ISRAEL UPDATEOctober 5, 2003 - October 6, 2003 marks the 30th anniversary of the combined Egyptian/Syrian surprise attack against Israel on Yom Kippur, the most solemn and important Holy day of Judaism.
So bent was this Arab onslaught on Israel's destruction that Muslim religious leaders had absolved their troops from the required fasting mandated for the Muslim holy day of Ramadan.
While Israelis gathered in synagogues, homes and even in military outposts – obedient to their religious practices – the attack that came nearly cost the Jewish nation its existence.
On September 13, 1993, Israeli and Palestinian leaders signed the Oslo Accords. This was right around the time that more Jewish Holy day observances started. We have seen more Israelis killed in the first five years of that “peace accord”, then in the 15 years previous.
The current Intifadah started during this same time of year, September of 2000 – as weddings, bar mitzvahs, Purim Festivals, Passover Seders, and even trips to the Wailing Wall by observant Jews had been occurring. They were met with the spray of automatic weapons, bombs exploding, the cries of wounded and the silence of their dead.
While under control of the Palestinians, Joseph's Tomb was torn down brick by brick, set on fire, and the ancient Torah scrolls and all other written material destroyed forever.
In an age where people cry for peace, demand concessions and sanctions to secure that peace, and badger Israel - perhaps we should review the calendar - especially the past 30 years. This would cause us to realize that Islam is not a religion of peace and tolerance, and the Road Map peace plan has only widened the road of destruction through the very heart of Jewish existence – treating their religious practices with total disregard, malice and contempt.
October 5, 2003 - Are Christians under, or bound to the Law that has referred to multiple times in both the Old and New Testaments?
The most practical approach would come not in conceptual thinking, but rather from scriptural application.
If we look at the Greek word for Law, Nomos, we see that it has a harsh, strict, indicting connotation . . . opposite to the concept of Old Testament patriarchs and New Testament believers.
Yet if we look at the Hebrew word for Law, Torah, we see the exact opposite connotation to its Greek counterpart.
The word Torah (Law), Moreh (Teacher), and Horeh (Parent) - all have the same root word Yarah, a soft feminine noun which means to teach, guide, or instruct.
It also means to shoot an arrow to hit the mark. So the concept of Torah or Law defines the very nature of G-d manifested through the life and ministry of Jesus. This should be our model to live and operate by.
While many would like to claim that the Apostle Paul abandoned his Jewish theology and criticized the Law, his statement in Philippians 3:14, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of G-d in Christ Jesus.", would speak differently.
Paul, through the Torah, realized how to utilize its teachings, guidance, and instruction of the Law to his benefit. He walked in grace, achieving the goal of the prize of the upward call. The following of the Torah was truly of benefit to Paul – as it can be to all of us.
To be continued . . .