Judaism Passion For Meaning

Cardia Brown
Dr. Graham Hales
REL 131
November 29, 2015

Judaism Passion for Meaning

Meaning? What is meant by a word, text, concept, or action. Intended to communicate something that is not directly expressed, according to Wikipedia. It is very easy in this day and time to understand the reason Jews looked for meaning in every aspect of their lives.
According to Houston Smith there were several meanings the Jews lived by and the first is the Meaning in God, which referred to the beginning of human being and that no one clamied to be self-made or just appeared into being. Second is the Meaning in Creation, which referred to some philosophers believed in God and that he created the Heavens and the Earth and other’s explained that it was
not like they didn’t accept God, but went on to say, it was the world created by Him they could not except. Third is the Meaning of Human Existence, where there seem to be denial on any part of true human claims, for example: David, was mentioned as being presented as unvarnished, and the Book of Samuel has been called the most historical writing of the ancient world.
It’s like they are saying these men are like characters in a play but they could never be real heroes that was led by God because they seem unhuman according to their lives. Fourth is the Meaning of History, which posed a good question, What is at stake when we ask if there is meaning in history? At stake is our whole attitude toward the social order and collective life within it. If we decide that history is meaningless, it follows that social, political, and cultural contexts of life do not warrant active concern. To Jesus history was of towering significance. Fifth is the Meaning of Morality, which deals with ethical concerns, restraints, and the Ten
Commandments which are minimum standards that make collective life possible. Sixth is the
Meaning of Justice, meaning the prerequisite of political stability is social justice, for it is in the nature of things that injustice will not endure. Stated theologically the point reads: God has high standards. Seventh is the Meaning in Suffering, which stemmed from the Israelites had
forsaken righteousness so God’s decision was to, “Make the city a curse for all the nations of the earth”.
And the Eighth Meaning is the Meaning in Messianism, which had three features of the
Messianic idea which was hope, national restitution, and world upgrade-remained constant.
Hoping for restorative messianism for the recreation of the past conditions.
Finally the Chosen People and God….. All of this led the Jews to believe they were special in God’s eye sight that they were truly better than all others that lived, breathed, or even mattered. Maybe they thought it was because of the passion they had for their God and their people, which made believers as well as non- believers ponder the thought, how can God, who says he is love truly say the Jews are a Chosen
People. Houston Smith wrote, “Certainly, the idea that a universal God decided that the divine nature should be uniquely and incomparably disclosed to a single people is among the most difficult notions to take seriously in the entire study of religion. It is awkward not only for the screening to violate principles of impartiality and fair play, but, also because many peoples considered themselves special “. Moses tells the Jews, “The Lord God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession, out of all the people that are on the face of this earth”
(Deuteronomy 7:6). Is there any reason to think we are in the presence of anything more than routine religious chauvinism? One would definitely find it easy to paint the picture on the canvas of
their imagination and imagine many reasons the Jews seem to be a special people and again wonder why If I am not a Jew I do not matter to God? And to take it a little further after reading this chapter one would start to wonder after all these years I believed everything I was taught about
God being love and how we should love and adore, honor, and worship him because he is love, but it seems to me I may not matter if I am not Jewish. What made them the apple of his eye when I have been told my entire life I was the apple of his eye and he would never leave me nor forsake me and because he loved me so he gave the life of his only begotten son that he would die so I could live for eternity. I don’t have answers to these questions in my head, but because of the love I have for God I choose to still believe in the teachings I grew up on a though I don’t know of any Jewish decent in my family, I will continue to believe I am still that apple in his eye and each day I wake up to live and breathe yet another beautiful day I will continue to praise him for who I know Him to be and that is My Lord and Savior…
nd