It took such a long time for me to finish this book – two months I think? – but I am glad I did. It is a well-written book on the Messianic Jewish movement originally published in 1988. Clearly its contents are a bit dated but the majority of it is still viable. David H. Stern covers theology, ideology and program for Messianic Judaism.
He shares a call to action for Messianic Jews and information for those who are against, for or unsure about where they stand.
He encourages us to push away the ‘either-or’ mentality and embrace being 100% both Jewish and Messianic.
He challenges those involved in this movement to fully catch its vision – to heal the breach between the church and the Jewish people.
I marked a few areas that really stood out to me :
“…Israel is called God’s son as far back as Exodus 4:22. The Messiah is presented as God’s son a few verses earlier in Mattiyahu 1:18-25, reflecting Tanakh passages such as Isaiah 9: 6-7, Psalm 2:7 and Proverbs 30:4. Thus the Son equals the son; the Messiah is equated with the nation of Israel. This is what Mattiyahu is hinting at by calling Yeshua’s flight to Egypt a “fulfillment” of Hosea 11:1.” page 107
“Unless we have the mind of God, our own dreamings and willings are mere strivings after wind.” page 190
“Holiness means doing everything in life in the fear of God and in obedience to his commands.” page 190
If you are wanting to learn more about the Messianic Jewish movement, I encourage you to read this book.
~Laura
the start of a good life 
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