Why Israel should share the Sabbath

I am a member of the tribe of Levi and yes that matters. It matters because Torah was entrusted not only to my nation, Israel, but very specifically to my tribe, Levi. If you are in any way, shape or form "Torah Observant", you would be familiar with the book written to my tribe.

Way before there was the office of the rabbi's as they came to be known around Jesus time, there were always Levites. We, for all intent and purpose, were and in fact, still are the "proto-rabbi's" if you allow that term to mean "teachers" with regards to Torah, which is a fitting label.

As such, Israel, the nation, ethnically from the 12 tribes, remains the "keepers" of the covenant and then teachers of the Way, which all of us collectively would call "Torah" or even "The Bible".

The purpose, since the establishment of the people of Israel through Abraham in national terms, has always been to bring the nations back to Hashem. As "nations", those that would respond to the call to return, would of course be restoring their relationship to their creator.

Sabbath undoubtedly is put in the care of my people, Israel. That is clear in scripture. However, contrary to some Jewish communities as well as some Christian communities who separate either gentiles in general or Christians specifically, from Sabbath, the truth is that Sabbath is in fact for everyone.

That does not mean Israel is eradicated but it also does not mean that the nations need to replace Israel either. It simply means that Israel is tasked with inviting the nations who have strayed, back to Hashem as previously noted.

So, as a Levite, who is charged with protecting the sanctity of covenant, a charge which fundamentally means I remain a Levite within Israel, I also have the responsibility, because of this unique layering, to welcome the nations back to Hashem and one of the most beautiful and hopeful ways to do this is for me, a member of Israel, to welcome Gentile believers to embrace Sabbath.

I have been doing this kind of work for 2 decades now. It is not always easy because there are people who take serious offence. Either they are offended at the idea of Israel still being the covenant people, or they are offended because their personal identity does not need to be completely absorbed into Israel without distinction.

Which ever "offence" is taken, what remains the same is the fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the covenants Hashem has with Israel. Stick around in the blogosphere of Learn with the Levite to find out more concerning this hurdle.