Looking through the lens of God's historical work among His Chosen People brings one's faith into perspective and inspires a desire to learn more about he land, the people and the Scriptures of Israel.

Here are two short previews of the Video.

For info on our current Israel tour schedule, keep your eye on http://ffoz.org/events

First Fruits of Zion Study Tour: $4,175.00
October 31 - November 15, 2010

Trip price includes airfare, ground transportation, accommodations, all meals, taxes, tips and fees.

• 14 Days in the Land
• 4 Star Hotels and Accommodations
• Shabbats in Jerusalem and Galilee
• Inspirational, in-depth teaching
• Jewish Roots
• On Site Torah and Gospel Teaching
• Biblical History and Geography
• Real Archaeology
• Maps and Advanced Study Materials

Your Tour Guides:

The Bible study tour will be led by the brothers Professor Steven Lancaster (PHD[abd]) of Biblical Backgrounds, and Daniel Thomas Lancaster, HaYesod teacher and Educational Director of FFOZ.

Steven is a professional educator in the fields of biblical geography, archaeology, history and languages and a well-seasoned Israel tour leader.

Daniel is the author of First Fruits of Zion's Torah Club programs and several books.

Download

Download the brochure and fieldbook at:
http://ffoz.org/downloads/israel_tour_information/

For application information call First Fruits at 1-800-775-4807 or contact us by email at www.ffoz.org/contact

At First Fruits of Zion, we've been trying to bring the Torah perspective and the Jewishness of Jesus to the Church for more than fifteen years. It has not been easy. At times, I have been so discouraged that I felt like giving up.

A few months back, I was feeling particularly discouraged. We were trying to figure out how we would pay for the printing of the new HaYesod materials and the money was not there. The launch of the program was tottering. A friend called to check in and see how I was doing. I took the opportunity to tell him about the ministry's tight finances and how I felt personally and spiritually discouraged. He quizzed me, taking notes, listening more than talking, and prodding me for information. At some point, he interrupted me with a chuckle and said, "You're in the dip--you have some great things in store."

Great things? I thought he obviously had not understood the magnitude of our problems at First Fruits of Zion. I could not see what was funny, nor could I see anything "great" ahead. I felt like I was in a ditch, not a dip, and that there was no way to get out.

The Dip

My friend recommended that I read a little book called, The Dip by Seth Godin. I read religious books not business books, but I took his advice, and I am so glad that I did. The Dip so clearly articulated the circumstances and the difficulties that I faced that it encouraged me, strengthened me, and equipped me to press on with the daunting mission ahead.

As HaYesod leaders, each of you will face "the Dip" sooner or later. I want you to be prepared for it. According to Godin, leaders that make a difference, that change the world, are leaders who learn to look for, accept, and embrace the Dip. Godin says:

Almost everything in life worth doing is controlled by the Dip.... At the beginning, when you first start something, it's fun. You could be taking up golf or acupuncture or piloting a plane or doing chemistry--doesn't matter; it's interesting, and you get plenty of good feedback from the people around you... Over the next few days and weeks, the rapid learning you experience keeps you going. Whatever your new thing is, it's easy to stay engaged in it.... And then the Dip happens.... The Dip is the long slog between starting and mastery.

Godin points out that most people in life are content with the status quo and because of that, they effect little positive change. He says that those who are able to work through the resistance, embrace the Dip and pass through the Dip are the ones that effect true and lasting change. I'd like to think that each of you as HaYesod leaders are working with us to see true and lasting change. I recommend you read The Dip by Seth Godin and flean from it principles that you can apply to leadership. It is a short read, only about an hour's worth of reading. Whether or not you read the book, you do need to prepare for "the Dip" and embrace "the Dip" when it comes.

• Prepare for the Dip. As a HaYesod leader, you are going to experience some type of discouragement sooner or later. Remember, "...everything in life worth doing is controlled by the Dip."
• Embrace the Dip. Recognize it, and use it as the opportunity to work harder and press further. If you do, you can accomplish great things. Most people stop when they meet resistance, but it is at that time that we need to push through in order to achieve our mission, which admittedly is daunting.

Here are some dips you can expect. Prepare for them--embrace them when they come:

• Some people and churches are going to say "no" to HaYesod. Don't give up. Press on. Find other opportunities.
• Some people are going to be very excited and speak the world of you and HaYesod in lesson 1 and 2. Then it's "slog" time. The work begins. Stay focused and keep your students engaged.
• Your second, third, and fourth HaYesod groups may be more difficult to find students to fill up. But we must reach out. We cannot hope to make a serious impact if we only commit to one easy and comfortable group. Reach out. Communicate. Start new classes--affect more lives.

We have a special mission ahead. With the strength of God and guidance of the Spirit, we can accomplish a great task. We can help restore the church--help rebuild it and help strengthen it by reconnecting it with its Jewish roots and setting it back on its biblical foundation. We will inevitably encounter a few dips as we go, but with God's help, we can do it.

Oh, and by the way, my friend was right. The LORD provided the funding to launch HaYesod, and there are great things ahead!

Be deliberate in judgment, raise up many disciples, and make a fence for the Torah. (Pirke Avot 1:1)

But today, the meaning of "disciple" has largely been forgotten. If we are supposed raise up "disciples" for Jesus, how do we do that in a way that is faithful to the sense of the word as it was used 2,000 years ago in Israel?

This is a prime example of where learning the ancient Jewish cultural, linguistic, and historical context--and applying it to our life--is essential. That is why resources such as HaYesod are so valuable for going deeper into our understanding and application of the Word.

The book Boundary Stones explains the concept of discipleship:

The call of discipleship in first-century Judaism was much more than Bible schooling. A rabbi taught his disciples how to live every aspect of life.... The job of a disciple was to imitate his teacher in every way, learning not only the way he understood Scripture but also how he ate, how he celebrated holidays, how he gave charity, and every detail of his life. The Master himself explains, "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher" (Luke 6:40). (p.41)

As you can see, a true disciple is more than just a convert, a believer, a follower, or even a student. In Jewish culture, the teacher/disciple relationship is most often compared to a father and son or a master and slave!

Are you a talmid of Jesus? HaYesod is an extraordinary tool that can help you learn about how to imitate our Master's ways and understand his words in a new light.

How are you fulfilling your calling to make disciples of our Rabbi Jesus? HaYesod is an easy and effective tool to help lead others deeper in their faith and walk, helping you fulfill the Great Commission.

Near the end of the nineteenth century, many Jews grew weary of waiting for the Final Redemption. They gave up on waiting for Messiah to come and return them from exile. They decided to do it themselves. It was a secular initiative called Zionism.

Zionism was the international, secular, political movement that called for a homeland for the Jewish people. Under the influence of men like Theodore Herzl, Jews slowly trickled back to the land of Israel.

After World War II, Jewish refugees fleeing from Europe flooded into the land. In 1948, the modern Jewish state of Israel was born.

Ironically, when the early Zionists gave up waiting for God to return them to Israel, God moved on their hearts to begin His fulfillment of prophecies about a return to the land.

In lesson ten of HaYesod, we learn that Deuteronomy 30:5, the verse that predicts the return of the Jewish people to the physical land of Israel, is verse number 5,708 in the Hebrew of the Torah:

The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. (Deuteronomy 30:5)

The year 1948, the year marking the birth of the modern State of Israel, is year 5708 on the traditional Jewish calendar. Is that a coincidence? Maybe it is, but we have to admit that we are living in the days of prophetic fulfillment.

Why be content just studying biblical prophecy when you can be a part of it? Get involved with a HaYesod program today.

They had discovered what would come to be called the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls are an ancient library of biblical and Jewish religious literature dating from the days of the Apostles. They have revolutionized the way we understand first-century Judaism and the origins of Christianity.

In March of 1947, these Bedouin boys sold the scrolls to Kahil Iskander Shahin, a shoemaker in Bethlehem, presumably so that he might utilize the parchment in his trade. Kahil recognized that the documents were ancient and perhaps valuable. He sold four of them to Mar Athanasius Samuel of St. Mark's Monastery in Jerusalem. Professor Eleazar Sukenik of Hebrew University was allowed to see the scrolls and attempted to purchase them, but Mar Samuel did not want to sell the scrolls to the professor.

Sukenik disguised himself and made a secret trip to Arab Bethlehem to pay a visit to Kahil the shoemaker. On November 29, 1947, he purchased the remaining scrolls, one of which was a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Coincidentally, November 29, 1947, is the day the United Nations voted to partition Palestine and allow Israel statehood. On the same day, the ancient prophecies of Isaiah and the ancient land of Israel were returned to Jewish hands. The Jewish return to the land of Israel and reestablishment of a Jewish state came as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. After those two events, it was no longer possible for Christians to dismiss the Jewish people. The ancient prophecies concerning Israel were coming true. Christian thinkers and theologians needed to reconsider the Israel question.

These two seemingly unrelated events have launched a revolution in the way we understand our faith and the way we understand the Bible--and that revolution is what HaYesod is all about.

As the world emerged from the travails of World War II, stories of the Holocaust began to circulate. Slowly, the realization sank in. Christians all over the world began to understand what had happened. Theologians and churchmen were abashed to realize that their own religious prejudices and bigotry had contributed to the greatest human travesty of all time.

Though he was a self-proclaimed pagan, Hitler justified the genocide by pointing to Christian writings and Christian history. He even quoted Luther. Ashamed and mortified, Christian thinkers and theologians began to publicly swear off anti-Semitism. As a part of that process, they re-examined old church theologies that had allowed for and even encouraged the historic brutalization of the Jewish people. Bible scholars began to reexamine the assumption that the church had replaced the Jewish people. They also reexamined the assumption that Jews are cursed by God and enemies of Christ. This process was the beginning of a renaissance in Christian thought and theology. A new breed of scholars emerged, willing to examine the origins of Christianity in light of Jewish sources. We are only now beginning to reap the harvest of post-Holocaust biblical research. HaYesod is a result of that new wave of research. Hitler would be dismayed to realize that his persecution of the Jewish people is the very thing that has begun the Jewish Roots renaissance of Christianity. Get involved and rediscover the Jewish roots of Christianity.

Directly beneath the spring of an arch, six rows above street level, they found a Hebrew inscription, crudely carved into one of the stones. The inscription says, "When you see this your heart shall rejoice, and their bones shall flourish like grass [וראיתם ושש לבכם ועצמותם כדשא]." It is a quotation of Isaiah 66:14.

But who chiseled this mysterious message into the stone, and when? The inscription does not date back to the days of the Temple. Instead, it is a graffiti left behind by a Jewish pilgrim who visited the ruins of the Temple Mount, perhaps in the fourth century AD. Over time, soil and debris buried the stone, and the inscription disappeared from sight for more than one thousand years.

Today, as the prophetic return to the land of Israel and the prophetic return to the Torah is underway, this strange and cryptic message from the past has suddenly resurfaced, written on the foundation (HeYesod) of God's holy house. It is like a message from God, a note he left for us on the stones of his house more than one thousand years ago. It says, "When you see this your heart will rejoice!" Just as Jesus told us, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out" (Luke 19:40).

Uncover the foundations of your faith and find out what is written there! Find out what messages God has left for you too!

You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies. (Isaiah 66:14)

How could the Torah restore anyone's soul? We need to take a closer look at the word Torah and see if we can get a clearer idea of its meaning and purpose. In Paul's letters he uses the Greek word nomos to translate the Hebrew word torah. Nomos means law, but the Hebrew word torah actually means more than just law.

Making Wise the Simple

Torah is from a Hebrew root word, an archery term meaning "to take aim, to shoot" --as in shooting an arrow to hit a target. In his book, Our Father Abraham, Dr. Marvin Wilson explains, "The word torah, commonly translated 'law' derives from the verb yarah, 'to cast, throw, shoot.'"¹ The essence of the word Torah is to "hit the mark."

Torah can then be likened to the target at which God would have us aim. The opposite of torah is hata which means to "miss the mark." Hata is one of the words translated as "sin" in our Bibles. Paul tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the mark.² Do you see the picture? The Torah is the target for which we aim our arrow.

Sweeter than Honey

Dr. Wilson continues his description of Torah by saying, "In time, yarah took on the extended meaning 'to teach'... Torah in many contexts properly means "direction, instruction, and teaching... giving guidance and direction for life." ³ God's direction. God's instruction. God's teaching. God's guidance. That makes better sense. Maybe that's what restored David's soul. God's direction for life.

Here's a good analogy. Several years ago I purchased a VCR. I plugged it in and started to use it, but I didn't know how to program it. So I left the clock endlessly blinking: "12:00...12:00...12:00...12:00." But I couldn't use the VCR to its fullest potential because I didn't know how to set the clock or program the timer. One day I finally dug out the instructions and learned how to program the machine. Human beings come with an instruction manual too. It's called "The Instruction," that is "The Torah." We do not function to our fullest potential without the instructions.

Enlightening the Eyes

When we see the word "Torah," we immediately think in terms of the Old Testament--Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. However, that isn't accurate. Remember that Torah doesn't just mean law, it means teaching. Yes, in the narrowest sense, those first five books are called the Torah, the "teaching" of Moses. But in a broader sense, all of Scripture is Torah, because all of Scripture is the "teaching" of God. Please note that this isn't a new idea. In rabbinic usage, the word Torah also includes the rest of the Scriptures (keeping in mind that for the rabbis, this meant the Old Testament alone). The Psalms and the Prophets, and even the little scrolls of Esther, Jonah, and Ruth are all Torah. They are all teaching, all part of God's Torah. That's why Paul can say, "It is written in the Torah," and then quote from the Psalms. The Master himself does the same.
For Christians, the Torah is even broader than it is for the rabbis. Because the Gospels are Torah. Paul's writings are also Torah. The epistles are Torah. The Revelation of John is also Torah. It is all teaching which builds upon, and agrees with, the first chunk of God's Torah as delivered through Moses.

We're used to thinking of "Torah" as "law," and so we're used to thinking of it as a sterile list of rules and regulations. Yes, the Torah does set out some regulations for the governing of God's people. But it's much, much more than that! God's Torah is a detailed description of who God is and how God works. It describes what He is like and how He defines holiness. It presents His expectations for His people. The Torah is nothing less than a reflection of His perfect will and wisdom. As such, it expresses the perfection of God and places before us an unchanging standard of godliness. Only as Christians live out that expression are we able to show the world what God is like. Only through a life of Torah are we able to fulfill the reason for which God made us--to reflect the image of Christ to the nations.

Enduring Forever

We can further clarify our understanding of Torah by comparing it to a builder's cubit. The basic unit of measure in the biblical world was the cubit. A cubit is the length from the elbow to the tip of the longest finger. The problem with the cubit is that it's subjective--everyone's measure of a cubit will be different, depending on the length of one's arm. The average man's arm length will approximate a cubit, but that's too inexact for many situations. Imagine two stonemasons working on the same building; say a little pyramid in Egypt. One mason has short arms, the other has long arms. Each one builds his side of the pyramid 75 cubits long. What would happen? The structure would be lopsided, crooked.

Likewise with subjective morality. God has given us all an innate sense of right and wrong--a conscience. But the conscience by itself is subjective. Something might seem "right" to one person, but "wrong" to another person. Different people, different arm lengths, different standards of conscience. Messy.

To solve the cubit problem, the ancient world introduced the "builder's cubit rod." It was a standardized cubit, measured with a rod that was similar to a yardstick. If the instructions for a building said "75 cubits," any builder could measure exactly 75 cubits. It didn't matter how long the builder's arm was, or how he felt about the length of a cubit; it was a set measurement.

The Torah is like the builder's cubit rod. It is the length from God's "elbow" to the tip of his "finger." It is God's standard, an objective standard of right and wrong. It is not based upon what feels right to me, or doesn't feel right to you. It's about black and white; right and wrong; 'thou shalt' and 'thou shalt not'; it's about clean and unclean; holy and profane. It is a universal standard of righteousness for all humanity.

But isn't the Torah weak and imperfect? It isn't the Torah that is weak and imperfect, rather it is human beings that are weak and imperfect. "The Torah is God's instruction in righteousness. Its place in Christian growth is vital, but like any support structure it has strengths and weaknesses ... in the use and abuse humans make of it."⁴ The problem lies not with God's Torah, but with human beings. We don't measure up to God's standard, and so the standard is often abused in our hands.

When the New Testament writers sometimes seem to disparage the Law, it's typically the misapplication of Torah that they're teaching against. The most common misuse of Torah is to assume that it is a means of earning salvation. "The law of God was always designed [for] sanctification and never to attain eternal life."⁵ The difference between sanctification and salvation is like the difference between the cart and the horse. We must be careful not to invert the order.

More Desirable than Gold

The Torah is far from being antiquated and not one jot or tittle has passed away (Mt. 5:18). It is far from being a cold and sterile legalism composed of ancient rituals and rules chiseled in stone. The Torah is the standard of righteousness, ultimately embodied and modeled and taught by Christ. Christ, the living Word, the living Torah. The Torah is God's teaching, His direction, guidance and instruction. As the New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis puts it, the Torah is the "divine standard of conduct for God's people."⁶ It is God's written Word, now alive in Christ. That's what David meant when he said "The Torah of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul."⁷

Learn More

HaYesod will spark a revival of renewed interest in Bible Study for those who often seem disinterested with traditional studies by opening up the locations and settings of the Bible Jesus read. Become involved with the HaYesod program and see the Bible through the filter of the Land, the People and the Scriptures of Israel.

By: Boaz Michael

Endnotes

1) Wilson, Marvin. Our Father Abraham, pg. 296, Eerdmans 1989.

2) Romans 3:23

3) Wilson, Marvin. 1989

4) Jeremiah 31:33, Ezekiel 36:27

5) Five Views on Law and Gospel, pg. 210, Gundry, Stanley N., Series Editor, Zondervan 1996

6) New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, vol. 4, page 893, Willem A. VanGemeren, General Editor, Zondervan 1997.

7) Psalm 19:7

Rabbi Jesus

You may be asking yourself, "Does the world really need another book about the Jewishness of Jesus?" I asked myself the same question when the review copy arrived in the mail from Zondervan. After reading just a few pages, I decided that the world does indeed need this book, especially the Christian world.

Spangler is an award-winning writer and the author of several popular Christian titles. She brings a writing style that the Evangelical reader will find familiar and engaging. Tverberg is the co-founder of the En-Gedi Resource Center, a Christian Jewish-roots ministry, and the author of Listening to the Language of the Bible: Hearing It Through Jesus' Ears. She is a student of early Christianity and its Jewish origins. Together these women make an impressive writing team marshalling a wide array of Jewish sources, including rabbinic texts, and Hebraic insights and wrapping it all together in the warm, anecdotal, devotional style which is popular in Christian, inspirational writing.

As a popular-level introduction to the Jewish Jesus and the Jewish context of the Gospels, Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus is second to none. This is a book any Christian can read and find edifying. Pastors will find it to be a source of fresh insights, and laymen will find themselves engaged, perhaps for the first time, with the historical Jesus, Yeshua of Nazareth. Spangler and Tverberg use Jewish sources to shed light on Yeshua's teaching, but then bring that teaching directly to bear on the reader with thoughtful, practical ways to implement Yeshua's words. Each chapter concludes with some suggested applications and connections to Jewish practice, enticing us with Torah, but never in a heavy-handed way.

Christian readers will be delighted with the fresh new insights that pack every page. Messianic readers will be reminded of the core teachings about our Master that we have heard and studied before, and pleasantly surprised to discover new ones. Spangler and Tverberg communicate theological issues, which might otherwise be difficult for Christians, with such grace that most readers will hardly notice the conflict. Consider this passage on Matthew 5:17ff:

Instead of loosening things up, Jesus seems to be tightening the screw. Rather than merely repeating the stricture against adultery, for instance, he tells you that a mere lustful glance makes one guilty of adultery. And then he links anger to the sin of murder. Ouch!

Modern Christians cherish the notion that Jesus came to free us from the unbearable burden of laws we cannot keep, but here [in Matthew 5] Jesus seems to be saying the exact opposite. So is the good news really as good as we think it is? Realizing that Jesus sets the bar higher and not lower is good news, once you understand what he was saying.

Spangler and Tverberg are surprising because, unlike many theologians and writers before them, they do indeed seem to understand what Jesus was saying. Their writing shows tremendous respect for Judaism, yet avoids falling into the typical junk-scholarship clichés or stereotypical mischaracterizations which seem to plague other Christian attempts to package the Jewish roots message. Their scholarship is none too shabby either. The sources are well-documented, and every page contains new insights even for the seasoned Messianic, like me, who thinks he's heard it all before. The book is co-edited by Marvin Wilson of Our Father Abraham, and has endorsements from Wilson, Ray Vander Laan, David Bivin, and Dwight Pryor.

The contents of the book frequently read as a distillation of the teachings of Dwight Pryor and Marvin Wilson. At some points, one can hear Wilson's or Pryor's voice coming through the text verbatim. Spangler and Tverberg also lean heavily on Robert Lindsey and David Flusser's interpretations and the Jerusalem Synoptic School research, but not so heavily as to get bogged down in academics. Telltale allusions to Messianic Jewish sources and publications can also be detected, but in an attempt to keep a comfortable distance between the intended Christian readership and the often unorthodox world of Messianic Judaism, the writers avoid citing Messianic research directly.

The comfortable distance that the book maintains between Christianity and Messianic Judaism is the very thing that makes this book so valuable. One can imagine seeing it prominently displayed in any pastor's office or Christian bookstore without it causing a ripple of concern about Judaizing or legalism. Nevertheless, the material within the book never backs away from presenting an honest, unflinching portrait of the Jewishness of our faith, and continually invites the reader to incorporate that Jewishness into personal practice.

Firmly rooted in the connection that we should all feel with the land, the people, and the scriptures of Israel, Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus makes a perfect companion piece for the new HaYesod program. First Fruits of Zion recommends this book for you, your friends, your pastor, and your church.

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith
By: Ann Spangler, Lois Tverberg
Publisher: Zondervan Publishing, 2009
ISBN-13: 9780310284222
272 pages

Review by: D.T. Lancaster

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus may be purchased through our office: www.ffoz.org, 1-800-775-4807.