Finding Wisdom in Historical Narrative: 1 Samuel 25 as biblical wisdom literature

 A couple of years ago, I presented a seminar on wisdom we find within the genre of the historical narrative of 1 Samuel 25—the story of Nabal, Abigail, and David. I hope you enjoy it.

The Mystery of Messiah

Beit Ariel Panel Discussion, Shabbat Toldot 5783 / 26 November 2022

My contribution today drew a few insights from British scholar, Richard Bauckham, in his God Crucified, later included in his Jesus and the God of Israel (2008, published by Eerdmans). I used David Stern’s Complete Jewish Bible translation. Additional comments, not in this morning’s discussion, appear in square brackets; each of them could be expanded greatly.

Who God Is

For a starting point, I used the start of the Ten “Commandments” in Deuteronomy 5. Deuteronomy 5.6-10 reads,

א ^‎6 “ ‘I am Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you lived as slaves.

ב ^‎7 “ ‘You are to have no other gods before me. ⁸ You are not to make for yourselves a carved image or any kind of representation of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath or in the water below the shoreline—⁹ you are not to bow down to them or serve them; for I, Adonai your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of the parents, also the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ¹⁰ but displaying grace to the thousandth generation of those who love me and obey my mitzvot.

Note:

1. The passage starts with the divine name. [Traditionally, both Jews and Christians use a substitute for the name like “HaShem” (“the Name”), or ADONAI which is like saying “the LORD,” also written in all capitals. It’s the four-letter name of God in Hebrew, the Tetragrammaton.] This name uniquely identifies the deity from everything else.

2. This ADONAI identifies himself as Israel’s God. He is the deity, divine.

3. If this were not enough, he further identifies himself as the one who redeemed the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. That is to say, he shows who he is by what he does, or has done. This is not a definition of God; it’s a way of uniquely identifying him: HaShem is the God and Redeemer of Israel. This is not about God’s so-called “nature.” It is not abstract philosophy. It’s not about what God is but who he is—in relation to his people. God concretely revealed himself by intervening in human history to deliver his people from slavery.

4. Verse 7 stresses that Israel may not have any other gods. Thus Israel has one God only.

5. Verses 8-10 sternly warn Israel against idolatry [which would inevitably result from having other gods.]

These points are intended to serve as a foundation for our on-going discussion. We did not, however, have time to build on it much today. Furthermore, two key characteristics of the LORD will be important in future discussions:

1. He alone is the creator of all things. Isaiah 44.:24 says, “I am ADONAI, who makes all things, who stretched out the heavens all alone, who spread out the earth all by myself.”

2. God alone is the ruler of all things.

The Pierced One

Our conversation touched on Zechariah’s prophecy of the piercing of Yeshua (see John 19:34). Zechariah, however, identifies the pierced one as HaShem. This prophecy begins in Zechariah 12:1:

“A prophecy, the word of Adonai concerning Isra’el—here is the message from Adonai, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundation of the earth and formed the spirit inside human beings.”

Verse 1 tells us twice whose prophetic word it is: that of ADONAI. He elaborates by identifying himself as the creator of heaven and earth and of people’s spirits. He is still the speaker in Zechariah 12:10 when he says that

“the House of David and … those living in Yerushalayim … will look to me, whom they pierced.”

Revelation 1:7 speaks of Yeshua:

Look! He is coming with the clouds!

Every eye will see him,

including those who pierced him;

and all the tribes of the Land will mourn him.

[See Matthew 26:64 and Mark 14:62 for Yeshua’s self-identification with the one coming on/with the clouds.]

The First and the Last

Isaiah 44:6 says,

Thus says ADONAI,

Isra’el’s King and Redeemer,

ADONAI-Tzva’ot:

“I am the first, and I am the last;

besides me there is no God.”

In the address, God immediately invokes his own name in the emphatic formula, “Thus says the LORD.” He then stresses his relationship to Israel as part of his identity: he is both the King and Redeemer of Israel. “Redeemer” alludes to his deliverance in the exodus from Egypt. “King” identifies God as the sovereign [and implies a kingdom—another discussion]. He stresses his identity further by repeating his sacred name in the formula, “LORD of Hosts.” “Hosts” means “armies.” [Evidently, God is a military commander too!]

What does God say, now that he has stamped his name and identity so securely to his message?

1. He reveals himself to be the first [rishon—he is from the beginning]

2. And the Last [acharon—he is at the end]

3. There is no God besides him. He alone is God.

In Isaiah 48:12, God says something similar. [He starts by identifying himself in relation to “Israel, whom I called.”] He says,

“I am he.

I am the first;

also I am the last.”

[Stern’s translation loses something that will prove to be significant in this formula, so I am taking this from another.]

Revelation 1:8 says,

“I am the ‘A’ [alpha] and the ‘Z,’ [omega] ” says ADONAI,

God of heaven’s armies,

the One who is,

who was

and who is coming.

[Stern has translated “Lord” as “LORD,” that is, to refer to the divine name. He uses A and Z because they correspond to the first and last letters of the alphabet, though Z does not equate to omega.] Again we see God identified as a military commander—of heaven’s armies! He claims to be the beginning and end of the alphabet, a way of saying that he is the beginning and the end. He is clearly identifying himself as the same God who spoke in Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12. The end of Revelation provides a similar identification of the LORD God (Rev 21:5-6):

Then the One sitting on the throne said,

“... I am the ‘A’ [alpha] and the ‘Z,’ [omega]

the Beginning and the End.”

The formula is crystal clear; “the One sitting on the throne” is God himself, ADONAI. Yet there two other instances of the “beginning and end” formula in Revelation, both of which refer to Yeshua. As with the first two, these appear near the beginning and end of the book. The writer, John, first sees “someone like a Son of Man” (Revelation 1:13) who said to him,

“I am the First

and the Last,

the Living One.

I was dead,

but look!—I am alive forever and ever!”

The one “like a Son of Man ... was dead,” yet he also claims the divine title, “the First and the Last!” Thus, Yeshua identifies himself as God. He does so again in Revelation 21:6:

“I am the ‘A’ [alpha] and the ‘Z,’ [omega]

the First and the Last,

the Beginning and the End.”

[Verse 16 confirms that the speaker has changed to Yeshua. Note the words, “I am coming soon” in verses 12 and 20, with the response in verse 20, “Amen! Come, Lord Yeshua!”]

Psalm 67: A word in season

Traditionally, observant Jews recite Psalm 67 daily in this period of counting the omer (grain sheaves), from Pesach/Passover to Shavuot/Pentecost. Apart from the title line, Psalm 67 has seven verses and 49 words in Hebrew, corresponding to the seven weeks and 49 days of counting the omer: one word to contemplate per day and one verse per week.

Particularly striking is the psalm's echo of the priestly blessing in verse 1 (using the common English numbering, which ignores the superscription). Verses 2-7 form a symmetry that hinges on v4b, the climax, of God judging (governing) the peoples of the earth fairly. Moving out from the centre, verses 4a and c speak of the nations. Verses 3 and 5 are the same: the peoples praise God. Verses 2 and 6 speak of the earth, and verses1 and 7 assure us of God's blessing. So the whole song is mirrored on the middle (a chiasm/chiasmus), like a mountain reflected in a lake.

Another interesting feature is the psalmist's deliberate use of three different, but closely related, words: goyim (nations), amim (peoples), and l'ummim (nations). This makes Psalm 67 especially suitable for mixed multitudes to join together with Israel in praising God who has indeed made his salvation known among all nations through his Anointed One, Yeshua (Jesus) himself! Like a Passover lamb, he was executed on Passover day. God resurrected him on the third day, the Festival of Firstfruits; as Paul wrote that Messiah's resurrection is the firstfruits of those who have "fallen asleep"—there is a great harvest (resurrection of the righteous dead) yet to come when he returns! On the fiftieth day (Pentecost), God poured out his Holy Spirit on the disciples of Yeshua in the temple (the [Holy] House) where they were gathered. Now God's salvation has been proclaimed in every nation, as the psalmist anticipated. Yet we still await the fulness of his Kingdom, when he shall reign through Messiah, judging all nations with fairness. May he bring it speedily and soon, and in our days, Amen!

A Pentecost on Passover?

The first person to speak in tongues in the famous Azusa Street Revival did so on 9 April 1906. This was the 14th day of Nisan, that is, Passover. (Use https://www.hebcal.com/converter to check.) Just a fluke, or truly an appointed time? Yet the Pentecostal renewal in 1906 didn't come easily; extended and fervent fasting and prayer led up to it.

The history seems all the more pertinent for my home country (and many others) when we consider that the Revival came through the preaching of an African American, William Seymour—an object of ethnic prejudice in his time. And there seems rich irony in that Seymour was blind in one eye; he could "see" better than his contemporaries what the unseen God wanted to do!

May the LORD strengthen us to seek Him wholeheartedly in our days, and at the imminent Passover, that we too may be refreshed by his Holy Breath!

Remembrance of Polycarp

Although the date of Polycarp's martyrdom is disputed, at least one source names today (2 Nisan) as the day of his death. In any case, he's worthy of remembrance as a leader of the ecclesia in the mid-second century and as a martyr for the faith in Messiah (against Roman paganism). I also honour him for his firm stance on Quartodecimanism [1] (Passover on 14 Nisan, according to the biblical calendar) and for transmitting premillennialism [2] (the future kingdom of God on earth).

Just one of Polycarp's works remains, a letter he wrote the the congregation in Philippi. Here is chapter 2 of that letter from Rick Brannan's accessible new translation [3]:

2.1 Therefore prepare yourselves. Serve God in reverence and truth, leaving behind empty, fruitless talk  and the deception of the crowd, believing in the one who raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and gave him glory and a throne at his right hand, to whom all things in heaven and earth are subject, whom every breathing thing worships, who is coming as judge of the living and dead, whose blood God will require from those who disobey him. 2 But the one who raised him from the dead also will raise us if we do his will and follow in his commandments and love the things he loved, refraining from all unrighteousness, greediness, love of money, evil speech, and false witness, not paying back evil for evil or abuse for abuse or blow for blow or curse for curse, 3 but remembering what the Lord said when he taught: Do not judge so that you may not be judged; forgive and then you will be forgiven; show mercy so that you will be shown mercy; with what measure you measure out it will be measured again to you; and blessed are the poor and those being persecuted for the sake of righteousness; for theirs is the kingdom of God.

I pray and trust, in accord with Revelation 6:9–11, for the vindication and proper vengeance of the blood of all the martyrs—including Polycarp.

[1]  This includes both the remembrance of the original Passover of the Hebrews and the execution of Jesus/Yeshua.

[2] Disputed, but I believe a firm case can be made.

[3] Brannan, Rick, trans. The Apostolic Fathers in English. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012.

Book Review: Models of Premillennialism

My review of Sung Wook Chung's and David Mathewson's Models of Premillennialism (2018, Cascade Books) has been published in Conspectus 28 (September 2019). The review includes a summary and critique of the book. Here is an excerpt:

Chung and Mathewson have produced a digestible review of premillennial eschatologies put forward since the second century, showing how each one developed and what its unique characteristics are. By restricting their scope to premillennialism, the authors avoided inundating the reader with too much information which is readily available elsewhere. I was particularly glad to discover that the majority view of evangelical theologians is premillennialism, where the impression I had was that it was a minority view among them (even if is evidently popular in the camp of dispensational laymen.) Even so, Chung and Mathewson are not polemical in their presentation, nor do they seek to persuade the reader to adopt any eschatological position.

The review is freely available here: https://www.sats.edu.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Conspectus-28-11-Woods.pdf.

Wisdom in Esther

What wisdom can we gain from the main characters, Mordecai, Esther and Haman, in the book of Esther?

We learn that the wise decline to act on bad advice, but they respond positively to good advice.

• Day after day, the king's servants pressed Mordecai to obey the command of the king, to kneel and bow down to Haman, but Mordecai resisted. This appears early in the narrative (Est. 3.2-4) and it's only toward the end that we see that Mordecai's determination not to obey a bad command proved to be wise.
• In Esther 4.15-17, Queen Esther tells her relative, Mordecai, to arrange a fast for all the Jews in the city of Susa. Implicit in the narrative is an appeal for all Jews in the city to pray for her. Mordecai acted on Esther's word, and God acted in response to the Jews' fasting and prayers, and he saved them. Here, the wise Mordecai acted on a good command, as verse 17 says, "he did everything that Esther commanded him."
• In another place, Queen Esther was prompted by Mordecai to "go to the king and make supplication to him and entreat before him for her people" (Est. 4.8). Thus she did, contrary to the custom--even at risk of her own life. The wise take good advice!

We also learn from the book of Esther that fools reject good advice, but they act upon bad advice.

• The wicked Haman took the bad advice of his wife and all his friends (he must have kept bad company!) As Esther 5.14 says, they advised him to erect "gallows" on which to hang Mordecai; "The advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made." Later in the story, we learn that the fate he intended for his enemy came upon him instead--and his ten sons!
• In contrast, when Haman's advisers and his wife gave him good advice, warning him that he would "not prevail against [Mordecai] but certainly fall before him," Haman rejected it (Est. 6.13). His baseless hatred for the righteous Mordecai compelled him to reject words of wisdom and act in folly instead.

Review of Mark Kinzer's "Jerusalem Crucified, Jerusalem Risen"

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to review Mark Kinzer's latest book, Jerusalem Crucified, Jerusalem Risen, for Messiah Journal (issue 133, Winter 2019). I wrote that it is a:

groundbreaking work aimed at providing an integrated, coherent interpretation of the biblical text on diverse yet inextricable and indispensable components of the euangelion (good news): the Jewish people; the land of Israel; the city of Jerusalem; the temple, the Torah; the ekklēsia (including Jewish and gentile members); and the divine plan for humanity and the cosmos, especially in modern Jewish history. Ultimately these lead to an interpretation of the euangelion as a message that addresses all these matters with “integrative power.” Moreover, the euangelion is not merely historical (pointing to the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus) but also prophetic, pointing to what is yet to come for all its components listed above—or all but the temple, which is a special case. ...

The book is not for casual readers; it is for thought-leaders in the ekklēsia and the Jewish world, and it is an absolute must-have for advanced students of Luke-Acts. 

The land of promise

Hebrews 11.9 says that Isaac and Jacob were “coheirs of the same promise” as Abraham. Which promise? The promised land, as the same verse tells us: “By faith he stayed as a foreigner in the land of promise, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, coheirs of the same promise.” Therefore, the New Testament tells us that the land was promised by God to Abraham and his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob who inherited it from him as his heirs. Jacob is also named Israel. His children became the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Recall that Romans 15.8 reminds us that Messiah came “to confirm the promises to the fathers”. Now, then, to whom does the New Testament promise the holy land?

Congregational Teaching on Isaiah 54

Isaiah 54 is one of several prophecies predicting the restoration of Jerusalem. The whole oracle is contained within the chapter's 17 verses, making for a neat study on the topic. This teaching presents the text for a Messianic Jewish audience. The same chapter of Isaiah is almost the whole of the reading from the Nevi'im (Prophets) for the second week of the Jewish reading cycle, the corresponding Torah portion being named Noach after its main character, Noah.

Click here for the overview and verse-by-verse teaching of Haftarat Noach.

Our Father 8: Magnified and sanctified

The request, “Let your name be sanctified,” is not a petition for personal benefit, nor even for the community of the faithful, but simply because of the intrinsic value of God’s name. His name is worthy of special treatment. But there is also a nuance in which God himself sanctifies his name. Here’s the explanation:

• The appeal is similar to one of the most frequently recited prayers in Judaism: the Kaddish. The Kaddish begins: “Let his name be magnified and sanctified [hallowed] in the world that he created according to his will.”
• The words “magnified and sanctified” (gadal and kaddash) may be linked to Ezekiel 38:23. Both Hebrew verbs are reflexive, indicating (at least in Ezekiel) that the LORD will be the one who sanctifies his name. In the next verse, we see that God will do this by regathering Israel from exile [1].

Incidentally, the word gadal, magnified, aligns well with the Greek word megaluno that we find Miriam/Mary using in Luke 2:46, “My soul magnifies the Lord”. In this case, she is clearly also hallowing/sanctifying God’s name by using a circumlocution, “the Lord,” rather than pronouncing his name.

[1] Eby, Aaron. First Steps in Messianic Jewish Prayer. Marshfield, Missouri: First Fruits of Zion, 2014:108.

Our Father 7: Saying God's name—or not!

In Matthew 6:9, Yeshua (Jesus) honoured a Jewish tradition that was well-established by that time: he avoided pronouncing the name of God altogether, even while offering a petition that the name be sanctified/hallowed. The apostles continued this tradition: In writing the New Testament they could easily have transliterated the Tetragrammaton—the four Hebrew letters spelling God’s personal name—into Greek. Instead, they feared God and followed Yeshua’s example of using circumlocutions like “Father,” “Heaven” or “Lord” in place of God’s name. Christian tradition has continued the practice to this day, which is why we see “the LORD” (in capitals) in place of the holy name throughout the “Old Testament” of Christian Bibles. While the holy name is one of the most common words of the Hebrew scriptures (appearing 6828 times), it does not appear in the New Testament at all.

This should give us reason to regard the use of circumlocutions for God's name as a Christian tradition just as much as it is a Jewish tradition (at least since the close of the Hebrew scriptures). Rabbi Yeshua kept Jewish tradition regarding the avoidance of speaking of God's name, and so did his apostles. So, what should you do?

Our Father 6: Hallowed by your name

In Matthew 6:9, Yeshua taught his disciples to pray, “Hallowed be your name.” To hallow means to honour as holy. That is, to set something apart from the ordinary, to regard and treat it as holy—to sanctify it. So, an alternative translation is, “Let your name be sanctified.”

In biblical culture, one’s name is one’s reputation. Your name represents all that you are—your “essence and character,” as Toby Janicki says[1]. So, we sanctify God’s name by behaving in ways that bring him honour and glory; or we profane his name by rebelling against him. In Leviticus 22:32, God commanded Israel not to profane his holy name, “so that I may be sanctified in the midst of the Israelites.” Then he says that he is the one who sanctifies them. Kiddush HaShem (sanctification of God's name) takes place either by someone glorifying God publicly or being martyred for the sake of the Name [2].

Like the Our Father, the weekday Amidah prayer also sanctifies God's name (in its third blessing, the kedushah) before making petitions for earthly things.

[1] Janicki, Toby. The Way of Life. Jerusalem: Vine of David, 2017:317.

[2] Eby, Aaron, and Toby Janicki. Hallowed by Your Name. Mayim Chayim. Marshfield, Missouri: First Fruits of Zion, 2008:208.

Our Father 5: Who is in Heaven

Why does Matthew (Mat 6:9) include the phrase, “who is in heaven” when Luke (Lk 11:2) leaves it out? I suggest it may be on account of the different audiences these two evangelists were addressing. Matthew’s audience was certainly Jewish, and Jews often refer to Abraham as “our father.” So perhaps that’s why Yeshua clarifies whom he is addressing right from the outset, as recorded in Matthew's gospel. Maybe Luke left it out it because it is obvious for his audience.

Theologians speculate about the location of God's presence. The Our Father keeps it simple: he is “in heaven.” It's not an abstract theological claim about God's transcendence (his otherness, being distinct from everything created); it's just a clarification of whom the prayer is addressed to. But it does remind us of that quality of God—he is holy, completely set apart from creation. Just because we are, in some sense, his “children” does not mean that we may be casual with him. Our love for our heavenly father must be matched by our fear of him.

Our Father 4: Compassion and community

The creator is not just an impersonal deity, “the god.” He is God, but he is a personal being and his role as Father in the relationship indicates that he has a stake in our lives: our pain is his pain; our success is his success. (Success is to be, or become, like God's unique son, Yeshua, and to fulfill his purpose for your life.)

The title for God used in a prayer typically highlights the particular attribute of his which is most relevant for that prayer. “Father,” as a title, brings to mind God’s compassion [1]. In Psalm 103:13, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.” Note the intimacy in the relationship, yet the objects of the LORD’s compassion are especially those who fear him.

The address (“Our Father”) also shows that the relationship is not individual but communal, even when the prayer is said alone, "in secret.” The relationship is one-to-many: one Father, many children. Being children, we are to live as a family—a community set apart (sanctified/made holy) for our Father God. Psalm 133:1 says, “Look, how good and pleasant it is when brethren dwell in unity!”

[1] Eby, Aaron. First Steps in Messianic Jewish Prayer. Marshfield, Missouri: First Fruits of Zion, 2014:107.

Our Father 3: Address—Avinu Shebashamayim

The address that Yeshua (Jesus) uses to invoke God is meaningful in itself: Avinu Shebashamayim—Our Father.

“Our” instantly speaks of some relationship, and “Father” indicates the kind of relationship it is: very personal, but not one of equality. There are senior and junior partners in it, with the Father being the authority. As children, we must show respect for our Father. (Incidentally, Luke 11:2 omits “Our” in the address.)

It’s not a casual address, like “Dad”. In fact, as Toby Janicki [1] points out, early Christians took it formally: the Apostolic Constitutions (an early Christian writing) instructs believers to prepare before reciting the prayer, “that you may be worthy of the adoption of the Father.” It draws on a warning from Malachi 1:6 where God asks Israel—his “firstborn son”:  “If I am a father, where is my honour?” The Constitutions go on to say, “the glory of the fathers is the holiness of their children.” Just think about that—our holiness brings glory to our father!

[1] Janicki, Toby. The Way of Life. Jerusalem: Vine of David, 2017. (See my endorsement of the book here.

Our Father 2: Language and Title

As we turn our attention to the words of the Our Father, keep in mind that the tradition of the time was to pray in Hebrew—“the holy language.” Both prayers and parables were always said in Hebrew, even if day-to-day language was in Aramaic. As Matthew (6:9-13) records it, Yeshua (Jesus) said,

Pray then like this:  “Our Father in heaven,  hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come,  your will be done,  on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread,  and forgive us our debts,  as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation,  but deliver us from evil.”

Ancient Jewish tradition names a prayer or reading from its first word or two it contains. Thus, the Lord’s prayer is often suitably called the Our Father, or Avinu (one word in Hebrew). It’s not uncommon to find this word in Jewish literature, e.g. Avinu Malkaynu (our Father, our King) or Avinu Shebashamayim (Our Father who is in Heaven). Its usage continues even in our day. In fact, the same address was used in 1948 by Rabbi Isaac Hertzog when he composed a prayer for the new state of Israel. It starts like this:

“Our Father, who is in Heaven,
Rock of Israel and his Redeemer,
bless the State of Israel,
the first flowering of our redemption.”

Our Father 1: How and how not to pray

As we approach a study on prayer, we should consider Matthew's approach to the Our Father (or the Lord's Prayer): he first recorded some of Yeshua's instructions on prayer, including both negative mitzvot and positive mitzvot. We read them in Matthew 6:5-8:

And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, in order that they may be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! But whenever you pray, enter into your inner room and shut your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. But when you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the pagans, for they think that because of their many words they will be heard. Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Who are the hypocrites?

The Greek word used in Matthew 6 is hypokrites. To some extent it is what linguists call a “false friend;” we should not presume to know what it means because of the similar word, hypocrite, in English—even though it derives from the Greek hypokrites! In modern English, “hypocrite” indicates a person who tells others how to behave and live rightly, but does not do so himself. In the first century, the word primarily denoted a pretender, an actor or stageplayer: someone who puts on a performance by faking particular behaviour.

We see this in Matthew 6:2, where the hypocrites make a public fanfare of their giving; in Matthew 6:5, where they stand in prominent places (both in houses of worship and on street corners) to pray where they can be noticed; and in Matthew 6:16, where they deliberately look somber and  unkept to show they are fasting. It’s all an act! Even if they are giving, praying and fasting, they are doing it for human recognition, not to magnify the Father in heaven.

How should we pray?

We should pray:

1. Not like hypocrites—like actors, “in order that they may be seen by people.”
2. In private—in secret! (This does not prohibit public, communal prayer, as the Bible clearly demonstrates. However, private prayer is commanded.)
3. Without repetitious babbling (like the pagans)—“because your Father knows your needs before you ask.”

Book review: Converging Destinies

Earlier this year, Stuart Dauermann published Converging Destinies: Jews, Christians, and the Mission of God. I reviewed it in Conspectus 24 and came to this conclusion:

Converging Destinies is a stimulating read and a valuable addition to several fields, including missiology, Jewish-Christian relations, postsupersessionism and Messianic Judaism. Dauermann prompts theological thought and praxis in his own idiosyncratic way, and he deserves to be read by the Evangelical audience targeted by this journal. Though the book has its flaws, they do not detract from the validity of the message itself—the convergence of Jews and Christians in the mission of God. May it come speedily and soon, and in our day!

Click this link to download the full review from SATS.

Kiddush: Sanctification of Shabbat

Every erev Shabbat (Sabbath eve) is sanctified (made holy) with the recital of kiddush (sanctification): a piece of liturgy that includes a few verses of B'resheet; a blessing recited over the wine; and a blessing for Israel's sanctification, inheritance of Shabbat, and election (chosenness).

Traditionally, the biblical quote often includes B'resheet/Genesis 1:31b-2:3. The narrative tells of the original Shabbat observed by HaShem upon completion of creation. At this point of the text, the creator is still anonymous; he is simply referred to as Elohim (God). The quote says that God shavat (he rested) from his work of creation. In Hebrew, the letter v is the same as the letter b, so it is easy to see that the word Shabbat is related to shavat. It was on account of this rest that God "blessed the seventh day and made it holy"—the first time anything (or anyone) in the Bible is referred to as holy.