Daily Devotionals

A large crowd of cohanim were becoming obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7).

Have you ever heard the story of Rabbi Isaac Lichtenstein? For forty years he was the district rabbi of Tapio-Szele in Hungary. At the beginning of his rabbinical career, he confiscated a Brit Chadashah (New Covenant Scriptures) from a teacher who served under him, and buried it in the back of his library.

Forty years later, during a period of severe persecution of the Jews, Rabbi Lichtenstein became interested in Yeshua. The persecution had been promulgated by so-called Christians who killed Jews in the name of Jesus. Other Christians, however, condemned the persecution and defended the Jewish community. Rabbi Lichtenstein wondered which ones were Yeshua's true disciples. To try to find an answer, he searched in the hidden corner of his library for the Brit Chadashah he had buried there so many years ago.

Rabbi Lichtenstein later wrote of his experience while reading the Brit Chadashah, "A sudden glory, a light, flashed through my soul. I looked for thorns, and gathered roses; I discovered pearls instead of pebbles; instead of hatred, love; instead of vengeance, forgiveness; instead of bondage, freedom; instead of pride, humility; instead of enmity, conciliation; instead of death, life, salvation, resurrection, and heavenly treasure." Rabbi Lichtenstein became a Messianic Jew.

The life of Rabbi Lichtenstein is a reminder that we must not neglect sharing the Brit Chadashah with the leaders of our people. Some of the most educated rabbis have not rejected Yeshua, but simply have a misconception of who he really is.

...consider ways that I can bring a knowledge of Yeshua to the leaders of my own people

DR