Jews for Jesus Blogspot

"God as I understand him"

2008-07-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

by Ruth Rosen

I've been listening to the radio far more often since receiving my recent birthday present to myself: a compact table-top radio/cd/alarm clock. And so it was that I heard a personal essay deemed important enough, or deep enough or who-knows-what-enough to be read aloud on National Public radio.

"I do not want to be a God-fearing man," the slightly southern sounding drawl intoned. The man went on tell how the religious institution in which he'd been raised was ruled by fear. He used words like "sledgehammer" and "intimidation" to describe his experience. He recalled how he'd been "disfellowshipped" as a teen, after having premarital sex with his girlfriend. He'd been offered the following choice: announce to the congregation that the behavior was a sin, repent and be forgiven, or leave the church. He made his choice, and has since gone on to discover "God as I understand him."

As this man explained (I am paraphrasing but this is pretty close) "I talk to God as I understand him every day, and though he does not answer, I know that he is there. I am not afraid of him. He does not condemn me. He fills me with peace and joy. And so, rather than the God I was told I should believe in, I chose the God I could believe in."

While this man came from a "Christianized" background, I have heard or read testimonials by people who have left their synagogues for similar reasons. After all, the God whom many people don't understand, the God who actually wants to have a say about our personal lives, did not originate in what is commonly known as the New Testament. Everything we learn about him there is built upon and expanded from the Hebrew Scriptures.

"God as I understand him" is extremely popular, in part because he does not talk back to us. Just plain God who revealed himself in the Hebrew Scriptures (and has lots to say about things we might feel are none of his business) would probably not win an election on any conceivable ticket. But then he doesn't need to; he's God.

Many insist, "No one can know the truth about God," yet God claimed through the Jewish Scriptures, "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

The catch to the "all your heart" part is the implied willingness to give up our favorite past times or prejudices, should they turn out to be, for reasons that we may or may not understand, contrary to or offensive to God.

God doesn't expect us to be perfect. But He can't forgive us if we think we've done nothing wrong, and we can't understand what's right or wrong if we treat God as the divine re-enforcer of our own choices.

"God as I understand him" has no actual power other than what we choose to impart from our own understanding. The real, all-powerful God whom we don't always understand says his ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:9) He is holy as well as merciful, righteous as well as compassionate. He is good and just and absolutely wonderful.

If you are interested in God as He understands Himself, why not pick up a Bible . . . and ask him to help you read it with an open mind.

Iron Man: The Stark Truth

2008-06-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

by Arielle Rothbard

SPOILER WARNING: if you have not seen this movie, the following may contain a spoiler.

“The man who has everything... and nothing.”
That is the paradox of Tony Stark.

Stark lives the American dream: wealth, intelligence, power, sex, and social status in excess.

Shaken from his pleasure-coated reality by three month’s captivity in Afghanistan, Stark rethinks his personal philosophy. An Afghani surgeon installs an electro-magnetic device in his chest to keep him alive, creating a stalemate between the shrapnel and his flesh the way Tony once hoped to keep order between countries. The surgeon urges Stark, “don’t waste your life.” The prideful, alcoholic, weapon-manufacturing millionaire, takes it to heart.

Upon returning to the states, Stark globally announces that he will no longer produce weapons. Ironically, his new vision is to perfect the armored suit he used to escape Afghanistan. The suit becomes the “bigger stick” Stark’s father insisted was necessary to achieve peace. Stark no longer builds weapons: he becomes one.

Tony Stark desperately wishes to impact society for good. Once he sees his good intentions have gone bad, his heart is changed. He finds purpose and motivation by creating a larger-than-life “iron man” suit to help him ensure justice and peace.

The problem: every issue Stark tackles is directly connected to him. His worldview remains within his personal circle of events.

In the process of making restitution for his actions, he jeopardizes the lives of others.

Iron Man must cope with his inadequacies. He constructs armor for himself, giving himself physical weight, prominence, and power, making himself unavoidable. Yet, he is vulnerable. Powerless, he relies on a self-made mechanism to supply power for his suit and keep metal shards from puncturing his heart. He lives moment by impulsive moment and by the time you calculate in his alcoholism, you have a man with substantial problems.

Iron Man’s plotline is strengthened—intentionally or not—by biblical parallels. The hero and villain fighting to the death, the hero grazing death, but emerging victorious—these and many other aspects of the plot are familiar to Bible-readers. It is no coincidence that Stan Lee, J.K. Rowling, the Wachowski brothers and other storytellers throughout history shaped their protagonist/antagonist climax from the Word of God.

Even Iron Man and Neo need reconciliation with God, our maker. The relationship that God wants to have with us, his most advanced creation, has been destroyed by a weapon more potent than the atom bomb: sin. Sin is anything that goes against God’s moral code: little, white lies to murder.

A true change of heart, a life devoted to serving others requires internal transformation. King David says in Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me.” The psalmist understood the importance of a repentant heart.

Creating weapons is a self-perpetuating cycle. No individual can alter that sequence, no matter the technology. Humanity’s only hope is God. Jesus, the ultimate hero, gave his life to reconcile us to God. The reunification process between creator and creation builds love and peace, radiating out to everyone.

Iron Man is a fictional character. His spiritual issues are hypothetical. Ours are not. The question we all face: what will I do about my heart?

Arielle Rothbard is a Jewish believer in Jesus who just finished her first year at the Fashion Insitute of Technology in Manhattan.

Why Jehoshaphat Wasn’t Jumpy

2008-06-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

by Matt Sieger

“And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.” (II Chronicles 20:30)

One of the first issues Barack Obama had to tackle after clinching the Democratic presidential nomination last week was Israel’s security. In a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Obama claimed that Bush administration policies on Iran and Iraq have made Israel less secure.

“Because of the war in Iraq,” said Obama, “Iran . . . is emboldened, and poses the greatest strategic challenge to the United States and Israel in the Middle East in a generation.”

Two days earlier, John McCain made the opposite argument to the AIPAC. He said that Obama’s plan for a phased U.S. pullout from Iraq would result in the formation of a “potential terrorist sanctuary” that would threaten Israel’s security and “invite further intervention from Iraq’s neighbors, including a very much emboldened Iran.”

Senator Joe Lieberman, McCain’s most prominent Jewish supporter, said that Obama is mistaken in blaming Iran’s resurgence on the Iraq war. “If Israel is in danger today,” he said, “it is not because of American foreign policy. It’s because Iran is a terrorist, expansionist state.”

When a Hamas official said in an April radio interview that the group would like to see Obama elected president, McCain seized on the opportunity to portray Obama as a Hamas-supported candidate. But when Obama issued a statement last week in which he called Israel’s security “sacrosanct” and promised to support an “undivided” Jerusalem, Hamas reversed itself and said it doesn’t want either McCain or Obama to win!

Will the Obama or McCain approach make Israel more secure? Both strategies can’t be right. Both could be wrong. Or insufficient.

It’s not as if this is the first time that Israel has been threatened. Around 850 B.C., the Moabites and Ammonites set out to attack Judah and Jerusalem. King Jehoshaphat called out to God in prayer, saying, “We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you” (II Chronicles 20:12). Then God told Jehoshaphat through a prophet, “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you” (II Chronicles 20:17). When the men of Judah went out to meet the enemy, God caused such confusion that the Moabites and Ammonites destroyed each other!

I know it’s not politically correct (or expedient) for candidates to admit that they don’t know what to do about the powder keg that is the Middle East today. But admitting that and looking to God worked for Jehoshaphat. I hope that our next president will be supportive of Israel and savvy about the situation - but in any case, Israel's survival will not be determined by Obama or McCain or whoever else may one day be in the White House.

Israel’s only real security is in the Almighty. As the psalmist said, “Where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:2-4).

I would welcome your comments about Israel’s security—or our own. Where do you look for your security?

My Thoughts on Rami Shapiro

2008-05-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

by Pseudo-Rooney

*Recently a cache of articles was found that sound remarkably like Andy Rooney. However, scientists have proven that Andy Rooney was not in fact the author of these articles; the unknown writer has been dubbed “Pseudo-Rooney” by scholars. Since no else has seen fit to publish his writings, we’ve decided to go ahead. Here is one of his recent pieces.

I just read an article in Tikkun magazine. I don’t normally take Tikkun, but a friend showed me a short article that caught my interest. It was called “Outgrowing Our Need for Promised Lands and Chosen Peoples” by someone named Rami Shapiro, and it was written in honor of Israel’s 60th birthday.

If Israel were a person instead of a country, I’m not sure how it would feel about Rabbi Shapiro’s piece. He starts out declaring his fondness for both Israel and Massachusetts, and that he counts both as nice places to visit. That’s a good beginning. I like Israel, and New York, and California; I’ve visited the first and lived in the second two. Never liked Boston much though. Too many of those roundabouts.

But then Rabbi Shapiro goes on to say that he doesn’t believe in a Promised Land, and doesn’t believe in a Chosen People—“silly,” he calls it—doesn’t believe in the supernatural, and lists out a couple of other things he doesn’t believe in either. Then he waxes positively philosophical. Who, he asks, has a “right” to land? Who has a right to exist, anyway? What does “exist” even mean? “There is no right to exist,” he says. All there is, he suggests, are defensive powerplays against the next guy.

That sounds pretty grim. It kind of reminds me of that old radio ad that was meant to get people to be better drivers. They had this guy with a husky, menacing voice, and he would get on the air and say, “Watch out…for the other guy.” It could have been a trailer for one of those slasher movies, and I don’t remember if there were fewer accidents after it ran. I think it probably made people more paranoid.

For Rabbi Shapiro there’s no God and no right to exist. Which brings me to his last sentence, which is that we need to recognize the “one Reality and one moral code: justice and compassion for all.”

Now, I like the idea of justice and compassion. Who doesn’t? I just don’t see how you get there if you don’t even believe in a right to exist, because that suggests that maybe it’s OK to kill the next guy. Somehow, Rabbi Shapiro seems to think that starting from a real God ends up “soaking sand in blood.”

Rabbi Shapiro wants to celebrate Israel’s 60th, her history, her future, her potential. I’m all for the celebrations, but if the good rabbi wants to relegate God to the invention of a couple of immature people, I’m not sure someone else won’t come along with a different idea of justice and compassion. Without God, how does Rabbi Shapiro know justice when he sees it, anyway? He has a right to his beliefs, of course. But I think that justice has to be rooted in a real God, or else all we are left with are people trying to crush one another out of existence. Can Rabbi Shapiro be an advocate for compassion and justice without believing in a built-in dignity to human beings that comes from God? Only time will tell if the rabbi’s “growth” is someone else’s stagnation.

Meantime—Happy 60th Birthday, Israel.

Expelled

2008-04-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

by Rich Robinson

To re-phrase Chaucer,

“When April with her sweet showers,

the drought of March has parched to the root,…

Then do folk get expelled…”

Yes, this April marks two expulsions, in a manner of speaking. Passover (beginning the night of April 19) is not really an expulsion like the bad ones when Jews were kicked out of Spain, Portugal, and other countries. It’s really about liberation, which came about when Pharaoh, having had it up to here with the plagues, essentially said, “Get out of here already!” His expelling us was God’s way of freeing us—a good expulsion.

The day before Passover, April 18, marks the release of Ben Stein’s film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, one of the latest in a series of advocacy films. Ben is talking about the expulsion that comes when proponents of Intelligent Design are “persecuted” in academic settings and denied the right of free inquiry, expelled from the academic establishment. In this case, expulsion is the opposite of freedom—a bad expulsion. (Check out the film’s web site, by the way, it is really quite funny and thought-provoking.)

There’s a third “expulsion” worth mentioning at this time of year. Jews who declare that they believe in Jesus are routinely “expelled” from among the Jewish people. I put “expelled” in quotes because there is really no authority that can expel or excommunicate Jews from the Jewish people. For every rabbi who might have excommunicated someone for something, one can find another rabbi who doesn’t agree with the first rabbi. Jewishness comes from God via parents, and one’s people are one’s people by virtue of a common history, culture, and destiny. A Jew can no more be expelled from the Jewish people than someone can be expelled from the human race because they believe the Creator is a frog from Neptune…or because they believe in Intelligent Design. But there are still some who would like to see such an expulsion, and good riddance to those pesky Jews for Jesus.

People can be expelled from countries, and they can be expelled from academia. This is a good time of year to contemplate what freedom means: freedom from slavery, freedom of inquiry, freedom of religion. I don’t know what your seder will be like this year, but at mine I am thinking of celebrating not only our redemption from Pharaoh, but the possibilities of redemption from suppression of thought of all kinds. Will anyone join me? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

What is Authentically Jewish?

2008-03-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

by Rich Robinson

How do we answer the above question when, in every age and Jewish sub-culture, we have absorbed many influences from non-Jewish societies around us?

These influences have not only affected food and fashion, but even religious expression and doctrine.¹ They include:

The Hellenistic (Greek) culture of the 4th-1st centuries B.C.

Hanukkah notwithstanding, Hellenism influenced many aspects of Jewish life.² Rabbis used Greek language and references to Greek culture. Jewish art as well as Pharisaic Jewish society also picked up some Greek “flavor” as did Jewish biblical interpretation. And traditions? What could be more Jewish than the Passover seder? Yet it also drew from a Greek institution called the symposium, a kind of banquet and philosophical lecture for holidays and special occasions. At a symposium, you would find questions concerning the foods, eating of greens and an apple mixture, and reclining—rituals readily recognizable as part of the modern seder.³ So is the seder “authentic”?

Greek philosophy (middle ages A.D.)

It seems we can’t get away from the Greeks! The famous Maimonides believed that Greek philosophy and the Hebrew Bible could be harmonized; his discussion of the nature of God relies heavily upon Aristotelian thinking. “Maimonides sought to bridge [earlier] interpretations with his assertion that the unity of God is unique. . . . Maimonides suggested that the intrinsic unity of God should be conceived as radically different in character from the unity of a species that is composed of discrete members, or from the unity of an organism that is made up of interrelated yet relatively distinct elements.”⁴ The Orthodox Jewish view of God’s unity may owe more to Aristotle than most Jews realize. Is it “authentically Jewish”? Was Maimonides? (In fact, Maimonides was the subject of controversy in his lifetime.)

Islamic influences (approximately 950-1150 A.D.)

Islam played a huge role in the development of medieval Jewish life, especially during the “Golden Age of Spanish Jewry.” Contact with the Muslim world encouraged Jewish exploration in mathematics, medicine and astronomy. Moreover, Arabic, not Hebrew or Aramaic, became the language of the common people, and also of many great medieval Jewish philosophers and grammarians. “In the literature of philosophy and even of theology one may say without hesitation that the influence flowed from Islam to Judaism and not the other way around. The notion of a theology, of a formulation of religious belief in the form of philosophical principles, was alien to the Jews of Biblical and Talmudic times.”⁵ Which Jewish culture is authentic?

Christianity (1750 A.D. - today)

Christianity certainly influenced Judaism in the development of counter-doctrines and practices. But Reform Judaism—especially when it began in Germany in the early 19th century—deliberately borrowed elements of worship from churches in order to adapt Judaism to modern life. “The Reformers also borrowed some of the church practices they considered most beautiful. Chief among these were the use of an organ and a ‘mixed’ choir [of men and women] . . . Another practice Reformers borrowed was the sermon.”⁶ Which set of Jewish practices is “authentic”? Orthodox? Reform? Neither?

Outside influences (not to mention internal Jewish changes) make it difficult to define what is “authentically Jewish.” We may want to say that being truly Jewish means believing in Y’shua, but the expression of that faith can reflect the wide variety of Jewish cultural forms our people have absorbed throughout history. Perhaps, to paraphrase Forrest Gump, “Jewish is as Jewish does.”

Notes

For a convenient online survey, see My Jewish Learning's website.

For more, see Lee I. Levine, Hellenism and the Jewish World of Antiquity (Univ. of Washington Press, 1998); David Steinberg, “The Impact of Greek Culture on Normative Judaism from the Hellenistic Period through the Middle Ages,” http://www.adath-shalom.ca/greek_influence.htm

Levine, pp. 120-121.

Martin Sicker, Between Man and God: Issues in Judaic Thought (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002), p. 51. See also Kenneth Seeskin, The Cambridge Companion to Maimonides (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005), pp. 83 ff.

Bernard Lewis, The Jews of Islam (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1987), p. 80.

Eugene B. Borowitz,. Explaining Reform Judaism (New York: Behrman House, 1985), pp. 7, 9.

A Mystery in the Megillah

2008-03-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

by Jeff Millenson

A megillah is one of the five scrolls of the Bible (Ruth, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther). However, most often the term refers to the scroll of Esther, which is read in its entirety at Purim. Because the scroll of Esther is ten chapters long, the phrase "whole megillah" has come to mean the entirety or total amount of something.

The story of Esther is a familiar one From the days when we were children, many of us have participated in the Purim plays put on by our temple or synagogue, our Hebrew school or youth group. What Jewish girl hasn't longed to play the part of the beautiful Queen Esther? What Jewish boy hasn't vied with his friends to see who could make the loudest sound with his grager (noisemaker) in order to drown out the name of wicked Haman?

Because the story of Esther is so familiar. we may be in danger of overlooking one of its most fascinating mysteries: nowhere in that whole megillah is the name of God mentioned.

What? How can it be that God's name is omitted? After all, it is one of the books of our sacred Scriptures—how can it be a holy book when it doesn't even acknowledge the God of Israel?

There are answers for those who are willing to look for them—at least three different answers!

ANSWER 1: The name of God does not appear in the megillah of Esther because of the problem of translating that name into other languages. We learn in verses 1:1 and 8:9 that the region which King Ahasuerus governed covered an area which extended from India to Ethiopia. There were 127 different provinces included in the realm. While each province may not have employed its own unique script and language, still there must have been scores of different linguistic and ethnic communities within the borders of the Medio-Persian empire. The events recorded in the book of Esther were reported to the Jews living in the various provinces, and were very likely translated into the various provincial languages. What would have happened to the name of God in such a translation? It might have been transliterated. That is, "carried across" into the closest corresponding letters of the new language, in which case the non-Jewish reader might commit the error of trying to pronounce the sacred name of God. Or it might have been replaced by the name of whatever local god was atop the hierarchy of worship in that particular locale, a situation equally undesirable. So it is a strong possibility that the name of God was omitted to preclude such translation problems.

ANSWER 2: The name of God is found in the megillah! It's there, but it's hidden. One of the favorite devices of Hebrew writers is the acrostic, in which the first letter of successive words forms a word or a pattern. Psalm 119 is a good example: the lines of each stanza start with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostics are harder to spot in prose, but clever Queen Esther is able to work one into her request to King Ahasuerus in 5:4. She says. "If it pleases the king. may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet I have prepared for him." The word for "may he come" is yavo', the word for "the king" is ha-melech, "and Haman" is ve-Haman, "this day" is ha-yom. The first four letters of these words are hwhy (yod, hey, vav, hey)—which together form the sacred and unpronounceable name of God.

To speakers of English, this acrostic might seem merely coincidental, but Hebrew scholars assure us that it is not. The writer of the megillah has deliberately chosen this method to reveal that God is indeed present in the story of Esther.

ANSWER 3: God Himself is present in the megillah of Esther because it is He who guides and directs the events that take place in it, and who inspires the godly attitudes of the main characters Esther and Mordecai.

Many of the events that are recounted in the book of Esther are clear indications of God's hand in the situation. Among these are Esther's finding favor with King Ahasuerus in the first place and the king's subsequent willingness to extend his scepter to hear her plea: Mordecai's overhearing the plot against the king, coupled with the king's later sleeplessness and his reading about Mordecai's heroic deed in the chronicles of the kingdom: and in the very fact that all the events have been recorded for us today to learn from and to remember.

We also see the hand of God in the attitudes of His people. In verse 4:14, Mordecai voices his confidence that help will arise "from another place" even if Esther does not speak up: yet he is convinced that Esther has been placed on the throne for such a time as this, and that she will not fail her people. Surely it is God Himself whom Mordecai credits with placing Esther on the throne.

In 4:16, Esther both fasts for herself and requests that all the Jews of Shushan fast for her as well. Although only fasting is specifically mentioned, is it too much to surmise that, while the people were abstaining from food for three days to honor Esther's request, they also prayed to the God of Israel, as did Esther herself?

In 10:3, we see a final reminder of God's presence with Mordecai: raised to a position of power second only to Ahasuerus himself, Mordecai seeks for the good of his people and the good of the nation above his own honor or glory. Only a proper reverence for God could have sustained an attitude like this.

We have seen that, although His name is present only in a mysterious and hidden way, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the main actor in the drama of Esther—guiding and directing events and inspiring men and women to trust in Him, not in human rulers, for their security and safety. But perhaps the real mystery of the megillah is this: How can we, the sons and daughters of Israel, live our lives from day to day as if God were not involved with us, as if He were not as desirous for us to trust in Him for our safety and welfare as He was for our ancestors to do the same?

As Jews, we are beset by the "Hamans" of today: anti-Semitism, secularism and cynicism. Will we look to God to set us free or will we continue to ignore Him? That is the mystery in the megillah.

Y’shua or Yeshu?

2008-03-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

by Rich Robinson

Ask any Israeli how to say “Jesus” in Hebrew, and you’ll invariably hear the response: Yeshu (pronounced Yay shoo). Yet according to scholars, His Hebrew name (depending on how you spell it) is Yeshua or Y’shua (pronounced Yeh shoo wah). Why then, don’t Israeli Jews call Him by His correct name? Shouldn’t they be the first to know (and use) His Hebrew name? The answers to those questions take us back to a time prior to 1750 A.D.

Ever since the Enlightenment, Jesus has been viewed in an increasingly positive light by most Jews—not as the Messiah, it is true, but as a good teacher, a rabbi, “our brother,” perhaps a political martyr.1 But long ago, Jesus was believed by most Jewish people to be a deceiver who led Israel astray, and some even regarded Him as a sorcerer. Consequently, centuries ago he was called by the name Yeshu, a “play” on His correct name that is actually an acronym standing for Yimmach Shemo Ve-zikro—May his name and memory be blotted out. He is still viewed that way by some, especially Ultra-Orthodox Jews; those, however, are the minority.
The name Yeshu has filtered down through history as the name of Jesus in Israel. Most Israelis (who are secular) have no idea that it originated as an acronym of contempt. How could they not know? Just think of our days of the week: Thursday was originally Thor’s Day, but what it originally meant has nothing to do with its current meaning. Ask an American what Thursday means, and the answer will probably be, the day of the week that comes after Wednesday. Similarly, ask an Israeli who Yeshu is, and the answer will probably be, a man who lived in the first century, the Christians’ Messiah.

Our staff in Israel have been working to make Jesus’ true Hebrew name a talking point, and this will continue throughout the next several years of Behold Your God Israel. Imagine the possibilities! We want to lift up the true name of Y’shua, which was given to indicate that He would save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

And outside of Israel, few Jews know him as either Y’shua or as Yeshu. Perhaps you can tell a Jewish friend that you have learned the name of Jesus in Hebrew, and it is Y’shua; and that his mother’s name was originally not Mary but, in Hebrew, Miriam (a topic for another article). Then you can ask why, since Jesus is Jewish, most Jewish people don’t believe in Him—and see if God opens a conversation.

For an in-depth look at the name of Jesus, see the article “An Introduction to the Names Yehoshua/Joshua, Yeshua, Jesus and Yeshu” by Kai Kjær-Hansen at http://www.jewsforjesus.org/answers/jesus/names

End Notes:

1. In contrast, it is Paul, not Jesus, who is seen as the “bad guy” who invented a new religion and “turned” Jesus into a god. For more on this modern Jewish view of Paul, see http://www.jewsforjesus.org/answers/paul.

The Light of Hanukkah

2007-12-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

Last night, as we lit the candles for the first night of Hanukkah, my wife recited a very traditional Jewish prayer:

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, Asher kid'shanu b'mitzvosav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Chanukah

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the Chanukah lights.

Interestingly enough, there is no record in the Hebrew Scriptures of such a commandment by God. In fact, you won’t find Hanukkah mentioned anywhere in the Tanakh. It comes as a surprise to many Jewish people to find out that the sole mention of Hanukkah in the Bible is in the New Testament. So, if it’s not in the Hebrew Scriptures, how can we know what the celebration of Hanukkah is all about, and why we’re thanking God?

To find out what Hanukkah commemorates, we have to look into the inter-testamental period, a 400-year period between the closing of the Hebrew Scriptures and the writing of the New Testament. Biblical scholars sometimes call this a “silent period,” and since the events of Hanukkah took place during this inter-testamental period, we must turn to extra-biblical sources to learn about them. What we know about the history of Hanukkah can be gleaned primarily from I & II Maccabbees, two apocryphal (or non-canonical) books, and also from the Talmud, a collection of the oral lore of Jewish sages and rabbis.

During the inter-testamental period, there was no king in Israel. The Jewish people had returned from exile in Babylon under the leadership of Nehemiah, but they were ruled over by a succession of foreign empires. Malachi contains evidence that it was written while Israel was ruled over by the Persian empire, which was conquered by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. When Alexander died in 323 B.C., his empire was carved up by his four top generals. Israel lay in between the kingdoms of Egypt (ruled by the Ptolemic dynasty) and Syria (ruled by the Seleucid dynasty), and was ruled by both at different times. The Greek, or Hellenistic, culture of Alexander was continued by both of these empires.

In 198 B.C., Israel was under the rule of the Syrian empire. These Syrio-Greeks had forced their own Hellenistic culture upon the Jewish people. In 175 B.C. Antiochus IV ascended the throne of this empire, and took upon himself the name Antiochus Epiphanes, meaning “the visible god.” Antiochus truly believed that he was a god. His contemporaries may not have shared this view, since he is often referred to in writings of the day as “the madman.” Antiochus forbid the Jewish people to keep the Sabbath, to read or study the Torah, or to circumcise their sons. He commanded that the temple in Jerusalem should become a temple dedicated to worshipping the Greek god Zeus, and even erected a statue of Zeus at the Temple – a stature bearing a suspicious resemblance to Antiochus himself! The final insult to the Jewish people came when Antiochus entered into the Temple and slaughtered a pig on the altar, then splattered its blood inside the Holy of Holies. I don’t have to tell you that this was definitely not kosher – in fact, it was a complete desecration of the Temple, and you can imagine the effect on God-fearing Jewish people!

I Maccabees tells us that living near to Jerusalem was a priest named Mattathias who, full of righteous anger at the abomination that had taken place, killed the priest who had slaughtered the pig. Mattathias then pulled down the altar before fleeing to the surrounding hills of Judea, along with his sons. As he fled, Mattathias cried out, “Whoever is zealous for the Law and maintains the Covenant, follow me!” With his sons, Mattathias formed a band of guerilla fighters who made frequent sorties against the Syrio-Greek enemy. When the priest died, leadership passed to his son Judah, who soon began being called Yudah haMakkabi, or “Judah the Hammer,” because it was said that he was the hammer of God, sent to smash the enemies of Israel. Judah’s followers were referred to as Maccabbeans.

The Maccabeans grew in numbers, and after 3 years of fighting, miraculously defeated the Syrio-Greek army, which was vastly numerically superior. After routing their enemies, the Maccabbeans marched into Jerusalem to rescue, restore, and rededicate the Temple. The Talmud records that the rededication took place on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, exactly 3 years to the day after it had been defiled by Antiochus. Hanukkah means, “dedication” in Hebrew, so the holiday is known as the Feast of Dedication to commemorate the miracle of the rescue, restoration, and rededication of the Temple by the Maccabbeans. It’s a celebration of the faith that Judah Maccabee and his followers had that God would keep His promises to preserve the Jewish people, a faith that was amply repaid in the defeat of their Syrio-Greek oppressors.

However, today when most Jews think of Hanukkah, they do not think of the miracle of the Maccabees defeating a much larger, better equipped army. They associate a very different miracle with the holiday, one which is mentioned only briefly in the Talmud. According to the Talmud, once the Syrio-Greeks had been driven away, Judah Maccabee ordered that the Temple be cleansed and rededicated. As they cleaned out the rubble, built a new altar, and crafted new holy vessels for the Temple, a terrible discovery was made. There was only a single container of consecrated ritual olive oil, which was required in order to keep the menorah (the seven-branched candelabra) in the Temple burning through the night. This lamp was known as the Ner Tamid, or the Eternal Light, and God had commanded it should never burn out. To allow that to happen would be like another desecration. The problem was that it would take eight days for more oil to be pressed, prepared, and consecrated. With a sense of helplessness, the Maccabees and the priests offered their prayers and pleas for forgiveness up to God as they lit the oil they had. Miraculously, this one container of oil, enough only to last one night, burned for all eight days! Jewish sages hence instituted an eight-day holiday commemorating this miracle, customarily celebrated by lighting candles for eight days.

This is the miracle that most Jews think of as they celebrate Hanukkah, and the reason that it is referred to as the Feast of Lights. If you’re first learning about Hanukkah, you can now understand the significance of the Jewish tradition of lighting candles in the menorah for eight nights. We add a candle each night, symbolizing each of the eight nights the oil burned in the temple. The rabbis teach that as each candle is added to the menorah, the blessings increase, and by the final night, the room is awash with light, a symbol of the glory and presence of God.

When was a kid growing up in synagogue, I can remember our rabbi talking to us kids about Hanukkah and about Christmas. I remember him telling us that the two holidays were to have nothing to do with us. “This Christmas is for the goyim, the Gentiles, because it celebrates this Jesus, and that is not for Jews.” I have many fond memories of my rabbi but today, as a Jew who believes that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, I think that the rabbi missed the boat. You see, there is a connection between Jesus and Hanukkah. I’ve already mentioned that the single reference to Hanukkah in the Bible is found in the New Testament.

“At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. "But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. "I and the Father are one." The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?" The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God." ” John 10:22-33

We know from this mention of the Feast of Dedication that it was Hanukkah, and during this particular Feast of Lights, Jesus would reveal a couple of things about Himself: His Messiahship and His deity. It’s interesting that He would choose Hanukkah as a time to do this. You see, on Hanukkah we rejoice over the defeat of Antiochus Epiphanes, a madman who thought he was a god. But as followers of Jesus, we believe Him to truly be God. He is the Light of the World, and He chose the Feast of Lights to reveal that.

The text tells us that Jesus was walking in the Temple in an area known as “the portico of Solomon.” This was an area of the Temple with covered walkways, and it was something of a public gathering place. Some people would gather to talk, others would gather to listen. It was a public forum. As Jesus is walking, some of the Jewish people there gathered around asked Him, “Are you the Christ?” In other words, “Are you the Messiah?” Jesus answers this question in the affirmative, saying:

“I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me.” John 10:24

Jesus didn’t just stop at proclaiming Himself as Messiah. He went on to proclaim His deity, His Godhood, in no uncertain terms:

“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30

The Jewish people gathered there understood Jesus’ meaning quite plainly. They understood Him to be claiming to be God, and their reaction was to pick up stones to stone Him for blasphemy. The Jewish people of the day – much like our Jewish people today – were not prepared to accept a Messiah who was also God.

Within this account in John’s Gospel is a fascinating historical convergence. You see, according to rabbinic sources, when Judah Maccabee and his followers began to clean the Temple, they ran into a dilemma. Judah’s father, Mattathias the priest, had pulled down the desecrated altar on which Antiochus Epiphanes had slaughtered a pig, and the stones of which the altar was built had to be removed. Since they had been used for holy purposes they couldn’t be merely tossed away; yet they were impregnated with the blood and grease of the unclean sacrifice that had been offered upon them. The rabbis record that, not being able to find any better solution, the Maccabbeans stored the stones in a pile in the portico of Solomon – where they remained in the time of Jesus!

Those stones were a physical reminder of a madman who claimed to be God in the flesh, and who forced idolatry and oppression on the Jewish people. What irony that those same stones might be used against a man who truly was God in the flesh, and who came to free the Jewish people from the oppression of sin. Yet when they asked Jesus who He was, the Jewish people at the Temple that day were not prepared to accept the answers Jesus gave them. So it is even today. Very few of our Jewish people will even ask if Jesus might be the Messiah. Jesus is God in the flesh, though; the fulfillment of all that is written in the Law and the Prophets, and the future hope that our Jewish people continue to long for. On the festive occasion of Hanukkah, Jesus invited people into a relationship with Him that would free them from sin and from death. While there were many who thought Jesus as much a villain as Antiochus Epiphanes, there were some who believed.

I want to close by pointing out something of symbolic importance. The Hanukkah candles are traditionally lit by a special candle called the shammash. Shammash is Hebrew for “servant.” In the shammash candle, we can see a symbol of our Messiah Jesus, for as the Gospel of Matthew says,

“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

The shammash serves the other candles by bringing light to them. In the New Testament, Jesus is frequently referred to as “the Light,” and Jesus Himself once said,

“I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Just as the shammash gives light to the other candles, Jesus came to give the world His Light. As we celebrate Hanukkah, it is good for us be reminded of that light each night as we light our menorahs. As believers in Y’shua (Jesus), Hanukkah should hold precious meaning to us. The miracles we celebrate at Hanukkah – the defeat of an enemy army, the oil lasting for eight days – show how God keeps His light burning in the hearts of His people, even when they face what seem to be impossible odds or situations. With God, all things are possible. His light cannot fail, or go out.

May you be blessed this Hanukkah season, and beyond.

Pondering December

2007-11-30T15:49:00.000-08:00

As I write this, Shabbat is just a few hours away. I’m sitting in the living room of my house, with the most amazing smell drifting in from the kitchen as my wife puts the final touches on her pot roast. It’s been a much warmer day than the last day of November has any right to be, and I’m marveling that tomorrow will be December.

The month of December often presents an identity crisis for Jewish believers in Jesus like me. For many Jews, December is a time of year in which they are flooded by Christmas imagery, music, and decorations – a parade of foreign religious symbolism without surcease. Prior to coming to faith in Jesus, I had some of the same reactions that many of my Jewish brethren will have this year: I just wanted Christmas to go away. I saw Christmas as a threat to my very identity as a Jew.

Growing up in a Jewish household, I was pretty proud of the fact that we celebrated Hanukkah instead of Christmas. I loved the foods. Who could resist the greasy deliciousness – with just a hint of onion – of latkes, the traditional potato pancakes? My dilemma as a child was whether to drown my latkes in sour cream or applesauce! Then there was the dreidel game, in which parent-approved gambling could lead to a wealth of gelt (foil-covered chocolate coins). But aside from the food, and the games, and gifts, there was also the STORY of Hanukkah, which was a far sight better than any of the comic books I read as a kid. For those unfamiliar with the tale, I present a summary.

In the 2nd century BC, the Jewish people were oppressed by the forces of a Syrio-Greek king, one Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus forbid the Jewish people to practice their religion, and began forcing Greek culture and religion upon the resistant Jews. The final blow came when Antiochus desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem by slaughtering a pig upon the altar. As Antiochus proclaimed that the Temple was now dedicated to the Greek god Zeus rebellion broke out, led by the sons of a priest named Mattathias. The eldest son, Judah, led the rebellion after the death of Mattathias and was given the name Yudah haMakabi, or Judah the Hammer. His followers were known as the Maccabees.

Although vastly outnumbered by the Syrian armies, the Maccabees successfully drove their enemies away and reclaimed Jerusalem and the Temple. Judah ordered that the Temple be cleansed and rededicated (hence the name Hanukkah, which means “dedication”). As they built a new altar and new holy vessels for the Temple, a terrible discovery was made. There was only a single container of consecrated ritual olive oil, which was required in order to keep the menorah (the seven-branched candelabra) in the Temple burning through the night. According to tractate Shabbat 21b in the Talmud, this one container of oil miraculously burned for eight days, precisely the amount of time needed to press and consecrate more oil. Jewish sages hence instituted an eight-day holiday commemorating this miracle, customarily celebrated by lighting candles for eight days.

In my child’s mind, all of this made Hanukkah a vastly superior holiday to Christmas. Where else was I going to find a holiday which celebrated the Jews kicking some serious heiney??? I even wrote a play to be performed for my synagogue. Unfortunately, "The Bloody Maccabees" was far from a success; the special effects involved copious amounts of stage blood, scandalizing the members of my synagogue. Nevertheless, my love for the holiday was not weakened. The custom that developed much later in – probably in response to Christian celebration of Christmas – of Jewish parents giving their children presents on each night was just another point of which I could boast. “Sure,” I would say to my Gentile friends, “you guys get a big day of presents… but I get EIGHT DAYS of presents!”

As I got older, I began more and more to meet Christmas and its trimmings with rolled eyes and positively Scrooge-like comments. I would complain to friends that Christmas would be easier to handle if popular Christmas music wasn’t so lame and repeated ad nauseum. “Speaking of nauseau,” I would remark, “what’s with the decorations at the mall? It looks like Christmas just threw up in there!” In college, I can remember making my Gentile girlfriend furious when I mocked Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, one of her cherished childhood memories. “What does this horrible Claymation travesty have to do with Christmas??!” I shouted at her.

Even after I had placed my faith in Jesus as my Messiah, it was years before I was able to overcome the idea in my mind that Christmas was rank with hypocrisy. Would Jesus have approved of the focus on decorations, trees, and presents, I asked? If not, why did my Christian brothers and sisters continue to celebrate it with such materialism and greed, rather than focusing on Messiah? It wasn’t until I began dating my future wife that I experienced for myself a Christian family whose focus during Christmas was on celebrating the birth of our Savior. I began to get my first taste of this after being invited to spend the holidays with my wife’s family and being told that we would all be going to an 11:00 PM Christmas Eve service, so that we could worship and praise God for sending us His Son. At long last, I began to see that Christmas had depths beyond sugar cookies and brightly wrapped packages!

Being part of an intermarried couple, I now have a commitment to honoring the traditions of both of our families. Sitting in a place of honor in our living room is a small Christmas tree, unobtrusively decorated. We’ve talked about finding some chrismons for decorating it next year, to highlight the importance to us of Christ’s life and ministry. In the window is a menorah, and a string of Hanukkah lights in the shape of menorahs, dreidels, and Stars of David. This is a house where the identity crisis has been laid to rest. As a Jew, I am comfortable with my faith in Christ, and I am comfortable with expressing it with both Jewish and Christian symbols. As a Gentile, my wife insists that we honor my Jewish heritage and her Christian upbringing equally.

As I ponder December, I’m struck by something about both Christmas and Hanukkah. Both holidays represent the Lord’s faithfulness in keeping his promises, and both holidays show us how the Lord brings light into darkness. During a very dark period for the Jewish people, God kept His promise to defend and preserve the children of Israel. Through Judah Maccabee, the Lord drove off those who would destroy the Jewish people. The miracle of the oil is symbolic of the light of God’s glory shining forth. And what is Christmas, what is the Incarnation but the ultimate example of God’s light shining forth in the darkness? For those who trust in Jesus, the darkness in their heart is driven away, and they become the temple in which God’s Spirit abides.

As my wife and I prepare to celebrate Hanukkah, the Feast of Lights, we will remember the words of Jesus Himself as He declared,

“I am the Light of the World.” John 9:5

and as Christmas comes, we will remember that we are celebrating the birth of our promised Savior – the ultimate rescue mission by God on our behalf!

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

Thanksgiving and Grace

2007-11-23T11:25:00.000-08:00

The big meal was eaten, the football game was watched (Green Bay vs. Detroit, in our case), there was catching up with family and friends. There are heaps of leftovers to be savored for a few days. For some, that will be swiftly followed by an internal shudder at the thought of eating yet more turkey!

My wife Kathleen and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving at the home of some of our Jews for Jesus CLIMs, who invited us to join them for the day, along with the current Liberated Wailing Wall. We had a wonderful time of fellowship before Kathleen and I began a long drive home. I went to sleep with my belly still comfortably full, and it wasn't until the alarm clock went off this morning that I realized just how tired I am from the day past. Yet if you asked me if I regretted a moment of it, I would say not even for an instant.

For followers of Jesus, being thankful isn't something for which we should really need a federally mandated holiday. Thankfulness is something that ought to flow naturally out of our love for and relationship with Y'shua. David Brickner once reflected on the nature of thankfulness,

"To be truly thankful, we have to acknowledge the source of every good thing: we have to realize that our health, our family, any abundance—even luxuries we may have—are from God. Moreover, we have not earned His blessings, but He lovingly chose to bestow them. Each gift from God, whether it is a new house or a new friend, shows that the Giver knows who we are and what has meaning and value to us. When we are truly thankful, we can't help knowing and declaring that God is so much better to us than we deserve."

Ideally, giving thanks is so much more than just a chance to worship God, to express our gratitude to Him for His presence and provision in our lives. For the mature believer in Jesus, thanksgiving is also an exercise in humility. When we truly give thanks to God, we are speaking to Him from a position in which we acknowledge how utterly dependent upon Him we are. It is hard to be centered upon yourself, to be full of pride, when you are in the midst of declaring that everything you have that is good came from the Lord, and that it's much, much more than you deserve.

Why is this the proper attitude with which to come before God? Because there is a link between our humility and God's grace. King Solomon understood this link well, writing,

"He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble." (Proverbs 3:34)

Each person who has placed their trust in God's own Son, Jesus, has received this grace, and therefore has great reason to be thankful. I am sure that each one reading this has their own personal list of things to be thankful for. For myself, I am thankful for being able to see just how real God is over this past year. Last year at this time, my wife was troubled by health problems serious enough that we probably couldn't have even considered a lengthy drive to spend Thanksgiving Day in the company of friends. Yet over the past year God has answered our prayers on her behalf. Since that time, we've been able to move from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale, causing an immediate improvement in my wife's health. As I've watched her grow healthier and stronger, as my wife and I have turned to Him during minor and major storms in our lives, I know that God is real indeed, and that He provides for those who humbly trust in Him. I am thankful indeed for His provision and presence in our lives!

As we move now into the holiday season, with Hanukkah and Christmas soon swift upon us, I hope you will take the time to remember to be thankful for the grace of God in your life. Hanukkah is sometimes known as the Feast of Lights, and as a Jewish believer in Jesus I greet the upcoming eight days of Hanukkah as a chance to celebrate the Light of the World. Soon after that comes Christmas, and what better demonstration of the grace of God but that He sent His very own Son to live among us?

Chime in here on the comments. What are you thankful for? How has God extended His grace to you this year?

NO BARS TO HEAVEN, MR DEAN?

2007-11-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

Recently, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean was addressing 3,500 Jewish leaders at the General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities. During his address Dean asserted that “there are no bars to heaven for anybody.”

“Dean’s comments followed an address by the University of Tennessee's head basketball coach, Bruce Pearl, who told the crowd that as a Jewish student in public schools, he always felt uncomfortable when he was playing sports and his team's pre game prayers would end with an invocation to Jesus.”

Dean’s speech was an overtly political one, charging that the Democratic Party is religiously inclusive, and the Republican Party is not only exclusive but racist.

"This country is not a theocracy," Dean said, according to JTA. "There are fundamental differences between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party believes that everybody in this room ought to be comfortable being an American Jew, not just an American; that there are no bars to heaven for anybody; that we are not a one-religion nation; and that no child or member of a football team ought to be able to cringe at the last line of a prayer before going onto the field."

I shy away from bringing up politics on this blog, for the simple reason that it’s not the point of the blog. Now, no one that I know of would point to Howard Dean as a theologian, but his statement doesn’t hold up to Jewish OR Christian theology! Over at A Goy for Jesus, Jews for Jesus friend Geoff Robinson had this to say in response:

“I hate to break the news to Howard Dean. There are bars on heaven keeping people out. It isn't based on race. It is based on sin.
God is holy. His Law condemns us. We lie, steal, and covet. We don't honor our parents as we should. We don't love our neighbor nor our God with all our heart.
And our only hope is the grace of God made manifest to us in Jesus the Messiah. If we do not trust in Him, we are doomed and will find bars to heaven. No matter what Howard Dean may tell you.”

I think Geoff has nailed it right on the head. While Howard Dean is certainly entitled to express his opinions and beliefs on the nature of Heaven (and how one gains admission to it), his statement that there are no bars to heaven simply doesn’t line up with the Word of God.

The Hebrew Scriptures make some things perfectly clear. One of these is that our sins separate us from God.

“your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” Isaiah 59:2

The Scriptures also make pretty clear that this is a problem for ALL of us, not just a few.

“Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.” Ecclesiastes 7:20

As if being separated from God by our sin wasn’t bad enough, God has made very clear that there’s a further price to be paid for our sins.

“Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.” Ezekiel 18:4

Try as we might, there is nothing we can do by our own power to overcome our separation from God.

“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” Isaiah 64:6

God DID provide a means that our sin could be paid for, a way that death could be avoided. That means was blood sacrifice.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.” Leviticus 17:11

The blood of animals could only atone for sin for a short time, however. Thankfully, God loves you and I enough that He was willing to provide a sacrifice that would atone for our sin once and for all time. God sacrificed His own Son, Jesus, who lived a perfect, sinless life. His blood has paid the price for our sin.

“But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:10,11

Jesus made clear that there was only one way to Heaven, and that was through a relationship with Him.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6

Howard Dean apparently believes Heaven is a place to which ANYONE can gain admission. To that, there’s only one response:

“the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:14

THE VIRGIN BIRTH: MESSIANIC PROPHECY or MISTRANSLATION?

2007-11-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

Comments from “Goldenberg” on my last post, “Equal Weights and Measures” and “Arnie” on my post “Rejoicing in The Word” raise questions about the virgin birth of Jesus. Both of them raise questions concerning Isaiah 7:14, quoted in the Gospel of Matthew.

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

In reference to this, “Arnie” had this to say,

“in the tanach is 14;7 the word is not virgin. the word almah is used which means young girl who may or may not be a virgin. if the word betulah had been used it absolutely means virgin. seeing that the christian translation in matthew is virgin that is 100% wrong.one would think thatis such an important verse the word betulah would have been used.”

While “Goldenberg” commented,

“Nowhere in the Tanakh it’s sad that a virgin will give birth to a child. If you translate properly from Hebrew you’ll note that it’s about a young girl but not necessarily a virgin. How do you deal with this major issue?”

Both of them are articulating a very common Jewish objection to Jesus, so it seems right to ask: is there any truth to what Arnie and Goldenberg claim? Is Isaiah 7:14 really a messianic prophecy regarding the virgin birth of Jesus, or is it merely a mistranslation? Let’s take a look at the meanings of the Hebrew words in question: almah and betulah.

The word almah is not a common one in the Hebrew Scriptures. In fact, it appears only 10 times. In six of these instances, the plural alamot is used, and the singular almah appears in the remaining four. In the ten places in which almah appears it is usually translated as “maiden,” and describes a young woman who is of age to marry, yet is not married. All of this would seem to support Jewish objections that Christian translators have botched it, but closer examination will reveal that this is not the case.

It is true that almah does not explicitly refer to virginity. Yet in none of the 10 passages from the Hebrew Scriptures which contain almah does it refer to a young woman who is married at that time. Consider that in the Biblical period, a young Jewish woman of age to marry would have been presumed to be virginal. Let’s examine some of the other verses of Scripture in which almah appears.

• “Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;” Genesis 24:43

In reference to Rebekah, the Hebrew almah is translated as “virgin.”

• “Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go ahead." So the girl went and called the child's mother.” Exodus 2:8

“The girl” in this passage is Miriam, the sister of Moses. She is referred to with the Hebrew almah, and both Jewish commentators and the historian Josephus speak of her as being only 10 or 12 years of age. Although women did marry early in the Biblical period, it doesn't seem logical to believe she was anything but a virgin at this point in the narrative.

• “Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, your name is ointment poured forth; therefore the virgins love you.” Song of Solomon 1:3

This passage uses the plural alamot, which Jewish commentators often translate as “virgins.” Consistency of usage argues that the use of almah in Isaiah 7:14 means "virgin." Some Jewish objectors – such as Arnie and Goldenberg – like to claim that this is a Christian mistranslation, while the correct (and Jewish) translation is “young woman.” The ancient rabbis who translated the Septuagint (a translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek) certainly did not seem to think this, since when they translated Isaiah 7:14 they rendered almah as parthenos, a Greek word which unequivocally means “virgin” -- NOT "young woman." Dr. Cyrus Gordon, a scholar of semitics, argues that the Christian translation rests on this Jewish translation.

“The commonly held view that "virgin" is Christian, whereas "young woman" is Jewish is not quite true. The fact is that the Septuagint, which is the Jewish translation made in pre-Christian Alexandria, takes almah to mean "virgin" here. Accordingly, the New Testament follows Jewish interpretation in Isaiah 7:14. Therefore, the New Testament rendering of almah as "virgin" for Isaiah 7:14 rests on the older Jewish interpretation, which in turn is now borne out for precisely this annunciation formula by a text that is not only pre-Isaianic but is pre-Mosaic in the form that we now have it on a clay tablet.”

Gordon, Cyrus H., Almah in Isaiah 7:14, The Journal of Bible & Religion, Vol. 21(April 1953), p. 106.

When objectors argue against Isaiah 7:14 as a Messianic prophecy that refers to the virgin birth of Jesus, they often do so by claiming that if Isaiah had meant “virgin” instead of “young woman,” then the prophet would have used a different Hebrew word meaning virgin: betulah.

How well does this argument hold up? Let’s examine some of the usage of betulah to find out. The Hebrew scriptures speak of two types of betulot (virgins). One is the sense of the true virgin. The other is what is called the betulah m'orashah, or the “betrothed virgin.” We see an example of this in Deuteronomy 22, where the virgin in a state of betrothal is referred to as the man’s isha, or wife. This would seem to argue against betulah having the singular meaning of “virgin.”

Let’s take a look at some other passages of Scripture which use the term betulah, and see if they uphold the argument that Arnie and Goldenberg present.

• "And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up." Genesis 24:15-16

In this passage, Rebekah is referred to with the term betulah, but note carefully that this is immediately qualified with the phrase, “neither had any man known her.” If betulah unquestionably was understood to mean “virgin,” why would it have been necessary to add, “neither had any man known her?”

• "Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth." Joel 1:8

In this verse, the prophet uses betulah in a highly unusual context, which one would not expect to associate with virginity. It’s been suggested by some commentators that this refers to a virgin who was betrothed to be married, but that her betrothed died before the union could be consummated. However, the verse uses the Hebrew ba’al in reference to the husband, and in the Hebrew Scriptures ba’al never refers to a betrothed man, only a married man. Context therefore argues that betulah was referring to a married woman.

It would seem that there are problems defending the accusation that the rendering of almah as “virgin” is a Christian mistranslation. It would also seem that the argument that the prophet Isaiah would have used betulah if he was referring to a virgin does not hold up well to scrutiny. In fact, one could argue that had Isaiah done so, critics might have had much more ammunition to argue that he is not referring to a miraculous, virgin birth.

I would imagine that the translators of the Septuagint had good reason to translate almah as parthenos, sending the clear message that Isaiah meant a virgin would give birth. Those translators didn’t have a theological stance they were trying to defend, they were just trying to be faithful to the text and to translate it as accurately as they were able.

The objection that critics such as Arnie and Goldenberg raise, on the other hand, is based on a pre-determined stance: that Christian scholars have purposefully mistranslated the words of Isaiah, and that the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus was never even foretold. In my opinion, it’s a shame that it’s not an objection based on an honest examination of the Scriptures.