bring
security and comfort in the Middle East. Jesus is coming again but as a
man of
war - at Armageddon.
WHAT’S GOD GOT
TO SAY ABOUT ALL THIS?
“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the
Word,
and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” 1 John 5: 7
“Looking for
that blessed hope, and the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” Titus2:13
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36
“Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” 1John 2:23
Comment: It’s a
package deal folks! You can’t have the
chook without the vegies! Gotta have the complete meal deal - entree,
main
course, dessert and then coffee. Not allowed to pick and choose. God
says, if
you don’t have Jesus, you don’t have Him. Imagine that - all their
crying and
pleas at the wailing wall are falling on God’s deaf ears. He won’t hear
them at
the moment.
WHO IS MAN?
The Jews know
most of the Old Testament,
particularly the first five books (The Torah).
They know that
God made them, they are answerable
to him, to have right standing with him they must blood sacrifice (but
not the
blood of Jesus), they are a people steeped in signs and wonders and God
has
delivered them time and again. They look for signs of God’s approval or
judgment in historical events. They believe in sin against God and for
repentance to God.
WHAT’S GOD GOT
TO SAY
ABOUT ALL THIS?
Comment: The Bible
wouldn’t disagree with what the Jew says
man is, simply because they use the Old Testament as their Scriptures.
Man is
sinful and needs forgiveness & acceptance by God. Where the rub
comes is
their disagreement with the New Testament and how they see atonement
with God
since Jesus died. It’s not a question that blood must be spilt but
who’s blood
- bulls and goats or Jesus Christ’s?
SALVATION
For the Jew
there is a heaven and hell. One’s
eternal existence is determined by faith in God and obedience to His
laws, the
summary of which are the Ten Commandments. Their salvation depends on
the
combination of faith + works.
The Jews still
hope for the coming of the Messiah who
will hand out justice, eternal judgment and reward. The moral life
hereon earth
is most important for the Jew.
WHAT’S GOD GOT
TO SAY
ABOUT ALL THIS?
“Now the just
shall live
by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in
him.” Hebrews
10:38 “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats
should
take away sins.” Hebrews
10:4 “...and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all
sin.” 1
John 1:7
Comment: Unfortunately,
“...lsrael
hath not obtained that which he seeketh for...and the rest were
blinded.” Romans
11:7. “Hath God cast away His people? God forbid. God hath not cast
away
his people...” Romans
11:1-2. Israel’s eyes have been
temporarily blinded as a nation but not as individuals, and today, some
are
saved trusting in the Lamb of God (Jesus) not their own animal variety
of
lambs’ blood. Their eyes will be opened when “...the
fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” Romans
11:25
BEHAVIOUR
The
first five books of the Old Testament (the Torah) give the Jew the
total
pattern of behaviour - rituals, ceremonies, stories and practices. In
addition
they have the Talmud which gives the commentary and the “fleshing out”
to the
Torah i.e. filling in the gaps. Gigantic amounts of literature on
conduct has
developed as the Jews have mixed with other nations. Legalism is the
perennial
problem for the Jew. Morality centers around the good of the community
and the
Jewish prophets were the first proponents for social and economic
justice in the
ancient world. Material wealth isn’t frowned upon
and marriage and children are held in
high regard. Singleness is looked down on and much time and effort is
spent
indoctrinating children in the precepts of their faith.
WHAT’S GOD GOT
TO SAY ABOUT ALL THIS?
“Wherefore
if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as
though
living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, Touch not; taste
not; handle
not...” Colossians 2:20-21 “Now to him that worketh is the reward
not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but
believeth
on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for
righteousness.” Romans
4:4-5
Comment: Since the
blood of Jesus paid the price for sin, all other attempts at
getting in God’s good books have failed - to be rewarded with an
eternity in
the Lake of Fire. Galatians 3:24 says “the law was our schoolmaster
to
bring us unto Christ...” The law is necessary to show that we
are
sinners and that only Christ can save us. The Ten Commandments will
keep the
Jew ( and everybody else) out of heaven not get him in for the Bible
says that
if you’ve broken the least of the laws, you may as well have broken the
lot in
God’s eyes (James 2:10). Sin is sin - no big ones or little
ones.
WORSHIP
The
purpose is to hallow all life and share one’s life with God to whom
they
worship. The Jews have a full calendar of daily, weekly, monthly and
yearly
celebrations. Ritual and ceremony are important in their remembrance of
sacred
history, with Biblical and non-Biblical stories told repeatedly of
God’s
deliverances from the hands of their enemies.
WHAT’S GOD GOT
TO SAY ABOUT ALL THIS?
“...to
offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” 1
Peter 2:5 “...worship God
in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no
confidence in the flesh.” Philippians 3:3
Comment: God revealed
Himself to
the Jews over time in various ways, however they’ve fallen at the last
hurdle -
the most important one - Jesus Christ.
Everything
they do is in vain and they may as well be sacrificing babies
as singing hymns, because they’ve rejected God's Son.
But the stage
is being set for the final act. Jerusalem is mentioned 800
times in the Bible and one only has to look at where the world’s focus
is. The
whole world waits for a settlement of peace. Scores of Biblical
prophecies have
come to pass with many to be fulfilled in the coming days.
The most staggering history is yet to be written about the Jews with their most massive suffering yet to occur. The climax of this will be at Armageddon and the return of Jesus Christ to rescue them from near extinction.
The second
coming of Christ will occur in two stages:
1. His coming in
the air to take His church (faith alone Christians) and this will
conclude this
Gentile Age.
2. After 7 years of God’s wrath upon the earth (The Tribulation) He will return to reign over the world from His throne in Jerusalem.
There is no doubt that we are living in the last days with Europe coming together to provide a kingdom for the Anti-Christ. Other signs include earthquakes, disease, wars, famine, increased knowledge and apostasy in the churches.
ARE YOU READY TO MEET GOD?
If you are willing right now to turn from your sin of unbelief and put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who bore full punishment for sin on the cross, you can know the blessedness of forgiveness and you will receive God’s gift of eternal life. If Jesus came today, you then would be caught up with all the saved to meet the Lord in the air.
Harley Hitchcock.
AustralianBibleMinistries
.com
BACKGROUND
This is a story that
is told when Solomon was visiting the northern part of his kingdom.
Australian Bible
Ministries, PO
Box 5058 Mt. Gravatt East, 4122 Qld, Australia
www.AustralianBibleMinistries.com