Previously we discussed The Complete Jewish Bible – a translation by David Stern that shows the connection between the Jewish family of God to which Jesus belongs and Christianity, which began as a sect within the Jewish community. These deep roots remain and entwine us like a vine, so the more we understand our Jewish heritage in the Christian faith, the more we understand Jesus as Messiah or Mashiach, Jesus as The Anointed One, Jesus as the Passover Lamb, Jesus as The Vine.
With the Shared Heritage Bible, an impressive team of scholars gives us insight into Hebrew Scriptures and also the New Covenant, newly translated as the Tree of Life Version (TLV) from a Messianic Jewish perspective. This helps us to see, for example, that the Holy Spirit, Who descended on us and the church at Pentecost (a Jewish holy day) was also present in the beginning of creation as Ruach ha-Kodesh, the Spirit of God or Holy Breath. And, we begin to see the Glory of God, manifested as the guiding cloud during Exodus or over the Ark of the Covenant where the Ten Commandments were kept or in the Temple, is the same Glory Who visited the virgin Miriam, prior to Yeshua’s birth.
“And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth,” John 1:14, TLV.
Other Features: A Glossary at the back of the book gives key words in English and Hebrew with pronunciation clarified and definitions so enlightening that readers might want to just sit down and read these perceptive pages. The stark white paper, highly readable font, and contemporary language make this a pleasure too.
Another feature I’ll most likely return to again and again is the section “Welcoming the Sabbath” with traditional and Messianic blessings for the candle lighting as Shabbat begins and ends. I also welcomed the original maps of the Promised Land as shown during Jesus’ time and the Land of Israel as measured today.
One feature, however, may be slightly confusing if you take this reader edition to a church Bible study group and have to look up verses quickly as the arrangement follows the traditional Jewish presentation of the Torah (first five books) followed by the Prophets and then the Writings. This differs from the sequence most Christians have become accustomed to - i.e., the Torah, historical books, wisdom books, and then the books of prophecy. For example, the Writings begin with Psalms and end, not with Malachi, but with I and II Chronicles, concluding the First Testament or Hebrew Bible with "Whosoever there is among you of all His people - the LORD his God be with him - let him go up," II Chronicles 36:23. From there, we go up to the New Covenant as we seek Jesus, Yeshua, Messiah, the Holy One, the Son of God, and also the Jewish Son of Man.
©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler
Reader edition of the Shared Heritage Bible from Destiny Image Publishers, Inc.
…