Zvi May/Jun 2004

Psalm 81 is a nice chapter in the Word of God. It begins, “Sing aloud unto God, our strength; make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob” (v. 1).

Unfortunately, many of the people who read it do not understand it. They think that because they study many books written by men, they know everything. But when I speak with them, I can see clearly that they are poor in faith.

It is written in Psalm 81, “There shall no foreign god be in thee, neither shalt thou worship any foreign god” (v. 9). Yet these people worship men and the words of men. They believe they are faithful to God; but in fact, they are sinners in need of repentance. And what is worse, they try to teach others to do as they do.

Often I go to these men who believe they are holy because of their many books and their quick tongues. I feel sorry for the many people who do not have true faith who listen to these men, fall into their net, and are caught there.

One day recently I stood among a group of people and listened to several rabbis who were sure they could cast their net around me also. But when one of the rabbis asked me, “What do you think about all that you have heard?” I told him.

“Life and death are in the power of the tongue,” I said. “And your tongue cannot bring life.”

He was surprised because he thought I would support him and say “Amen” to all his nice words. I told the people gathered that they must beware of this man’s words because, as we say in Israel, honey and milk are under his tongue.

King Solomon said, “A soft tongue breaketh the bone” (Pr. 25:15). Many people believe much that is not true because of nicely spoken words. But then they suffer for it.

My response did not please the rabbis. “Which Satan brought you here?” one asked.

The people who heard him began to perk up and were looking around to see to whom he was speaking

“I am not the one persuading these people 
to believe in false gods,” I said.

“How can you tell these people who do not know about faith that what we say is not true?” the rabbi asked.

This time I opened my Bible. “Have a good look,” I said, talking to the crowd. “Where is the true word about faith in the Lord? In the Bible or in those many books that you see in the hands of the rabbis?”

Someone in the group asked me, “May we see your Bible?”

So I showed it to him. The people around me agreed that what belongs to faith is written in the Bible and not in books. Anyone can write a book. But God gave us the Bible.

Now the rabbis were angry. One of them shouted at me, “We never want to see you anymore!”

After a long conversation the people decided they did not want to listen to the rabbis anymore. Instead, they started to ask me questions. I could see, however, that behind me, the rabbis were listening.

We began to talk about the late ultra-Orthodox rabbi from New York who some claim is the Messiah. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson died in 1994. They read about him in the newspapers here and see his picture regularly.

So I read to them about Messiah from the Bible and asked, “Where here does it say that the Messiah will come to the people of Israel from New York?”

Everyone started to laugh. This time the rabbis told them, “Be very careful. This man is dangerous.”

So I asked them again, “Where is the full truth about God written?”

All of them replied, “In the Bible, of course!”

Then the rabbis said, “Now we know who you are!” The rabbis understood that I believe Jesus is the Messiah prophesied in God’s Word.

I told them, “It is good that you know and see that these people are going after truth, not your false beliefs.”

It is our duty to teach His Word and be His servants. As the Lord said, “Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified” (Isa. 49:3).