Post by Mark on Dec 10, 2007 8:07:02 GMT -8
One of the things that I'm working on in our community is trying to help those coming from the gentile Church see the beauty and value of the Messianic Liturgy, as taken out of the Jewish Synagogue. I've been writing a paper each week on different prayers and thought some of you might be interested in what I've shared thus far. I'll start posting them in this area, as I go along, hoping that these generate some response of praise to Adonai our God, or stimulate questions on the Judaic perspective of our faith.
V’Shamroo
"And the Children of Israel shall keep the Shabbat…" The children of Israel… This is a powerful argument of the Christian Church that Sabbath worship is an ethnic anomaly. It is, for the Jew, a unique identification to which gentiles are not invited. The V’shamroo seems to reinforce the exclusiveness of Sabbath worship: "it is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever…." The idea of gentiles meeting together on Sabbath for a Jewish style of worship is an offense to many both from the Jewish and Christian perspective. Why is it offensive? It is because the Shabbat is a sign, an "owth" (in Hebrew) which means a monument or beacon: that which identifies the Children of Israel as the covenant people of Adonai. For gentiles to invade the Shabbat, by some, is seen as an attempt to usurp the covenant from Jacob and say, "We are, too, the people of God." For others, it is seen as discrediting over 1800 years of Christian Sunday tradition. Either way, the Messianic perspective of faith is very unpopular in the most basic elements of our practice: when and how we choose to worship.
Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people.
(Isa 56:3-7 KJV)
The gentile has always been welcome to join in the covenant of Israel. Rather than change the nature of the covenant promise to exclude the Jewish people (to whom it was given), gentiles are invited to enter into "the commonwealth of Israel", "no longer as strangers and aliens, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God…"(Ephesians 2:12, 19).
It is not only appropriate that we worship on the Jewish Shabbat; but equally so that we sing the V’shamroo. It is the Covenant Sign of Israel, into which the gentile is fully invited to participate.
The V’shamroo is adapted from the Commandment given through Moses in Exodus 31:13-18.
V’Shamroo
"And the Children of Israel shall keep the Shabbat…" The children of Israel… This is a powerful argument of the Christian Church that Sabbath worship is an ethnic anomaly. It is, for the Jew, a unique identification to which gentiles are not invited. The V’shamroo seems to reinforce the exclusiveness of Sabbath worship: "it is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever…." The idea of gentiles meeting together on Sabbath for a Jewish style of worship is an offense to many both from the Jewish and Christian perspective. Why is it offensive? It is because the Shabbat is a sign, an "owth" (in Hebrew) which means a monument or beacon: that which identifies the Children of Israel as the covenant people of Adonai. For gentiles to invade the Shabbat, by some, is seen as an attempt to usurp the covenant from Jacob and say, "We are, too, the people of God." For others, it is seen as discrediting over 1800 years of Christian Sunday tradition. Either way, the Messianic perspective of faith is very unpopular in the most basic elements of our practice: when and how we choose to worship.
Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people.
(Isa 56:3-7 KJV)
The gentile has always been welcome to join in the covenant of Israel. Rather than change the nature of the covenant promise to exclude the Jewish people (to whom it was given), gentiles are invited to enter into "the commonwealth of Israel", "no longer as strangers and aliens, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God…"(Ephesians 2:12, 19).
It is not only appropriate that we worship on the Jewish Shabbat; but equally so that we sing the V’shamroo. It is the Covenant Sign of Israel, into which the gentile is fully invited to participate.
The V’shamroo is adapted from the Commandment given through Moses in Exodus 31:13-18.