Newbie with a question

[LadyC]

Pray4Israel, I sent you a private message regarding this already....

I have a friend who is Jewish... Not Messianic Jew, but of the traditional sort, I'm not sure what that is called. I don't think she's Orthodox, but anyway, the point is, she posed a question regarding Genesis. She believes the "writers" of the OT messed up because the hebrew word "Elohim" is a plural form of the word G-D. Her question is were there more than one god in the beginning.

I know very little about the differences between Messianic Jews and Christians, as far as their belief, other than that we both agree that Jesus is the Messiah. I'm guessing that you probably also believe that God existed in three persons from the beginning, The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

How can I help her understand this without blowing it?

 

[LadyC]

nobody has any suggestions?

 

[Henaynei]

nobody has any suggestions?

Shalom LadyC,

I don't think anyone is ignoring you - be patient

Responses to this take time to think out clearly

Blessings in His Name
Henaynei

 

[LadyC]

thanks! patience is one of those virtues i long to have LOL, but i'll keep checking back

 

[Sabian]

I have alot of post here on EL and ELOHIM.

You might want to go back and read some former post.

But I can only show you what I believe?

 

[simchat_torah]

She believes the "writers" of the OT messed up because the hebrew word "Elohim" is a plural form of the word G-D. Her question is were there more than one god in the beginning.

I have a lot of catching up to do... with me making promises of research delving into various rabbinical quotes, etc...

With that in mind, please have patience, but I will try to get to this soon.

For now, let me say that this very topic has been discussed in Judaism down through history quite a bit. Most rabbis see this as a plurality of G-d's nature, not of his persons as expressed in christianity.
The many spirits, or attributes, of G-d explain the plural form of Elohim in Hebrew.

Shalom,
Yafet.

 

[SonWorshipper]

Have you asked her what her definition of Echad is?

 

[LadyC]

Echad? I'm showing my ignorance of Judaism here, which is ever-so-embarrassing. I've never heard of the word, so naturally I didn't know to ask what it meant.

Here's what I do know about Judaism. I always thought it was somehow "enough"... I know that the Jews are God's chosen people, and that the Gentile believers like myself are "grafted in to the tree"... adopted into the family, so to speak. Beyond that, I'm clueless.

I'm quite tempted to ask YOU what it means, but I think I'll just jump in and ask her.

 

[simchat_torah]

Echad is hebrew for 'one'. However, it is not one in the singular form. The very basic definition of Echad would be 'one in unity'.

Echad comes from the Hebrew of the Sh'ma passage of Duet. 6:

"Hear o Israel, the L-rd your G-d, the L-rd is one"

In Hebrew that passage is transliterated as:

"Shema Yisra'el, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai ECHAD"

The Shema is the quintessential passage of Judaism in all of the Bible.
The word Yichid literally means one in hebrew, yet in this passage Echad is used. Why Echad?

I could try to explain Echad like this:
If you had one 'bunch' of grapes they would be echad. Though there is only one 'bunch' they are several grapes in unity that form this singular 'bunch'. Thus Echad could be used to describe something that is plural yet one in unity. A single grape would be Yichid (one), but the bunch would be Echad.

I hope this makes sense.

At least, I think this is the diection that SW was going in?

shalom,
yafet.

 

[simchat_torah]

The Shema passage is one of the most widely used passages in the Bible to describe the very foundation of all Judaism... our G-d is one. Yet, this 'one' used is a 'plurality in unity of one'.

The Rabbis have debated down through the centuries why Echad is used.

Messianics like to bring this up to Jews because there never really has been a satisfying answer to this quetion... until you consider the Messiah as a part of G-d... then you can see the unity of one.

I hope this helps.

shalom,
yafet

 

[SonWorshipper]

At least, I think this is the diection that SW was going in?

shalom,
yafet.

Exactly! I figure that no matter where she is she will recognize that as it is taught since birth, right? But some proclaim this without thinking what they are saying, especially in relationship to understanding of Messiah.

Just ask her to explain the Sh'ma to you and see what she says ( you already now know what it means) and go from there.

I will pray for your clarity of words and an open receiving heart for her.

Shalom!

 

[LadyC]

you all are wonderful... i feel i have so much to learn before i can effectively witness to her! i've never been afraid to witness to anyone before, but i just feel so underqualified to witness to a jew.

would anyone be willing to visit another site to help me out? i haven't even had the courage yet to respond to her questions... well that's not true, i did respond and my server timed out and dropped the message before it posted. (that's not supposed to happen with broadband!) anyway, i haven't had the courage to repost it.

 

[SonWorshipper]

Lady C, send me a Private message and tell me where you are posting so I can go and check it out.


Shalom!