Post by Mark on Feb 4, 2008 5:49:05 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.
Gibor Adonai
On the rare occasions I have to share the good news of Messiah Yeshua to a Jewish antagonist, I am consistently met with the evidences of how Yeshua did not complete the work of the Messiah before He died; therefore He is disqualified as Messiah. I simply respond, "Gibor Adonai…" While this statement is not likely to lead to an immediate change in their perspective; it is recognizing truths of their own faith that they have much forgotten.
"You, O Lord, are mighty forever. You raise the dead. You are mighty to save. You sustain the living with grace, resurrect the dead with abundant mercy, uphold the falling, heal the sick, set free those in bondage, and keep faith with those that sleep in the dust. Who is like You, Master of mighty deeds, and who can compare to You, King, who causes death and restores life, and makes salvation sprout! You are faithful to resurrect the dead. Blessed are You, O Lord, who resurrects the dead."
There is an ancient phrase that has been claimed by many cultures that says, "As long as there is life there is hope." In biblical Judaism, we see the finite nature of that understanding. Messiah Yeshua said,
"But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
(Mat 22:31-32 KJV)
The Hebrew word Gibor means "mighty". The Gibor Adonai, as a prayer, answers for us the question, "How mighty is Adonai?" He is mighty to the falling to save them. He is mighty to the sick to heal them. He is mighty to the dead to raise them.
Tragically, Judaism has been drifting steadily away from the supernatural reality of Adonai. Even within the orthodoxy and the spiritism of Kaballah, emphasis is placed upon the contextual relevance of daily issues, rather than the power and person of Adonai. The Gibor Adonai is a prayer of hope that transcends our understanding of hope: that declares victory even after defeat has been realized.
When we pray the Gibor Adonai, we are testifying that God’s goodness is beyond our scope of understanding. We acknowledge that we may not see victory over the things that burden us in the way that we may hope to expect it. Yet, we trust in Adonai that His victory is sure, and as His servants we will ultimately prevail.
I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
(Hos 13:14 KJV)
Gibor Adonai
On the rare occasions I have to share the good news of Messiah Yeshua to a Jewish antagonist, I am consistently met with the evidences of how Yeshua did not complete the work of the Messiah before He died; therefore He is disqualified as Messiah. I simply respond, "Gibor Adonai…" While this statement is not likely to lead to an immediate change in their perspective; it is recognizing truths of their own faith that they have much forgotten.
"You, O Lord, are mighty forever. You raise the dead. You are mighty to save. You sustain the living with grace, resurrect the dead with abundant mercy, uphold the falling, heal the sick, set free those in bondage, and keep faith with those that sleep in the dust. Who is like You, Master of mighty deeds, and who can compare to You, King, who causes death and restores life, and makes salvation sprout! You are faithful to resurrect the dead. Blessed are You, O Lord, who resurrects the dead."
There is an ancient phrase that has been claimed by many cultures that says, "As long as there is life there is hope." In biblical Judaism, we see the finite nature of that understanding. Messiah Yeshua said,
"But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
(Mat 22:31-32 KJV)
The Hebrew word Gibor means "mighty". The Gibor Adonai, as a prayer, answers for us the question, "How mighty is Adonai?" He is mighty to the falling to save them. He is mighty to the sick to heal them. He is mighty to the dead to raise them.
Tragically, Judaism has been drifting steadily away from the supernatural reality of Adonai. Even within the orthodoxy and the spiritism of Kaballah, emphasis is placed upon the contextual relevance of daily issues, rather than the power and person of Adonai. The Gibor Adonai is a prayer of hope that transcends our understanding of hope: that declares victory even after defeat has been realized.
When we pray the Gibor Adonai, we are testifying that God’s goodness is beyond our scope of understanding. We acknowledge that we may not see victory over the things that burden us in the way that we may hope to expect it. Yet, we trust in Adonai that His victory is sure, and as His servants we will ultimately prevail.
I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
(Hos 13:14 KJV)
with those Jews who have accepted Yeshua, the more I realize just how obvious He has made it. Its amazing what lengths G-d has gone too to point out the way! 
