Gods Sabbath » jew

Parashat VaYikra – And he called – Shabbat Reading and Commentary

Eric — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:02:38 +0000

Lecha Dodi, Shabbat Song:

Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26 and Isaiah 43:21-44:23

Commentary by Michael Schneider, israel today, Jerusalem:
This week we entered the Hebrew month Nisan that according to the Bible is the first month of the year. Meaning that we had this week the Biblical New Year, and unfortunetly not from many it is noticed because the Jews today are going after the rabbinical tradition and celebrating New Year at the 1st Tishrei, Rosh HaShana (original Feast of the sound of the trumpets).

In the word “Nisan” we find the Hebrew word “Nes” which means “miracle”. Indeed, this is a special month in which the greatest of all miracles took place for the Jewish people: the freedom and redemption of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt – that’s why we remember it even more than 3300 years later throu the feast of Passover. May this “Nisan” truly be a month of miracles for everyone in all aspects of life.

Not only had we started a new month and year but also a new book of the Torah: Leviticus that is called also the “Torat Cohanim” the Law of the Priests where we find all the strict ordinaces of services at the temple, sanctuary (tabernacle) and sacrifies.

Although it is a not-easy book, and even some will say an irrelevant because we don’t have a temple and sacrifies ritual anymore, I urge all Believers to read it in a spiritual sense. Is our body not His sanctuary and temple? Should it and our life not be a living sacrifice to our LORD?

Greeting Card PURIM – for Jews and all who would join them

Eric — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:21:21 +0000

Purim 2010: February 28 – March 1. For technical reasons we cannot bring this year’s Purim greeting card online in time. On our homepage, however, you get an impression of this year’s sujet. Write us an e-mail. Then we will send you this picture in high definition, that you can print it out and send it in time to your friends.
The Text is: …for Jews and all who would join them PURIM

Shabbat Hanukkah and VA’YESHEV – He, Jacob, lived – Reading and Commentary

Eric — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:36:00 +0000

Hallel; Genesis 37:1 – 40:23; Numbers 7:1-17; Numbers 28:9-15; Zechariah 2:14 – 4.7

Abstract of the Commentary by Michael Schneider,
israel today, Jerusalem:
In our Torah portion, ‘Va‘Yeshev,’ last year, we discussed Joseph. Through Joseph’s brother’s rejection, he was sent to Egypt where he attained status of being second to Pharaoh and regarded as a deity. The Egyptians also used the concept of the trinity with three Pharaoh’s. He became a stranger to his brothers because he was now ‘Egyptian’ and they could not recognize him.

David, like Joseph has a similar story. Both were shepherds and despised by their brothers. Samuel anointed David as king at 17, but it wasn’t until age 30 when he reigned over Israel. Joseph’s life in Egypt began at 17, but he didn’t sit ‘at the right hand’ of Pharaoh until 30. Both, Joseph and David, were sons from another mother, which Jewish scholars claim was the reason for David’s ‘red’ look and why “Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons…”

Chapter 38 interrupts with a different story: the deceitful affair between Judah and Tamar, his daughter-in-law. Judah, in the chapter before intervenes and saves his brother’s life (37:26-27). One interpretation says it’s the reason his descendants are of the royal line in the kingdom of Israel. Judah (where the word ‘Jew – yehudi’ comes from) desired for his sons to produce offspring so they could continue his forefather’s blessing.

When Judah’s oldest son, Er, passed away, his wife Tamar was given to Onan. “Lie with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother” (38:8). But, after Onan died, Judah told Tamar to go back to her father’s home until the third son Shela grew up.

Many years passed and the agreement was forgotten. But, when Tamar saw her father-in-law she sought revenge. She took off her widow’s clothes (38:14), which were a sign she was waiting for Judah to fulfill his promise, and covered her face so he couldn’t recognize her. Once protected from evil she was now covered with the mask of sin and deceit. Out of rage and revenge she dressed like a prostitute and Judah fell into ‘her snare’ (Proverbs 7).

Once her sin was made known, Judah confessed, “She is right, I am to blame.” Tamar went on to give birth to – again – twins, Peretz and Zerach (38:25 – 26). Again, the younger (Peretz) struggled to be born first, like with Esau and Jacob.

Another similarity we find is that Tamar shows Judah his three belongings: his ring, cord and staff. She says, “Recognize please…” (Hebrew haker-na; 38:25), which reminds us of the same words used in the chapter before as Judah himself deceived his father with Joseph’s coat and said: “Recognize please…” (37:32). What Judah did to his father through deceit Tamar did to him.

We can ask ourselves why the LORD allowed the marriage to be ‘legitimate’ even though it was incest and allow the heirs to be a part of the Messianic line of David? God allowed it to happen! Tamar even became one of the four ‘non-Jewish’ mothers along with Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba.

That was answered in our reading in Zechariah 2:14-16: “Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the LORD… “The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.”

Hanukkah – Seasons Greetings for the Holy Feast of Lights

Eric — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:19:18 +0000

Seasons Greetings, personal stories as Greetings for these Seasons instead of posting cards with heathen Christmas motives, is as I find, more than just a wonderful tradition of our Anglo-Saxon friends. It is suitable to the season, the contemplative time between the Feast of Lights “Hanukkah” and the heartily expected new – a promise pointing towards the fulfillment of our longing for peace. God, what did You have in mind with this?

Eternal peace between Christians and Jews, or even more? …Meditate about holy matters! Suddenly stands that, what belongs to God (in the Bible called „holy“), in opposition to what mankind made for herself, made herself sanctified. To celebrate my self-made feasts, but am I happy with it, without God? HIS feasts – for Ever holy – HE has called them „moed“ in the Bible/Tanach, which means translated stated appointments. Was it not me myself, who stated new times, on which I wanted to have „a date“ with HIM and wonder now, that HE does not turn up and simply no peace will enter me – and where is the „peace on Earth“?

HE is already here, in you, everything premeditated from the glorious Creator God before all time, in unsearchable love, if we just want to recognize the beauty of His thoughts. For instance, there is Friday – Shabbat – Sunday. Friday has been sanctified by the Ishmaelites to be their holy day, the Christians the Sunday. And in between lies – some day reconciling – the Holy Day of God. Actually from the beginning, as the creation history (Genesis 2:3) shows, He gave „complete rest“ (hebr. Shabbat) for all mankind. Could one not conclude, that Christianity moved as much away from God, as the Ishmaelites? Listen to God:

“In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.” (Isaiah 19:23-25) – New Jerusalem, did you not feel it? Is „you longing“ not even finding home in every name of God? Pastor Rolf Piller had once the joy to translate some of them (Names of God, PDF).

We wish you a peaceful season, a shining kind light, a soul that touches your longing desire and shares it with you, as well as a blessed start into 2008.

Shabbat Ekev – Sabbath Readings and Video Commentary

Eric — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:34:01 +0000

Deuteronomy 7:12 till 11:25; Haftara: Isaiah 49:14 till 51:3

How is it possible that the Torah commands us something which is depending upon a person’s heard, depending upon a person’s emotion? Can God command us how to feel? The love that every Jew feels for God is part of us, is part of the essences of who we are, is very close to the surface!
Watch video commentary by Rabbi Richman from The Temple Institute:

Shabbat Shalom

From the true feast of Passah: Are you a Jewess, a Jew?

Martienssen Eric C. — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:45:08 +0000

A story, how it could have really happened, a story written to comfort all those having lost a parent by death or parental divorce. May you know that there is someone who cares and will never forsake you like human fathers or mothers are sometimes forced to do. By Eric Martienssen.

Isn`t it strange, that grown-ups kneeling under the cross, often have such heavy hearts? While I am doing so, I always feel reminded to the strong, blessing arms of my heavenly Father. You wanna know why? – By the way, my name is Saskia Fee. The latter name means fairy. Of course I am not a real fairy, it is just how my father used to call me by my name (Isaiah 43:1). I am a teenager of 16 years now and I like to take you back with me into the time of my early childhood to an event that should change my whole life.

It was Good Friday´s Eve in 1996. This time, both, the Jewish feast of Passah and the Christian Easter were celebrated in the same week. This is necessary to mention as you will see later on.

I was four years of age and awoke by my mother´s loud quarreling voice that made me run to the window. It was dusk when I had a glance on the veranda downstairs. My brother Patric Steven, four years older than me and my little two years younger sister Bea Sissy were already fast asleep – sleeping peacefully like in Abraham´s bosom, not realizing what was going on. In the reddish light of the sunset, I perceived my mother´s shouting words at my father: “You will never, never, never see your children again!”

Did I get it right? I should never ever see my beloved father again, whom I loved more than anyone else in the world? At that time with my innocent childish heart it had been difficult to imagine how my mother intended to separate us from our father for good.

Today I know that she obviously used a rather approved mean – having happened so many times before in the run of history – to get father / Father out of children’s life. As I learned later on he had had a personal experience with the “Man from Galilee”, slain for all mankind, its sin and burden (Isaiah 53). So my mother, not able to consider my father’s faith, went to her “holy church” and had my father and his belief in an expert opinion declared as potentially mentally disturbed. This was even confirmed in a court procedure, claiming “in the name of the German people” that he could be a danger for his children!” And that is all!”

Over the years I had become a teenager, yet I suffered more and more from the loss of my father, missing him dreadfully. One of these days the longing for him became so strong, that I had a daydream. In fact, to me this event became so real, that I consider it as an answer, given to me by the One who promised to care for all the shattered souls and orphans, which I am – at least partly.

So in this daydream, I learned to know a boy. He was very handsome, had strong arms, lightblue eyes – just like my father – and a heart of gold, almost divine, I thought. The only disadvantage was his poverty and beyond this – he was a Jew.

In spite of this, I liked, yes loved him with all my heart, a daily more and more and deeper getting feeling overcame me. Although my mother asked me – a protestant girl – not to associate with such a boy, we met secretly.

It didn`t take much time, while playing outdoors, I came to know his friends. We used to meet out of the town close to a huge sparkling lake that seemed to be made of glass. My friend and his eleven companions were just like he himself from the tribes of Israel. My friend belonged to the one of Judah and all the others had each their origin in the remaining tribes. With longing hearts they uttered the name of the “New Jerusalem”.

Far behind the glassy lake, there was something like a mountain. In the bright light of the sun it looked like a golden throne. My friend explained, that this was the place, where his father lives and kept on to introduce himself to me as my brother, eagerly waiting to show me his loving father. First I hesitated, but then the day came and I agreed to meet him.

Although this meeting had taken place only for a while, I yet felt in my childlike soul that I had touched eternity, something that lasts forever.

My brother said a single sentence to his father: „Father, this is your child, MY sister”, then in the short time everything was completed, I had become a Jewess, an adopted one. “What an amazing grace”, I thought.

Having returned from my heavenly Father, we played new games. (Rev. 21:1 ff) My favourite one was called “Promise on earth”. We used to play it only once a week – on the “holy Sabbath”. Each time twelve siblings from the twelve tribes of Ishmael joined us. On the past earth in former times they used to keep their holy day on a Friday and with it they served a different God than the God of Israel, just like my former family kept the Sunday as their holy day. With contemplative heart I was pondering about Friday – Shabbat – Sunday. Has the ‘Forever Holy’ from the beginning on had been laid right in the centre, visible for everybody but than again such hidden until the Messiah comes? However, together we twentyfour (12 Israel + 12 Ishmael) united tribes danced around a tree, which my friend and brother called “The tree of life”.

He said, there was a day to come, when He would adopt every human being, longing with all their heart, strength and soul for being set free from the slavery of the church and other idols. I wept with joy, for after all this time I again had a father. I hugged my brother, who dried all my tears with the most wonderful words I had ever heard.

Pessach 5768 (2008):

This story is dedicated to you, my son,
and my beloved daughters, wherever you may live. Have faith!
I want you to know:
real love never ends. I, Eric Martienssen, am your father and never stop thinking about nor praying for you.
And let it be a dream or not. Nothing is impossible to those who believe in HIM.
So I like to greet you with my Jewish heart and hope to see you once again, maybe:
Next year in Jerusalem.

Out of Zion Ministries, Israel

Martienssen Eric C. — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 07:56:33 +0000

Josie (Christian), wife of the messianic evangelist David Silver
Haifa, IL-34792
Out of Zion Ministries

Read a personal note from Josie…