WORLD RELIGIONS
JUDAISM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WORLD RELIGIONS JUDAISM |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| INTRODUCTION: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������� Judaism had its foundation in an age when there was no organized religion.� Examples are Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:3-4), Noah (Genesis 8:18-20), Jacob (Genesis 31:54 and 46:1), and Job (Job 1:5) who sacrificed to God directly for sins and out of gratitude.� All of these plus Abraham (Genesis 12:1) conversed directly with God on rare occasions.� Job made sacrifices for his children's sins.� There was in the days of Abraham one Melchizedek, the Priest-King of Salem (Genesis 14:18-20) , but no religious rituals are associated with him.� (The Jewish scriptures are in the Old Testament, the first half of the Bible.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jacob, noted above, made his sacrifice toward the end of the first book of the Bible ~ Genesis.� This is significant since the next book explains a new religions system, one that was organized and congregational with a hierarchy.� This first period was around 4000 BC to about 1500 BC.� There is no indication that during this first period anyone became perfect, even with the absence of formally organized religion with no rules.� In fact, the sins of the Bible men are even pointed out.� The patriarch, Job, admitted, " 'How should man be just with God?� If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.� If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me; if I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse' " (Job 9:2,3,20 ~ King James Version).� However, even Job expected to live with God after he died (Job 19:25-27). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Beginning Exodus a religious system later called Judaism was organized.� It was very rigid and the third book of the Bible ~ Leviticus, named after the priestly tribe of Levi ~ itemizes the hundreds of regulations.� | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GOD: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Creator (Genesis 1; Job 9:8 and 26:7; Psalm 19:1)�� | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Father (Exodus 4:22; Psalm 68:5; Isaiah 64:8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Forgiving (Deuteronomy 21:8; Psalm 130) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Good (Exodus 33:18f, 34:6f; Psalm 107:8f) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Gracious (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 111:4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Guide (Psalm 23:2f; Isaiah 40:11) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Incomprehensible (Psalm 37: Isaiah 40:12-31) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Judge (Job 4:17; 8:3; Psalm 26:1,2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Longsuffering (Psalm 103:8f; Nehemiah 9:28-31) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Loving (Deuteronomy 7:7f; Jeremiah 31:3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Merciful (Ezekiel 18:23, 31f) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Omnipresent (Psalm 139:3-10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Powerful (Proverbs 30:4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Savior (Job 33:24-29; Isaiah 25:4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Self-existent (Exodus 3:14) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Truth (Psalm 57:3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WORKS: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������� The good Jew was expected to help the poor and underprivileged, obey the law, not charge usury, and not bow to idols (Ezekiel 18:5).�� The well-known Ten Commandments are a good general representation.� The first four were how to treat God (no other gods, no images, no saying "God" when you're not talking to or about him, keep the Sabbath holy by not working).� The last six were how to treat one's fellow man (honor parents; and don't murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet what others have).� Most of the Old Testament that the Jews call their scriptures is dedicated to the judges, kings and priests that ruled Israel between about 1300 and 400 BC, and how many of God's prophets went to them to warn them to treat God and the people better.� As an example, the prophet Elijah went to King Ahab after he murdered a man to get his land, and predicted he would die a violent death in the very place he'd had the man murdered (I Kings 21:1-19). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RELIGION/WORSHIP: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal prayer and meditation were expected, as borne out by many of the Psalms of David, along with fasting.� These were practiced even in the earlier period of un-organized religion.� But, in high contrast to the first period of worship which lasted some 2500 years with little ritual, the Jews under the Law of Moses were expected to perform many daily, monthly and yearly rituals both at home and at the synagogue (movable tent of worship) which was later changed to a temple (permanent building of worship).� There were also many regulations for daily living since Judaism was not only a religion but also a political system.� For a listing of these regulations, read Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, but be forewarned it is very tedious.�� It was an impossible system to get perfectly, so people remained sinful in this age also. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HEAVEN:� | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Priests regularly offered sin offerings for the people (Leviticus 6:24-29).� If people committed and then acknowledged sins, they also asked God to forgive them as did King David on many occasions (Psalm 32:1-5).�� But there was a formal asking for forgiveness on the yearly Day of Atonement.� On that day the high priest was to offer a bull for the sins of his household, and a goat for the sins of the people.� He was also to symbolically place the sins of the people onto a "scape goat" and let it wander into the wilderness (Leviticus 16:11-15, 18-23).� | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ����������� Heaven is the dwelling place of God (Deuteronomy 26:15; II Chronicles 2:6) and his throne and his angels (Daniel 7:9f).�� The prophet Elijah went to heaven in a whirlwind (II Kings 2:11).� It will be a place of rest from evil people bothering us (Job 3:17).� It was not to be a reward for people who lived perfect lives, but for those who had been forgiven. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back to Table of Contents | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||