08-27-2008, 04:14 PM
Quote:
I realize that I'm not just some gentile sitting back and hearing about Jews and Israel in church. I'm a Jewish woman who has both salvation and judgement first, and these stories about the Jewish people are actually a part of my history.
1) "I'm not just some gentile...." ~ and neither am I. The story of God an Israel is real and true and applicable to all of us re: our humanity. I also know that Israel was the chosen instrument through which God would/did reveal Himself, His righteousness, our sinfulness, and Jesus, "the Jew", who is our Savior. The Nation He "wedded" Himself to. The apple of His eye. His Beloved. As such He has required more from them, and they have suffered on His behalf. And He is not through with Israel.
2) And likewise they are part of my history, even though I am "just some gentile sitting back and hearing...in church", because I am a daughter of Abraham with regards to faith. I am grafted into the Tree. I am reaping the rewards that God told to, and offered to Israel first, through the many prophets, etc, re: Abraham's seed; Jesus.
And Paul said (CJB, Phillipians 3): "3 For it is we who are the Circumcised, we who worship by the Spirit of God and make our boast in the Messiah Yeshua! We do not put confidence in human qualifications,
4 even though I certainly have grounds for putting confidence in such things. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for putting confidence in human qualifications, I have better grounds: 5 b'rit-milah on the eighth day, by birth belonging to the people of Isra'el, from the tribe of Binyamin, a Hebrew-speaker, with Hebrew-speaking parents, in regard to the Torah, a Parush, 6 in regard to zeal, a persecutor of the Messianic Community, in regard to the righteousness demanded by legalism, blameless. 7 But the things that used to be advantages for me, I have, because of the Messiah, come to consider a disadvantage. 8 Not only that, but I consider everything a disadvantage in comparison with the supreme value of knowing the Messiah Yeshua as my Lord. It was because of him that I gave up *everything* [including lineage: all the things in verses 5 & 6] and regard it all as garbage, in order to gain the Messiah"
-emphasis, and bracketed comment, mine-


