What's the Difference?
03/24/2002 - Judaism
Hardly a day passes that we don't read something, hear something or see something on the news that has to do with the nation of Israel. And often the images we see and the stories we hear are about violence and bloodshed, agony and grieve. This week there were more suicide bombings on the streets of Jerusalem claiming the lives of innocent men, women and children. And with each blast hope is shattered yet again that there will ever be peace in the Middle East.
Have you ever wondered why? Why is Israel always in the news? Why is it so often the center of world events? It's certainly not because the country is large. Did you know that the land of Israel is roughly the size of the state of New Jersey? You can drive from the northern border of Lebanon to the southern border of Egypt in just a matter of a few hours.
It's certainly not because the country is densely populated. In fact, there are more people who live in New Jersey than who live in all of Israel. New Jersey has a population of about 8.4 million people, while Israel has a population of about 5.8 million people. In fact, in the entire world there are only about 13 million Jewish people. That's only one out of every 453 people who walk this planet. Compare that with one out of every 5 people who claim to be Muslims and one out of every 4 people who claim to be Christians.
The Jewish people make up a slim minority of the world's population, yet they always seem to be at center of the world's attention. Throughout their tragic history there has been attempt after attempt to annihilate them from the earth, invasions, inquisitions, pogroms, holocausts, ethnic cleansing, yet they've all been unsuccessful. Civilizations have come and gone, but the Jewish people remain. What is it that makes them so special?
Today we continue our series called What's the Difference? And this morning we want to look at Judaism. This is a timely topic today not only because of the events that are in the news, but also because of the special events of this week, holy week, with Passover beginning on Thursday night.
I'd like to begin by giving you a brief history of the Jewish people, then by giving you some of their core values and beliefs, then by giving you an understanding of the different branches of Judaism today and finally end up with what's the difference. One of the highlights of my study this week was a delightful meeting with a local Rabbi who injected insight, passion and humor into my understanding of the Jewish faith. And for that I'm grateful.
The history of the Judaism begins with Abraham. Abraham, whose name means "Father of Many," is the father of the Jewish faith. Abraham didn't grow up in a Jewish home. Abraham grew up in a pagan home, in a family that worshipped many gods and in a culture that sacrificed human beings to satisfy their gods. And yet around 2,000 B.C., in the land that we now call Iraq, God calls Abraham's name. He says, "Abram, I'm going to give you a fresh start and do something brand new through you." It's known as the call of Abraham.
This is how God puts it in Genesis 12:1-3,The Lord had said to Abram, " Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you. I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse. And all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
Abraham believes God and does what he says. He leaves his country, his people, his extended family and he sets out for this land that God will show him. It's the Promised Land. The land God promised to Abraham.
And a few chapters later, in Genesis 15, God makes a covenant with Abraham. He signs a contract and seals the deal that he will give Abraham a land, a seed (that is offspring), and a blessing that will spill over onto every nation on the earth. It's an unconditional contract that is still binding today. And again, Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). That was the moment that Abraham entered into a relationship with God and it was by faith in what God had said.
Then two chapters later in Genesis 17, God gives Abraham the sign of the covenant. The sign that Abraham believes the covenant is circumcision. Genesis 17:11-12, You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised. Ouch! From then on when Jewish parents circumcised their male children they were saying, "We're doing this God because we believe in your promise." Circumcision was meant to be an outward sign of inner faith.
So that's how the nation starts with one man being obedient to God. Eventually at the age of one hundred, Abraham has the promised son, Isaac. And Isaac grows up and has a son named Jacob. And God changes Jacob's name to Israel, which means "he who struggles with God," and Israel has twelve sons and they become the twelve tribes of Israel. And when a famine hits the Promised Land they all migrate south to Egypt where they find food.
Now fast forward about 500 years to around 1,500 B.C. God has fulfilled his promise to make Abraham into a great nation. His seed has grown to over 1 ˝ million people who are now all living in Egypt as slaves. So God raises up a deliverer, a man named Moses, who leads God's chosen people out of Egypt and eventually into the Promised Land. And that event is known as the Exodus.
And this Thursday night in Jewish homes all over the world that event will be remembered with the Passover. And the words that begin every Passover Seder come from the mouth of the youngest child present who asks, "Why is this night so different from all other nights of the year?" To which the leader of the Passover replies, "Indeed, this night is very different from all the other nights of the year, for on this night we celebrate one of the most important moments in the history of our people. On this night we celebrate their going forth in triumph from slavery into freedom."
God sets his people free and brings them out of Egypt and to Mount Sinai where Moses receives the Ten Commandments and the rest of the 613 commands that make up the Jewish Law and the nation of Israel is officially formed. And after a detour of forty years wandering in the desert, Joshua finally leads the people into the Promised Land, the land of Canaan, the land that we now call Israel. A land flowing with milk and honey, but no oil as the Rabbi reminded me this week!
Fast forward another 500 years to around 1,000 B.C. and the nation reaches the apex of its power under King David and his son King Solomon. David conquers many of Israel's enemies, makes Jerusalem his capital and Solomon builds his magnificent Temple to honor and worship God.
But after a while Israel disobeys God and turns to the worship idols and eventually the nation is split in two. The northern kingdom, called Israel, exists for about two hundred years and is overrun by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. and the southern kingdom, Judah, survives for almost four centuries before it's conquered by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. and the Temple is destroyed.
After that the land of Israel is occupied by the Persians and then the Greeks and then the Romans whose boot is on the neck of Israel when Jesus is born. The Temple meanwhile is rebuilt and lasts until 70 A.D. when the Romans destroy it once and for all and Israel is scattered across the face of the earth where they establish communities and synagogues to keep their faith alive. And over the centuries since then Israel is occupied by the Byzantines and then by the Arabs and then by the Crusaders and then by the Mamluks and then by the Turks and then by the British until finally in 1948 Israel is declared a nation again. And in 1967 they gain control of Jerusalem for the first time as a free people since 586 B.C.
That's a quick history of Israel. Now let's look at some of the core values and beliefs of the Jewish faith. First of all, the Jewish people are people of the book. Unlike Buddhism, which has no sacred writings, Judaism is rooted in the Torah, the Law of Moses, the first five books of the Bible. They also believe the rest of the Old Testament, called the Tanakh, is inspired by God as well.
When I was with the Rabbi this week he said that on the Sabbath, every Saturday morning, they read a portion of the Torah in Hebrew. And they divide the Torah in such a way that each year they will completely read it through. It is sacred to them. The apostle Paul, who was himself a Jew, says that one of the advantages of being Jewish has always been having the Word of God. He puts it this way in Romans 3:1-2, What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God. Jewish people are people of the book.
Second, Jews believe in one God. The creedal statement of all Judaism is the Great Shema found Deuteronomy 6:4, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. That was the breakthrough for Abraham, to go from worshipping many gods, gods of his own creation, to worshipping the one true God, the God over all creation. Judaism along with Christianity and Islam make up the three monotheistic religions in the world.
Third, Jews observe the Sabbath. The Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday night and continues till sundown on Saturday. The Jews have a saying that, "More than Israel kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath kept Israel."
At one point while were discussing the six days of creation in the book of Genesis, the Rabbi got excited and said, "What makes people any different from the animals? It's the Sabbath! It's the one day of the week that God requires for us to meet with him and to spend time with our family and to rest and reflect on what's really important in life. Animals don't have a Sabbath. They don't worship God. They don't rest. They work all the time."
Then he pulled out a piece of paper and drew the Star of David pointing out that it has six sides representing the six days of the week. But the empty space in the middle touches all six sides, representing how the Sabbath touches every day of the week.
The Sabbath is the gift that Judaism has given to the world. And Christians, he said, have borrowed that gift and called Sunday their Sabbath. And Muslims call Friday their Sabbath. And the Bahai's call Thursday their Sabbath. But it's the Sabbath that keeps us human.
That's one reason, by the way, we need to gather here every single Sunday. The worship of God keeps us human. It refreshes our spirit. It makes us come alive inside and reminds us what is really important, that we are not animals, and that there is more to life than work. And we need to remember that every single week.
Fourth, Jews observe the holy days and festivals. The Rabbi said even non-practicing, secular Jews observe the holy days and the festivals. The two high holy days of Judaism are Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish new year celebrated in September or October each year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. These two days come within a ten-day period of repentance and soul searching. This year Rosh Hashanah is on September 7 and Yom Kippur is on September 16.
The three primary festivals of Judaism all point back to the Exodus, starting with Passover that celebrates the liberation of God's people from bondage in Egypt in the spring of the year. And then seven weeks later comes the Feast of Weeks that celebrates the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. And then in the fall comes Succoth or the Feast of Booths that recalls the forty years that the Israelites lived in temporary housing while they wandered in the wilderness. In the Old Testament, every Jewish male was required to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate these three holidays. There are other minor holidays like Purim and Hanukkah, but these are the three major ones, the ones that God mandated in the book of Leviticus.
So those are the core values and beliefs of traditional Judaism. Now like most world religions, Judaism is not monolithic. One size doesn't fit all. In fact, today Judaism expresses itself in five branches or movements. And they form a continuum. For the most part, they believe the same things but the difference comes in how they live out their faith.
On the far right are the Hassidic Jews, the pious ones, the ultra-orthodox. They are the strictest, most observant branch of Judaism and make up only a small percentage. Hasidic Jews live in close community and observe the Law of Moses. They keep kosher and dress according to the Law. Men wear black hats and long curls down each side of their heads. They emphasize the nearness of God and the importance of fellowship with him. Many of them live in Jerusalem to be close to the most sacred site in all of Judaism and that's the Wailing Wall also called the Western Wall, the only remaining wall of the Temple complex that existed in Jesus' day. The wall was actually the western part of the platform on which the Temple stood. They pray towards the wall asking God to send the Messiah and bring peace to Jerusalem. At times they even kiss the wall out of reverence for that holy place.
The Orthodox also believe that the Hebrew Scriptures are the revealed Word of God, given to God's chosen people, Israel. They take the Torah seriously and practice the rituals and uphold the three pillars of their faith: the dietary laws, prayers, and worship on the Sabbath and on feast days. They won't work, travel, use the phone, write, touch money or pose for pictures on the Sabbath. Orthodox men and women worship separately in the synagogue. They believe in the resurrection of the dead, look forward to the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and the coming of a personal Messiah. They make up about 9% of Judaism.
The Conservative and Reformed branches are the most popular expressions of Judaism in the United States. The Rabbi told me that about 85% of the Jews in America are either conservative or reformed and that's pretty much equally divided. Conservative Judaism began in Europe, but it's largely an American phenomenon. Conservative Jews seek to "conserve" the traditions of Judaism while adapting it to contemporary life. They have a more lenient view of the Torah, but do want to keep the Hebrew language and traditions alive. Like the orthodox they honor the Sabbath and the feast days, but are less likely to keep the daily requirements of the Law.
Reformed Judaism began in Germany in the early 1800's in an effort to reform Judaism and bring it into the mainstream of society. They want to maintain the Jewish culture without observing all the Jewish rituals. So many Reformed Jews don't view the Torah as Law, don't keep kosher, don't keep the Sabbath, don't pray in Hebrew or pray for the coming of Messiah.
Finally, you have the Reconstructionist movement. This is the newest and smallest movement within Judaism. They actually oppose the view that the Jews are God's chosen people, deny the existence of a personal God and that the Torah is the Word of God. So as you can see there's quite a spectrum of expression within the Jewish faith.
Now, let's take a look at what's the difference. First of all, there is a lot that Christians have in common with those who call themselves Jewish. The roots of the Christian faith are deeply embedded in Judaism. Both Christians and Jews look to Abraham as the father of their faith. They share the same belief in one God, creator of heaven and earth. They both gladly proclaim the Great Shema, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. They share the same Old Testament Scriptures, believing them to be the inspired Word of God. They both believe in the need to worship God, the value of the family, the importance of loving one another and what's been called the Judeo-Christian ethic.
Both Christians and Jews have a love for the Holy Land. I love to visit the Holy Land. I've been there three times. For the Jew it's the Promised Land, the land that God gave to his chosen people. For the Christian it's the land of the Bible, it's the land where Jesus walked and talked. And if you go to Israel today you'll find tombs of both Jews and Christians scattered all over the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem. They want to be buried in the Holy Land.
But there are some differences and the differences are dramatic. I asked the Rabbi about his view of the afterlife. And he said that he believed in heaven and hell and a future resurrection, but it's not something he talks about very often. "You could go to the synagogue for forty years," he said, "and never hear a word mentioned about life after death. The emphasis is on living now and doing better every year so that one day when you do stand before God and he gets out the scales and puts your good works up against your bad works hopefully your goods will outweigh them and you'll get to eat steak in heaven!"
"We don't have the luxury that Christians have of just believing in Jesus. Well be judged based on our works." And therein lies a major difference, salvation by works versus salvation by faith.
The Bible makes it very clear in both the Old and New Testament that our works can't earn us eternal life. Isaiah 64:6, All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.
Romans 4:5, To the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, that person's faith is credited as righteousness.
Ephesians 2:8-9, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. There's no grace in the Jewish view of salvation.
But without a doubt the great divide between Christians and Jews is Jesus Christ, himself a Jew. Jesus a man or Jesus is God? The division began when he walked this earth. Some Jews followed him and some rejected him. The twelve disciples were all Jewish men who accepted his claim to be Messiah. But the Jewish leaders of his day didn't. They were looking for a Messiah who would deliver the nation from oppression, not a Messiah who would deliver individuals from sin. They were looking for a national deliverer, a David like warrior who would drive out the hated Romans and restore Israel to its ancient glory. And a poor carpenter from Nazareth didn't fit the profile. So they rejected his claim to be Messiah, the son of the living God.
In talking with the Rabbi this week I asked him, "What do you think of Jesus?" He said, "Jesus was a really nice guy, emphasize guy. He wasn't the Messiah and he wasn't the Son of God. He was a very religious man who did a foolish thing by coming to Jerusalem during the Passover when he knew his life was in danger. And it got him killed."
That's the difference. Many Jews, not all Jews, believe that Jesus was a really nice guy, or a great prophet, or a good Rabbi, but not the Messiah, the Son of God. And if he didn't do miracles and if he didn't come back from the dead, I'd agree with them. But the tomb is empty and Jesus is alive.
I love what C. S. Lewis observed about Jesus when he wrote, "I am trying to prevent anyone from saying the really silly thing that people often say about Him, 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That's the one thing we mustn't say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said wouldn't be a great moral teacher, He'd either be a lunatic on the level of a man who says he's a poached egg, or else he'd be a devil of hell. You must take your choice either this man was and is the Son of God or else a mad man or something worse. You can shut Him up for a demon or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But don't let us come along with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He hasn't left that open to us."
So you have to make a choice. Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God or not? That's the difference. So, why's Israel always in the news? Because they're God's chosen people and God has a plan and a future for them. And one day, the Bible says, they will realize that Jesus was their Messiah and all Israel will be saved. Will you? Do you believe that Jesus is the Messiah?