Mysteries of the Messiah by Rabbi Jason Sobel

Mysteries of the Messiah
by Rabbi Jason Sobel

ISBN-13: 9780785240051
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: W Publishing
Released: March 23rd 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In Mysteries of the Messiah, Rabbi Jason Sobel reveals the many connections in Scripture hidden in plain sight. He uncovers connections between the Old and New Testaments, connects the dots for readers with details about Jesus, the Torah, and biblical characters, and is written with the unique perspective of a rabbi with an evangelical theological degree.


My Review:
Mysteries of the Messiah looked at how different words add up to certain numbers and how words with the same number point to Jesus as Messiah. The idea is that each letter in Hebrew and Greek has a corresponding number and you can add up the letters in a word or phrase to get the corresponding number. The author feels that it's perfectly valid to connect words and phrases with the same number and these will point to theological truths. He didn't convince me of this as the connection is never derived simply from the words.

He also taught some rather odd ideas from various Jewish traditions. For example, he believes that the Fall happened on day 6 (apparently, of creation week, even though God says that everything was very good on that day). Also, he teaches about a donkey that would have been hundreds of years old, a ram over a thousand years old, the tradition that Isaac was actually killed and was dead for a while before being resurrected, and the belief that Israel shared the same land boundaries as the Garden of Eden (though that old ram was apparently living in the Garden of Eden until needed as a sacrifice instead of Isaac).

However, he did cover some information that is more widely taught. I've read similar information in other (much better) books talking about finding symbolism pointing to the Messiah in the feasts or providing cultural background to various verses in Genesis. The author talked about a couple prophecies that were fulfilled by Yeshua and how his life was reflected in the Passover, First Fruits, and Pentecost. He talked about how there were similar events in the life of Yeshua and in the lives of Joseph, Moses, and David and events symbolic of Yeshua's mission in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Ruth. He also talked about creation (where he rather freely changed the common translations of various words to translations that better fit his ideas).


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Christ in the Sabbath by Rich Robinson

Christ in the Sabbath by Rich Robinson ISBN-13: 9780802411990 Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: Moody Publishers Released: May 1st 2014

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Christ in the Sabbath will take you on a “Sabbath tour” of the Bible. You’ll explore the themes of Shabbat (Hebrew for "Sabbath") and rest in both Old and New Testament and then discover what it has meant to Jews and Christians for centuries. Rabbinical comments and a variety of traditions provide clarity and credibility to the study of Sabbath.

This volume does not resolve all the differences among Christians concerning the place of the Sabbath today; instead, the journey undertaken in this book is designed to help you form your own conclusions—or inspire you to continue exploring the meaning and significance behind the Sabbath.


My Review:
Christ in the Sabbath explores the origins and practice of the Sabbath in the Bible and afterward. This book was written by a Jewish believer in Jesus, so we get both the Jewish and Christian perspectives. The author started by looking at the origins of Sabbath in the Bible, what it meant, and how it was celebrated (or not). He also looked at special sabbaths, the sabbatical year, and the year of Jubilee. He talked about what things were forbidden on the Sabbath and how this list developed over time. He talked about how Sabbath was celebrated at the time of Jesus and how Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. He explored the history of Christians worshiping on Sunday and if those in the New Testament period and early church saw this as a new Sabbath. He talked about how Sabbath is celebrated today by Jews, the different views among Christians about Sabbath, and how Christians might celebrate Sabbath. This book contained a lot of information, but it was very readable and easy to understand. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the history and practice of the Sabbath.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes by E. Randolph Richards; Richard James

Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes by E. Randolph Richards; Richard James ISBN-13: 9780830852758 Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: IVP Academic Released: October 13th 2020

Source: Ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
The Bible was written within collectivist cultures. When Westerners, immersed in individualism, read the Bible, it's easy to misinterpret important elements--or miss them altogether. In any culture, the most important things usually go without being said. So to read Scripture well we benefit when we uncover the unspoken social structures and values of its world. We need to recalibrate our vision.

Combining the expertise of a biblical scholar and a missionary practitioner, Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes is an essential guidebook to the cultural background of the Bible and how it should inform our reading. E. Randolph Richards and Richard James explore deep social structures of the ancient Mediterranean--kinship, patronage, and brokerage--along with their key social tools--honor, shame, and boundaries--that the biblical authors lived in and lie below the surface of each text. From Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar to Peter's instructions to elders, the authors strip away individualist assumptions and bring the world of the biblical writers to life. Expanding on the popular Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, this book makes clear how understanding collectivism will help us better understand the Bible, which in turn will help us live more faithfully in an increasingly globalized world.


My Review:
Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes looks at the cultural background of the Bible in order to better understand what's happening in the Bible. The authors focused on the differences between individualist and collectivist cultures, specifically on kinship, patronage, brokerage, honor, shaming, and boundaries. They used modern and ancient examples to help explain a concept then showed how this shows up in the Bible. They showed how understanding these cultural differences can change how we view what's going on in some biblical accounts or even what the main point being made is. I've read a lot of these cultural background books yet I still learned a lot. I felt that the authors explained the concepts well. Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the Bible.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Our Father Abraham by Marvin R. Wilson

Our Father Abraham by Marvin R. Wilson ISBN-13: 9780802804235 Paperback: 395 pages Publisher: Eerdmans Released: April 1989

Source: Bought used.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Although the roots of Christianity run deep into Hebrew soil, many Christians are regrettably uninformed about the rich Hebrew heritage of the church. This book develops a historical perspective on the Jewish origins of the church, sets forth the importance and nature of Hebrew thought, discusses how the church can become more attuned to the Hebraic mind-set of Scripture, and offers practical suggestions for interaction between Jews and Christians.


My Review:
Our Father Abraham was written about 30 years ago and is academic in tone, so I prefer the more recent books I've read on the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. Still, I found this worth reading. When speaking about Christian beliefs, the author would state an extreme view found in Protestant or Catholic Christianity and state it like it was the common Christian belief. This meant that he was often arguing against things my church doesn't actually believe. But, anyway, he feels that Christians ought to be more Jewish if they're going to follow Jesus' teaching correctly.

So he educates the reader about the Jewish mindset on topics like marriage and the family, valuing the aged, the land of Israel, education, worship, and the Passover. He also provided a brief history about how Christianity started to reject the Jewish heritage of their Jewish Jesus. He talked about how the Christian church got biblical teachings wrong because of this and urges Christians to learn more about the Jewish faith by getting to know Jews today.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Jesus the Pharisee by Harvey Falk

Jesus the Pharisee by Harvey Falk ISBN-13: 978-0809126774 Trade Paperback: 175 pages Publisher: Paulist Pr Released: July 1985

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
An important and provocative study of the thought of the Pharisees in the time of Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth consistently upheld the views of the rabbis of the School of Hillel, and all his criticism was directed at the School of Shammai. Following the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in the First Century, Judaism developed according to the teachings of Hillel.


My Review:
Jesus the Pharisee is a Bible background book, at least for me. The author argues that Jesus was a Pharisee who followed the school of Hillel and that he was criticizing the Pharisees who followed Shammai, who were the dominant group at the time. He went on to argue that Jesus and Paul never meant for their "new religion" to be taught to Jews but were solely missionaries to gentiles. Their intent was to give gentiles a share in the world to come by teaching them to follow the Noahide commandments.

You only need to read the gospels and Paul's letters to realize that Jesus and Paul were primarily focused on the Jews and only then on the gentiles. Much of the book was poorly argued, based more on "it could be" rather than "historical records tell us." However, this book did provide a detailed look at the differences in the teachings of Hillel and Shammai and how Jesus' teachings compared and contrasted to the two prevailing schools of thought at the time. I found this very interesting.

While I did learn a lot from the comparisons of the two schools, the author didn't usually explain how it compared to Jesus' teachings. When he did, the similarities between the two weren't always obvious to me. I suspect there are other books that also cover the differences in the teachings of Hillel and Shammai and compare them to Jesus' teachings in a more focused fashion.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Words That Hurt, Words That Heal by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin

Words That Hurt, Words That Heal by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin ISBN-13: 9780688163501 Trade Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks Released: August 19, 1998

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Words That Hurt, Words That Heal focuses on the words we use in public and in private, revealing their tremendous power to shape relationships. Rabbi Telushkin explains the harm in spreading gossip, rumors, or others' secrets, and how unfair anger, excessive criticism, or lying undermines true communication. By sensitizing us to subtleties of speech we may never have considered before, he shows us how to turn every exchange into an opportunity.


My Review:
Words That Hurt, Words That Heal is an ethical living book based on the teachings of Jewish rabbis (which are based on the Jewish Bible). It not only looked at what the rabbis taught, but why they taught it. The author gave examples of people whose lives were ruined or built up by words. This powerfully underscored the point being made.

The book discussed how words are powerful, how we speak about others (gossip, true but harmful comments, etc.) and how we speak to others (anger, fear, criticism, accepting rebukes, etc.) can effect relationships and lives, how words can heal, and how to apply what we've learned.

I thought this book was very thought-provoking and that the author had a good grasp of human nature--why we gossip, etc., and that people aren't going to be able to change habits overnight. I'd highly recommend this book.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.