Transcript Judaism: Discovering our Religious roots

JUDAISM: DISCOVERING OUR
RELIGIOUS ROOTS
OUR PEOPLE, OUR FAMILY, OUR ROOTS
Jews – The People of God
 Jesus = Jewish
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Hopes and Dreams
Language
Jewish Prayers
Celebrated Jewish feast days
Read Scriptures
Jesus’ story is OUR STORY
THE NEED FOR A SENSE OF THE PAST
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Without a history/story, we would be lost and
confused!
Catholic Chrisitianity comes from JUDAISM
(religion of the Jews) – 4,000 years old
THE BEGINNINGS OF A PEOPLE
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Abraham
1800 years before Jesus
 Hebrews – Tribal people
 Shepherd
 Sarah (Wife) – no children and was old
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God called Abraham
God’s promise to him
 Relationship and Trust in God = Covenant
 Canaan – The Promised Land
 Male children were circumcised (Physical Covenant)
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THE ONE GOD
 What
kind of world did Abraham live
in?
 POLYTHEISM - belief in many gods
 He realized that there is only ONE
 Abraham developed what type of
belief?
 MONOTHEISM – belief in only ONE
God
 JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, and
ISLAM – come from Abraham
ABRAHAM’S DESCENDANTS, THE
ISRAELITES
 Abraham
and Sarah’s son = ISAAC
 Isaac and Rebekah’s son = Jacob
 Jacob = ISRAEL “One who has
contended with divine and human
beings”
 Israelites = Jews
 Patriarchs of Judaism – Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob
 Matriarchs – Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel
JOSEPH IN EGYPT
 Jacob
and Rachel had 12 sons
 JOSEPH was the favorite
 Sold as slave in Egypt
 Virtuous and talented
 Invited family to leave Canaan to Egypt
 Lived a happy life with Egyptian
pharoahs
MOSES, THE PEOPLE’S GREATEST LEADER
 Egypt
became cruel for Israelites
 Hundreds of years after Joseph came
MOSES
 Son of Hebrew slaves
 God called him on a mission
 Yahweh was revealed – “I AM WHO I
AM”
THE EXODUS: ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY
Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt
 EXODUS – Central story of God’s saving love for
Israel
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Return to Canaan, the Promised Land
 When in doubt, they remember that God had acted
directly in their lives and their history
 Moses always trusted in God
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Israelites complained, but God saved them
 PASSOVER – Jewish feast to remember Exodus
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Special meal - Sedar
THE SINAI COVENANT
Mount Sinai – Waited for Moses for direction
 Moses met Yahweh
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BOOK OF EXODUS – God sealed the loving
relationship with the people that had begun with the
promise to Abraham hundreds of years before
 Sinai Covenant – Pledge between God and Israelites
 God gave moses the Law (Mosaic Law or Ten
Commandments)
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A LAW THAT FREES
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Ten Commandments
The Law was not meant to limit our freedom or lock
us in
 PROMOTES FREEDOM
 How to love God and one’s neighbor
 Foundation of morality
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Mosaic Law was a way of expressing their love and
concern for one another and their devotion to the God
who had freed them
Jesus criticized those who live by the letter of the law,
he loved it and did not want to see it misused
WANDERING FOR 40 YEARS
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Israelites waited and waited and waited…
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Israelites built and idol of metal – a golden calf
Had festivals to honor it
 Worshiping false god
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For 40 years they were lost and wandered, but they
TRUSTED GOD who saved them
THE PROMISED LAND
Moses did not make it to the Promised Land
 Promised Land – Palestine, Israel, or the Holy
Land
 Joshua – Moses assistant led the Israelites to
Canaan
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War occurred
 Israelites came to doubt God more
 More disasters came
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A KINGDOM FOR THE ISRAELITES
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Israelites – divided in 12 tribes
King David
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Shepherd and soldier
Chosen by God and anointed by Samual (prophet)
Was king 1000 years before Jesus
Jerusalem = Capital
Many flaws and failures but always devoted to Yahweh
and kept people faithful toward the Covenant
The people always turned to the descendants of DAVID
King Solomon – Built Temple in Jerusalem
David’s story teaches us that we can make mistakes and fail,
but God will still use us!
PROBLEMS
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During King Solomon’s reign:
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Kingdom split – Northern (Israel) and Southern
(Judah)
After King Solomon
Kings were corrupt
 Injustice to the poor
 Worship of false gods
 People were not cared for
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PROPHETS
Isaiah was one of the greatest prophets
 Prophets questioned the injustices
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Role was to say what would happen if people did not
change their harden hearts
 Critics of their society
 Outsiders and loners speaking the truth
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CRUSHING DEFEAT AND PAINFUL EXILE