Israel

I find myself in awe of the Rabbi Abraham Heschel's God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism. It's a book all Christians should read.

Why?

N. T. Wright, the eminent New Testament scholar, argues:

"It simply will not do to tell the story of salvation as simply creation, fall, Jesus, salvation. We desperately need to say: creation, fall, Israel, Jesus, salvation."

We are all susceptible to re-inventing Jesus, re-inventing the Bible and making erroneous assumptions based on our pre-Christian understanding of God, sin and redemption. (And don't forget our post-modern tendencies to please and placate the lost)

An understanding of Judaism and Israel will provide a context to understand who God is, who Jesus claimed to be and God's redemptive purpose for His people.