“His engraved precepts shall be on my tongue as long as I live,
as the fruit of praise and portion of my lips.
I will sing with knowledge;
all my music shall be for the glory of God.
The strings of my lyre sound for his holy order;
my lips play flute after his guiding line.”
—Community Rule, 1QS 10:8-18 (p. 8, bold mine)

When we consider the inter-testamental period, we might assume that God was silent and that Israel—God’s chosen people—were spiritually adrift. My Lips Play Flute for the Highest was written to dispel such notions. Author Torleif Elgvin asserts, “Jewish literature blossomed in this period,” and demonstrates repeatedly that there were Israelites who prayed for their nation, for Jerusalem, for redemption from their sins, and who faithfully awaited God’s intervention. Elgvin focuses on the liturgy and psalms discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls, offering often moving and sometimes revelatory insights. One may conclude, as I have, that Jesus’s arrival was not only “in the fullness of time” (Gal 4:4) but also an answer to the fervent prayers of a faithful remnant.

“Save me from the power of evil spirits, those who rule over the thoughts of men, so that they do not lead me away from you, my God! Strengthen me and my descendants through all times, so that we never go astray!”
—Jubilees 12:19-20

While Dr. Elgvin professes to be a Christian, this is an academic work designed to appeal to both the traditional Jewish community and Christians. He contrasts both perspectives, presenting them objectively and allowing readers to draw their own conclusions.

Spanning 225 pages, the prayers are followed by brief commentary and organized into sections:

• Hymns of Praise
• Prayers for Israel
• Prayers for Zion
• Psalms of Confidence
• Longing for God
• Revelation and Illumination to the Humble
• The Lord’s Anointed
• The End of Days and the World to Come

Images and maps enhance the overall presentation.

My Lips Play Flute for the Highest serves as an excellent reference book. Though millennia old, these prayers remain fresh and biblically consistent, making them suitable for congregational prayers or liturgical readings today.

Reviewed by Kevin Williams

Publisher’s page: https://wipfandstock.com/9781666770018/my-lips-play-flute-for-the-highest/

As I read through Michael Brown’s book Resurrection, comparing the events surrounding the life and death of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson to the life and death of Jesus, Brown makes the case that even though these two individuals are both compelling figures in Judaism, one important event, the resurrection, distinguishes why one is considered to be the Jewish Messiah and the other is not. Jesus’ resurrection is what Brown calls the event that changed the world. As Brown points out, many of the followers of the Lubavitcher Rabbi, who they refer to as The Rebbe, expected him to resurrect after he died on June 12, 1994.  When no resurrection occurred, many became dejected, and it divided the entire movement, and those divisions still exist today. Subsequently, his followers have come up with different reasons as to why his resurrection had not occurred, but this has left many questions unresolved such as, is the Rebbe still with us today and is he the promised Jewish Messiah of Israel? This book takes us deeper into the mysterious sect of the Lubavitch Movement, an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect, whose many adherents still claim today their beloved rabbi is the Jewish Messiah.

I can’t help but reflect on my own life, living in New York City, as I read through Brown’s timeline of the events surrounding the Rebbe’s death. For years before he died, there were huge billboards around New York City showing his face and blaring a fervent Messianic message “We Want Moschiach Now.” This group of devoted followers believed he was the best candidate to be the Jewish Messiah and they were waiting for him to declare himself to be the Messiah. Then the unexpected happened and he died. Right afterwards many clamored on the streets of 770 Eastern Parkway, his home awaiting him to be resurrected, but after three days their hope had turned to sorrow. Many of his followers claimed he could have been the Messiah, but the Jewish world was not quite ready to receive him, so he died for their pain and suffering and even attached the Suffering Servant motif from Isaiah 53 to their Rebbe’s death in the literature that was being circulated after his death.

As Brown writes in his book, even though they knew the Rebbe had not physically resurrected, many came to believe he never really died, and his presence is still with us today. When one visits the Rebbe’s place of worship at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, NY, one may converse with his followers and see some rather fascinating ideas being promoted. One of the most fascinating is the idea the Rebbe is still with them today as he sits in a chair they have in the corner of the building where they worship even though you cannot see him.

Lubavitch children every day pray to the Rebbe who they believe did not die, by chanting this phrase, Yechi Adonenu Mereinu v’Rabbeinu Melech HaMoshiach L’Olam Va’Ed, “May our Master and Teacher and Rabbi, King Messiah, Live Forever.” Reflecting on this phrase that is used again and again in publications about the Rebbe, Brown points out that in Judaism there are two ways to reflect upon someone’s life. You can refer to someone who is living and to one who has died. By referring to The Rebbe as SHLITA instead of as The Rebbe ZT’L, they are making the case that he never died. This might be overlooked by many, but by using SHLITA which means “may he live a good long life” instead of ZT’L, “In blessed memory”, they are telling everyone in Judaism of their belief that the Rebbe is still alive and not dead.

Brown states very directly in Chapter 5 that we have two leaders with two very different outcomes. Jesus died and was buried just like Rabbi Schneerson, but what sets Jesus apart is that he was resurrected on the third day and the Rebbe did not. There were no mass hallucinations as some want to suggest, as Jesus showed himself to hundreds after his death.  The early disciples did not cling to a Messiah they could not see. They beheld him, they touched him and even grieved when he physically went up into heaven, waiting for Him to return at the proper time.

Then in Chapter 6, Brown takes us to the pinnacle event that Christianity stands, the death of Jesus and compares this to the Rebbe’s death. Jesus did what no one expected Him to do, as He came down to earth from heaven to die for our sins revealing himself as the true Messiah of Israel and the whole world and then was resurrected.

This idea may seem like something way outside of Judaism, but as Brown points out in Chapter 7, Orthodox Judaism does have a belief in what is called the merit and death of a righteous tzaddikim. A Tzadik, who is a Jewish holy man, may increase in his suffering as he is trying to rectify his generation and the generations to come. As Brown rightly concludes, this idea sounds like the Gospel, and it is! Now with this backdrop, Brown brings the words of Paul in Corinthians to light “…Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised from the dead on the third day, according to Scriptures, and that he appeared…”

Over the last two thousand years many in the Jewish community have tried to distance themselves from the idea of a Messiah who dies, by referencing Deuteronomy 13:2-6. This passage states that if a prophet comes to you and says, “let us follow and worship other gods,” this is a test from the Lord. Even though he may appear to be righteous, and it looks good, stay away.  However, Jesus never tried to get the Jewish people to follow other gods. When Jesus refers to himself as God in the flesh is this a test from the Lord? The answer is no! The answer lies right in the Old Testament itself as Brown reveals the mysterious concept of the Divine Angel in Chapter 9. Brown points out that this Angel of the Lord is no ordinary angel as he speaks as God and does things only God can do. The rabbis have never really been able to figure out precisely who this angel is, as they get close but not close enough to call him God.

Finally, Brown wraps up his book by stating that the event that changed the world, the resurrection of Jesus, has changed the lives of millions and millions of people, both Jew and gentile. The Rebbe could never claim such miraculous testimonies as those who have come to follow Jesus these last two thousand years.

The Rebbe has changed the face of Judaism and today there is still much confusion over who this rabbi was and who he is today. There is no such confusion with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The event that changed the world is still being heralded by His followers and still changing the lives of people all over the world.

Reviewed by Mitch Forman 

Preview: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Resurrection/nN7QDwAAQBAJ

From the email promotion:

Whether you are familiar with Dr. Craig Keener or this is your first introduction to his work, we are delighted to announce an upcoming Bible webinar with the professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary.

Well-known for his research on the Jewish and Greco-Roman context of the New Testament, Dr. Keener will join us for a two-day online seminar to teach us more about the Jewish context of key books and passages of the Bible. It will be a wonderful teaching series that you will not want to miss!

Here is the fourth and final session, entitled “The Jewish Context for the Book of Revelation.”

Image: Patrick Fore

From the email promotion:

Whether you are familiar with Dr. Craig Keener or this is your first introduction to his work, we are delighted to announce an upcoming Bible webinar with the professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary.

Well-known for his research on the Jewish and Greco-Roman context of the New Testament, Dr. Keener will join us for a two-day online seminar to teach us more about the Jewish context of key books and passages of the Bible. It will be a wonderful teaching series that you will not want to miss!

Here is the third session, entitled “The Jewish Context For The Gospel Of John.”

Image: Patrick Fore

 
Session 4: The Jewish Context for the Book of Revelation

From the email promotion:

Whether you are familiar with Dr. Craig Keener or this is your first introduction to his work, we are delighted to announce an upcoming Bible webinar with the professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary.

Well-known for his research on the Jewish and Greco-Roman context of the New Testament, Dr. Keener will join us for a two-day online seminar to teach us more about the Jewish context of key books and passages of the Bible. It will be a wonderful teaching series that you will not want to miss!

Here is the second session, entitled “The Jewish Context for the Sermon on the Mount and the Book of Matthew Continued.”

Image: Patrick Fore

 
Session 3: The Jewish Context For The Gospel Of John
 
Session 4: The Jewish Context for the Book of Revelation

From the email promotion:

Whether you are familiar with Dr. Craig Keener or this is your first introduction to his work, we are delighted to announce an upcoming Bible webinar with the professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary.

Well-known for his research on the Jewish and Greco-Roman context of the New Testament, Dr. Keener will join us for a two-day online seminar to teach us more about the Jewish context of key books and passages of the Bible. It will be a wonderful teaching series that you will not want to miss!

Here is the first session, entitled “The Jewish Context for the Sermon on the Mount and the Book of Matthew.”

Image: Patrick Fore

Session 3: The Jewish Context For The Gospel Of John
 
Session 4: The Jewish Context for the Book of Revelation

From the email promotion:

Whether you are familiar with Dr. Craig Keener or this is your first introduction to his work, we are delighted to announce an upcoming Bible webinar with the professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary.

Well-known for his research on the Jewish and Greco-Roman context of the New Testament, Dr. Keener will join us for a two-day online seminar to teach us more about the Jewish context of key books and passages of the Bible. It will be a wonderful teaching series that you will not want to miss! Take note of the days below, and we hope you can join us!

Monday, May 18, 2020 2:00–5:00 pm

Session #1: The Jewish Context for the Sermon on the Mount Session
#2: The Jewish Context for the Book of Revelation

Tuesday, May 19, 2020 2:00–5:00 pm

Session #3: The Jewish Context of the Book of James
Session #4: The Jewish Context of the Gospel of John

Dr. Keener is the author of twenty-eight books—six of which have won book awards in Christianity Today. Altogether, more than one million copies are in circulation. His IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (1993), now in its second revised edition (2014), has sold more than a half million copies, including editions in several languages and more than fifty thousand copies in Korean.
This is a FREE seminar. However, registration is required in order to receive your link to the livestream. So, please anticipate a wonderful time of learning and enrichment—and do not wait! Register TODAY!

Image: Patrick Fore

Used with permission.

“Jesus Goes in the evening to Bethany” by James Tissot

THE NAME

Yahweh

In beginning his prayer, Jesus deliberately addresses God as “Father.” The names for God in the ancient Judaism were handled with great care because they described the holiness of God.[3] In fact, according to Michael Joseph Gilligan, “[A] name articulate[s] a certain depth about the individual.”[4] To the Jews, the name of the Lord held more weight than any other because of its divine origin. During the Egyptian enslavement of the Hebrews, God encountered Moses in the form of a burning bush and commissioned Moses to deliver his people. Knowing that the Hebrews would question the authority of the One who sent him, Moses asked for the name of the Lord. God responded with יהוה (Yahweh), which translates as “…I am who I am” (Exod 3:14). Although the name of the Lord was revealed to the Hebrews through Moses, it soon became customary to refrain from saying it. This is because the second commandment demanded that none should ever “…take the name of the Lord in vain” (Exod 20:7). Michael Marlowe writes that in order to maintain a “…proper and salutary instinct of reverence,” the Hebrews corporately agreed to avoid saying the holiest name of the Lord.[5] As a man who was raised in the Jewish culture, Jesus held the name of the Lord in high esteem. Although Christ did not utter the most sacred name of the Almighty, it is quite possible that he was referring to the name Yahweh when he prayed “…hallowed be your name.” As a result, Jesus’ reverence for the name of God established a sense of familiarity between him and the Jews.

In Jesus day, did the rabbis think God was done with miracles?

In the commentary to Deuteronomy (The Stone Edition, Artscroll Mesorah Series, 1995) reads, “Once [Israel] crossed the Jordan, the people would no longer see God’s constant Presence and daily miracles, as they had in the Wilderness.”

Apparently Christians were not the first cessationists. So imagine, when Yeshua and the disciples began exhibiting miracles, the cessationists of the day must have had a fit, “No, those miracles were how God used to work, but they are no longer used today.”

Cessationists believe (according to Wikipedia) that miracles had these purposes:

1. They provided supernatural confirmation of the apostolic authority of the early church;
2. They helped lay the foundation for the church; and
3. They gave divine guidance to early believers while the New Testament was not yet complete.

“The Children of Israel Crossing the Jordan” by Gustave Doré (1832–1883).
Image: Wikimedia Commons.

Substitute “church” and “New Testament” with “Israel” and “Tanakh” and I think you have pretty well summed up the rabbinical commentators position.

Solomon was right, “That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NASB).

This brief study of miracles has opened my mind to new possibilities regarding Yeshua’s work among the religious orthodoxy.

Kevin Williams

Oskar Skarsaune and Reidar Hvalvik, eds., Jewish Believers in Jesus: The Early Centuries (Peabody: Hendrickson, 2007), 930 pages, ISBN 9781565637634.

This volume is an imposing compendium of scholarly research into the Jewish Christianity of the first several centuries. The book features essays on nearly every major representative and aspect of this important stream within early Christianity.

The volume opens by exploring the definition of “Jewish Christianity” and then gives an overview of the literary evidence for this stream within the early church, discussing, in turn, the Jewish aspects of Paul’s mission and beliefs, the gospel of Matthew as a reflection of Jewish Christianity, the Fourth Gospel, the book of Revelation, the (non-canonical) Jewish gospel tradition, Jewish Christianity’s use and preservation of the OT pseudepigrapha, Jewish-Christian aspects within the Pseudo-Clementine writings, and the remains of Jewish-Christian witnesses as preserved in Greek and Latin patristic writers. After this is a series of essays on the various Jewish-Christian “schools”, such as the Ebionites, Nazoreans, etc., and various alleged Jewish-Christian leaders, like Cerinthus, Elxai (Elchesai), etc. Philip Alexander discusses the rabbinic evidence for Jewish Christianity, while James Strange discusses the archaeological record. Skarsaune (who wrote many of the articles) closes the volume with an overview, after which there is a bibliography running more than 100 pages. There is really very little that the book does not include, and anything to be gainsaid about the volume will likely focus on a particular issue as treated by one or another contributor, rather than on issues touching the volume as a whole. For example, Donald Hagner’s essay on “Paul as a Jewish Believer—According to his Letters” is rather reactionary, and not, I think, of the same quality as the other essays.

For most students of the New Testament, this volume is both a starting point and a likely ending point for the study of Jewish Christianity. It deserves a place in any personal library.

Reviewed by John Poirier

New publisher’s page: http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/jewish-believers-in-jesus/333750

As of October 30, 2014, the full text of the book appears here: http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/books/jewbelje.pdf