Post by Mark on Jan 27, 2008 6:44:13 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.
Ahvot
"Blessed are You, O Lord our God, and God of our fathers: God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob, the great, mighty and awesome God, who bestows grace and creates all, and remembers the righteousness of the Fathers, and brings a Redeemer to their children’s children, for His name’s sake. With love."
The Ahvot is the first prayer of the Amidah, or Standing Prayers. It sets precedent , establishes relationship: not based upon who I am or what I have done; by because of who is Adonai and because of the promises that He has established already. It’s a good thing, too. Adonai says to us in Malachi 3:6, "I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." We stand on that promise today, "Not by works of righteousness that we have done; but according to His mercy hath He saved us…." (Titus 3:5). I come before Adonai, not based upon my merit; but based upon His mercy.
The context of the Ahvote is remembering the deliverance of Israel from the bondage of the Egyptians.
"And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labor, and our oppression…"
(Deu 26:7 KJV)
The deliverance from bondage occurred over five hundred years from the time Adonai set His covenant with Abraham, over four hundred years since Israel was recorded as a people committed to Him. Yet, His promise remains with Abraham, even after Abraham has passed into death.
This is something we cannot grasp in our finite understanding of life. If Abraham has passed, how can the covenant with Abraham yet remain? Messiah Yeshua gives us a startling answer:
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)
Each of Adonai’s promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob remain; not as a memorial of their existence, nor as simply a validation of Adonai’s integrity; but as they stand together in His presence, He his fulfilling His word to them before their very eyes.
This may embolden us to stand with confidence as the promised recipients of Adonai’s grace to Abraham.
"O King, Helper, Savior and Shield, blessed are You, O Lord, Shield of Abraham."
Ahvot
"Blessed are You, O Lord our God, and God of our fathers: God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob, the great, mighty and awesome God, who bestows grace and creates all, and remembers the righteousness of the Fathers, and brings a Redeemer to their children’s children, for His name’s sake. With love."
The Ahvot is the first prayer of the Amidah, or Standing Prayers. It sets precedent , establishes relationship: not based upon who I am or what I have done; by because of who is Adonai and because of the promises that He has established already. It’s a good thing, too. Adonai says to us in Malachi 3:6, "I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." We stand on that promise today, "Not by works of righteousness that we have done; but according to His mercy hath He saved us…." (Titus 3:5). I come before Adonai, not based upon my merit; but based upon His mercy.
The context of the Ahvote is remembering the deliverance of Israel from the bondage of the Egyptians.
"And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labor, and our oppression…"
(Deu 26:7 KJV)
The deliverance from bondage occurred over five hundred years from the time Adonai set His covenant with Abraham, over four hundred years since Israel was recorded as a people committed to Him. Yet, His promise remains with Abraham, even after Abraham has passed into death.
This is something we cannot grasp in our finite understanding of life. If Abraham has passed, how can the covenant with Abraham yet remain? Messiah Yeshua gives us a startling answer:
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)
Each of Adonai’s promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob remain; not as a memorial of their existence, nor as simply a validation of Adonai’s integrity; but as they stand together in His presence, He his fulfilling His word to them before their very eyes.
This may embolden us to stand with confidence as the promised recipients of Adonai’s grace to Abraham.
"O King, Helper, Savior and Shield, blessed are You, O Lord, Shield of Abraham."
