angelad

In general, I have found two main perspectives incoming to Messianic fellowshipping. I use "fellowshipping" to mean entering into that whole sphere. You seem to be coming from an education in Judaism to some extend and the other (main) perspective is the Gentile one, those with little or no (or weird) understandings of Judaism as it is now and in the (say) last 900 years. In between those two ends of Messianic Judaism is likely the balance. (Non) Messianic Judaism teaches great respect for the "Sages" and Maimonides (Rambam) http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Maimonides was one of the most respected of all of them (post-Second Temple Judaism). It was Rambam (Maimonidies) who carefully went through all of Torah and the Jewish Bible as well as the wealth of oral tradition still known at his time. http://www.jewfaq.org/613.htm For the most part, it was he who came up with the 613 commandments (mitvot) list. I think it important to point out two major flaws in his works (while not detracting from the fact it is a great work). 1. Rambam did NOT know Y'shua. Rambam cognitively (well informed) rejected Y'shua as Messiah. Therefore, the works Rambam did on Scripture (though great) did not have the insights available to one who would have had G-d's Holy Spirit helping him. Rambam was a genius. But so was Einstien. And it took Einstien his whole life to finally come to the conclusion that a God of all Creation must exist. 2. Many (if not most) of the 613 mitvot are reiterations of the same commandments. And according to Y'shua (Jesus) all can be condensed into the 10 commandments, which can be condensed into 2, Love God ("...with all your heart....") and "love your neighbor as yourself." To prove my point, please note Maimonides's #326 Not to give up hating the enticer to idolatry (Deut. 13:9) (CCN25). Also from another website: http://www.mechon-ma.../jewfaq/613.htm "Laws of Idolatry and Gentile Customs include fifty-one commandments, two positive commandments and forty-nine negative commandments, which are: (1) not to turn to idolatry; (2) not to stray after thoughts of the heart and sights of the eyes; (3) not to blaspheme; (4) not to worship an object of idolatry in its normal way; (5) not to prostrate oneself to it; (6) not to make a graven image for oneself; (7) not to make a graven image even for others; (8) not to make figures even for decoration; (9) not to proselytize others after it; (10) to burn a city that has been proselytized over to idolatry; (11) not to rebuild it; (12) not to benefit from any of its property; (13) not to entice an individual to worship it; (14) not to love the enticer; (15) not to leave off hating him; (16) not to save him; (17) not to plead for his acquittal; (18) not to refrain from pleading for his conviction;" It is exactly these pre-judgings (prejudice) that crept into Commentaries on the Jewish Bible that end up with perversions of God's Word. Notice (15) above. The same happens with Gentiles coming in (from the other side of Messianic Judaism) having been taught how to "see" or "view" portions of God's Word because of Christian Commentaries having done much the same, ie. John MacArthur's teachings, Scoefield, Moody, etc. And we get into a lot of trouble when "Christians" mention their Commentators had God's Spirit to help them. Often, they may have had God's Spirit but not the due diligence of Jewish Bible scholars to read what was given originally. Y'shua did not ever teach any of us to "not stop hating" anyone, no matter what. And (most) all of Non-Messianic Judaism teaches that to accept Y'shua is to enter into idolatry. So, can it be right for them to "not stop hating" us? It is exactly Maimonides very teachings which have solidified this wall that keeps most Jews from accepting Messiah and we who would be their brethren otherwise. Here's an example of how it works. I had an Athiest for an earthly father. He was also the one born Jewish. As a family man he far outshown most men who claim to know Jesus. He never stepped out on my mother. He was a particularly good and responsible citizen of his country. His finances were always in order and credit examplary. Hiis work ethic was sterling. His children were well fed, clothed, and properly educated with all reasonable medical provided all the days they lived in his home. His wife was religious but he never showed any disregard to it to his children because he signed on for her as she was. We took annual vacations. But his theology sucked. He just plain hated God though I only learned that (for sure, from his own mouth) in my late 30's (out of his respect for my mothers beliefs because he waited until she died). To me this speaks of how we are to remember and honor Rambam and what he taught. There ARE errors in it. I find the Bible itself much preferrable to any man's teachings except Y'shua's as he alone was God's own Word (unadulterated) to us. We are not above "the Law" (and I do not mean just the Mosaic Law, but all laws as Jesus obeyed even Roman law, to the death!) but we are not below the law either. All the Law stands. But the 613 are not exactly as God gave them. God did not line them up out of context. And we all know many of them were not each a new one but often repeating what He had said already. That is why Y'shua is called "the Way." That is why Enoch was referred to as "walking with God." We walk with the Lord through our lives, in whatever countries, according to His Word (now known also as Y'shua who explains/explained so much). The exodus through the Reed Sea (Red Sea) is a lovely example, the feet of God's people were on the ground, not above it, or under it, going through "a way". Shalom, hope this helps. Thus we do through God's Laws, via His Word.