When it comes to proving the existence of God and the truthfulness of His Word, it’s easy to come up short. As believers in Yeshua, we often present subjective or debatable evidence, such as personal experience, miracles, and fulfillment of Bible prophecy. But demonstrations of power and foreknowledge aren’t necessarily measures of truthfulness. Rather, we trust what someone says when we believe he is true to his word… when we believe he will keep all his promises. So why should we trust that God’s Word is true, that He exists, and that He is who He says He is? Because He has faithfully kept one objective, verifiable, and undebatable promise: Adonai has continued to preserve the Remnant of Israel from antiquity; He endures as the eternal guardian of the Jewish People.

As we fix our eyes on Yeshua—the ultimate fulfillment of all God’s promises—we often fail to see the whole plan of salvation. While the Master Yeshua is clearly the central and climactic figure of this story, the Jewish people are primary characters, without whom the entire plot unravels. God’s plan for reconciling all people-groups to Himself hinges on His promise to the people of Israel.

From beginning to end, this promise is thoroughly embedded in the Scriptures. Despite Israel’s inevitable, repeated disobedience, Adonai nevertheless vows, “I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them” (Leviticus 26:44). Mosheh (Moses) characterizes God as being “faithful” to His covenant (see Deuteronomy 7:9), declaring to Israel that “he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:8). Specifically of the tribe of Judah, 2Kings 8:19 proclaims, “Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.”

By making such a vow to Israel, Adonai commits Himself to her preservation—God puts His own name at stake. In 2Samuel 7:22-26, David exalts Adonai for this promise, professing, “There is no one like you…. And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself…. You have established your people Israel as your very own forever…. Do as you promised, so that your name will be great forever….” By redeeming Israel and promising to establish her forever, God has married His reputation to the fate of the Jewish People. The trustworthiness of His Word depends upon the destiny of the people of Israel.

Why has Adonai done this? Is it because He loves Jewish people more than all the other nations? Adonai does indeed love the people of Israel, but our preservation is for an even greater purpose: God keeps His promise to the people of Israel so that the nations will know He is God!

Adonai declares through the prophet, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name…. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord… when I show myself holy through you before their eyes. For I will take you out of the nations” (Ezekiel 36:22-24). God promises not only to preserve the people of Israel, but also to maintain us as a distinct people-group on the earth. Should the Jewish people cease to exist as a recognizable remnant, God is proved a liar—His reputation destroyed among the nations. Yet despite global dispersion and against all odds, the Jewish people remain. Our existence proves that Adonai is God; and, indeed, He is true to His Word.

“God did not reject his people [Israel], whom he foreknew…. For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:2, 29). If God forgets His promises to His people Israel, we can forget any hope for ourselves. But the Good News is that He has a plan to save and reconcile all peoples back to Him. We can trust that He alone is God—and that His Word is faithful and true—because Adonai preserves the Jewish people, just as He promised to do.

This “Challenging Paradigms” article was also published in Messianic Jewish Issues.

Most of us (I hope!) would say that we love the Word of God… that we depend on it, submit to it, and try our best to fully abide by what God says. But the way that sentiment is realistically worked out in each of our lives is often dramatically different. Sometimes those differences are caused by the pervasive influence of the world. Sometimes it’s because we selfishly pursue our own interests. But in my experience, the fundamental reason why we don’t approach our relationship with God and our reliance upon His Word in the same way is because we do not bear the same standard when it comes to living for Yeshua. The reason we fail to know God and listen to His Word is because our aim has drifted from the goal.

Consider the limitations we tend to impose on our relationship with God. For example, many of us primarily relate to God experientially. We pray, praise, worship, study the Scriptures, attend services, and perform various sacred acts because these are the means by which we feel God’s presence and express our devotion to Him. We sense that God is pleased with us when we passionately seek His face, and are affirmed by the emotional release that can accompany spiritual experiences.

Then there are those of us who pursue God primarily out of a sense of duty: having been bought at a price, we consider ourselves indebted to the Master’s service. We therefore practice our faith through assorted spiritual, religious or charitable feats. We seek to please God through our obedience, and are comforted by the accomplishment of righteous deeds, or the keeping of His commands. We desire the programmed management of our spiritual lives, and the structure that assures compliance with His will.

The varying ways we relate to God may be motivated by the zeal to know Him more. And yet, these very avenues are often highly effective means of missing Him entirely! How can this be? Because in our unbalanced fervor, we become fixated on the means and the methods of our devotion. Our aim drifts from the goal of Messiah when we reduce our identity in God to the acts we perform to please Him.

All too often, in the course of “making it our aim… to be well pleasing to Him…” (2Corinthians 5:9), we mistake our “doing” for God for a relationship with Him. Before we know it, the passion for Yeshua that used to be fueled by worship has now morphed into a passion for worship. The love of God that used to be awakened by Bible study has now mutated into a love of Bible study. Our experience with God has become an encounter with the “experience;” our duty toward God has become an obligation to “duty.” Our arm has dropped and our gaze has dipped such that God Himself is no longer in our sights. Now, we define ourselves not according to who we are in Him, but rather the things we do in His Name.

As disciples of Messiah, it is absolutely essential that we seek His face, obey His Word, and boldly bear the standard of Scripture. But when even godly goals become our focus, we end up creating our own custom-fit religions devoid of the very One we are attempting to enshrine. We become so caught up with obeying God and trying to please Him that we forget why we are “doing” for Him in the first place. It is crucial that we make this adjustment in our aim: the goal is not to “do” for Messiah—the goal of “doing” is Messiah. Our primary purpose is to “be still, and know that I am God….” (Psalm 46:10); then out of that relationship, the “doing” may flow.

This “Word from Kevin” was previously published in Messianic Jewish Issues.

At the center of the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East is a fundamental, socio-religious ideology that says Jews should not exist—anytime or anywhere—much less as occupants of the land presently known as the modern State of Israel. As a result, the Israeli State faces a constant and seemingly imminent threat to her national sovereignty and safety: Palestinian rockets and mortar shells launched almost daily toward Israeli territory; powerful Arab leaders with potential nuclear capabilities calling for the annihilation of the “Zionist regime;” escalating, internal conflicts within neighboring countries threatening to destabilize the entire region; the nations of the world continually demonizing every attempt made by the State of Israel to defend against her aggressors. Confronted by such contempt and antagonism, the government nevertheless tries to negotiate land for peace, with an Israeli/Palestinian two-state solution looming as inevitable. Yet the real and growing danger hanging over the State of Israel endures.

Despite this perpetual crisis, however, we need not be concerned that Adonai will fail to protect and preserve Israel. Indeed, though all the nations of the earth will one day gather against Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:3), Adonai will ultimately destroy those who attack His holy city (Zechariah 12:9). Eventually, Israel will have peace and safety; in the end, Israel will survive.

But what of Israel today? What assurances do we have that during the present era, God will protect and preserve the State of Israel from her ever-present foes? And what is our role and responsibility as we watch these events unfold?

The establishment of the modern State is considered by many to be the beginning of the final regathering of Israel—that the Jewish people will never again be expelled from our ancestral homeland. According to Jeremiah 32:37, Adonai says, “I will surely gather [Israel and Judah] from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety.” Likewise, in Ezekiel 34:28-29, Adonai declares, “…[Israel] will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid…. they will no longer… bear the scorn of the nations.” Unfortunately, such a characterization falls far short of describing the condition of the modern Israeli State. Those residing in the Land today do not “live in safety”—they do indeed have reason to be afraid, because they continually “bear the scorn of the nations.”

Why? Why must the State of Israel have “defensible borders”? Why are the people of the Land not enjoying the life of peace promised for the Regathering? Perhaps it is because certain conditions necessary for Israel’s final possession of the Land may be the same as those God required for the first. Indeed, while Israel wandered forty years in the desert before first taking possession of the Land, Adonai promised that she would live there securely only if “you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands” (see Leviticus 26:3-6, cf. 25:18). Israel’s peace and safety have always been conditional—they depend in part on Israel’s collective faithfulness to God.

This conditional protection is mentioned several times by Moses. For example, in Deuteronomy 4:40, he encourages the people of Israel to “keep [Adonai’s] decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time” (cf. Deuteronomy 32:46-47). He also strongly exhorts Israel in Deuteronomy 4:25-26, warning them that “after you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt… you will quickly perish from the land…. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed.” Moses assures Israel that in turn for their unfaithfulness, “The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies” (Deuteronomy 28:25).

The nation of Israel (that is, the Jewish people—both in and outside the Land) has wandered far from the decrees and commands of our God. With regard to our physical regathering, half of us are still assimilated into and dispersed throughout the nations, while many of us living within the barely-Biblical and still shrinking borders of the modern Israeli State are just as secular, worldly, and permissive of sin as the rest. Is this the faithful Israel Moses instructed us to be?

In John 5:46-47 (cf. Luke 24:27), the Master Yeshua admonishes the sons of Israel, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” When the people of Israel return to the decrees and commands of Adonai, we will finally experience the restoration of our birthright. But before Israel can nationally count on the physical safety promised to us by God, it will require more than just our regathering to the Land… we must also be regathered to Him through the Son of David—the Messiah Yeshua, our Salvation! (See Ezekiel 37:23-25.)

As we watch the relentless bombardment against the State of Israel, we should be pierced with an urgency to reach the Israel in our own backyards—our Jewish families, friends and neighbors—with the truth of Yeshua. Let us no longer simply pray for the peace of physical Jerusalem, but actively work to revive spiritual Jerusalem in the hearts and minds of every Jew… everywhere.

What do you think? Weigh in with your comments below.

This “Challenging Paradigms” article was also published in Messianic Jewish Issues.

As central as Passover is to the history of Israel and the narrative of our faith in Yeshua, those of us who celebrate it tend to do so at the expense of the greater picture. We focus so intently on the event of the seder—and the pomp and ceremony that traditionally surround it—that we fail to adequately prepare our hearts for the annual moment, missing the momentum for the season that Passover begins.

Every year, it pains me to see Passover treated as little more than a date on the calendar, a teaching event, or an evangelistic outreach (in certain Messianic circles). Additionally, I am grieved that many will default to mere attendance at a formal community seder, rather than expend the energy to personally prepare for an intimate remembrance in the home, according to Scripture. It is not because of disobedience, but for the missed opportunity that I grieve—an opportunity that, with only some forethought and effort, can be wholeheartedly embraced.

What also continually amazes me—and I suppose it shouldn’t—is that the traditional, rabbinic Jewish seder (the primary focus of most Passover celebrations) goes unquestioned and unchallenged year after year. To be sure, we Messianics have been writing our own hagadot (the book that tells the Passover story during the seder) for years, weaving Yeshua’s fulfillment of Passover into the fabric of our celebrations. But instead of starting with the perfect Word of God—the Scriptures—to instruct us in our memorial, we still almost universally rely upon the framework of the traditional Jewish seder. We merely adapt the traditions to suit our tastes, building upon the innovations of men.

I’d like to think that the reason we do not turn to the Scriptures with regard to Passover (or anything else, for that matter), is that we do not realize how far from the Scriptures our traditions really are. We have been taught to believe that our traditions are authoritative—even Scriptural. But if that is so, how do we explain the existence of the seder plate (which is not found in Scripture), or the majority of its elements (which are not found in Scripture), or many of the rituals of the seder (which are not found in Scripture), or even the very seder itself? An examination of all the traditions associated with Passover will reveal that nearly every single tradition is either non-existent in Scripture, or is a modification of Scripture that actually contradicts the Word of God.

In 2010, Perfect Word published Behold the Lamb, which is much more than just another Messianic Passover haggadah. I also helped compile a thorough Passover Preparation Guide as a complement to Behold the Lamb. In addition to providing a truly Scripture-based Passover memorial avodah (“service”), I write extensively in these two resources about the recapturing of a Scriptural Passover experience. There is so much more to Passover than “dinner and a show”. From the preparation of the home, to the preparation of the heart; from the telling of the Passover story, to the keeping of an all-night vigil; from the purging of sin (symbolized by leaven), to the look ahead to the next seven and then fifty days of growing toward God—these Behold the Lamb resources restore both the practical and spiritual aspects of Passover that have been forgotten, but not lost!

Passover is so much more than a time to remember Israel’s history and the truth of our once-for-all Passover sacrifice, Yeshua, our Master. It is also the singular annual opportunity to restart our walk of faith—to learn not just of God, but of the state of our own hearts through the participation of our hands and feet as well as our senses. I urge you to begin preparing your heart and mind today to experience Passover anew this year. Let’s look to the Scriptures for our instruction and purpose, and walk out the reality of our freedom according to the truth of God’s perfect Word.

Behold the Lamb, the Preparation Guide and the Messianic Mo’adiym Devotional (which leads you daily from Passover through the entire Season of Freedom) are available as a specially-priced three-pack only in the Perfect Word Resource Center.

The challenge to live the Messianic life is not unique to our day and age—in fact, the obstacles of life that cloud our understanding of the ways of God have proven to be a formidable foe since the beginning.

To the believers of Galatia, who were trapped by their own doctrines and misconceptions about the Messianic life, Paul wrote,

“With Messiah I have been crucified, and no more do I live, but Messiah lives in me; and that which I now live in the body, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me…” Galatians 2:20 

This is the foundational truth of the Messianic life, without which we have no hope: our life is no more—it is the life of Messiah we now live.  When we think and act contrary to who Messiah is, we are living contrary to who we truly are.  We live the Messianic life by thinking as the Master thought, walking as the Master walked, and completely laying down our lives for the Father’s service… just as the Son laid down His life for us.

Like the believers in Galatia, each one of us sees life through the filter of our own personal opinions and experiences.  As disciples of Messiah, however, we need to come to a place where we are willing to set aside our opinions and experiences—even the ones we really like and that seem to be working for us—if they do not line up with the life of Messiah and the Word of God.  If we remain in opposition to the Word, living according to our own desires and ways of doing things, we will be hindered in our ability to become the effective disciples of Messiah that we were remade to be—we will be unable to live the Messianic life.

When we choose God and neighbor over self, we are choosing to live the Messianic life.  It is the most selfless life imaginable, and yet its rewards are without measure.  “For you died, and your life has been hidden with the Messiah in God.  When the Messiah—our life—is revealed, then we,too, will be revealed with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:3-4).  If we are to truly be Messiah’s disciples, this is the life we must choose today—a life that is totally and completely “sold-out” to the Master… a life wholeheartedly devoted only to Yeshua.

The above was excerpted from my book, “Being a Disciple of Messiah”.

I invite you to share your thoughts on this subject, below.

This paper is related to the “Unholy War of Names” post, but is provided here so that it may have its own discussion thread.

For discussion specific to the “Unholy War of Names” article and the name of Yeshua, please scroll to the bottom of that page. For discussion specific to “The Name” paper, please use the form below.

The most obvious and symbolic element of Chanukah is the ’chanukiyyah (commonly, though inaccurately, called the m’norah), used for the commemoration of the alleged miracle. The chanukiyyah is usually a nine-branched candelabra designed to hold eight Chanukah candles, one for each night, plus the shamash (meaning “servant”). In typical fashion, the shamash is lit, then used to kindle each Chanukah light in turn: on the first night, one light; on the second night, two; and so on, until all eight lights are kindled on the last night of the Festival.

The chanukiyyah, while apparently ancient, is not explicitly prescribed by the Rabbis. Neither is the use of candles as Chanukah lights. Indeed, most of the Talmudic references are to oil lamps. For example, Mas. Shabbath 23a, discusses which kind of oil is best for kindling the Chanukah lights (evidently, it’s olive oil).

But what is truly intriguing about the traditions surrounding the chanukiyyah, is that the most common method used today for kindling the Chanukah lights was originally meant only for the “extremely zealous.” You may be surprised to know that according to Mas. Shabbath 21b, only one Chanukah light per household is “demanded,” and any increase in the number of lights is merely an indication of one’s “zeal.” According to the Rabbis, each household must light at least one Chanukah light per night; for the “zealous,” one light nightly for each member of his household; and for the “extremely zealous,” eight lights—with Beth Shammai saying to reduce the number by one each night, and Beth Hillel maintaining that the lights should progressively increase each night up to eight.

In short, there’s more than one way to kindle the Chanukah lights, and the traditions and rituals are not quite as fixed as we have been led to believe.

Some other Talmudic instructions concerning the Chanukah lights include the exceptions for placing the lamp inside the home (it’s supposed to be outside), how far from the doorway it is allowed to be, how high above the ground is acceptable, and who must pronounce a blessing and what that blessing must be.

The Talmud also includes prohibitions against using the Chanukah lights to perform the natural functions of a household lamp—i.e., casting usable light, providing heat, or transferring a flame from one lamp to another. This, of course, renders the Chanukah lights useless for all but one task, and it is an extremely limited (though charming) one, at that. Additionally, it is from these prohibitions that the tradition of the shamash arose. Since the Rabbis forbid the use of the Chanukah lights for natural purposes, the shamash—not being one of the Chanukah lights itself—was added as a ceremonial convenience.

Should we not find it curious, then, given the extraordinarily non-authoritative nature of the Rabbi’s opinions, that something as innocuous as the shamash would garner such profound meaning in Messianic and Jewish Roots circles? Though it is an entirely contrived, completely rabbinic innovation, the concept of the shamash really “preaches”—especially to a Messianic audience.

The mundane purpose of the shamash notwithstanding, it is easy to make the leap to a brilliant representation of Yeshua: a set-apart “servant,” yet elevated (as on some modern chanukiyyot) above all others, setting them aflame with His holy light, so that they in turn may shine that light, and brightly penetrate the darkness of the world around them. Indeed, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28), and He is “the true Light, which enlightens every man” (John 1:9)! Without a doubt, it is a glorious portrait of our Master—even more so when we imagine that this picture has been amazingly “hidden” for centuries in plain view of His own Jewish people. But the fact of the matter remains: when we “see” Yeshua in the chanukiyyah, we are “seeing” Him in a “Rabbinical [institution]” (Mas. Shabbath 24a)—we are being inspired by a man-made prohibition against nature and reason. As disciples of Messiah, we have an abundant treasure of spiritual richness in the legacy of the Scriptures. Can we not honor and observe a holiday established by our forefathers without camouflaging and disfiguring it with more spiritual meaning than they intended?

Does the chanukiyyah’s shamash represent Yeshua? It certainly can, if we choose to see it that way. But if we do, isn’t it possible that we’re just “seeing things” where they ought not to be? Or, at least, making too much out of something that was never meant to get our attention?

Think about it.

Intrigued? This was just an excerpt from the Appendix of my book The Real Story of Chanukah.

In my book about The Real Story of Chanukah, I included a lengthy endnote about Christmas. For those interested in one Messianic Jew’s opinion, here it is in its entirety.

Since this is a significant issue among Messianics and Christians in pursuit of the “Jewish roots” of the faith, I feel that it is worthwhile to offer my perspective on Christmas. Personally, I have no problem with Christians celebrating Christmas. For sure, there are seriously pagan issues with the holiday and its accompanying icons (these facts are widely documented, and, since this is a book about Chanukah and not Christmas, I do not feel compelled to elaborate here), but as far as the Luke 2 tradition is concerned—where the sole and central purpose of celebrating Christmas is the recognition of Yeshua’s birth—I have no problem with it whatsoever. 

Where I caution Christians in their observance, however, is where the line of paganism becomes encroached upon. Though “Christ”—Messiah—may be an inspirational portion of Christmas, this theme is often shrouded or lost among the manner in which it is celebrated in our society today. It’s also fair to point out that the holiday itself is pagan in origin, not at all inspired by the Scriptures. Though as believers, some have tried to put “Christ” back into Christmas, this is essentially the same thing as trying to impose Yeshua onto the chanukiyyah [the so-called Chanukah “menorah”] (which has its own set of issues as well—see the Appendix for a more substantial discussion on this topic). Forcing Messianic (or Christian) ideals and ideas onto traditional rituals and elements (especially those of dubious origin), can be fraught with difficulties. Of course, with regard to Christmas, we cannot ignore the underlying question of why believers desire to celebrate the Messiah’s birthday in the first place. Celebrating birthdays is simply not a practice found in Scripture.

With regard to my own relationship to Christmas, as a Jew, Christian rites and holidays in general have no place in my life or the life of my family. Celebrating Christian holidays is simply not where I find common ground with my Gentile brothers and sisters. There are many, far more substantial areas in which I as a Messianic Jew can walk in agreement with all believers in Yeshua—Christmas is just not one of them. Nevertheless, I do not begrudge Christians their observance.

What do you think about this perspective? Sound off below (don’t be naughty—be nice!).

“A blogger writes about how one of Judaism’s holiest days ended, for her, in a strip club, while elsewhere a guy strolls into a tattoo parlor requesting a Star of David. Two women exchange wedding vows in a Jewish ceremony, and hipsters toss back bottles of HE’BREW, The Chosen Beer…. [Moses] couldn’t have seen these Jews coming.”

This is how a CNN article begins, showcasing the so-called “New Jews” and the ways they express their Jewishness: with flagrant violation of Torah, and a heart ablaze for assimilation. They are “making [Judaism] and its culture work for them and others in a time when, more than ever, affiliation is a choice.” It’s an astute observation by Ms. Ravitz (the article’s author), and one that should make us shudder: it’s happening again—as it has continually since the beginning—Jews choosing… as if we had a choice. The Scriptures testify against us:

• Before we took the Land, we chose the daughters of Moav, and joined ourselves to Baal-P’or (Numbers 25:1ff).
• After we took the Land, we chose the daughters of the survivors, and willingly served their idols (Joshua 23:12-13; Judges 3:1ff).
• Our kings chose foreign women, and through disobedience, allowed their hearts to turn after foreign gods (1Kings 11:1-2).
• We chose to reject Adonai’s covenant and imitate the nations around us, causing us to be removed from the presence of Adonai (2Kings 17:13-19).

And the real story of Chanukah begins with our willful assimilation, when…

• …we chose to be “breakers of the Torah, and [seducers of] many people, saying: ‘Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us….” (1Maccabees 1:11, NAB)
• We chose to “[cover] over the mark of [our] circumcision and [abandon] the holy covenant;” (1Maccabees 1:15a, NAB)
• and we chose to “[ally ourselves] with the Gentiles and [sell ourselves] to wrongdoing.” (1Maccabees 1:15b, NAB)

Since the beginning, we have been choosing for ourselves, following our own lusts, desires and fears… and every time, we have made the wrong choice.

As heart-wrenching as it is to admit, there is nothing “new” about the “New Jews”—they are only the most current evidence that Israel is continuing to choose the ways of the nations and the flesh over the ways of Adonai. Perhaps not every Jew is a gay, drunken, tattooed voyeur… but that doesn’t mean we are not complete degenerates, constantly in search of new ways to please and comfort ourselves in a world that dares us to be different. No, for the Jew—indeed, for every disciple of Messiah—there is but one true choice: follow Adonai, and revile assimilation… be different, or die.

Though the real story of Chanukah begins with the lament for Israel’s infidelity, it thankfully ends with a message of hope: a few faithful ones can lead the way to restoration. Now, more than ever, we need to set aside our fears and the temptations of the flesh, and follow only the politically incorrect ways of our Master. May we refuse to fit in, and instead stand out and influence our people and the nations around us. Let us boldly proclaim the message of turning away from ourselves, and choosing only to run after Him who grants everything we were ever truly after.

“I have caused to testify against you today the heavens and the earth; life and death I have set before you, the blessing and the cursing. So you: choose life—so that you will live; you and your seed—to love Adonai your God, to listen to His voice, and to cling to Him (for He is your life, and the length of your days)…” D’variym (Deuteronomy) 30:19-20

I always have mixed emotions about Thanksgiving, because on the one hand, at its heart are two of my most favorite things: family and food! But on the other hand, it not only signals the beginning of the commercial winter holiday season (in which we are bombarded by merchandising and inducements to unnecessarily part with our finances), but, to a degree, it’s not really my holiday. I am only a second-generation American-born Jew, so before WWII, my ancestors knew nothing of the American Thanksgiving holiday (though it is indirectly related to our own Autumn Feast, Sukot). So, while I enjoy Thanksgiving on a familial, individual, and American level (because I am very thankful indeed for this country), it also reminds me that I—as my ancestors have been for centuries—am a stranger in a strange land… a man caught between worlds.

So, I have resolved that, as a Messianic Jew, for myself and my family, our Thanksgiving tradition must include at least two vital aspects. First, it may not, in any way, be performed or enjoyed with the gusto and enthusiasm warranted by a Feast for Israel (i.e. Passover, Shavuot, Sukot). That is, we must not permit it to compete in our hearts and memories with the days and seasons appointed by Adonai. I assert this not in passive rebellion against an American holiday, but simply out of respect and in order to elevate the days that define Israel as a people—despite our dispersion amongst foreign lands.

Our second, non-negotiable family tradition is that we remind ourselves of the origins and purpose of the holiday (which, by the way, does not happen to be an excuse to overeat, then fall asleep watching football—as pleasurable as that may be). It is the festive memorial of those who overcame adversity in the hopes of finding freedom, and it serves as a reminder—especially during these uncertain times—to be thankful for the many and bountiful blessings from Adonai… the luxuries we so arrogantly consider as basic necessities (indoor plumbing? refrigeration? central heating and cooling? need I say more?).

“Always rejoice; continually pray; in every thing give thanks…” (1Thessalonians 5:16-18) Much more than merely good advice, this is the outlook we need to have today if we hope to endure what may lie ahead tomorrow. Those first pilgrims did not at first have the basics of food and shelter. Would we stand firm in our hope in God if everything were suddenly (or slowly) taken away? Would we still find cause to rejoice, have faith in prayer, and be thankful to our God if we had nothing? In whom is our hope? In whom is our joy? In whom do we trust when we don’t have enough (or when we think His provision is lacking)?

So, whether you are partaking in, ignoring, dreading, or wishing you had someone with whom to spend this American harvest holiday, I encourage you to keep this foremost in your mind: salvation comes not from the strength of our own hand, the wisdom of our own mind, nor the sweat of our own brow. We live, and eat, and dwell in comfort and safety only by the provision of the One to whom all glory, honor, praise and thanksgiving is due.

Come, [let] us sing to Adonai! [Let] us shout to the rock of our salvation! [Let] us come before His face with thanksgiving! With music [let] us shout to Him! For Adonai is a great God, and a great king over all gods. In His hand are the deep places of earth, and the strong places of hills are His. His is the sea, and He made it. And His hands formed the dry land. (Psalm 95:1-5)