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ask about Messianic Living?
Why do most Jewish leaders consider intermarriage a mistake?
Over and over again in the scriptures, the Israelites were warned not to take Gentile wives because they would cause them to stray from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In fact there are many examples of exactly that happening. We agree that having a family divided in its faith is a mistake not worth making as it adversely affects your children throughout their lives because your house is divided.
However, we disagree that Jew/Gentile intermarriages are doomed to a life of sitting on the fence, or choosing sides. We can have a pasture of our own. Must we adapt? Yes, but adapting is not negating who we are. In a synagogue, the Gentile spouse does not have to “become a Jew” and in a church, the Jewish spouse should not “stop being a Jew.” Plus, the awkwardness of labeling the children is shameful also.
Intermarriage can be a holy union used by G-d… Remember the Matriarchs of the faith? Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah? None of them were Jews! Even Moses’ wife, Zipporah, was a Gentile! Plus, Joseph’s wife was an Egyptian! In fact, even Ruth, King David’s Grandmother, was a Moabitess! Remember, its not intermarriage that is the great mistake… its turning your back on G-d and His destiny for your life.
Why is Melech Yisrael “a great place for intermarried couples, and their children, to learn and grow?”
At New Beth Israel, we celebrate the unique calling of our families as a real-life representation of G-d’s love for the world. Salvation (Yeshua) came to the Jews through Abraham’s faith and Moses’ leadership. But God did not make the Jews the “Chosen People” and then forgot about the rest of the world. G-d’s sovereign plan was always the salvation of all mankind through the priesthood of Israel (Tikkun Olam). When Yeshua came, the faith of Abraham and Moses was now available to “ALL WHO WOULD BELIEVE.”
At Bew Beth Israel, we are committed to raising our children with the full knowledge of their Jewish Heritage and their belief in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). We do not see these two goals as opposites. The more you learn about the Jewishness of our Messiah, the more we realize that Judaism is CENTRAL to our belief in Him. Yeshua (Jesus) lived as a Jew, celebrated as a Jew and taught from ONLY THE JEWISH SCRIPTURES. He did not introduce a new religion to the world – He simply claimed to be the promised Messiah the Jewish people had been promised for over 4,000 years.
IF the Jewish spouse takes time to read the 200+ references to the coming Messiah in their own Jewish scriptures… IF the Gentile spouse takes time to learn the difference between the “Biblical Judaism Jesus taught” and the “Rabbinical Judaism Jesus scorned” … THEN having a marriage united in common faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE!
At New Beth Israel, we are blessed with a community of families that know who and what we are. We are not a mistake, and no one is better or more “chosen” than anybody else. Gentiles are not required to convert. Everyone is welcome to serve in the gifts G-d has given them and Gentiles are not considered “second-class citizens,” openly or behind closed doors.
For the Jew at New Beth Israel, the results are even more profound. Jews stay Jews at Melech Yisrael. They don’t become “Christians,” they become believers in the Jewish Messiah! They worship as Jews, pray as Jews, dance as Jews, celebrate Jewish Holidays and life events. They do not forsake the faith of their forefathers or lead their children to do the same. They do not assimilate into a Christian Church and lose their heritage and identity as part of the Nation of Israel, the Jewish people.