In the first instalment of “Ancient Paths for Your New Covenant Home” I shared my journey of walking the ancient path of celebrating the Sabbath. I focused on the Sabbath liturgy’s invitation to establish a rhythm of blessing in your household. Praying a Sabbath blessing over my wife and my children is the highlight of my week and I trust that as you walk this ancient path you will have a similar experience.
I promised to go deeper into the question-and-answer portion of my Sabbath celebration done with my children. As I continue to learn about the liturgies and practices of the many celebrations on the biblical calendar, I’ve discovered a depth of wisdom that fuels my imagination. The importance of intentional spiritual formation can not be overstated and the biblical calendar is a treasure trove of opportunities to shape our families in the ways of the Kingdom and bring heaven to our homes. This particular element of our Sabbath celebration was inspired by the questions asked to children during Passover.
On Friday nights, my family honors the Sabbath with a combination of Jewish liturgy and elements I added to make our own traditions. We light candles at a time determined more by the children's bedtime than sundown, and I ask one of my children a question with the same two-part answer.
"Why do we light these candles?"
"We light these candles because God commands us to honor the Sabbath and because Jesus is Jewish and made us a part of His family."
The heavenly wisdom of Sabbath is fortunately experiencing a resurgence among Evangelicals. The broader concept of Sabbath as a multidimensional way to worship and present our souls to the Lord is getting needed attention in a time where hurry, distraction and anxiety are ubiquitous. God’s commandments are not for His benefit, they are for ours and Sabbath is a key to experiencing the quality of life He desires for us.
There is much to be said about the Sabbath and the concept of sanctifying time. It’s not simply a command to “veg out” there’s so much more to it. However, my focus for us will be on the second part of the response, “Jesus is Jewish and made us a part of His family.”
In Ephesians, Paul employs one of his powerful “therefore” statements:
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Ephesians 2:11-12 (ESV) emphasis added.
Writing to a Gentile congregation he charges them to “remember” that they have been joined to the redemptive narrative of the Kingdom. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul’s call to remembrance and it is as relevant today as it was the day it was first written...perhaps even more so.
Jesus brings us into this redemptive narrative, but the story did not begin with the first-century church. The story was playing out through the “commonwealth of Israel” and “the covenants of promise.” As we look forward to the purposes of God, scripture reminds us to also look back, to “remember.” Remember that we are joined to God’s redemptive work spanning through time. That remembrance adds a weight and significance to our lives that can only be comprehended with the help of the Holy Spirit. We are a part of Jesus’ family, joined to the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11, heirs of an undeserved legacy afforded us by the blood of Jesus (Eph 2:13).
I ask this question because I want my children to see themselves as who they truly are, as a part God’s redemptive narrative, pursuing the will of God alongside all the prophets, priests, kings and saints who came before them. That narrative exists because of God’s faithfulness to the Jewish people. I don’t write this lightly or dismiss the theological nuance regarding the Church and Israel. I write it with the unwavering conviction that God’s purpose in the earth is inextricably and eternally linked to Israel – the land and the people.
I also ask this question because I want to shape their souls to recognize the Jewish people are not just a people found in the Bible who happen to still exist today. They are not a theological abstraction, they are family!
As antisemitism continues to rise around the world and calls for genocide grow louder and more commonplace, they need to see this happening to Jesus’ family, the family they now belong to. My prayer is that this Sabbath ritual will shape their soul and yield the courage necessary to stand against the demonic assault raging against Isarel and Jewish people.
I want my children to see the Jewish people as their own flesh and blood as they remember what Jesus’ blood has done for them. My hope is that they will live lives that demonstrate a sense of fidelity and responsibility to the Jewish people that echoes the bravery of the ancients like Rahab and Ruth and more recent saints like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Corrie Ten Boom.
Shalom,
Michael Onifer
Israel Projects Coordinator
