Why Jesus Was Rejected

Why the Jews Rejected Jesus

Traveling across the country at a truck stop, I asked a trucker about a sign that was on the side of his truck? It was a large cross, and under it were the words, "Everything has been completed." I was curious so I asked him what he thought about the State of Israel and Jews in the world?

A few week's later he sent me a letter saying all Jews are lost because they didn't except Jesus and His crucifixion.

This letter is my reply and explanation about Israel and the Jews. I am sharing this letter in hopes it might make more clear the truth about Israel, the Jews and their standing with G-d.

No I am not a Christian. I am a Jew, a citizen of Israel and the United States.

However, I work with Christians all over the United States. Many are a blessing and are showing comfort to my people Israel.

Isa 40:1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

Isa 40:2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.

Yes, you are right, my people Israel have sinned over and over again, and followed other gods, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has punished them, and they must turn back to him.

You commented that they did not accept Jesus as their Messiah. And a large representation of the population, when asked by Pilot as what to do with Jesus, they called for his crucifixion and that his blood be on them and their children.

I know very well what the New Testament says and what the Tannach (Old Testament) says. I have studied the Bible and Middle Eastern history for forty years. I have studied Hebrew text and have studied Islam as well.

Mt 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Mt 5:18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Mt 5:19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Mt 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

In my research, in Hebrew and Aramaic, I find that in Matthew 5:17-20 the word "fulfill" is not a proper interpretation of our ancient language. A more proper word or words would be "obedient to the" or even "walking in". Matthew 5:17-20 does not cancel the laws of God or the prophets (Nevi-im).

Also, I believe the number of people there at the crucifixion were probably a hundred to two hundred fifty. And I will tell you why. This took place during Passover (Pesach) time. Yes, accusations by the crowd, "Jesus be crucified" were made.

First of all the Romans never allowed a very large crowd to gather at any one time. Historically, if any large number of people gathered together in any city the Romans considered it sedition, and possibly anarchy, they would either drive them away or more likely kill most of them.

The Romans were aware that this was a very emotionally inflamed time, as it was and is, a very high (commanded by God) holiday that must be observed. So, many extra soldiers were brought there to make sure it went as planned.

Now, the question, what kind of people were these that wanted Jesus crucified? These people were the Sadducees (Tzdukim) the controllers of the Priesthood (Cohen), but these men were not Godly men, they were put in power by the Romans. They were usurpers of the priesthood. They were not God-fearing men and neither were their followers. The God-fearing followers of Jesus were not there in any number or if any were there at all.

As far as the majority of Israelites (Jews) rejecting Jesus as Messiah: the Jewish people knew their Tannach (Bible) and they very badly wanted their Messiah to come at that time. The Roman oppression was very severe. But they had to go by the qualifications already prescribed in the Bible.

A point to consider when coming to grips with this question is that of the total Jewish population of the world, at the time of Jesus, only one-fourth of them were actually living in the land of Israel (while the other three fourths were in the diaspora and rapidly migrating out across the face of the earth). These Jews had never seen Jesus and probably 98% had never heard of him or anything he said or did! So we can see that only a handful ever saw Jesus. Although many Jewish people heard of the great and wonderful things He was doing, and it was apparent to them that He was great prophet, who possessed the miracles of God and that he truly was sent of God, but only a very few thought he was the Messiah.

Let us examine the old testament and the ways in which these holy scriptures describe the coming of the Messiah. For example, we would see that the scripture verses with the clearest meaning are those verses describing His coming as King of Kings and Lord of Lords; who would set up His kingdom in Jerusalem, destroying the enemies of Israel and bring with Him healing and salvation to all of Israel.

If we look closely at Luke 1: 67-69, we find that when Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist, prophesied at the circumcision of his son, the Holy Spirit was speaking. Once again, the prophecy that was given to His chosen people back in the old testament writings:

Lk 1:69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70. (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71. salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us-- 72. to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73. the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74. to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75. in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

The key phrase here is "His Holy Covenant". The Jews are in covenant with God. God does not break his covenants. See Romans 11:29-30.

In verses 69 - 70 we see the Spirit reminds them again of the horn of salvation; the horn means "super, miraculous strength". It no way means "weakness or meekness". To the people of Israel, it meant their Messiah was soon coming with the strength of a lion (the lion of the tribe of Judah). This prophecy, as most all Messianic prophecies, proclaims Him coming with the horn (horn of strength) and does not mention Him coming as a lamb. In verses 71-72 G-d again reminds them they are about to be delivered from their enemies and all who hate them, that He will not break His covenant with them. That He made through Abraham which was to give them all the land He promised.

On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham and said "To your descendants, I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates -- the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites." (Genesis 15:18-21)

This is at least ten times greater than they have now. The promise in Genesis 12:2-3 quotes " I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Again speaking from the prophecy in Luke 1 we see in verses 74-75 that Israel will be rescued from their enemies so that from this point on, they could serve and worship the Lord in holiness and righteousness.

These prophecies so strongly indicated that His coming would be in power and glory, that even those disciples who were very close to Him had a very difficult time understanding that His first coming was that of a lamb. Even after His resurrection, the disciples still did not understand the depth and meaning of His coming as a lamb, which is obvious by the declaration, "But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel." (Luke 24:21)

Miracles of God were not a qualification for being the Messiah. Many prophets of God performed great miracles, they healed the sick, raised the dead, made iron float on water, parted the Red Sea, parted the Jordan River at flood stage and, of course, many others.

Many Christians cannot understand why the Jews did not accept Jesus as their Messiah. They ask, "If they (the Jews) would just study the word (Bible) they could see he is Messiah, because he fulfilled all the prophecies proclaiming him as such, -- didn't he?"

Jesus did not fulfill all the prophecies when he was here the first time! Christians need to understand that, on the whole, much incorrect teaching has gone on for two thousand years.

The Jews were diligent to study the word of God, and especially when under persecution and oppression. The Israelites were eagerly looking for their Messiah, the one who would deliver them and destroy their enemies. And this is exactly what they were to look for, according to the prophets of the Bible.

Because of their knowledge of the prophecies in the Bible concerning the deliverer, the Messiah, the Jews could not accept Jesus (as much as they wanted to), because he did not fulfill all the prophecies, at that time. They accepted him only as a prophet, but not the Messiah.

A few of the most obvious prophecies that Jesus did not fulfill at his first coming were:

The Messiah would destroy all evil and meet the needs of the poor and needy. Isaiah 11:4
He would be involved with them as they conquer all of Palestine and the modern state now called Jordan. Isaiah 11:14
The Messiah will reign and rule on David's throne. By no stretch of the imagination could anyone claim that Jesus did accomplish this. This is predicted in Isaiah 9:6-7
The Kingdom of God would be set up on earth by the Messiah, and Israel would be the guiding light to all the Gentile nations. Daniel 2:44-45, Micah 4:1-8, 5:2, Joel 3, Zeph. 3:14-20, Zech 12 and 14, Isaiah 2:1-5, Isaiah 60 and 62.
All injustices to the defenseless, poor, and needy would halt, when the Messiah came to Israel. Isaiah 9:7, 11:4
"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" Habakkuk 2:14, Isaiah 11:9
The coming of the Messiah will cause a great change in the behavior of animals. "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the lion shall eat straw as the ox, the young child shall not be harmed by poisonous snakes." Isaiah 11:6-8 These things did not happen 2,000 years ago or anytime since.
No more wars! "They will beat their swords into plow shares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:3
The capitol of the whole world will be Jerusalem when the Messiah arrives. Zech. 14:16-21, Psalm 102:16-21, Isaiah 66:10-14, 20:24. Also all nations will worship the Lord on Mt. Zion, or be penalized. This has never happened.
When the Messiah arrives on the Mount of Olives, he will be "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords." He will then enter through the Golden Gate on the east side of Jerusalem, and rule with a strong hand over all the earth forever. Micah 4:7, Isaiah 40:10, Ezekiel 44:1-3, Zech. 14:3-9. Jesus did not fulfill any of these prophecies while he was on earth the first time.

I am sorry that you think that my people Israel deserve their suffering and persecution at the hands of the Gentile world. The following facts about the history of the Jews, as a result of Christian actions, were well documented by Christians, because they were very proud of what they did. So it is in Christian history books for us to read today.

In the 1100's when the crusaders were marching towards the Holy Land they had walked for many months and many hundreds of miles, and destroyed hundreds of Jewish and Moslem towns and cities. As they neared the Mediterranean coast they were out of food. But there was a Jewish community there, so they proceeded to kill all the adults and then the children and prepared their little bodies for barbecue and consumed all of them. When they finally arrived in Jerusalem they herded all the Jews- men, women, and children into the great synagogue, placed wood all around it, then set it on fire. And they said they were singing "Jesus we adore thee".

Then came the Spanish and Portugese inquisition. Thousands of Jews were murdered (burnt alive on the stake) at the hands of Christians.

Next the Eastern Orthodox Christians developed their pogroms and murdered thousands of Jews. Their priests led them, by carrying large crosses on poles (usually at Easter time).

Many would like to deny the Holocaust, and most people would like to just forget it. But we will never forget it. I think it's common knowledge that the German army built a church on the grounds of Auschwitz, so the soldiers and guards could pray before gassing and burning our fellow Jews.

In Genesis 12:2-3 the L-rd G-d says, that he would bless those who bless us and curse those who curse us.

In conclusion we find that the L-rd G-d has not forgotten his people. The G-d of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. He has clearly laid out his love and plan for his people Israel. We find in the scriptures, these words:

Jer 33:23 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 24. "Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ''The LORD has rejected the two kingdoms he chose''? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. 25. This is what the LORD says: ''If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed laws of heaven and earth, 26. then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.'' "

Isa 49:13 Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. 14. But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me." 15. "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! 16. See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

The L-rd has laid out a very clear plan for the Jew and the Gentile.

We must go along with his way, so clearly laid out for us. Although his Word maybe contrary to some religious teaching in both our religions. G-d tries to clarify his plan (his Word) but sometimes we just won''t listen.

He says it plain enough in Isaiah 46:

Isa 46:8 "Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. 9. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. 11. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. 12. Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness. 13. I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel.

I hope this is not too long for you to take time to read and does not come across too harshly. I only wanted to explain where we are coming from as Jews and people of Israel. I would welcome your reply if you so desire.

Shalom, Ariel


	Why the Jews Rejected Jesus Traveling across the country at a truck stop, I asked a trucker about a sign that was on the side of his truck? It was a large cross, and under it were the words, "Everything has been completed." I was curious so I asked him what he thought about the State of Israel and Jews in the world? A few week's later he sent me a letter saying all Jews are lost because they didn't except Jesus and His crucifixion. This letter is my reply and explanation about Israel and the Jews. I am sharing this letter in hopes it might make more clear the truth about Israel, the Jews and their standing with G-d. No I am not a Christian. I am a Jew, a citizen of Israel and the United States. However, I work with Christians all over the United States. Many are a blessing and are showing comfort to my people Israel. Isa 40:1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Isa 40:2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. Yes, you are right, my people Israel have sinned over and over again, and followed other gods, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has punished them, and they must turn back to him. You commented that they did not accept Jesus as their Messiah. And a large representation of the population, when asked by Pilot as what to do with Jesus, they called for his crucifixion and that his blood be on them and their children. I know very well what the New Testament says and what the Tannach (Old Testament) says. I have studied the Bible and Middle Eastern history for forty years. I have studied Hebrew text and have studied Islam as well. Mt 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Mt 5:18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Mt 5:19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Mt 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. In my research, in Hebrew and Aramaic, I find that in Matthew 5:17-20 the word "fulfill" is not a proper interpretation of our ancient language. A more proper word or words would be "obedient to the" or even "walking in". Matthew 5:17-20 does not cancel the laws of God or the prophets (Nevi-im). Also, I believe the number of people there at the crucifixion were probably a hundred to two hundred fifty. And I will tell you why. This took place during Passover (Pesach) time. Yes, accusations by the crowd, "Jesus be crucified" were made. First of all the Romans never allowed a very large crowd to gather at any one time. Historically, if any large number of people gathered together in any city the Romans considered it sedition, and possibly anarchy, they would either drive them away or more likely kill most of them. The Romans were aware that this was a very emotionally inflamed time, as it was and is, a very high (commanded by God) holiday that must be observed. So, many extra soldiers were brought there to make sure it went as planned. Now, the question, what kind of people were these that wanted Jesus crucified? These people were the Sadducees (Tzdukim) the controllers of the Priesthood (Cohen), but these men were not Godly men, they were put in power by the Romans. They were usurpers of the priesthood. They were not God-fearing men and neither were their followers. The God-fearing followers of Jesus were not there in any number or if any were there at all. As far as the majority of Israelites (Jews) rejecting Jesus as Messiah: the Jewish people knew their Tannach (Bible) and they very badly wanted their Messiah to come at that time. The Roman oppression was very severe. But they had to go by the qualifications already prescribed in the Bible. A point to consider when coming to grips with this question is that of the total Jewish population of the world, at the time of Jesus, only one-fourth of them were actually living in the land of Israel (while the other three fourths were in the diaspora and rapidly migrating out across the face of the earth). These Jews had never seen Jesus and probably 98% had never heard of him or anything he said or did! So we can see that only a handful ever saw Jesus. Although many Jewish people heard of the great and wonderful things He was doing, and it was apparent to them that He was great prophet, who possessed the miracles of God and that he truly was sent of God, but only a very few thought he was the Messiah. Let us examine the old testament and the ways in which these holy scriptures describe the coming of the Messiah. For example, we would see that the scripture verses with the clearest meaning are those verses describing His coming as King of Kings and Lord of Lords; who would set up His kingdom in Jerusalem, destroying the enemies of Israel and bring with Him healing and salvation to all of Israel. If we look closely at Luke 1: 67-69, we find that when Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist, prophesied at the circumcision of his son, the Holy Spirit was speaking. Once again, the prophecy that was given to His chosen people back in the old testament writings: Lk 1:69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70. (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71. salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us-- 72. to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73. the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74. to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75. in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. The key phrase here is "His Holy Covenant". The Jews are in covenant with God. God does not break his covenants. See Romans 11:29-30. In verses 69 - 70 we see the Spirit reminds them again of the horn of salvation; the horn means "super, miraculous strength". It no way means "weakness or meekness". To the people of Israel, it meant their Messiah was soon coming with the strength of a lion (the lion of the tribe of Judah). This prophecy, as most all Messianic prophecies, proclaims Him coming with the horn (horn of strength) and does not mention Him coming as a lamb. In verses 71-72 G-d again reminds them they are about to be delivered from their enemies and all who hate them, that He will not break His covenant with them. That He made through Abraham which was to give them all the land He promised. On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham and said "To your descendants, I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates -- the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites." (Genesis 15:18-21) This is at least ten times greater than they have now. The promise in Genesis 12:2-3 quotes " I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Again speaking from the prophecy in Luke 1 we see in verses 74-75 that Israel will be rescued from their enemies so that from this point on, they could serve and worship the Lord in holiness and righteousness. These prophecies so strongly indicated that His coming would be in power and glory, that even those disciples who were very close to Him had a very difficult time understanding that His first coming was that of a lamb. Even after His resurrection, the disciples still did not understand the depth and meaning of His coming as a lamb, which is obvious by the declaration, "But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel." (Luke 24:21) Miracles of God were not a qualification for being the Messiah. Many prophets of God performed great miracles, they healed the sick, raised the dead, made iron float on water, parted the Red Sea, parted the Jordan River at flood stage and, of course, many others. Many Christians cannot understand why the Jews did not accept Jesus as their Messiah. They ask, "If they (the Jews) would just study the word (Bible) they could see he is Messiah, because he fulfilled all the prophecies proclaiming him as such, -- didn't he?" Jesus did not fulfill all the prophecies when he was here the first time! Christians need to understand that, on the whole, much incorrect teaching has gone on for two thousand years. The Jews were diligent to study the word of God, and especially when under persecution and oppression. The Israelites were eagerly looking for their Messiah, the one who would deliver them and destroy their enemies. And this is exactly what they were to look for, according to the prophets of the Bible. Because of their knowledge of the prophecies in the Bible concerning the deliverer, the Messiah, the Jews could not accept Jesus (as much as they wanted to), because he did not fulfill all the prophecies, at that time. They accepted him only as a prophet, but not the Messiah. A few of the most obvious prophecies that Jesus did not fulfill at his first coming were: The Messiah would destroy all evil and meet the needs of the poor and needy. Isaiah 11:4 He would be involved with them as they conquer all of Palestine and the modern state now called Jordan. Isaiah 11:14 The Messiah will reign and rule on David's throne. By no stretch of the imagination could anyone claim that Jesus did accomplish this. This is predicted in Isaiah 9:6-7 The Kingdom of God would be set up on earth by the Messiah, and Israel would be the guiding light to all the Gentile nations. Daniel 2:44-45, Micah 4:1-8, 5:2, Joel 3, Zeph. 3:14-20, Zech 12 and 14, Isaiah 2:1-5, Isaiah 60 and 62. All injustices to the defenseless, poor, and needy would halt, when the Messiah came to Israel. Isaiah 9:7, 11:4 "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" Habakkuk 2:14, Isaiah 11:9 The coming of the Messiah will cause a great change in the behavior of animals. "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the lion shall eat straw as the ox, the young child shall not be harmed by poisonous snakes." Isaiah 11:6-8 These things did not happen 2,000 years ago or anytime since. No more wars! "They will beat their swords into plow shares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:3 The capitol of the whole world will be Jerusalem when the Messiah arrives. Zech. 14:16-21, Psalm 102:16-21, Isaiah 66:10-14, 20:24. Also all nations will worship the Lord on Mt. Zion, or be penalized. This has never happened. When the Messiah arrives on the Mount of Olives, he will be "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords." He will then enter through the Golden Gate on the east side of Jerusalem, and rule with a strong hand over all the earth forever. Micah 4:7, Isaiah 40:10, Ezekiel 44:1-3, Zech. 14:3-9. Jesus did not fulfill any of these prophecies while he was on earth the first time. I am sorry that you think that my people Israel deserve their suffering and persecution at the hands of the Gentile world. The following facts about the history of the Jews, as a result of Christian actions, were well documented by Christians, because they were very proud of what they did. So it is in Christian history books for us to read today. In the 1100's when the crusaders were marching towards the Holy Land they had walked for many months and many hundreds of miles, and destroyed hundreds of Jewish and Moslem towns and cities. As they neared the Mediterranean coast they were out of food. But there was a Jewish community there, so they proceeded to kill all the adults and then the children and prepared their little bodies for barbecue and consumed all of them. When they finally arrived in Jerusalem they herded all the Jews- men, women, and children into the great synagogue, placed wood all around it, then set it on fire. And they said they were singing "Jesus we adore thee". Then came the Spanish and Portugese inquisition. Thousands of Jews were murdered (burnt alive on the stake) at the hands of Christians. Next the Eastern Orthodox Christians developed their pogroms and murdered thousands of Jews. Their priests led them, by carrying large crosses on poles (usually at Easter time). Many would like to deny the Holocaust, and most people would like to just forget it. But we will never forget it. I think it's common knowledge that the German army built a church on the grounds of Auschwitz, so the soldiers and guards could pray before gassing and burning our fellow Jews. In Genesis 12:2-3 the L-rd G-d says, that he would bless those who bless us and curse those who curse us. In conclusion we find that the L-rd G-d has not forgotten his people. The G-d of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. He has clearly laid out his love and plan for his people Israel. We find in the scriptures, these words: Jer 33:23 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 24. "Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ''The LORD has rejected the two kingdoms he chose''? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. 25. This is what the LORD says: ''If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed laws of heaven and earth, 26. then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.'' " Isa 49:13 Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. 14. But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me." 15. "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! 16. See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. The L-rd has laid out a very clear plan for the Jew and the Gentile. We must go along with his way, so clearly laid out for us. Although his Word maybe contrary to some religious teaching in both our religions. G-d tries to clarify his plan (his Word) but sometimes we just won''t listen. He says it plain enough in Isaiah 46: Isa 46:8 "Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. 9. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. 11. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. 12. Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness. 13. I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel. I hope this is not too long for you to take time to read and does not come across too harshly. I only wanted to explain where we are coming from as Jews and people of Israel. I would welcome your reply if you so desire. Shalom, Ariel