As messianic Jews we are often reminded by the more scholarly orthodox that we cannot understand the scriptures unless we know the Hebrew language very well. So what happens when a Hebrew teacher reads the language in a different way, for now she recognizes the Spirit Who authored the letters. What a different kind of read that can be.
Tuesday March 3rd.
Two teams were on the outreach this week and four sets given out. We also dialogued with encouraging outcomes.
Report from Team One:
A lady in her thirties answered the door, and with a smile, took the time to listen to us. We talked about the prophecies that were accomplished and those which are still to come. We brought up the reality of difficult times ahead for Israel, while assuring this woman of God’s covenant love for His people. We shared about the necessity of blood atonement by pointing out Isaiah 53. Faith in that atonement, we told her, is what reconciles man with God. Faith is what justifies us and makes us righteous before God. We pointed her to Daniel, where everlasting life and everlasting contempt were both mentioned. Many Jews who see themselves as the Chosen People, cannot reconcile an eternity apart from God, let alone everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2 is certainly an eye opener for them. The young lady’s mother came up from behind and began listening to our conversation. While mom did not agree with us, the her daughter chose to accept the set!
At another door, we met a woman who was passing through a very tough time in life. We felt something was wrong and when we asked if she was feeling okay, she said she was angry with God. Her son is a paraplegic and she is his caretaker. Added to this stress, her sister came to visit from out of town, had fallen and now had to also be taken care of. Because the sister was from outside the country, there was no medical coverage from Quebec. All of this had fallen on this poor woman’s shoulders…all of this at the tender and difficult age of 90 years old. Imagine! Overwhelmed by it all, she could not understand why God allowed all this. With a lot of compassion, we told her that, in her sufferings, God suffers with her, as it is written in the Scriptures. We were able to share a short testimony of a serious personal health problem one of our team members went through, confirming that God was and is a refuge in these situations. She was touched by the testimony and accepted that we could pray for her, right there at the door. Her anger seemed suddenly appeased. We left her with the suggestion that she not be afraid to pray in her own words and from her own heart.
At another door, the lady was already getting ready for bed, but she took the set with joy, thanking us. May God give her a new song in the night.
What another blessed night from our Heavenly Father!
Second Team’s report
At the first apartment building we entered, almost all the mezuzahs were removed from the doors. We were able to engage in a short conversation with a young woman. We offered her a French set, to which she joyfully accepted. Although she might have shown some scepticism, the living Word has now taken up residence in her home. May the Spirit convict and convince her heart.
At the second building, a lady opened the door, listened to our introductory words, then said, “You have to speak with my husband”. When he came to the door he said, “I have my own books, thank you. I am a believer and I don’t need your books”. He offered to give us a donation and of course, we immediately refused. His refusal was firm but polite. Some people, it would seem, cannot accept something that is free and freeing!
At another door, as a woman in her early thirties spoke to us in French, her young daughter suddenly appeared beside her saying, “Oh maman, wow, a book in Hebrew!” As we were offering the set and sharing the importance of reading Isaiah 53, another young daughter came to the door and was smiling. The set was accepted and our hearts celebrated.
Next we met a woman in her late fifties who opened the door only slightly. After a few words with us, she flatly refused saying, “No thank you” and closed the door.
We then experienced, at the last door, what we believe was the Lord’s great gift to us. At first, it didn’t seem that way, because this lady, who we estimated to be in her 80’s, opened the conversation by saying, “No, I don’t want your books. I have a lot of Tanakhs here in my home…do you want to see them?” We did not enter the apartment but as the conversation at the door went on, we discovered that she was from an orthodox family and that she had been a Hebrew teacher. She spoke again of having important books in her home such as the Talmud. Although sceptical as she listened to us, she was very polite and quite impressed by the fact that though it was raining outside, we chose to hand out Bible and bless Jewish people. This allowed the conversation to continue. We felt the Spirit leading us to speak with her about atonement, pointing out Isaiah 53. We shared with her about Israel’s difficult times ahead and how the Jews are the Chosen People. She still did not want to take anything from us. She said, “Well I don’t believe as you do, the Messiah didn’t come for me yet. When we started to exchange some words in Hebrew with her, even the little that we know, the conversation became like we were old friends… a wall had come down.
At this point, all she had received from us was the bookmark on messianic prophecies. Now she agreed to take the Tanakh. When we opened and placed the bookmark at the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, she took the Tanakh and began silently reading the passage. We could sense the reverence and respect this woman felt as she read, as if the Holy Spirit now taught her how life changing Hebrew words can really be. Instead of her teaching Hebrew, she was being taught by the Spirit.
Imagine, just after that, she took the Brit Chadashah! She said she would do what we suggested; she would check out the first coming messianic prophecies and their fulfillment. She said that as soon as we leave, she would begin reading Isaiah 53! We exchanged nice words, blessing each other. She touched her mezuzah, put her hand on her lips and made the movement of a goodbye kiss to us both! The two of us then floated back to the elevators with a hallelujah on our lips. We praise the God of Israel and His mighty name.