Israel Blog #5: Faith Perspectives 1: Judaism

It was interesting to get real exposure to Jewish culture.  There are religious roots, and there is a huge religious aspect to the culture, from the government, to the artwork, to the Bible being used as a textbook, to the religious holidays celebrated by all Jews.  Even so, a large percentage of Jews in Israel are secular.  I have thought about this for awhile, because logically this does not compute to me.  As I've learned more, I'm starting to understand that even though I worship Elohim just as the Jews do, my understanding and their understanding of God are much different.  Their historical development paints a much different picture of God than my view as a Christian redeemed through faith in the fulfillment of God's promise through Jesus Christ.  After seeing the Jewish people in Israel, I also have a better appreciation that Jews feel a connectedness to the land.  Though they were dispersed throughout the nations for many generations, Israel is their home, and it is the home that God gave them.  There was a sense of camaraderie from the Jews, a sense that "were in this together," and "Jews looking out for Jews."  It was a sense of community that they have as an ethnic group that spans religious lines.  Seeing the tightness and closed protection of the Jewish culture gives me a better understanding of how revolutionary it was when God spoke through Paul that: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)

On the religious front, it was very interesting to visit the Western Wall on the Sabbath.  The religious Jews are working toward the rebuilding of the temple, which they believe will lead to the coming of Messiah.  Ironically, this lines up Christian dispensational end times theology, where the tribulation and the return of Jesus Christ will happen after the temple is rebuilt.  The Jews mean business.  They are starting to gather and build the temple items in anticipation of the rebuilding of the temple.  We saw one of these items in the Old City:

Pure gold Menorah, to be placed in Third Temple 

Even though Jewish culture is very fascinating, I'm still sad that they don't see that their Messiah has come.  It was through faith that Abraham was made righteous.  Those are the words in Genesis.  Jesus Christ fulfilled all of the prophecies of the Old Testament.  Even so, most Jews have either rejected God or don't see that Jesus is their Messiah.  My prayer for them is that they come to see the truth, and have faith in the one who saves.