From Abraham Cohen’s excellent scholarly work, “Everymans’ Talmud,” we read that in the days of Jesus one’s death was more important than one’s birth. Rabbi Cohen presents a parable that shows the views of Second Temple Judaism then and Rabbinic Judaism today on this concept. There were two ships and one was leaving the harbor and the other was coming in after a long voyage. Many on the docks cheered and celebrated as the one ship began its journey. It was ...
From Abraham Cohen’s excellent scholarly work, “Everymans’ Talmud,” we read that in the days of Jesus one’s death was more important than one’s birth. Rabbi Cohen presents a parable that shows the views of Second Temple Judaism then and Rabbinic Judaism today on this concept. There were two ships and one was leaving the harbor and the other was coming in after a long voyage. Many on the docks cheered and celebrated as the one ship began its journey. It was kind of a way to bolster the courage and hearts of the sailors going into the unknown. There was an old sailor standing on the dick with the crowd. He loudly stated, “why are you rejoicing over the ship beginning its journey. NO. Rather rejoice for the ship returning. The ship returning is coming home safe and has made it through its perilous voyage. For the ship leaving, do not rejoice. We have no idea whether their journey will be a success or failure; we don’t know whether the crew will be of stout heart and courage. But the ship returning tells us the story of its success and its triumph over struggles and the perils of their journey.” Rabbi Cohen then says to us that it is the same in life and death. Let us rejoice at a person’s death if they were righteous and live a life living according to the ways of the Lord. Don’t rejoice at a person’ birth. One being born is just beginning their life. Will they live righteously? Will do amazing things by the power of the hand of the Lord? Or, will they live sinful lives, unrighteous before God and man? We don’t know. So, thus, we celebrate the death of a righteous person.
This idea of the importance of the death of a person over the birth of a person is shown in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. There are only 41 verses or so relating to the birth of Christ in Matthew and Luke. But there are over 400 verses in the four gospels reporting on the death of Jesus. Of course! The gospels are books written by Jews in their Jewish Middle Eastern mindset 2000 years ago. The death of Jesus and the sacrifice of the cross is critically important to those Jewish gospel writers. Far different than Christians today in how we emphasize His birth that we call Christmas.
In lesson 56 we will deal with the death of Abraham. We will study Abraham and his life from the Jewish perspective. He first appears in Genesis 12 and the Torah is silent as to why Abraham was chosen by Adonai. But, at his passing, we are now able to go back and study Abraham’s life. We are able to consider ways God may have looked upon this man and chose Abraham to be our father in the faith as Paul teaches us in Rom. 4:13-16. Abraham was given the gospel! So, in the Torah, the books of Moses, we first read of the gospel, the gospel according to Moses, as Paul shows us in Gal. 3:8. Now as we study the life of Abraham at his death, we will see Jesus. Just like Jesus said in John 5:39. How is Abraham our father? How does all this relate to us today in the 21st century? How can we come to have our understanding expanded and enriched as we understand that through Abraham’s seed (his descendants) that all will be blessed? How do we grasp that we are Abraham’s seed along with Jesus? Jesus is the blessing to all nations and we are to bring Him to all nations. Abraham was sent and he went. Jesus was sent and He went. Jesus sends us. Are we ready to go and be like our daddy, Abraham?
Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? What's his background? Why should I listen to him? Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0
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