Are You New to Things Jewish

Are You New to Things Jewish?

Straightforward Advice for Claiming the Jewish Roots of Your Faith

By: Dr. Robert S. Somerville
If this is your first encounter with all this “Jewish stuff,” you may be getting the impression that an over-emphasis is being placed on the “J-word.” You may be experiencing some uncertainty, even concern, wondering to yourself:
Are they trying to make Jews of us?
This could be dangerous, legalism lurks here!
Is this necessary? It seems complicated.
How far do we go with this?
Any one of those thoughts could describe the initial impressions of the typical Christian to what has been dubbed the “Jewish Roots Movement.”
You are not alone in your apprehensions, and you’re in 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 about it.
To a great extent, the word Judaic is often used for the lack of a better term (biblical might have served us better but its use is so generic). The fact is, God simply utilized a nation of people, who happened to be Jews, as a vehicle to communicate His will or Word as a blessing to all of mankind: “….and in you and your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 28:14)
Christian
For a long time I did not know Jesus was a Jew. I just assumed that He was a Christian. Wait! 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) The word Christian was a term of scorn created by the public to deride believers in the first century. It could not, however, become the antithesis of the words Jews or Judaism. Thankfully the church is becoming more familiar with the term Judeo-Christian.
Hebraic and Judaic
Don’t be confused! These two words mean essentially the same thing. The only The only distinction might be that one refers to the people and the other to their religion. The word Hebraic can also indicate the Hebrew language. Among the languages of mankind, the Hebrew tongue is known to be among the purest. To the extent we are able, Christians want to know the exact meaning of the sacred Scripture. Since a greater percentage of the Bible was originally written in Hebrew 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.
Judaizing
Now 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.
Hellenize
This word 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! Yes, there are some zealots. out there who may be trying to create a new Jewish tribe: while they are in fact Gentiles, they ostensibly want to be Jews. Don’t be fooled or turned off by these extremists. Rest assured, you can enrich your Christian life and understanding without changing your religion. May God hasten the day when something is judged not by whether it is traditionally Jewish or traditionally 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 a political and national symbol.
The biblical candlestick (menorah) has seven branches. The seven-branched candlestick was introduced by God through Moses. The candlestick more commonly used by the Jewish people has nine branches and is called a hanukkiah (“Hanukkah Light”.) The hanukkiah was created to memorialize the miracle of light that occurred during the re-dedication 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 Israel, appearing on the Israeli flag, official documents, and public documents.
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 the church’s Jewish heritage. When that is the case, the listeners’ eyes may glaze over. Remember that they may be victims or either no teaching on the subject or even historic anti-Semitic teaching by the church.
To help others, search for and point out “things Jewish” in what people already believe but have never realized were Jewish (for example the Ten Commandments, tithing, saying Hallelujah or Amen”). Don’t be surprised by failure, this 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 writings with conflicting concepts and teachings. 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 Testament. The father God did not make a mistake creating Judaism and then in utter exasperation send His Son to correct it 1,500 years later. The Bible is revelation from which we can become fully instructed into righteousness and the Kingdom of God (2 Timothy 3:16).

Keep going forward in faith – You’ll be glad you did.
Published in: RESTORE  A publication of Hebraic Christian Global Community
Volume 17 No. 2  Issue Number 60
Robert S. Somerville is Executive Director of Awareness Ministry, an international Bible teaching and training program focusing on Old and New Testament comparative studies. For over thirty years he has taught on the interrelationship of Christianity and Judaism, helping Christians from a wide range of denominational backgrounds to reclaim their Biblical Judaic heritage. www.AwarenessMinistry.org

Reprinted by Permission