No. 32
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The Worship Of The
Synagogue
Part 1
One of the most difficult questions in Jewish history is one that is
connected with why a synagogue was found to exist within the Temple.
There is no question that it existed because its meeting-place was in
"the hall of hewn stones" that was at the south-eastern angle of
the court of the priests. This hall was also the meeting-place for
the great Sanhedrim.
There they made legal decisions, but also gave religious lectures and
had many theological discussions. Ever since synagogues had been
formed, they were used for things other than worship in the communities
they were in.
We
have proof from the Bible that lectures and discussions were held there
in New Testament times because that is where Mary and Joseph found Jesus
as He was astounding the older men with His knowledge and asking them
many questions. This also may explain how the Scribes and
Pharisees had so much access to "come upon Him" while He taught in the
Temple.
In
reference to the "Temple-synagogue", though, there is this difficulty:
there were certain prayers and rites that seem to have been connected
with it that formed no part of the regular Temple services. We can
only conclude that the growing change in the theological views of Israel
about the time of Christ, made them think that the Temple services alone
must have not been sufficient to meet all their needs.
The symbolical and everyday things that constituted the life and center
of Temple worship had lost their spiritual meaning and attraction to the
majority of that generation of people. The place that they had
once held with such reverence and honor had pretty much been replaced by
just an outward performance of getting forgiveness of sins. So it
had ended up that the worship of the letter had taken the place of real
worship to God, and the table was set for Israel to reject the true
Christ for religious Pharisaism.
The synagogue was basically substituted for the Temple and inwardly
overshadowed it. Within its walls was mostly man-devised worship,
but it was carried on with the God-ordained rites of the sanctuary.
Man instituted his own addition of synagogue-worship in addition to what
God had already ordained for His people. He had given them exact
instructions, but this wasn't good enough for them anymore. They
had to institute their own set of rules for worship.
This was only one of those terribly significant things that they did
that unconsciously pronounced their own doom. Another thing they
did that was so significant was when they chose Barabbas to be set free
instead of Jesus by pronouncing that "His blood be upon us and our
children". They were getting further away from God instead of
turning to Him.
Even though it had gone drastically downhill, it was still the medium
that Jesus was able to use to teach the people because that was its main
object of being. From its very conception, it had been used only
for teaching the Jewish law. Even though several different things
might happen there, they were all connected with teaching, and the
synagogue didn't deviate from its original purpose.
The "teaching" part of the service consisted mainly in reading a section
from the law, a portion from the prophets, and a sermon, or address,
about what had been read. There was no service of "praise" inside
the synagogue itself.
Public worship started on ordinary occasions with the "Shema", which was
preceded in the morning and evening by two benedictions, and followed in
the morning by one, and in the evening by two benedictions, with the
second benediction being an evening prayer.
The "Shema" was a kind of creed that was composed of the following three
passages of Scripture:
-
Deuteronomy 6: 4 - 9
-
Deuteronomy 11: 13 - 21
-
Numbers 15: 37 - 41
It
obtained its name from the first three words of the passage:
"Hear, O Israel", which means "Shema" in Hebrew.
From the Mishnah, we know that this part of the service existed already
before the time of Jesus. All males were bound to repeat this
belief twice every day, with children, slaves and women being exempted
from the obligation. The Mishnah expressly mentions the three
Scriptural sections, the number of benedictions before and after it, and
even the initial words of the closing benediction.
Therefore, there were certain prayers that Jesus must have heard and
shared in hundreds of times. These prayers still exist in the
synagogue, and are greatly valued. Even thou they were
quoted, there were expressions used in the Hebrew that lead us to think
that there were local variations of each one that might have been
lengthened a bit or shortened a bit. The basic benedictions were
considered as fixed, though.
The following are the benedictions that were given before the "Shema"
was read. These are in their original form:
1.
"Blessed be Thou, O Lord, King of the world, Who formest the light and
createst the darkness, Who makes peace and createst everything; Who, in
mercy, givest light to the earth and to those who dwell upon it, and in
Thy goodness day by day and every day renewest the works of creation.
Blessed be the Lord our God for the glory of His handiwork and for the
light-giving lights which He has made for His priase. Selah!
Blessed be the Lord our God, Who hath formed the lights."
2.
"With great love hast Thou loved us, O Lord our God, and with much
overflowing pity hast Thou pitied us, our Father and our King. For
the sake of our fathers who trusted in Thee, and Thou taughtest them the
statutes of life, have mercy upon us and teach us. Enlighten our
eyes in Thy law; cause our hearts to cleave to Thy commandments; unite
our hearts to love and fear Thy name, and we shall not be put to shame,
world without end. For Thou art a God Who preparest salvation, and
us hast Thou chosen from among all nations and tongues, and hast in
truth brought us near to Thy great Name - Selah - that we may lovingly
praise Thee and Thy Oneness. Blessed be the Lord Who in love chose
His people Israel."
After this followed the "Shema". The Mishnah gives the following
beautiful explanation of the order in which the portions of Scripture of
which it is composed are arranged.
The section Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 is said to precede that in 11: 13-21, so
that we might "take upon ourselves the yoke of the kingdom of heaven,
and only after that the yoke of the commandments." Again:
Deuteronomy 11: 13-21 precedes Numbers 15: 37-41, because the former
applies, as it were, both night and day and the latter only by day.
The reader can definitely grasp the teaching of the Mishnah upon the
gracious invitation of our Lord when He said "Come unto Me, all ye
that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your soul. For My yoke is easy, and
My burden is light" (Matt. 11: 28-30)
These words were of special significance to them because they understood
that by coming to the Savior they would first take upon them "the
kingdom of heaven", and then that of "the commandments". Compared
to what they had been living under, they would truly find that this
"yoke was easy" and this "burden was light".
The prayer after the "Shema" was as follows:
"True it is, that Thou art Jehovah our God and the God of our fathers,
our King and the King of our fathers, our Savior and the Savior of our
fathers, our Creator, the Rock of our salvation, our Help and our
Deliverer. Thy name is from everlasting, and there is no God
beside Thee. A new song did they that were delivered sing to Thy
Name by the seashore; together did all praise and own Thee King,
and say, Jehovah will reign world without end! Blessed by the Lord
Who saveth Israel!"
Then next was the very last evening prayer:
"O
Lord our God! cause us to lie down in peace, and raise us up again to
life, O our King! Spread over us the tabernacle of Thy peace;
strengthen us before Thee in Thy good counsel, and deliver us for Thy
Name's sake. Be Thou for protection round about us; keep far from
us the enemy, the pestilence, the sword, famine, and affliction.
Keep Satan from before and from behind us, and hide us in the shadow of
Thy wings, for Thou art a God who helpest and deliverest us; and Thou, O
God, art a gracious and merciful King. Keep Thou our going out and
our coming in, for life and for peace, from henceforth and for ever!"
For more information from this book, go to the Archives Page at my
site
www.cathydeaton.com There are other articles
of interest there also.
This text is taken from the book Sketches of Jewish Social Life written
by Alfred Edersheim. Permission has been given to use this book.