By Rev. Robert S. Somerville
Youre probably interested in this publication because you are new
to things Jewish, or you know someone who is, and could do with
some simplification of things. If this is your first encounter with
all of this "Jewish stuff," you may be getting the impression that
an over emphasis is being placed on the "J-word." Thats
understandable. I know I did initially! And youre probably right!
Enthusiasm tends to create over emphasis. It seems to be inherent
in any new idea, but be patient!
You may be experiencing some uncertainty, even
concern, thinking:
This could be dangerouslegalism lurks here!
Is this necessary? It seems complicated.
Are they trying to make Jews of us?
Im confused, but Id never admit it.
I think there is something right about this, but Im
not sure.
How far do we go with this?
Any one of those thoughts or any combination of them could describe
the initial impressions of the typical Christian to what has been
dubbed the "Jewish Roots Movement."
A little "fear of the unknown" is normal, even a healthy reaction
to something with which we are unfamiliar. Dont be overwhelmed.
You are not alone in your apprehensions, and youre in the good
company of many other sincere believers who have simply never been
exposed to "things Jewish." The Jewish connection to Christianity
has actually never occurred to many Christians, because the Church
has simply failed to teach us about it. That failure is now being
exposed and corrected.
Words
To a great extent, the word Judaic is often used for the lack of a
better term (Biblical might have served us better). The fact is,
God simply utilized a nation of people, who happened to be Jews, as
a vehicle to communicate His will or Word (i.e., His oracles) as a
blessing to all of mankind: ". . .and in thee and in thy seed shall
all the families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 28:14).
ChristianFor a long time I did not know that
Jesus was a Jew. I just assumed that he was a Christian. Wait!! I
was not informed of the fact that the word Christian did not exist
until nearly ten years after the death of Jesus. The scripture
says: "And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch"
(Acts 11:26).
Dr. Billy Graham has pointed out that the word Christian was a term
of scorn created by the public against believers in the first
century. It could not, however, become the antithesis of the word
Jew or Judaism. Thankfully the Church is becoming more familiar
with the term Judeo-Christian.
Hebraic and JudaicDont be confused! These two
words mean essentially the same thing. The only distinction might
be that one refers to the people and the other to their religion.
Many Hebrew words have an unusual guttural (clearing the throat)
sound. I remember when I first heard them. I thought something
guttural might be coming my way (if you know what I mean), as when
one properly pronounces the word Hanukkah. When you pronounce the
Hebrew name for Jesus (Yeshua [Ye - shoo- ah] ), someone may think
you have just sneezed.
You may question, "Why not just say it in English?" Well, no one
language is perfect in its expression nor conveys precise
translations of thought; however, among the languages of mankind,
the Hebrew tongue is known to be among the purest. To the extent
that we are able, Christians want to know the exact meaning of
sacred Scripture. Since a greater percentage of the Bible was
originally written in Hebrew, familiarity with some Hebrew words
facilitates better comprehension of the Biblical text. If you are a
serious student of Scripture, a little patience to learn some
basics of the Hebrew language will pay great dividends to that
end.
JudaizingNow there is a scare word for you!
Loosely, Judaizing means the attempt to proselytize to traditional
Judaism. It is often used in Christian expression to create fear in
the minds of those who value the Jewish roots of the Christian
faith. There is a difference between being Judaized and simply
developing a Jewish consciousness.
HellenizeNot everyone knows what this word means.
It is a reference to being schooled in Greek thought, philosophy,
and culture. It is believed by many that Hellenism undermined
Christian theology by severing it from its Jewish roots and that
accurate Biblical interpretation has been sacrificed in the
process.
Disclaimer
No, we are not trying to make ethnic Jews out of anyone! Oh! There
are some zealots out there who may be trying to create a new Jewish
tribe which I satirically call the "Wanabee" tribethat is, while
they are in fact Gentiles, they ostensibly want-to-be Jews.
Unfortunately, some are even masquerading as Jews. Dont be fooled
or turned off by these extremists. Rest assured, you can enrich
your Christian life and understanding without changing your faith.
May God hasten the day when something is judged, not by whether it
is traditionally Jewish or Christian, but by whether it is Biblical
and Christ-centered.
Symbols
The two most prominent symbols of Judaism are the Menorah
(seven-branched candlestick) and the six-pointed Star of David. The
Menorah is a religious symbol. The Star of David is more of a
political or national symbol.
The Biblical candlestick (Menorah) has seven branches. The
traditional religious candlestick has nine branches and is called
the "Hanukkah Light." It is easy to confuse these two if you are
not counting. The seven-branched candlestick was introduced by God
through Moses. The "Hanukkah Light" was created to memorialize one
of Israels most important national deliverances from an evil
invader. The nine-branched lampstand commemorates a miracle that
occurred during the rededication of the temple.
The Star of David is not purely a Biblical symbol. Opinions vary as
to its historic origin; however, it is now the political symbol of
the nation of Israel, appearing on the Israeli flag, official
documents, and public buildings.
Sharing
Reactions that you will experience from individuals while sharing
the "Jewish roots" idea can vary. Usually Christians are, as I was,
very unfamiliar with our Judaic heritage or even that there is such
a thing. When that is the case, the listeners eyes may glaze over
like Krispy Kreme doughnuts, wondering what you are trying to say.
Their eyes may be open but with the shades drawn. Remember that
they may be victims of either no teaching on the subject or even
historic anti-Semitic teaching by the Church. Bible teacher Bill
Gothard defines persuasiveness as "The ability to guide vital
truths around anothers mental road blocks." Such expertise will be
required. Search for and point out "things Jewish" in what people
already believe but have never realized were Jewish. Examples: the
ten commandments, tithing, saying "Hallelujah", and so forth. Dont
be surprised by failurethis is cutting-edge stuff.
Pageantry
Unlike the typical church setting, there may be an unusual amount
of pageantry associated with a Jewish roots meeting or conference.
This is a form of liturgical order that serves to impress the mind
with Biblical truth in an indelible fashion. Sometimes it may
border on the bizarre, but it is an effective Biblical concept
(Psalm 20:5)
Bottom Line
The Bible is not a collection of books or writings with conflicting
concepts and teaching. The Scriptures are altogether harmonious and
in mutual agreement. There is not a God of the Old Testament and a
different God of the New. The Father God did not make a mistake in
creating Judaism and then in utter exasperation send His Son to
correct it 4,000 years later. The Bible is progressive revelation
from which we can become fully instructed unto righteousness and
the Kingdom of God (II Timothy 3:16).
Keep going forward in faithYoull be glad you did!