“Why Did Israel Reject Jesus?”

The “Mishna Factor”

   This is an often discussed, but frequently misunderstood subject, and there are several schools of thought to be considered. There are reasons usually given by Bible teachers and Pastors, and then there is the most important reason, which was given by the Pharisees themselves. The reason this last truth is not taught by Gentile churches, is because it is not understood unless you view the events of scripture from a Jewish perspective.

 One school of thought says the Israel rejected Jesus because they were blinded by God because of their unbelief.  After all, didn’t Moses and the prophet Isaiah write about a time when Israel would be blinded because of their sin?  Did not Saul of Tarsus, better know as the Apostle Paul, also tell us in the Letter to the Romans that Israel was blinded so that the Gospel would be believed by the Gentiles?

 Another school of thought tell us that Israel was looking for the Kingly Messiah that would establish the messianic kingdom when he came.  After all, the Rabbi’s of old did describe the Messiah in two lights; Messiah ben David - the kingly one that conquers Israel’s enemies and restores Israel to tit’s former glory, and Messiah ben Joseph - the suffering Messiah that suffers and dies for Isreal’s sins.

 Still another school exclaims that Jesus came and fulfilled the requirements of the Law of Moses, and therefore was at liberty to violate tenants of the Law when he chose.  Didn’t the Pharisees rebuke him numerous times for these violations?

 The first two schools of thought are valid and true, but the third is not . . . for two reasons!  Number one is that Jesus did not fulfill the Law of Moses, UNTIL his death, in complete fulfillment of Leviticus 17:11 that requires the shedding of blood for there to be an atonement.  Therefore, the requirements of the Law were still in effect during his lifetime, and being sinless, he was not at liberty to violate them. And number two is that the violations of the Law that the Pharisees objected to were not violation of the Law of Moses, but rather, the law of the Pharisees.  Read on . . .

 After Israel returned to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar, the religious leaders of that time determined that their captivity was the result of judgement from God because Israel continually violated the Law of Moses. They were correct. They also determined that for Israel to no longer come under judgement, they would have to stop breaking the Law. Again they were correct.

 Ezra the Scribe, better know as the author of the Book of Ezra, was instrumental if forming a rabbinical school which was called the “Sulfeem”, meaning “the Scribes”. This group of rabbi’s was the cream of the crop from among the most learned scholars in all Israel. They reasoned that to keep the people from violating the law, they needed to expound the Law to the people. All well and good! This is exactly what modern day Pastors and Bible teachers do every day, and it is valid.

 When that generation of “Sulfeem” passed on, the next generation took a look at the work of the first and said, it is not enough to just expound on the Law, but the needed to “build a fence” around the Law, with additional rules and regulations, to prevent the Law from being violated. Therefore, added to the original 613 commandments of the Law of Moses, were literally thousands of other commandments, rules and regulations. The “Sulfeem” functioned on the principal that, “a Sulfeem could disagree with another “Sulfeem”, but the must not disagree with scripture. If there was a disagreement within the school on any given commandment, a vote was taken, and the majority won!  It was incumbent upon all Jews to obey these new rules and regulations.

     The used a form of rabbinic logic called “Pupil”, and here are some examples of that logic - There is a commandment within the Law that says “one is prohibited from seething a kid in its mothers milk”! So what’s that all about?

 There was a Canaanite practice of taking a kid away from it’s mother, milking the mother, and then boiling the kid in it’s mothers milk while the mother watched, as a sacrifice to their heathen Gods. God gave Israel this commandment to prohibit this abominable practice.  That took place at about 1400 BC.

 Now about 400BC, 1000 years later, there are no longer any Canaanites around and the practice has been forgotten, yet the “Sulfeem” feel a need to protect Israel from  violating this commandment. They reason this way! “If a man were to eat a meal of meat and then drinks some milk, no matter how remote the chance, it is still possible that the milk came from the mother of the kid that produced the meat.  Then when the meat and milk were mixed with the digestive juices in the stomach, they would “seethe”, thereby “seething a kid in its mothers milk.”  There answer to the problem?  Jews must not consume meat and milk at the same meal. The must be separated by at least 4 hours. Let’s take this one step further!

 “If a man were to eat some cheese off a plate, washes and scrub the plate, and then eat some meat from it later, no matter how well the plate was washed and scrubbed, there is still the remote possibility that a speck of that cheese could remain on the plate.  If the speck of cheese was consumed with the meat, and digested, one would again “seethe a kid in its mothers milk”.  The answer to this problem? Two sets of dishes; one for meat, the other for dairy. Both of these rules are still incumbent upon all Orthodox Jews to this day.

 Around 30AD, the time of Jesus, a second school of Rabbi’s came into existence called the “Talmaheem”. They looked at the work of the “Sulfeem” and declared, “There are still too many holes in the fence”!  The proceed to enact hundreds more rules and regulations, under the principal that “a “Talmaheem” could disagree with a “Talmaheem”, but the could not disagree with a “Sulfeem”. This made the rules and regulations made by the “Sulfeem” to be “sacrosanct”, or of equal authority with scripture.

 Around 220AD a third school of Rabbi’s was formed called the “Amoriam”. They looked at the work of the “Sulfeem” and the “Talaheem”, and declared, “There are still too many holes in the fence”!  They proceed to enact hundreds more rules and regulations, under the principal that “an “Amoriam” could disagree with an “Amoriam”, but the could not disagree with a “Sulfeem” or a “Talhaheem” This made the rules and regulations made by the “Sulfeem” and the “Talmeheem” to be “sacrosanct”, or of equal authority with scripture.  The works of the “Sulfeem” and the “Talhaheem” are called the Mishna, and the works of the “Amoriam” are called the Gommorah.  Together they are what his called the Talmud.  The “Mishna” is about 1400 pages, and the “Gommorah” is about the size of the Encyclopedia Britannia.  The Talmud is a massive work of rules and regulations that have been added to the Law of Moses.

 When Jesus came upon the scene, he proclaimed the righteousness of the Law of Moses, and fulfilled every jot and tittle of it.  The rules and regulations that he freely broke were those of the Mishna, man-made and not of divine inspiration.

 The Pharisees taught that when Messiah came, he would also be a Pharisee, and would not only obey oral law (the Mishna), but would also work to plug up more “holes in the fence”.  It was Jesus’ rejection of the theology of the Mishna and the doctrine of the Pharisees that was the given reason for rejecting his messianic credentials.

Ron Cusano

“The Lion’s Tribe”

www.Shiloh-Ministries.org