Post by Mark on Mar 10, 2008 6:29:25 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.
Gehulah
"Behold our affliction and champion our cause, and redeem us speedily for Your Name’s sake. Blessed are You, Adonai, Redeemer of Israel."
How many baseball games have I sat and watched and prayed, "God, let us win!" Or how presumptuously have I often decided that we must win because we are His servants (as opposed to whoever might be on the opposite team)… okay, I still feel a little justified when in Church league we’re playing against the Mormons. We always think that we’re the good guys. We’re always hoping that Adonai is our defense and our shield.
There is some validity to this thinking. If we are the people of Adonai, chosen for His purpose, if we are His representation of hope and life to this world, if when those outside see us, they see us as the representation of Him, He is duty bound to demonstrate His strength on our behalf.
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.
(Psa 79:9-10 KJV)
The word "u-galainu", translated "redeem" literally means "to buy back." So appropriate is this in our understanding of relationship with our God. "Behold our affliction and champion our cause," not because we are righteous and because we deserve victory; but because we are His and He is merciful and good on our behalf.
Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul. But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
(Psa 109:20-22 KJV)
It is important as we pray as Adonai’s people, as His warriors for righteousness, that we fully understand who we are. He is our champion, He is our righteousness… we are not His (righteousness). When calling upon His strength and power it is to justify and magnify Him, not to thumb our noses and justify ourselves because of Him.
When our defense is "we are His people" the outcome will consistently be our defeat. This was the assumption of the nation of Israel when they faced the armies of Babylon in the days of Jeremiah. Yet, when we declare for ourselves that He is our God, He demonstrates Himself mighty on our behalf.
Go Team!
Gehulah
"Behold our affliction and champion our cause, and redeem us speedily for Your Name’s sake. Blessed are You, Adonai, Redeemer of Israel."
How many baseball games have I sat and watched and prayed, "God, let us win!" Or how presumptuously have I often decided that we must win because we are His servants (as opposed to whoever might be on the opposite team)… okay, I still feel a little justified when in Church league we’re playing against the Mormons. We always think that we’re the good guys. We’re always hoping that Adonai is our defense and our shield.
There is some validity to this thinking. If we are the people of Adonai, chosen for His purpose, if we are His representation of hope and life to this world, if when those outside see us, they see us as the representation of Him, He is duty bound to demonstrate His strength on our behalf.
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.
(Psa 79:9-10 KJV)
The word "u-galainu", translated "redeem" literally means "to buy back." So appropriate is this in our understanding of relationship with our God. "Behold our affliction and champion our cause," not because we are righteous and because we deserve victory; but because we are His and He is merciful and good on our behalf.
Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul. But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
(Psa 109:20-22 KJV)
It is important as we pray as Adonai’s people, as His warriors for righteousness, that we fully understand who we are. He is our champion, He is our righteousness… we are not His (righteousness). When calling upon His strength and power it is to justify and magnify Him, not to thumb our noses and justify ourselves because of Him.
When our defense is "we are His people" the outcome will consistently be our defeat. This was the assumption of the nation of Israel when they faced the armies of Babylon in the days of Jeremiah. Yet, when we declare for ourselves that He is our God, He demonstrates Himself mighty on our behalf.
Go Team!
