Home

Defending Our Beliefs

compiled by Sharan Silver

As a result of a guest speaker we had at our congregation's 2007 Sukkot gathering in Las Cruces we put together this paper defending some of our core beliefs and practices in our congregation, i.e., the Two Houses or One House of Israel, the Sabbath, etc. My wife Sharan took it upon herself to listen to the 2 hour teaching done by our guest and search the Bible for the answers. I made suggestions and reviewed her work.

Mordecai Silver

ETZ CHAYIM-TREE OF LIFE

MESSIANIC CONGREGATION

DEFENDING OUR BELIEFS

QUESTION #1

ARE THERE TEN LOST TRIBES?

Yes

While reading through I Kings and II Kings, the 12 (13) tribes are summed up under the King of Israel or the King of Judah (ex: II Kings 17:1 – In the twelfth year of Ahaz, King of Judah, Hoshea, son of Elah became King of Israel.)

^NAU 2 Kings 17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

^NAU 2 Kings 17:22-23 The sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them ²³ until the LORD removed Israel from His sight, as He spoke through all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.

^NAU 2 Kings 17:18 So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight; none was left except the tribe of Judah.

^NAU 2 Kings 24:14 Then he (Nebuchadnezzar) led away into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land.

^NAU 2 Kings 25:21 Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was led away into exile from its land.

^NAU Ezra 1:1-5 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying: ² "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. ³ 'Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. ⁴ 'Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.'" ⁵ Then the heads of fathers' households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

^NAU Ezra 4:1 Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a temple to the LORD God of Israel.

Only two tribes are listed.

QUESTION #2A

WAS YESHUA SAYING WE ONLY NEED TO FOLLOW THE TWO GREATEST COMMANDMENTS, WHICH ARE TO LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, SOUL AND MIGHT.AND TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF?

^NAU Matthew 22:40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Torah and the Prophets."

This is just saying that this sums up in a few words the commandments, not that the rest are thrown out.

QUESTION #2B

IF YESHUA SAID WE ONLY NEED TO FOLLOW THE TWO GREATEST COMMANDMENTS, THEN WAS THE COUNCIL AT JERUSALEM IN ACTS 15 SAYING THAT THE NON-JEWS ONLY HAVE TO FOLLOW FOUR LAWS (ABSTAIN FROM FOOD POLLUTED BY IDOLS, FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY, FROM THE MEAT OF STRANGLED ANIMALS AND FROM BLOOD)?

^NAU Acts 15:15-18 "With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, ¹⁶ 'After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, ¹⁷ so that the rest of mankind may seek the lord, and all the gentiles who are called by my name,' ¹⁸ says the lord, who makes these things known from long ago.

The above says the remnant and the Gentiles who do these things that have been known for ages. So it says, both. Second, it says things that have been known for ages, which are his commandments.

^NAU Acts 15:21 "For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

For a person to say that the above does not say the Gentiles have to do anything other than the four above requirements is foolish because then it allows the Gentiles to break the Ten Commandments since it is not included and can therefore commit murder.

^NAU Leviticus 19:1-2 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ² "Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

^NAU Ezekiel 37:15 The word of the LORD came again to me saying, ¹⁶ "And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, 'For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.' ¹⁷ "Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.

^NAU Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua.

QUESTION #2C

DO WE NEED TO ONLY FOLLOW THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?

^NAU Leviticus 19:37 'You shall thus observe all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them; I am the LORD.'"

^NAU Matthew 5:17-19 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. ¹⁸ "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Torah until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

^NAU Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. ²² "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' ²³ "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice Torahlessness.'

^NAU Romans 3:29-31 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, ³⁰ since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. ³¹ Do we then nullify the Torah through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Torah.

QUESTION #2D

ARE WE CALLED TO KEEP ALL OF THE COMMANDMENTS?

Yes

We should try

^NAU John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

^NAU John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God.

Yeshua is the Word, the Word is the entire Bible.

^NAU Deuteronomy 27:26 'Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this Torah by doing them.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

^NAU 1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.

^NAU 1 John 2:24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

^NAU 1 John 2:3-7 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴ The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; ⁵ but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: ⁶ the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. ⁷ Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.

QUESTION #3

IN GENESIS WHEN GOD TOLD ADAM AND EVE NOT TO EAT OF THE TREE OF LIFE, WAS THAT A COMMANDMENT?

Yes, as well as many others prior to Mount Sinai as in Genesis 26:5, all of God’s commandments are forever though not all can be followed for various reasons.

QUESTION #4

DO THE COMMANDMENTS HAVE EXPIRATION DATES?

^NAU Exodus 20:1-6 Then God spoke all these words, saying, ² "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ³ "You shall have no other gods before Me. ⁴ "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. ⁵ "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, ⁶ but showing loving kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

^NAU Leviticus 23:14 ' It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

^NAU Exodus 34:27 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel."

^NAU Deuteronomy 31:16 The LORD said to Moses, "Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers; and this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.

^NAU Exodus 27:21 "In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout their generations for the sons of Israel.

QUESTION #5

DEFINE TORAH

Instruction – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy

If Torah was more than the above, the Scribes would not have cut off their scrolls after Deuteronomy

QUESTION #6

IS TORAH, GENESIS THROUGH REVELATION?

The books beginning with Joshua through Revelation are prophets, poetry, gospels, history and letters

From Cover the Bible by Dr. Ralph W. Neighbour, Jr., Director of Church Planting for Columbia Biblical Seminary .

The Old Testament by Sections

A. The Books of the Law – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy

B. The Books of History – Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Chronicles, 1 and 2 Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther

C. The Books of Poetry – Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

D. Major Prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel

E. Minor Prophets – Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Michah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

The New Testament by Sections

A. The Synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

B. History of the Church – Acts

C. Paul’s letters – Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galations, Ephesians, Phillippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon

D. General Epistles – Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, 3 John, Jude

E. Revelation of Yeshua – Revelation

Section C states “Paul’s letters”. This is not commandments of God

QUESTION #7

DOES THE TWO-HOUSE TEACHING DO HARM TO REACHING THE JEWISH PEOPLE?

^NAU Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. ¹¹ "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

He states his Word is for EVERYONE

^NAU Leviticus 24:22 'There shall be one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native, for I am the LORD your God.'"

The Two-House Teaching is Biblical and does not attempt to replace the Jewish people but to stand with them as equals in Israel.

QUESTION #8

IS YESHUA JEWISH?

Yes

^NAU Matthew 1:2-16 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. ³ Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. ⁴ Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon. ⁵ Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. ⁶ Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. ⁷ Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa. ⁸ Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah. ⁹ Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. ¹⁰ Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah. ¹¹ Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. ¹² After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. ¹³ Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor. ¹⁴ Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud. ¹⁵ Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob. ¹⁶ Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Miriam, by whom Yeshua was born, who is called the Messiah.

QUESTION #9

DOES IT MATTER IF YESHUA WAS JEWISH?

Yes

It fulfilled prophesy.

^NAU Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel

^NAU Micah 5:2-3 "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." ³ Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel.

QUESTION #10

ARE WE (MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN) COMMANDED TO WEAR TZIZOT?

Yes

^NAU Numbers 15:37 The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, ³⁸ "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. ³⁹ "It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, ⁴⁰ so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God. ⁴¹ "I am the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD your God."

QUESTION #11

MUST TZITZIT ONLY BE TIED ON?

^NAU Numbers 15:38 "Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tzizit on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.

^{NAU
Deuteronomy 22:12 "You
shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your garment with
which you cover yourself.}

It does not specify how long they have to be.

QUESTION #12

ARE YOU WRONG IF YOU ATTACH THEM TO YOUR JEANS?

God only tells us to place fringes/tzizit on the corners of your garment.

QUESTION #13

DOES THE TALMUD HAVE A PLACE IN THE LIVES OF THE BELIEVERS?

Yes, as far as a believer wants to follow any oral teachings of the Rabbis, they are free to do so as long as what they are following does not replace the written Torah. In the New Testament or Apostolic Scriptures Yeshua’s contention with the Pharisees were almost always with the school of Shammai a conservative school. He very rarely had differences with the school of Hillel with whose interpretation of the Torah often lined up with Yeshua’s interpretation. One of the few places where Yeshua tended to agree with Shammai was on Divorce. Shammai took a more conservative view of divorce.

QUESTION #14

SHOULD MESSIANIC BELIEVERS BE SAYING LITURGICAL PRAYERS?

Yes

The Sh’ma is from Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Love Your Neighbor is from Leviticus 19:18.

The Kadeesh is based on Job 1:21

When looking at the Siddur our congregation uses, you will see the Biblical references to most of the prayers

^NAU John 12:37 But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him.

^NAU Romans 11:7-8 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; ⁸ just as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day."

^NAU Romans 11:25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery-- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation-- that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;

^NAU 2 Corinthians 3:14-16 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Messiah. ¹⁵ But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; ¹⁶ but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

We honor all of God’s Word from Genesis to Revelation

OTHER BELIEFS

QUESTION #15

WHAT DAY DOES GOD SAY TO WORSHIP HIM?

The seventh day (Saturday)

^NAU Leviticus 23:1-3 The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, ² "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD'S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations-- My appointed times are these: ³ 'For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings.

^NAU Isaiah 58:13-14 "If because of the Sabbath, you turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, And honor it, desisting from your own ways, From seeking your own pleasure And speaking your own word, ¹⁴ Then you will take delight in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

In the Hebrew language, the word “delight” is “oneg”, which translates to celebration, sharing time with loved ones, leisurely meals with special conviviality, singing, hospitality and relaxation.

QUESTION #16

WAS PAUL TEACHING THAT THE COMMANDMENTS WERE NO LONGER VALID?

^NAU Acts 2:46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,

^NAU Acts 21:26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.

^NAU Acts 22:17 "It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance.

^NAU Acts 24:17-18 "Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings; ¹⁸ in which they found me occupied in the temple, having been purified, without any crowd or uproar.

^NAU Romans 7:12-16 So then, the Torah is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. ¹³ Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. ¹⁴ For we know that the Torah is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. ¹⁵ For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. ¹⁶ But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Torah, confessing that the Torah is good.

^NAU Romans 7:22-25 For I joyfully concur with the Torah of God in the inner man, ²³ but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the Torah of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God through Yeshua the Messiah our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the Torah of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

QUESTION #17

WOULD THE LORD APPROVE OF THE PRACTICE OF CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AND EASTER?

^NAU Deuteronomy 4:2 "You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

^NAU Jeremiah 10:2-5 Thus says the LORD, "Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them; ³ For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. ⁴ "They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter. ⁵ "Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good."

If you look at this verse closely, you will see that it is describing the Christmas tree.

The celebration of both Christmas and Easter didn’t begin until AD320 after Constantine came into power.

Christmas only became legal in the United States in 1865. Before that time, it was banned world wide.

Easter is actually worshipping a fertility god called Eastre. Hence, the custom of including eggs, chicks and bunnies.

^NAU Exodus 32:35 Then the LORD smote the people, because of what they did with the calf which Aaron had made.

The Israelites celebrated around the golden calf because they6 thought they were honoring the Lord, But God found it detestable.

Most people think that December 25^th is Yeshua's birthday. The truth is that December 25^th is the birthday of Mithra, pagan sun god.

QUESTION #18

WOULD YESHUA WANT US TO INCLUDE THE USE OF THE CROSS OR CRUCIFIX?

The symbol of the cross did not originate at the time of Messiah. It has been a symbol used by sun worshippers since the time of Babel. The upright portion of the cross seems to have indicated the path to heaven, the cross bar indicating heaven. When the sun god was on earth, his symbol, the circle of the sun, was at the bottom of the cross. After his ascent into the heavens the circle was moved to the top of the cross. The Egyptian Ankh, the symbol of life after death is that same symbol

^NAU Exodus 20:1-6 Then God spoke all these words, saying, ² "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ³ "You shall have no other gods before Me. ⁴ "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. ⁵ "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, ⁶ but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

The cross or crucifix was not linked to Yeshua until the third century when Constantine came into power.

QUESTION #19

WAS YESHUA TEACHING THAT THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS NO LONGER VALID?

^NAU Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

This verse shows that Yeshua was with His Father at creation, which would prove that the Old Testament is just as valid as the New Testament.

^NAU Matthew 7:13-16 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ¹⁴ "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. ¹⁵ "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?

^NAU Matthew 24:11-14 "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. ¹² "Because Torahlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. ¹³ "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. ¹⁴ "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

^NAU Luke 16:17 "But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Torah to fail.

^NAU Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.

^NAU Hebrews 13:8 Yeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday and today and forever.

QUESTION #20

IS IT WRONG TO INCLUDE DANCING AS PART OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP?

^NAU Exodus 15:20 Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dancing. ²¹ Miriam answered them, "Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea."

^NAU 2 Samuel 6:14 And David was dancing before the LORD with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouting and the sound of the trumpet. ¹⁶ Then it happened as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

QUESTION #21

IS CHANTING BIBLICAL?

Yes

^NAU Exodus 15:1-18 Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and said, "I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea. ² "The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will extol Him. ³ "The LORD is a warrior; The LORD is His name. ⁴ "Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea. ⁵ "The deeps cover them; They went down into the depths like a stone. ⁶ "Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power, Your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. ⁷ "And in the greatness of Your excellence You overthrow those who rise up against You; You send forth Your burning anger, and it consumes them as chaff. ⁸ "At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were piled up, The flowing waters stood up like a heap; The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea. ⁹ "The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be gratified against them; I will draw out my sword, my hand will destroy them.' ¹⁰ "You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty waters. ¹¹ "Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders? ¹² "You stretched out Your right hand, The earth swallowed them. ¹³ "In Your lovingkindness You have led the people whom You have redeemed; In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation. ¹⁴ "The peoples have heard, they tremble; Anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia. ¹⁵ "Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; The leaders of Moab, trembling grips them; All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. ¹⁶ "Terror and dread fall upon them; By the greatness of Your arm they are motionless as stone; Until Your people pass over, O LORD, Until the people pass over whom You have purchased. ¹⁷ "You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, The place, O LORD, which You have made for Your dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established. ¹⁸ "The LORD shall reign forever and ever."

^NAU Exodus 15:21 Miriam answered them, "Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea."

^NAU Numbers 21:17-18 Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Sing to it! ¹⁸ "The well, which the leaders sank, Which the nobles of the people dug, With the scepter and with their staffs." And from the wilderness they continued to Mattanah,

^NAU 1 Samuel 18:7 The women sang as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."

^NAU 2 Samuel 22:1-8 And David spoke the words of this song to the LORD in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. ² He said, "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; ³ My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence. ⁴ "I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies. ⁵ "For the waves of death encompassed me; The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me; ⁶ The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. ⁷ "In my distress I called upon the LORD, Yes, I cried to my God; And from His temple He heard my voice, And my cry for help came into His ears. ⁸ "Then the earth shook and quaked, The foundations of heaven were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry……..

^NAU Psalm 4:1 For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer. ² O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? Selah. ³ But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself; The LORD hears when I call to Him. ⁴ Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. ⁵ Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the LORD. ⁶ Many are saying, "Who will show us any good?" Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD! ⁷ You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound. ⁸ In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.

These Biblical Verses are all songs written to the Lord by various people. We are reading the words but just can’t hear the tune. Chanting has been passed down through the ages which are the tunes to God’s Word.

*We have given you a few verses on each subject, we encourage you to search your Bibles for a further study.

ETZ CHAYIM-TREE OF LIFE MESSIANIC CONGREGATIONS

of Las Cruces and Alamogordo

PO Box 467, Organ, NM 88052

575-382-0193 FAX: 866-800-2390

treelife@etz-chayim.org

TREE OF LIFE MESSIANIC MINISTRIES

tolmm@etz-chayim.org

Etz Chayim-Tree of Life

Messianic Congregations of Las Cruces and Alamogordo

Defending Our Beliefs

compiled by Sharan Silver