Most of you who have read my blog for any length of time understand my fascination with Judaism. I have long been amazed at the way they micro-manage their study down to the smallest detail, trying to get what God had to say, correct. This Hebrew methodology is called, "PILPUL." Extraordinary amounts of time are spent in this diligent and fruitful task. It goes like this:
- The Torah, both written and oral was given to Moses first and he delivered it to the people. Some came down directly from Mt. Sinai, as we have learned, but some to Moses in the tabernacle.
- All of this is considered to be the actual instructions from Yahweh himself, and that is why they remain revered to this day by every Jew. Every Jew must read a portion from the Torah, every three days.
- Torah actually means, "To guide or teach." This is the Jewish recipe for life, and it is literally dissected, chewed up and swallowed at least twice per week. Just like Christianity, many do not follow this plan and have created a non-orthodox system that does not require this allegiance or discipline.
If you have been to a Jewish synagogue, shul, or temple for a bar-mitzvah, wedding or special holiday, you have seen 5000 years of history unfold right before your eyes. The retrieving, handling and opening of the Torah is sheer pageantry, founded on their utmost respect for the first five books of the Old Testament. I suggest you read some of the Torah interpretations, as I have, because they give Christians a fresh look at what Jewish Scholars have gleaned from it.
Some have postulated that biblical history is a hoax and that most, if not all of it was made up by someone, somewhere, somehow. Recognizing that there are those who don't believe any of this history has sparked my interest in any historical corroboration of the accounts in the Bible. I follow the archeological digs in the middle east with enthusiasm, as much as I mentally dig through history myself. One of my personal interests since 9/11 has been Islam...I have read and reviewed the Al-Quran. All 114 Suras (chapters) have been read multiple times. Most of us know about the life of Muhammad and events subsequent, up to and including the latest attack against infidels by Muslim extremists somewhere in the world. Please note that the problem is with extremists, and not with the overwhelming majority of Muslims. Just like religous extremists from all religions, they are pulled from context some of the words from Muhammad to justify their violence. We know about there rules, their leaders, the Taliban, the Mullah's, and the Ayatollah's. In fact, Mullah Omar is said to have founded the Taliban, which by the way means, "students", in 1989 after the Soviets vacated.
But the history of their Islamic heritage closely parallels events in Old Testament. In fact, the Al-Quran discusses most of the OT prophets from Abrihim (Abraham) to Jesus (their prophet). Most OT stories from the Bible are so close to the Al-Quran, that one has to wonder where all the hatred began and why...My point here is simple. No one except God is going to cure the 5,000 years of bloodshed, but I can tell you that the similarities and simultaneousness of the stories of the Al-Quran provide us with another source of biblical corroboration. Over time they have splintered and fought with each other, just like Christianity. I will give you one amazing example. Moses is a critical person of God to all Muslims. Their account of the Israelites in the desert for 40 years is the same, as is the manna and "quail" from heaven to feed them. They recognize Moses as a Jew and that the Pharaoh's daughter rescues and raises him. Moses' name in Arabic means, "out of the water." But most amazingly they give credit to this Hebrew for the splitting of the Nile, the 10 Commandments and everything that happened on Mt. Sinai. So go figure...
I believe that their is much to be learned from a deeper understanding of the Old Testament. Yes, it is tedious sometimes. Yes, it is very hard to understand and yes, it takes commitment. In the Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy), lies the foundation for Judaism, Christianity, Catholicism, and Islam.
Fellow saints, God is our rock of ages, but understanding the history of our world, our law, and our God will provide you with renewed resolve for research and a laser focus on what was revealed to us by God through Moses.
God Bless,
TDD
Some have postulated that biblical history is a hoax and that most, if not all of it was made up by someone, somewhere, somehow. Recognizing that there are those who don't believe any of this history has sparked my interest in any historical corroboration of the accounts in the Bible. I follow the archeological digs in the middle east with enthusiasm, as much as I mentally dig through history myself. One of my personal interests since 9/11 has been Islam...I have read and reviewed the Al-Quran. All 114 Suras (chapters) have been read multiple times. Most of us know about the life of Muhammad and events subsequent, up to and including the latest attack against infidels by Muslim extremists somewhere in the world. Please note that the problem is with extremists, and not with the overwhelming majority of Muslims. Just like religous extremists from all religions, they are pulled from context some of the words from Muhammad to justify their violence. We know about there rules, their leaders, the Taliban, the Mullah's, and the Ayatollah's. In fact, Mullah Omar is said to have founded the Taliban, which by the way means, "students", in 1989 after the Soviets vacated.
But the history of their Islamic heritage closely parallels events in Old Testament. In fact, the Al-Quran discusses most of the OT prophets from Abrihim (Abraham) to Jesus (their prophet). Most OT stories from the Bible are so close to the Al-Quran, that one has to wonder where all the hatred began and why...My point here is simple. No one except God is going to cure the 5,000 years of bloodshed, but I can tell you that the similarities and simultaneousness of the stories of the Al-Quran provide us with another source of biblical corroboration. Over time they have splintered and fought with each other, just like Christianity. I will give you one amazing example. Moses is a critical person of God to all Muslims. Their account of the Israelites in the desert for 40 years is the same, as is the manna and "quail" from heaven to feed them. They recognize Moses as a Jew and that the Pharaoh's daughter rescues and raises him. Moses' name in Arabic means, "out of the water." But most amazingly they give credit to this Hebrew for the splitting of the Nile, the 10 Commandments and everything that happened on Mt. Sinai. So go figure...
I believe that their is much to be learned from a deeper understanding of the Old Testament. Yes, it is tedious sometimes. Yes, it is very hard to understand and yes, it takes commitment. In the Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy), lies the foundation for Judaism, Christianity, Catholicism, and Islam.
Fellow saints, God is our rock of ages, but understanding the history of our world, our law, and our God will provide you with renewed resolve for research and a laser focus on what was revealed to us by God through Moses.
God Bless,
TDD
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Hearing from you is certainly not a requirement. Consideration of what is researched and written is all I ask of anyone who stumbles upon my writings. I believe that my God will take it from there. With His help I try to separate fact from fiction, sense from nonsense, and ultimately clarity from chaos.