Nadene Goldfoot
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Jews are known to be "the Chosen ones." Most people have no idea what we were chosen for. Judaism started as a monotheistic belief in one G-d with Abraham who lived in the 2nd millennium BCE. He gave birth to Isaac who passed it onto his son, Jacob whose name was changed to Israel, and thus was the start of the family of the 12 Tribes of Jacob who were the ancestors of Moses. They were called the Israelites. Moses passed down to his 600,000 freed slaves the whole Torah (the first 5 books of the Tanakh) that is the basis for Judaism.
We had made a covenant with G-d to believe just this. G-d chose the Israelites and told them so at Mt. Sinai with thunder and lightning, shofar blast and pillar of cloud when this awestruck nation received the Ten Commandments and Moses brought them down to them. The Israelites chose to follow one G-d by accepting the covenant. At this period of time, humans had come to believe in many gods who all had a different function. They could be seen. This one G-d of the covenant was an unseen G-d. This was an utterly new concept for the mind to wrap around. The closest to ever come to it were the Egyptians who for a time had a Pharaoh who worshipped the sun and that was all.
We were told that we were to be a holy people to G-d and he chose us to be his treasured people from all the nations that are on the face of the earth. G-d promises never to exchange his people with any other in Genesis 17:7. We were also to be a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation." Exodus 19:6. Why? Because we were the fewest of all people and he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your ancestors." (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).
However, there was a catch to all this. We had obligations to pay. It was emphasized by the prophet Amos who said, "You only have I singled out of all the families of the earth: therefore will I visit upon you all your iniquities." (glaringly noticeable error of injustice or wickedness). So, we have been in G-d's spotlight, who has been watching our behavior. We have been visited many a time with horrible destruction and death and are now on our own home ground which we were told to inhabit in the first place, trying to do as we were told and having to work around all the obstacles placed before us.
If you are an atheist, you have to understand that Jews carried this burden with them. They have always felt from the very beginning of their religion that they were chosen to lead the way of good behavior for others to see and to follow, the example for the world. We were taught that all of mankind was created in G-d's image which shows we are all loved by him. We are called the children of the Lord and we are beloved because we were given the Torah to study and follow which is our example to live by. So we carry this special duty of a mission or purpose to life and are to proclaim G-d's message to all the nations. Following the Torah is the whole key to being the chosen.
Then why have we been running into difficulties with other religions of Christianity and Islam. We've been threatened by some members of both religions.
In the Koran, Mohammad, who was born in 570 CE and died in 632 CE wrote, "O children of Israel, remember my favor which I bestowed upon you, and that I favored you above all creation. (Qur'an 2:47), 2:122). This would be G-d speaking to the Jews. Mohammad was acknowledging that the children of Israel enjoyed a special status.
Then they showed that they understood that this status did not confer upon Israelites any racial superiority, and was only valid so long as the Israelites maintain their covenant with G-d. We Jews did stem originally from a family of 12 sons and one daughter (Dinah), but did not remain all in the family. People had to choose spouses and this mixed up the genes, so we know we're not racially pure. We have had people who chose to convert to Judaism and have done so.
They went on to say in the Koran in 5:12, "Indeed G-d had taken the covenant from the Children of Israel, and we appointed 12 leaders among them. And G-d said: "I am with you if you establish the prayer and offer the Zakat (compulsory charity) and believe in My Messengers; honor and assist them, and lend to G-d a good loan. Verily, I will remit your sins and admit you to Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise). But if any of you after this, disbelieve, he has indeed gone astray from the Straight Path.".
I interpret this as the Koran taking away the covenant G-d gave us and installing 12 other new leaders and if Jews did these new requirements we could also then be admitted to Paradise and that this is now the new Straight Path to follow, not Judaism. Naturally Jews bowed out of this proselytizing attempt and continued to be Jews as they had promised with their covenant.
When living in the Muslim countries we were referred to as the People of the Book, and had the rights of a 2nd class citizen, a dhimmi, with a few protections involved and a lot of obligations and restrictions. However, people fared better under Muslim rule than under European rule, especially Russian rule where pogroms were frequent. Muslims believe that they have replaced Judaism with Islam and they actively seek converts whereas Jews do not. Since Muslims and Christians have been very forceful in the converting, we being the target of all this had decided long ago not to be like that. If someone wants to convert, he or she must prove he really knows what he is doing, as we're out of the business of converting the public. To know us is the example and if you want to join us, fine.
* * * *
Some Christians believe that Jews are g-d's chosen people (Deuteronomy 14:2). They also believe in Jesus's 2nd coming to earth and that a certain amount of Jews must remain in order to bring this on. Then in the end they will convert. Evangelicals are not replacement theorists as Pastor John Hagee has been most helpful to Israel.
The problem is that we Jews reject Jesus as being anything other than a Jewish man who lived in Judea. In fact, we don't have any scripture about him other than Josephus's writing about him. We do not accept the New Testament. Our Bible is the Old Testament which we call the Tanakh.
Because we do not accept a different status about Jesus, who died in 29 CE, many Christians decided that they had received this special status of being the Chosen ones. (Romans 11:11-24). This doctrine is known as Supersessionism.
Some Christians believe that all people who turn to Jesus-known also as Christ-as their personal savior are "chosen" in the context of John 15:16 whereby Jesus referred to G-d's plan of salvation as his great redeeming work on the cross, that all who come to faith in him does so freely and are "chosen" to bear "fruit that lasts". (1 Peter 2:9 refers to these Christians as "chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, g-d's special possession. They have now replaced the Jews in every way.
There are other points that the Replacement theory shows.
We have come full circle. Christianity is again harming Jews who live in Israel. They support the Palestinians who want our small space of a Homeland for theirs by interfering with their economic means of support. It's like running interference with a man's salary that supports his family. The irony is that Israel has tried to help the Arabs a great deal, and have been the main supplier of many of the Palestinian Arab's utilities. Israel suffers from their -not slings and arrows- but from their mortars, rockets and missiles today. Along with the Muslim communities who are attempting to remove Israel entirely from the Middle East, we have both religious groups who have in their minds replaced Jews and who are fighting against them, each in their own special ways.
_________________ ____________________ ___________________ __________________
Jeff, I'm going to comment here as I'm only allowed 4,096 letters and have more to say. You're giving me a mental workout, Jeff. Well, let's see. You're talking about the Babylonian exile in Ezekiel during King Jehoiachin's exile, the king of Judah, who reigned in 597 BCE who came to the throne at age 18 during this siege of Jerusalem. He lasted for 3 months and 10 days before capitulating to Nebuchadnezzar. Ezekiel is talking about the workings of the Heavenly throne, a topic far from our comprehension so that even the Sages of the Talmud felt they couldn't interpret it, and were limited in the permissibility of expounding on its teachings as it describes supernatural concept in human terms, but they couldn't take it literally nor are we equipped even to attempt a glimpse at their inner meaning. Today lots of people take it as being visited by outer space UFO and space aliens. So now I'll skip ahead to verse 20 where the elders were in shock that G-d had apparently spurned Israel and they asked whether they still owed Him allegiance if they were no longer His Chosen people. They asked why couldn't they be like all the other nations.? Ezekiel responded that they were wrong. Even their exile and oppression were functions of their chosenness; Israel was being punished because it had fallen short of its mission. But, as Ezekiel says in verses 32-33, Israel isn't free to join the nations, either. G-d told Ezekiel to tell the protesting elders of the national shortcomings over the course of history, in Egypt, the Wilderness, and in Eretz Yisrael. Then they are listed; the golden calf, rebelling against manna, the spies, and event at Baal Peor. They were told that they would be punished in a deserted area so that their enemies wouldn't witness their downfall and were told that they desecrated G-d's name when they come to the prophet and ignore his words or bring offerings but continue to worship idols. It was hypocrisy that was the worst offense. It goes on to say that Jerusalem, the victim, had both righteous and wicked people as a forest has different types of trees and after destroying Israel, the sword will annihilate other peoples. In verse 21 they hear that Jerusalem had fallen. This is the explanation of why this had happened.
We can call Avram as Abraham because his name had been changed. There is a meaning to the change. Yes, Judaism really doesn't believe in the Devil like others do. Judaism says man has an evil inclination and a good inclination. I understand that its up to us to control this inclination. Of course today the mentally sick need our help in doing so.
In Isaiah your reference of 25:6-7 speaks of being on Mt. Zion and the final judgment of the nations will take place there. G-d will serve a rich meal of retribution, like a feast of concentrated, potent, filling and intoxicating foods and spirits. That is, He will take away their protection of veils and masks, and allow them to be routed (defeated) . Jews will no longer be killed by their persecutors, but death from natural causes will of course continue to happen. Alternatively: All death will be eliminated. I suppose this shows 2 different understandings in this comment. I admire the description in 25:4-For you were a stronghold for the meek, which is a reference to Israel, which suffered tribulations form the mighty during their exile. , a stronghold for the destitute when he was in distress; a shelter from downpour, a shade from the scorching heat, when the fury of the mighty was like a downpour against a wall. In 25:5, G-d in His mercy protected Israel from the oppressive heat of their persecutors in -though they were like a scorching heat in the wasteland, You diminished the tumult of the foreigners; like a scorching heat is shaded by a cloud, so the breaking of the mighty humbled them.
Yes, this indeed is a miracle to have Israel once again. It's too bad it couldn't have happened in Chaim Weizmann's timeline and 6 million would have been saved from a most horrible death. That done, the world is again turning against us for existing. The very fact that we are in existence once again must mean something, eh. Is this the battle between the sons of darkness and the sons of light as found in the Dead Sea Caves? Seems like we're always doing it; within ourselves and with other nations. Goodness has to win out someday.
Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews_as_the_chosen_people
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supersessionism
http://www.bdsmovement.net/bdsintro
http://secondcoming.freeservers.com/
In Defense of Israel by John Hagee, the Bible's mandate for supporting the Jewish State
Jews are known to be "the Chosen ones." Most people have no idea what we were chosen for. Judaism started as a monotheistic belief in one G-d with Abraham who lived in the 2nd millennium BCE. He gave birth to Isaac who passed it onto his son, Jacob whose name was changed to Israel, and thus was the start of the family of the 12 Tribes of Jacob who were the ancestors of Moses. They were called the Israelites. Moses passed down to his 600,000 freed slaves the whole Torah (the first 5 books of the Tanakh) that is the basis for Judaism.
We had made a covenant with G-d to believe just this. G-d chose the Israelites and told them so at Mt. Sinai with thunder and lightning, shofar blast and pillar of cloud when this awestruck nation received the Ten Commandments and Moses brought them down to them. The Israelites chose to follow one G-d by accepting the covenant. At this period of time, humans had come to believe in many gods who all had a different function. They could be seen. This one G-d of the covenant was an unseen G-d. This was an utterly new concept for the mind to wrap around. The closest to ever come to it were the Egyptians who for a time had a Pharaoh who worshipped the sun and that was all.
We were told that we were to be a holy people to G-d and he chose us to be his treasured people from all the nations that are on the face of the earth. G-d promises never to exchange his people with any other in Genesis 17:7. We were also to be a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation." Exodus 19:6. Why? Because we were the fewest of all people and he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your ancestors." (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).
However, there was a catch to all this. We had obligations to pay. It was emphasized by the prophet Amos who said, "You only have I singled out of all the families of the earth: therefore will I visit upon you all your iniquities." (glaringly noticeable error of injustice or wickedness). So, we have been in G-d's spotlight, who has been watching our behavior. We have been visited many a time with horrible destruction and death and are now on our own home ground which we were told to inhabit in the first place, trying to do as we were told and having to work around all the obstacles placed before us.
If you are an atheist, you have to understand that Jews carried this burden with them. They have always felt from the very beginning of their religion that they were chosen to lead the way of good behavior for others to see and to follow, the example for the world. We were taught that all of mankind was created in G-d's image which shows we are all loved by him. We are called the children of the Lord and we are beloved because we were given the Torah to study and follow which is our example to live by. So we carry this special duty of a mission or purpose to life and are to proclaim G-d's message to all the nations. Following the Torah is the whole key to being the chosen.
Then why have we been running into difficulties with other religions of Christianity and Islam. We've been threatened by some members of both religions.
In the Koran, Mohammad, who was born in 570 CE and died in 632 CE wrote, "O children of Israel, remember my favor which I bestowed upon you, and that I favored you above all creation. (Qur'an 2:47), 2:122). This would be G-d speaking to the Jews. Mohammad was acknowledging that the children of Israel enjoyed a special status.
Then they showed that they understood that this status did not confer upon Israelites any racial superiority, and was only valid so long as the Israelites maintain their covenant with G-d. We Jews did stem originally from a family of 12 sons and one daughter (Dinah), but did not remain all in the family. People had to choose spouses and this mixed up the genes, so we know we're not racially pure. We have had people who chose to convert to Judaism and have done so.
They went on to say in the Koran in 5:12, "Indeed G-d had taken the covenant from the Children of Israel, and we appointed 12 leaders among them. And G-d said: "I am with you if you establish the prayer and offer the Zakat (compulsory charity) and believe in My Messengers; honor and assist them, and lend to G-d a good loan. Verily, I will remit your sins and admit you to Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise). But if any of you after this, disbelieve, he has indeed gone astray from the Straight Path.".
I interpret this as the Koran taking away the covenant G-d gave us and installing 12 other new leaders and if Jews did these new requirements we could also then be admitted to Paradise and that this is now the new Straight Path to follow, not Judaism. Naturally Jews bowed out of this proselytizing attempt and continued to be Jews as they had promised with their covenant.
When living in the Muslim countries we were referred to as the People of the Book, and had the rights of a 2nd class citizen, a dhimmi, with a few protections involved and a lot of obligations and restrictions. However, people fared better under Muslim rule than under European rule, especially Russian rule where pogroms were frequent. Muslims believe that they have replaced Judaism with Islam and they actively seek converts whereas Jews do not. Since Muslims and Christians have been very forceful in the converting, we being the target of all this had decided long ago not to be like that. If someone wants to convert, he or she must prove he really knows what he is doing, as we're out of the business of converting the public. To know us is the example and if you want to join us, fine.
* * * *
Some Christians believe that Jews are g-d's chosen people (Deuteronomy 14:2). They also believe in Jesus's 2nd coming to earth and that a certain amount of Jews must remain in order to bring this on. Then in the end they will convert. Evangelicals are not replacement theorists as Pastor John Hagee has been most helpful to Israel.
The problem is that we Jews reject Jesus as being anything other than a Jewish man who lived in Judea. In fact, we don't have any scripture about him other than Josephus's writing about him. We do not accept the New Testament. Our Bible is the Old Testament which we call the Tanakh.
Because we do not accept a different status about Jesus, who died in 29 CE, many Christians decided that they had received this special status of being the Chosen ones. (Romans 11:11-24). This doctrine is known as Supersessionism.
Some Christians believe that all people who turn to Jesus-known also as Christ-as their personal savior are "chosen" in the context of John 15:16 whereby Jesus referred to G-d's plan of salvation as his great redeeming work on the cross, that all who come to faith in him does so freely and are "chosen" to bear "fruit that lasts". (1 Peter 2:9 refers to these Christians as "chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, g-d's special possession. They have now replaced the Jews in every way.
There are other points that the Replacement theory shows.
- The Jewish people are no longer God's chosen people. Instead, the Christian church now makes up God's chosen people.
- In the New Testament after Pentecost, the term "Israel" refers to the church.
- The Mosaic covenant (Exodus 20) is replaced by the new covenant (Luke 22:20).
- Actual circumcision is replaced by a circumcision of the heart (Rom. 2:29).
We have come full circle. Christianity is again harming Jews who live in Israel. They support the Palestinians who want our small space of a Homeland for theirs by interfering with their economic means of support. It's like running interference with a man's salary that supports his family. The irony is that Israel has tried to help the Arabs a great deal, and have been the main supplier of many of the Palestinian Arab's utilities. Israel suffers from their -not slings and arrows- but from their mortars, rockets and missiles today. Along with the Muslim communities who are attempting to remove Israel entirely from the Middle East, we have both religious groups who have in their minds replaced Jews and who are fighting against them, each in their own special ways.
_________________ ____________________ ___________________ __________________
Jeff, I'm going to comment here as I'm only allowed 4,096 letters and have more to say. You're giving me a mental workout, Jeff. Well, let's see. You're talking about the Babylonian exile in Ezekiel during King Jehoiachin's exile, the king of Judah, who reigned in 597 BCE who came to the throne at age 18 during this siege of Jerusalem. He lasted for 3 months and 10 days before capitulating to Nebuchadnezzar. Ezekiel is talking about the workings of the Heavenly throne, a topic far from our comprehension so that even the Sages of the Talmud felt they couldn't interpret it, and were limited in the permissibility of expounding on its teachings as it describes supernatural concept in human terms, but they couldn't take it literally nor are we equipped even to attempt a glimpse at their inner meaning. Today lots of people take it as being visited by outer space UFO and space aliens. So now I'll skip ahead to verse 20 where the elders were in shock that G-d had apparently spurned Israel and they asked whether they still owed Him allegiance if they were no longer His Chosen people. They asked why couldn't they be like all the other nations.? Ezekiel responded that they were wrong. Even their exile and oppression were functions of their chosenness; Israel was being punished because it had fallen short of its mission. But, as Ezekiel says in verses 32-33, Israel isn't free to join the nations, either. G-d told Ezekiel to tell the protesting elders of the national shortcomings over the course of history, in Egypt, the Wilderness, and in Eretz Yisrael. Then they are listed; the golden calf, rebelling against manna, the spies, and event at Baal Peor. They were told that they would be punished in a deserted area so that their enemies wouldn't witness their downfall and were told that they desecrated G-d's name when they come to the prophet and ignore his words or bring offerings but continue to worship idols. It was hypocrisy that was the worst offense. It goes on to say that Jerusalem, the victim, had both righteous and wicked people as a forest has different types of trees and after destroying Israel, the sword will annihilate other peoples. In verse 21 they hear that Jerusalem had fallen. This is the explanation of why this had happened.
We can call Avram as Abraham because his name had been changed. There is a meaning to the change. Yes, Judaism really doesn't believe in the Devil like others do. Judaism says man has an evil inclination and a good inclination. I understand that its up to us to control this inclination. Of course today the mentally sick need our help in doing so.
In Isaiah your reference of 25:6-7 speaks of being on Mt. Zion and the final judgment of the nations will take place there. G-d will serve a rich meal of retribution, like a feast of concentrated, potent, filling and intoxicating foods and spirits. That is, He will take away their protection of veils and masks, and allow them to be routed (defeated) . Jews will no longer be killed by their persecutors, but death from natural causes will of course continue to happen. Alternatively: All death will be eliminated. I suppose this shows 2 different understandings in this comment. I admire the description in 25:4-For you were a stronghold for the meek, which is a reference to Israel, which suffered tribulations form the mighty during their exile. , a stronghold for the destitute when he was in distress; a shelter from downpour, a shade from the scorching heat, when the fury of the mighty was like a downpour against a wall. In 25:5, G-d in His mercy protected Israel from the oppressive heat of their persecutors in -though they were like a scorching heat in the wasteland, You diminished the tumult of the foreigners; like a scorching heat is shaded by a cloud, so the breaking of the mighty humbled them.
Yes, this indeed is a miracle to have Israel once again. It's too bad it couldn't have happened in Chaim Weizmann's timeline and 6 million would have been saved from a most horrible death. That done, the world is again turning against us for existing. The very fact that we are in existence once again must mean something, eh. Is this the battle between the sons of darkness and the sons of light as found in the Dead Sea Caves? Seems like we're always doing it; within ourselves and with other nations. Goodness has to win out someday.
Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews_as_the_chosen_people
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supersessionism
http://www.bdsmovement.net/bdsintro
http://secondcoming.freeservers.com/
In Defense of Israel by John Hagee, the Bible's mandate for supporting the Jewish State
In so far as being chosen the Israelites rejected not only the relationship offered but failed to honor the obligations repeatedly (Ezekiel 20) hence judgment followed those decisions through the centuries ....What the nations did (Avram is the father of many nations) is do virtually the same thing..we call it Sin or Evil Inclination. All of which are distraction from what Adonai Tsavuot has never stopped doing and doing to redeem not just Israel but also the nations.....Isaiah 25:6-7 In Jerusalem, the LORD of Heaven's Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat.
ReplyDeleteThere he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth.
The quintessential reality of what YHVH is doing must be seen first via the history and relationship between His chosen and those people who are returning to the miracle of a nation reborn, again, God's hand! Once a person sees this they will see God and not the failures of people alone......I use to feel sorry for those who would try to exterminate the Jews now I feel like...good ridden! The world is seeing way to much stupid these days!
You're giving me a mental workout, Jeff. Well, let's see. You're talking about the Babylonian exile in Ezekiel during King Jehoiachin's exile, the king of Judah, who reigned in 597 BCE who came to the throne at age 18 during this seige of Jerusalem. He lasted for 3 months and 10 days before capitulating to Nebuchadnezzar. Ezekiel is talking about the workings of the Heaavenly throne, a topic far from our comprehension so that even the Sages of the Talmud felt they coudln't interopret it, and were limited in the permissiblilty of expounding on its teachings as it describes supernatural concept in human terms, but they couldn't take it literally nor are we equipped even to attempt a glimpse at their inner meaning. Today lots of people take it as being visited by outer space UFO and space aliens. So now I'll skip ahead to verse 20 where the elders were in shock that G-d had apparently spurned Israel and they asked whether they stilol owed Him allegiance if they were no longer His Chosen people. They why couldn't they be like all the other nations.? Eekiel responded that they were wrong. Even their exdile and oppression were functions of their chosenness; Isrel was being punished because it had fallen short of its mission. But, as Ezekiel says in versese 32-33, Israel isn't free to join the nations, either. Gold told Ezekiel to tell the protesting elders of the national shortcomings over the course of history, in Egypt, the Wilderness, and in Eretz Yisrael. Then they are listed; the golden calf, rebelling against manna, the spies, at Baal Peor, . They were told that they would be punished in a deserted area so that their enemies wouldn't witness their downfall and were told that they desecrated G-d's name when they come to the prophet and ignore his words or bring offerings but continue to worship idols. It was hypocrisy that was the worst offense. It goes on to say that Jerusalem, the victim, had both righteous and wicked people as a forest has different types of trees and after destroying Israel, the sword will annihilate other peoples. In verse 21 they hear that Jerusalem had fallen. This is the explanation of why this had happened.
ReplyDeleteWe can call Avram as Abraham because his name had been changed. There is a meaning to the change. Yes, Judaism really doesn't believe in the Devil like others do. Judaism says man has an evil inclination and a good inclination. I understand that its up to us to control this inclination. Of course today the mentally sick need our help in doing so.
In Isaiah your reference of 25:6-7 speaks of being on Mt. Zion and the final judgment of the nations will take place there. G-d will serve a rich meal of retribution, like a feast of concentrated, potent, filling and intoxicating foods and spirits. That is, He will take away their protection of veils and masks, and allow them to be routed (defeated) . Jews will no longer be killed by their persecutors, but death from natural causes will of course continue to happen. Alternatively: All death will be eliminated. I suppose this shows 2 different understandings in this comment.
Sorry for the spelling errors above. I only have this little rectangle to write in, then can only see a few lines at a time.
ReplyDelete