Last week, on an extremely bright day, when I took a photo of this old church a few miles from our home, I noticed the Star of David window on the east side. So how does it make sense to have a Star of David, a commonly-recognized symbol of Judaism, incorporated into the window of a Christian church?
Believing Jews and Christians alike are children of the promise, by faith in the Messiah. The promise was given to Abraham long before the Jewish law, or Torah, was given, that through his family all the earth would be blessed.
Remember in Genesis 22 where Scripture tells us that God tested Abraham, to see if he was willing to sacrifice even his beloved son Isaac to God, and that at the last minute, as he was just about to do so, he was stopped by an angel of the Lord...
Scripture goes on to say, beginning at verse 16: “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.
"And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, (My note: What a profound truth - that the Messiah Jesus, our risen Savior, has control over even the gate of his enemies - so how can his enemies possibly harm us who trust in Him? How can they hold captive those whom the Liberator has freed?) and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
And then in Romans, Paul writes: (Romans 4:13-17) "For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.
"For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist."
Bottom line? The Christian's faith is the same as 'the faith of Abraham' (which is: faith in the Messiah). In Jesus, the Messiah, we have life, forgiveness of sin, freedom, peace with God, and hope.
'So now you know...the rest of the story,' as Paul Harvey would have put it.
And now I'm wondering: if you could ask someone who once attended that little Methodist Church in Hillsdale about the Star of David window, whether they would give you the answer I did, or if they'd say, 'What?? No....we just got a good deal on that window!'
'So now you know...the rest of the story,' as Paul Harvey would have put it.
And now I'm wondering: if you could ask someone who once attended that little Methodist Church in Hillsdale about the Star of David window, whether they would give you the answer I did, or if they'd say, 'What?? No....we just got a good deal on that window!'
Have a blessed Lord's Day, friends.
And Happy Mother's Day to all you moms!
And Happy Mother's Day to all you moms!
Jesus - King of Kings
Lord of Lords
Lord of Lords
Linking to: InSPIREd Sunday and Roses of Inspiration
