iTunes: Listen to this week’s message from Rabbi David Levine

“The leaders of the first generation of Messianic Jews understood that loyalty to God was accompanied by loyalty to Israel the nation. They understood the connection of their faith in the God of Israel and their faithfulness to the Jewish people. Tragically, these two aspects of loyalty and faith were separated in later generations, fruit of what Paul had labeled ignorance and arrogance.
In our day, in our generation, in our synagogue we have the opportunity and we have the responsibility to make it clear that we are loyal to God and to the Jewish people.” –Rabbi David Levine

Scriptures for “Loyalty to God and the Jewish People”

Genesis 12:2
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;

Ruth 1:16-17
16But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”

Ruth 4:11
11Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel.”

Luke 1:46-55
And Miriam said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”

Numbers 36:12
12 They were married into the families of the descendants of M’nasheh the son of Yosef, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s family.

Numbers 1:2
Count the whole community of Israel by their tribes and families, listing every man by name, one by one.

Romans 9:2-5
2I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Messiah for the sake of my people, those of my own nation, 4the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the Torah, the temple worship and the promises. 5Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised!

Isaiah 57:14
Build up, build up, prepare the way! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.