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Galatians 3:29 says hat if we are Christ’s then we are Abraham’s and as such we are his heirs according to the promise that God made to him. God’s Promise to Abraham is that He will set Abraham and his offspring above all people, and He will love them and ensure that they prosper before anyone else, because Abraham and his offspring will be His people. The Promise that God made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 comes with no strings attached, no obligations because of dead works; it’s as if God’s promise just fell in Abraham’s lap. Happens every week, right? What a deal, no?
And when the Hebrews were enslaved, God freed them and showed them the way to the Promised land. Again, at that point there are no strings attached. But then, on the way to the Promised Land, the Hebrews sinned, doing things such as making a golden calf to worship while Moses was on Mt. Sinai. Then, God puts his foot down and lays on the Hebrews around 500-600 laws they had to follow. And if they abide by these Laws, God will bless them and make them prosper as He provides in Deuteronomy 28.
Later on, God appears in the world through Jesus, and offers everyone, the Jews included, eternal life if they live according to Jesus. As Lord Jesus made plain, the way to God is the way that God offered to the Jews, with Laws and all. Did not Jesus say to Satan in Matthew 4:4 that man does not live by bread alone, but from EVERY WORD THAT COMES FROM GOD? Since Jesus says this before all other Books in the New Testament are written, it is reasonable to presume that the Word of God is what is written in the Old Testament, Laws and all.
But after Lord Jesus leaves the earth, the conditions for receiving God’s Grace become modified. We are told, for instance, in Hebrews 6:1-6 to leave the elementary doctrine of Christ, which includes God’s Word from the Old Testament. Hebrews 6:3 says that we will do this if God permits. Subsequent verses say that God will permit this if we are enlightened as to His good Works, which essentially means we can abide in His Goodness without concerning ourselves with the Laws that God laid down to the Hebrews.
It seems then, that the Christians have gotten the better deal, since whereas it is the Jews’ understanding that they must abide by all those Laws, even the so -called ceremonial ones, it is the understanding of Christians to just do what is good, with no Laws or other strings attached, and God will confer His Grace on them. Thus, we are not required to fast, we can work and mow our lawns on the Sabbath, we can eat rolls during Passover week, and we don’t have to set aside a day for Atonement or a day to pay tribute to God. Under the Christian doctrine, we can expect God to provide alot for us, provided we act out of goodness in His Name and with eachother. From God’s perspective, I guess, THIS is what the art of the deal should be!
There is a certain irony here, though. Things like The Inquisition and the Crusades were hard on the Jews. Why? Because the way those involved saw it, the Jews were not abiding in Jesus. They went after Jews because the Jewish conception of goodness under God incudes abiding by God’s Laws. What other reason could there be?
Some may say that those of The Inquisition and the Crusades took it upon themselves to punish the Jews for the sins they committed which gave rise to all those Laws they have to abide by. But who are they to Judge? Consider what those of The Inquisition and the Crusades did. They killed Jews in a premeditative manor, not in self-defense. Did God not say “Thou Shalt not murder?” They destroyed property. Did God not say in Genesis to be fruitful? The heart of God’s Goodness involves being fruitful and multiplying, and the Inquisition and the Crusades interfered with both. As such they sinned. But did not Jesus in Matthew 7 infer to not hold someone accountable for a speck they have in their eye when you have a log in yours?
Unfortunately, it has become fashionable to be antisemitic. But the rationalizations to being antisemitic on the basis of how God treats the Hebrews in the four Books of the Old Testament after Genesis are just plain wrong. And while the Jews were suffering in concentration camps run by the Germans in the last century, the families of those Germans, along with other Christians of the world celebrated Christmas with mistletoes, presents, games and all other things that make Christmas nice. Here too, is a sort of irony which is hard to explain so all can understand.
The sins of the Hebrews enroute to the Promised Land, pales in comparison to the sins that things the Inquisition, the Crusades and the Holocaust committed against the Jews. After all, if God made closure on the Hebrews’ sins by allowing them and their offspring to continue existing, then who are those who call themselves Christians to exact a more severe sentence on the Jews? Indeed, all things considered, we who are in Christ have the better end of the deal.
And when the Hebrews were enslaved, God freed them and showed them the way to the Promised land. Again, at that point there are no strings attached. But then, on the way to the Promised Land, the Hebrews sinned, doing things such as making a golden calf to worship while Moses was on Mt. Sinai. Then, God puts his foot down and lays on the Hebrews around 500-600 laws they had to follow. And if they abide by these Laws, God will bless them and make them prosper as He provides in Deuteronomy 28.
Later on, God appears in the world through Jesus, and offers everyone, the Jews included, eternal life if they live according to Jesus. As Lord Jesus made plain, the way to God is the way that God offered to the Jews, with Laws and all. Did not Jesus say to Satan in Matthew 4:4 that man does not live by bread alone, but from EVERY WORD THAT COMES FROM GOD? Since Jesus says this before all other Books in the New Testament are written, it is reasonable to presume that the Word of God is what is written in the Old Testament, Laws and all.
But after Lord Jesus leaves the earth, the conditions for receiving God’s Grace become modified. We are told, for instance, in Hebrews 6:1-6 to leave the elementary doctrine of Christ, which includes God’s Word from the Old Testament. Hebrews 6:3 says that we will do this if God permits. Subsequent verses say that God will permit this if we are enlightened as to His good Works, which essentially means we can abide in His Goodness without concerning ourselves with the Laws that God laid down to the Hebrews.
It seems then, that the Christians have gotten the better deal, since whereas it is the Jews’ understanding that they must abide by all those Laws, even the so -called ceremonial ones, it is the understanding of Christians to just do what is good, with no Laws or other strings attached, and God will confer His Grace on them. Thus, we are not required to fast, we can work and mow our lawns on the Sabbath, we can eat rolls during Passover week, and we don’t have to set aside a day for Atonement or a day to pay tribute to God. Under the Christian doctrine, we can expect God to provide alot for us, provided we act out of goodness in His Name and with eachother. From God’s perspective, I guess, THIS is what the art of the deal should be!
There is a certain irony here, though. Things like The Inquisition and the Crusades were hard on the Jews. Why? Because the way those involved saw it, the Jews were not abiding in Jesus. They went after Jews because the Jewish conception of goodness under God incudes abiding by God’s Laws. What other reason could there be?
Some may say that those of The Inquisition and the Crusades took it upon themselves to punish the Jews for the sins they committed which gave rise to all those Laws they have to abide by. But who are they to Judge? Consider what those of The Inquisition and the Crusades did. They killed Jews in a premeditative manor, not in self-defense. Did God not say “Thou Shalt not murder?” They destroyed property. Did God not say in Genesis to be fruitful? The heart of God’s Goodness involves being fruitful and multiplying, and the Inquisition and the Crusades interfered with both. As such they sinned. But did not Jesus in Matthew 7 infer to not hold someone accountable for a speck they have in their eye when you have a log in yours?
Unfortunately, it has become fashionable to be antisemitic. But the rationalizations to being antisemitic on the basis of how God treats the Hebrews in the four Books of the Old Testament after Genesis are just plain wrong. And while the Jews were suffering in concentration camps run by the Germans in the last century, the families of those Germans, along with other Christians of the world celebrated Christmas with mistletoes, presents, games and all other things that make Christmas nice. Here too, is a sort of irony which is hard to explain so all can understand.
The sins of the Hebrews enroute to the Promised Land, pales in comparison to the sins that things the Inquisition, the Crusades and the Holocaust committed against the Jews. After all, if God made closure on the Hebrews’ sins by allowing them and their offspring to continue existing, then who are those who call themselves Christians to exact a more severe sentence on the Jews? Indeed, all things considered, we who are in Christ have the better end of the deal.
