Monthly Archives: October 2009

Sabbath Meditation: Abraham’s Election by God

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Derek Leman

Michael Wyschogrod, a modern Orthodox scholar, wrote the following in 1961 for a conference in which various thinkers were asked to write a Jewish affirmation. This excerpt from Wyschogrod’s affirmation is a fitting meditation for this week as the Torah … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Judaism, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism | Tagged , | 2 Comments

PODCAST: Yeshua in Context – Kingdom of Heaven, Pt 2

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Derek Leman

We’re in the second part of a series considering what Yeshua’s hearers would have thought when they heard about the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven. The relationship of first century Jewish men and women to the scriptures … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism, Yeshua | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Finding Early Israel, Pt 2

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Derek Leman

In the November/December issue of Biblical Archaeology Review (a magazine I encourage you to subscribe to and read), Avraham Faust writes about evidence in the archaeological record for early Israel. What is the big deal, some of you might ask, … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Bible, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism | Tagged | 4 Comments

Non-Jewish Messianic Judaism?

Posted on October 27, 2009 by Derek Leman

Today I really wanted my blog to be about finding early Israel (see the post below this, which is really the focus for today). But I saw something on iTunes and had to bring it up. I was looking over … Continue reading →

Posted in messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism | 11 Comments

Finding Early Israel, Part 1

Posted on October 27, 2009 by Derek Leman

A nomadic people settle in a great empire and become a slave class for centuries until a deliverer leads them out through a wilderness and a generation later into a land they can conquer and call their own. This is … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Bible, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism | Tagged | 7 Comments

Progress and Protest at the Western Wall

Posted on October 26, 2009 by Derek Leman

Until the recession hit, I was on a routine of leading a tour every December to Israel. I was last there December 2008 and it was my seventh trip. One of the benefits of going every year is seeing the … Continue reading →

Posted in messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The New Testament, Jews, and Torah

Posted on October 23, 2009 by Derek Leman

I got a question by email recently from a Jewish Christian who does not keep Torah and who has thus far believed that the New Testament and Christian theology indicate that when a Jew follows Christ, the Torah is no … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism, Torah | 4 Comments

PODCAST: Yeshua in Context – Kingdom of Heaven, Pt 1

Posted on October 22, 2009 by Derek Leman

Yeshua had a central message. It was the first thing he ever taught. It was always in the background of everything else he taught. It is the key to understanding Yeshua and it is not a secret. It is well-known … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism, Yeshua | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Noah in Context: Meaning and Purpose

Posted on October 21, 2009 by Derek Leman

What if the ruler(s) of the heavens were capricious, vindictive, and immature? At times, life is harsh and it’s not hard to think the whole thing is run on the whims of an angry god. What if the benefits and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism, Torah | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

The Noah Story and Mesopotamian Myth, Pt 2

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Derek Leman

In Part 1, I presented the famous Sumerian/Babylonian/Assyrian flood story which passed down over more than a thousand years through Babylonian poets into the new Assyrian empire, where it has come to us through the results of archaeological exploration. As … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism, Torah | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

The Noah Story and Mesopotamian Myth, Pt 1

Posted on October 19, 2009 by Derek Leman

Most people are completely unaware of the rich background of story and myth which is the setting of the Bible and especially books like Genesis. In the synagogue reading cycle, this week is Genesis 6:9 – 11:32, the story of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism, Torah | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Objects of Faith

Posted on October 16, 2009 by Derek Leman

I am reading a Chaim Potok novel I only recently found out about. I thought I had read them all, including Wanderings. Then a young lady in my synagogue told me about The Book of Lights. Kabbalah is a strong … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Faith, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

PODCAST: Yeshua in Context – Yeshua Against Leviticus?

Posted on October 15, 2009 by Derek Leman

One of the dividing lines in views about the historical Yeshua is whether he came to overturn the Torah, the Law of Moses, or to support it for his own Jewish people. Few scholars in recent studies have supported the … Continue reading →

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Ephesians 1 in Context

Posted on October 14, 2009 by Derek Leman

Back in October 2008 I wrote about Ephesians 1 and an important re-reading that would help a lot of people to read the Bible more in context. In recent comments and debates about the role of Jews and non-Jews in … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christian, Gentiles, Gospel, Judaism, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism, Paul | Tagged | 11 Comments

Strangers Choosing Jewish Life

Posted on October 13, 2009 by Derek Leman

I am a non-Jew converting to Judaism. The stages of my journey can be summed up as follows: (1) A reluctant conversion to Jesus-faith in college throws my secure world of science and mathematics into turmoil. (2) Instead of simply … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, Gentiles, Judaism, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism | Tagged , | 29 Comments

Was Moses for Real? Part 1

Posted on October 12, 2009 by Derek Leman

“There has not risen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” A quote from Talmud or one of the medieval rabbis? Actually no, it is from Deuteronomy 34:10. I have been for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism, Torah | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

What Did Yeshua Change for Gentiles?

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Derek Leman

I am interested in this question from several angles. First, there is a general idea that something radical changed for non-Jews with the appearance, death, resurrection, and ascension of Yeshua. Second, in Messianic Judaism we constantly hear people with varying … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Gentiles, Theology, Torah, Yeshua | Tagged , , , | 34 Comments

PODCAST: Yeshua in Context – Judging Tribes

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Derek Leman

In the introduction to Seeking the Identity of Jesus, editors Beverly Roberts Gaventa and Richard Hays speak of some of the differing images of Jesus in religious life. One of the images they refer to struck a chord with me, … Continue reading →

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Eating Lizards . . . Acts 10 & 11

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Derek Leman

It would be interesting to conduct a major George Barna style survey and determine how many people in the Christian pews of America think that the point of Peter’s sheet vision in Acts 10 and 11 is about God reversing … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Gentiles, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism, Torah | Tagged , , , , , | 56 Comments

Educate Yourself 102

Posted on October 6, 2009 by Derek Leman

In mid-August I wrote “Educate Yourself 101” which you may read here. In that post I suggested that if everyone who desires to know God would read their Bibles consistently and in the order of the Biblical story the education … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Education, Judaism, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

A Resource Review: Jewish Christian Relations, A Step Forward

Posted on October 5, 2009 by Derek Leman

In the midst of all the Sukkot festivities, I found myself driving with family for several hours yesterday. I had just received a new resource in the mail. I didn’t know what the material would be like, how it would … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Gentiles, Gospel, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism, Torah | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Jewlicious.com Critical of the Yeshua in Context Podcast

Posted on October 2, 2009 by Derek Leman

At Jewlicious.com, Rabbi Yonah wrote on October 1 that iTunes should not allow some podcasts to be listed under Judaism. My podcast is one of three mentioned. Watch the video on jewlicious here: http://www.jewlicious.com/2009/10/messianic-podcasts-featured-on-itunes-as-jewish/ Here is my response in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Judaism, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Free Download: A Sukkot Haggadah

Posted on October 2, 2009 by Derek Leman

Sukkot begins tonight. Just in time (haha), I am releasing an incomplete (but still very cool) haggadah for the holiday. If you don’t know what Sukkot is, check out Wednesday’s blog post. To download the Haggadah, check out mountolivepress.com or … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Holidays, Judaism, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

PODCAST: Yeshua in Context – The Sign of His Death

Posted on October 1, 2009 by Derek Leman

We have been considering the way Yeshua came not only to teach something with words, but to enact his message with symbolic actions. Yeshua the healer acted out a picture of the Age to Come, in which all will be … Continue reading →

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