Daily Devotionals

The honor and spendor of the nations will be brought into it (Revelation 21:26).

Every people-group has its own cultural personality. Some aspects are good and reflect the attributes of God. Other aspects are evil—from the enemy.

Theologian and writer Reinhold Niebuhr addresses the subject of respecting culture. We are not to endorse everything in all cultures; nor are we to to demean peoples and cultures across the board. Rather, we are to view all cultures as transformed by the ahavah (love) of Messiah. That which is good is preserved; what is not is filtered out. In this way, a variety of cultures will all glorify the name of Yeshua.

Admittedly, certain aspects of the culture of our own people need to be transformed through Messiah and brought into line with his life and teaching. The foundation of Jewish culture, however, is a calling that did not anthropologically evolve, but came by unique revelation. Israel is to be mamlechet cohanim (a kingdom of priests) charged to bless all nations, bringing people to God and the ways of God to all peoples.

And whereas all followers of Yeshua have a priestly calling, the calling of the Jewish people is unique. This call is not merely to a ministry of spoken intercession, but one of prescribed ritual behavior—intercessory practices mandated by the Creator. Chanukkah (the Feast of Dedication) recalls the time when the Syrian-Greeks sought to completely destroy the Jewish culture and religion, denying this special calling of God.

God desires to preserve the Jewish culture. He is also interested in maintaining varieties of cultures that enrich the splendor of his Kingdom as his children seek to serve him together.

...respect the vast variety of peoples with an open heart of love.

DJ