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I mentioned in an earlier post that some of things I write here are as much to provide an online archive of things I’ve noticed as they are for others’ information, amazement, or amusement. This post will be along those lines; a sort of “note to self” that I can refer to without having to find my paper notes which by now may well be lost in a stack of Bibles. But if you also gain something from reading these things, then all the better.
A friend recently lent me a copy of Dan Juster’s The Irrevocable Calling – Israel’s Role as a Light to the Nations. This book details some of the ways in which the ancient nation of Israel has been a living priesthood that not only brought forth the Savior of the world roughly 2000 years ago, but also provided a sacrificial covering for the sins of the world for a millennium or two before that time, and continues to be a living witness of the reality of God to the world, even in a current “state of unbelief” (meaning not having yet seen by faith and acknowledged the first coming of Yeshua HaNatzri as Mashiach and Goel).
My notes on Chapters 4 and 5 of the book cite Juster (hopefully accurately – I returned the book to my friend) as writing:
In summary, Israel was called to establish a nation in the midst of the earth that has preserved and lived out the truth of God. Their life under the Lord shows the significance of God’s Word, his standards, and his redemption…
Even in unbelief, the Jewish people can’t help but testify to the truth of the Scriptures. In their dispersion, but also by their preservation… Scripture continues to be fulfilled…
Israel’s continued faithfulness to the Sabbath and the Holy Days maintains a picture of redemption and spiritual truth for the world’s benefit…
Though Jewish people do not engage in literal sacrifices, the liturgy… is still done with direct reference to the practices of the ancient temple… The irrevocable call – to act in an intercessory-representative role for humanity – continues, though in a weakened form… there are also some Orthodox Jews who fully comprehend their life and practice (their call) as a means of intercession for the redemption of the world…
Even in partial unbelief, Israel speaks the Word of God [in daily prayers] and this Word will not return void. There is still power released that moves history toward the goal of the fullness of the kingdom of God on earth…
And then some notes regarding the relationships between Jewish and Gentile believers, both from the inception of the church, and now (chapters 6 and 7):
In reference to Acts 15:21, Juster sees James’ intent as pointing out the continued value of the weekly synagogue Torah readings in teaching Godly precepts to the Gentiles without their needing to follow the regulations [of kashrut]…
The Jewish believers, by maintaining their Jewish identity and traditions, keep alive the authentic context for understanding the Scriptures…
Jewish life proclaims that God exists and He will rule the world. Every time a Jewish person keeps the Sabbath and the feasts… they proclaim the reality of God and look forward to the fullness of redemption…
All the nations seek a world order that excludes the God of the Bible, who is the God of Israel… Israel, even in unbelief, challenges this view…
Dr. Peter Hocken notes that the first church division came from a rejection of the legitimacy of the early Messianic Jewish community… [and also] suggests that doctrinal differences within the church can likely be bridged by a return to the Jewish roots and context of our faith…
Tragically, both the church and the synagogue have rejected the organic link between them, [which is] the Messianic Jews…
And then some notes on Malachi 4:5-6 (Behold, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Jehovah.
Mal 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to their fathers, that I not come and strike the earth with utter destruction):
Some contemporary leaders have discerned… some larger implications… Just as scholars have seen in the fifth commandment to ‘honor your father and mother’ an implied concern to honor all authorities, these verses in Malachi can also be applied in a wider sense…
The church needs to honor her Jewish spiritual parents. Though the church may consider the Jewish people as ‘missing it’ with regard to Yeshua, it is still appropriate to act as a respectful child to parents who do not yet believe. Honoring its spiritual parentage is crucial for the church to come into right order, understanding, and unity.
It is equally important for the Jewish people to see the church as their own offspring, even if it appears to be a wayward child… Messianic Jews know that unless the church fulfills its call and destiny, Israel will not be saved and world redemption will not come…
As I said, these are just my notes jotted down when I first read Juster’s book. Placing them in this blog post doesn’t mean I’m completely on board with everything he says – but he does give us some things to consider.
No, really – it’s been that long.
I’ve been working elsewhere, and something someone said in one of those elsewhere places got me to thinking about how close I come in my own mind to maybe wishing I were Jewish.
I figured out that I’m not really near that point at all, which wasn’t a huge surprise, but I also got a clearer perspective on where I stand as a goy in relation to the Jewish world.
This particular person, an Orthodox lady on Twitter (who shall remain nameless for the sake of this blog, since it’s what she said that matters, not who said it), seemed intrigued as to why I wanted to study Torah (or Talmud), and said something about how hard it is sometimes to keep all those mitzvot, but how wonderful it is to be in the privileged position to be under the obligation.
Wonderful, yes, it would be, but knowing I’m not, I got to thinking would I want to? That it is, would I want to convert? Simple answer – no. That, my friends, completely skewers any wannabe attitude. I mean, how could I say I wannabe, if given the chance, I would not. Not that I’ve really said here that I am or was a wannabe Jew – wannabe, or wouldabeen-nicetobeen actual Shabbos Goy, yes, but I don’t think I’ve ever said I thought I was a wannabe Jew. But I’ve thought about it.
And all that made me also think a little harder about what is it that I do want to be in relation to the Jewish people. I’m not sure if this constitutes a fall-back position, but my basic vista point (like one of those places on a scenic highway) is that I who was born into darkness have been shown the light because Am HaSefer carried that light for centuries, carefully preserving it and transmitting it from one generation to the next, until it shined on me.
Yes, of course it was through HaAdon Yeshua HaMashiach the Lord Jesus Christ that this occurred, but it’s not just a simple matter of saying that we ought to love the Jews because Jesus was (never mind that He still is) Jewish. It’s also because a nation, and not just a nation, but thousands and millions of individual people – men, women, children, families – lived and died for the purpose of carrying the light of life in the form of a book, and in the form of their own lives. Not everyone lived their daily lives thinking that way, nor likely many at all, but it was the fact of their lives nonetheless.
And because of the purpose and sacrifice of these many, many souls, I have life.
They had life given to them, to give to me, and they gave what they had, and now I have life.
I think perhaps some gratefulness is in order. Well, more than some. But a remarkable thing about gratefulness is that it’s human nature to begin to put on a pedestal those to whom we are rightly grateful. And that is not good. It does them a disservice, in that we then may begin to expect more from them from that point on than is fair, and it also is a first step toward idolizing them. Even if we don’t go that far, we tend to start thinking that most of what they do is right – that it must be, because that’s who they are. There is, for instance, a serious tendency among Christian Zionists to give cart blanche support to the State of Israel, defending its actions even when they are wrong and we know it. Or maybe sometimes we don’t know it when they’re wrong, because we’ve got them up on that pedestal.
So I have to watch myself on that account. But still my heart is deeply moved that, at no particular cost to me, I have life through the written Word of God, preserved at such great, great cost by the People of the Book.
I was sort of thinking what it might be like to be a people without a country for 2,000 years…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So there we are, living in Germany, Spain, Russia, China – wherever, and what nationality are we? We’re Americans!
I always feel just a little bit uncomfortable, Mike, and I don’t really know why, whenever you say, “we’re Americans!” the way you did just now. Like it bothers you somehow. You know there hasn’t been an America for two thousand years. You’re a citizen of Germany. I mean, I know you’re an American, but you’re also a German.
Like, right, I’m a German! Tell that to my “fellow” Germans!
Well, yeah, they usually do call you an “American,” and maybe grudgingly admit that you have German citizenship… But it’s been two thousand years, Mike! Do you think there will ever be an “America” again?
Maybe not. I don’t know. But what else can I think? I’m not a German. I’m an American. And so was my father. And my grandfather lived in Russia. But he was an American. Who ever called him a “Russian?” And his grandfather before that lived in Spain. But he was an American.
But look at you! You’re prosperous and successful – more so than most non-Americans in this city.
Yeah – and they resent me for it, don’t they!?
[Laughing] Yes – they say you’re all part of a great global conspiracy to take over the world!
[Also laughing] Yes, of course we are… have you ever heard of “American work ethic,” Rolf?
But you can’t tell me that something like that – an ethic – has prospered your people for two thousand years?
Why not? And we haven’t always been prosperous. No, more often than not, we’re the off scouring of the earth. But, let up on us a generation or two, and we work our way back up to the top. It’s not that we’re special — it’s hard work. The “American work ethic.” We roll up our sleeves, work hard, send our children to University, their children become doctors or lawyers or bankers or government officials – and then they resent us for it!
Well, what do you want me to say, Mike? I don’t resent you.
No, Rolf, and I appreciate it. You’re my friend. I appreciate you. When we’re together, it’s like I’m a German like you. But I’m not. I’m an American.
Well, do you prefer being an American? What if you could hide the fact? I mean, you live really like the rest of us do.
But I’m still different, Rolf. Before I even told you I was an American, you knew it somehow, didn’t you?
Yes.
And, if it would work – if I could hide it and pass myself off as a German… Do I want to? No. But plenty of my “grandfathers” have chosen otherwise. But it never worked. Maybe for one generation, or even two, but they were always found out. And then the persecution began again. You know what they say – that we’re doomed to wander the earth forever, because of something they say our great-great-whatever grandfathers did two thousand years ago. Which, of course, we didn’t. But you know the history. There were three hundred million of us at that time, Rolf! Three hundred million!! And like, yeah, let’s all three hundred million of us get together and decide — in one week, mind you — to do that great and horrible thing that afterward you decided was all wrong. Oh, c’mon, Rolf! Three hundred million!
It was just the few million in Washington DC.
There you go! So you actually believe that load, don’t you Rolf!?
Well, I’m sorry — it’s what I was brought up with. I was raised as a German, and I am a German.
Yeah, Rolf. And I’m an American. But we’re still friends, aren’t we, Rolf?
Yeah, Mike. The best of friends.
I know. Hey – you know Charlie’s Boy Scout initiation is next week. You wanna come?
Uh, yeah, Mike. [slightly awkward pause] They’d let me?
[Laughing] Sure! Hey – I’ve even got a spare Scout Cap I’ll let you wear!
Uh – that’s ok, Mike… But sure, I’d love to come!
Great! But I was just kidding about the Scout Cap. It’s permitted, but it’s just kind of tacky.
Hey, what if I wanted to become an American, you know, convert?
Are you serious, Rolf? No, of course you’re not. But we try to discourage that sort of thing, anyway.
Why’s that?
Well, you can if you really, really want to, but you have to really want to, and study a long time, and then go thru a huge exam…
You’re kidding…
No, really…
But why?
We want to make sure someone is deadly serious about wanting to become an American. Because, you know, sometimes being an American can be deadly.
Shabbes Goy 