Shofars in Christian Contexts

Welcome to ZionFireFriends. We]re glad you're here! Our public forums are open, but you must be logged in to participate in the discussions and member forums. You can become a ZFFriend just by submitting a quick registration. You be notified by email with your login information, usually within a few minutes. If you do not receive a validation email, first check your bulk or spam folder. If not, then please contact us through the Help Me! button below and we will validate you.

Who we are, what this forum is about

Benefits of of becoming a ZFF member

click here for registration form

Can't register or log in? Ask for help.

Take a tour of our worship banners

Join our community!

If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Pages:
1
2

Shofars in Christian Contexts; An Introduction in short nuggets
Topic Started: Mar 6 2007, 08:37 PM (1,046 Views)
DeanZF	Apr 15 2007, 06:37 PM Post #16
Resident Rebbi Posts: 602 Group: Admin1 Member #2 Joined: February 1, 2006	Why do you sometimes blow the shofar while covering yourself up in that prayer shawl? Great question! Part of the ministry that Helena and I have been given is to remind the church of her Jewish roots. No, we are not Jewish, nor are we judaizers, trying to convert Christians to Judaism or to convince them that they must observe Talmudic interpretations of "the Law". As I’ve shared many times, our goal is not to convert anyone to Judaism or to a Messianic expression of his or her faith in Jesus Christ, but it is, however, important to me (and I believe to God Himself) that we Christians understand that everything that we do and everything that we believe as people of faith has its root in Judaism. So much of what Father instructs in what we call the Old Testament is not aimed at the Jews alone. Much of it is specifically pointed at Abraham’s descendents. Since we are called the "seed of Abraham", and since Paul makes it clear that both Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus are grafted into the same root system, the same life giving “sap” flows through both sets of veins! Why do I cover myself? The wearing of the tallit or prayer shawl is a long tradition for shofarists. The shawl is really a Jewish man’s prayer closet! By wearing the prayer shawl, the shofarist’s hope and trust is that you will hear God’s calling and not see man’s playing. And as we have prayed in weeks past, we are praying for others to hear and to heed God’s calling. It is a prophetic act, one done in faith, that even without physically hearing the horn’s blast, they will hear it in their spirit and respond. Please, pray with me: “Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has commanded us to hear the shofar’s blast.”
	Blessings! Dean DeanZF


DeanZF	Apr 29 2007, 05:55 PM Post #17
Resident Rebbi Posts: 602 Group: Admin1 Member #2 Joined: February 1, 2006	Psalm 100 & The Shofar Our psalm for today's service was actually my very first experience with the Psalms when I was a child. That simple set of verses impacted my little heathen heart even then, so it's kind of special to me. And here it is again! And in a very different context. Quote: Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands! Or some would prefer "all you nations", strongly implying all the people groups on the planet, not merely the ground and certainly not merely the nation Israel. This is also shout joyfully, call loudly, shout for joy. One version says, "Shout praises to the Lord, everyone on this earth!" There is a time for piety and for quiet reverence. The various words of praise tell us that plainly. However, there is also a place for loud, raucous, extreme, exhuberent expressions of praise. When this empty vessel of a shofar is raised to the lips, there is the hope or even the promise of a joyful noise being made unto the Lord and unto all the lands, calling them into joyous celebration of our God and Who He wants to be in our lives. And look how this psalm ends: Quote: For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations. We are part of that "all generations" that the psalmist names, just as we are part of the "all ye lands" mentioned in the first admonition to praise Him. Dare we not obey?
	Blessings! Dean DeanZF


DeanZF	May 6 2007, 05:14 PM Post #18
Resident Rebbi Posts: 602 Group: Admin1 Member #2 Joined: February 1, 2006	What IS a shofar, anyhow?? I'm glad you asked! Your basic shofar is really and truly the horn of a ram. That's the kind of J-shaped horn, not the American mountain goat curly-q ram that many think of. That was expanded many, many years ago to be the horn of any kosher animal except that of a cow. They did not want to use a cow's horn because any possible conjuring up of images of golden ox type idols just did not seem prudent. They did not want to offend God! Most shofars today are the horns of rams (he-sheep or he-goats). One of the major symbolisms within Judaism is the memory of YHWH Yireh (Jehovah Jirah, to you Ken Copeland fans). Abraham was obedient in taking his son Isaac up the mountain "to worship", meaning to offer sacrifice. They got to the top of the hill and Isaac, being a quick study and about 33 years old, says to his dad, "The wood I see. The fire I see, but where is the lamb for sacrifice?" Abraham said a most amazing thing. Only in the good ole King James English translation is this so dramatically put. In Genesis 22:8 Abraham answers Isaac by saying, "God will provide Himself a lamb..." We know the story, but the little bitty details. God did indeed provide Himself as a lamb in Jesus, the Lamb of God. In Abraham's case, God did not provide a mere lamb, it says in Genesis 22:13 that a RAM was caught by his horns in the thicket. The word lamb means exactly what we know it to mean, a young, unweaned sheep or goat. There might be an age stipulation in today's world. Abraham expected that God was going to take Isaac, Abraham's lamb, as a burnt offering. Instead, God recognized that Isaac was in the prime of his life and provided instead a RAM in the prime of its life. Isaac was redeemed and given new life. Some see that as a foreshadowing of being born again. The ram's horn became a powerful symbol of God's redeeming power in the face of severe adversity. When the horn is blown, God's redeeming power is brought to the mind of those people who understand the symbol. Blow the horn with intention, remembering that God did indeed provide Himself a Lamb! Some of the Jewish fathers also saw the shape of the basic shofar, that J-shape, as being symbolic of repentence, the first step to redemption. It's kind of like a bent knee or bowed head of Abraham, as he purposed to obey YHWH, even if it meant the sacrifice of his beloved son. Quite a picture, isn't it?? Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has commanded the blowing of the shofar!
	Blessings! Dean DeanZF


flaglady	May 6 2007, 07:30 PM Post #19
Foster Posts: 318 Group: Friends Member #24 Joined: March 18, 2006	Really good stuff, Dean. i have enjoyed the reading so much! I had to laugh though - I just played your three sound shots again and my cats got really spooked! They rushed around the room looking seriously alarmed and kept coming to me for assurance! It was so funny!



sknoerr	Aug 22 2007, 07:57 PM Post #20
Feeb Posts: 8 Group: Friends Member #279 Joined: March 29, 2007	I would like some input as to shofars in a personal setting. Much of what you have discussed has been in a corporate setting. Do shofars have a Scriptural personal basis? I purchased my shofar recently for a couple of reasons. First of all - I have always loved the sound of the shofar - it moves my spirit - it feels like "deep calling to deep" to me. For some reason, when I hear it, it almost always lifts my spirits. There have been times that God has used me as a human shofar - and the only reason for that that I can come up with in my mind is that there were no people available with literal shofars to blow for the Lord. I have wanted to learn to blow one for a long time. I do not necessarily want to blow it in a corporate setting - just more for in my home - more for me - though that may sound selfish. Usually when I want to blow it is when I am feeling oppressed or heavily weighted down - I feel like blowing the shofar helps to break down walls -like the walls of Jericho - sets captives free - like how I may feel under certain circumstances - and that it can do warfare in the heavenlies in ways that perhaps nothing else can. Though I cannot necessarily point to Scripture to back up what I sense. I would like your input Dean, and anyone else's who has some ideas.



DeanZF	Aug 23 2007, 11:46 AM Post #21
Resident Rebbi Posts: 602 Group: Admin1 Member #2 Joined: February 1, 2006	sknoerr Aug 22 2007, 06:57 PM I would like some input as to shofars in a personal setting... Well, what a good question. The general application of the shofar IS in the corporate setting, at least so far as what I can see in the Word. That being said, the corporate is obviously made up of the individuals and it is the reception and response of the individual that allows the shofar to be powerful in the corporate. Does that make any sense? sknoerr I have always loved the sound of the shofar - it moves my spirit - it feels like "deep calling to deep" to me. For some reason, when I hear it, it almost always lifts my spirits. Does there need to be any other reason or justification for its use in a personal setting? I've heard of people who have used the shofar in various ministry settings, blowing it over people during times of deliverance, times of prophecy, times of release. Those would be intensely personal, although not specifically mentioned in the Word. The Lord commands the blowing of the shofar, we know that much. We also are given examples of when it was blown and the reasons for which it was blown, but those are only examples and not the whole catalog, IMO. sknoerr There have been times that God has used me as a human shofar - and the only reason for that that I can come up with in my mind is that there were no people available with literal shofars to blow for the Lord. I'd guess that you are correct. I talked a little about the t'ruah or alarm sound being very similar to one of the war cries of both Native Americans and Middle East tribes--that high pitched yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi sort of sound. Human shofar, for sure! sknoerr I have wanted to learn to blow one for a long time. I do not necessarily want to blow it in a corporate setting - just more for in my home - more for me - though that may sound selfish. No one judging here. For me, I'm more interested in obedience. If you've a desire to blow it, even in a private setting, is that selfish? Not necessarily. God works in mysterious ways. If He can heal you, cure you, free you, guide you, instruct you, or in any other way positively affect your life, who could condemn that? sknoerr Usually when I want to blow it is when I am feeling oppressed or heavily weighted down - I feel like blowing the shofar helps to break down walls -like the walls of Jericho - sets captives free - like how I may feel under certain circumstances - and that it can do warfare in the heavenlies in ways that perhaps nothing else can. Though I cannot necessarily point to Scripture to back up what I sense. Oppression would certainly feel like warfare to me, and that is a primary use for the shofar, as an instrument of war. Not just the ralleying of troops for the purpose of warfare, but just as with Jericho, something powerful happened when the "long blast" was sounded. Did the blast cause the walls to fall? Oh, heck no! But something happened in the hearts of the people both inside and outside those walls. God did something for the Hebrew nation that still resonates through history. Can we explain that either? Nope. Not our job! Remember that Scripture itself notes that the various things shared are not a complete record, but only samples of God's power, given as examples of the sorts of things that we should expect when we obey His directives. And if you're feeling an urgency to learn how to blow, learn the few basics that we still have from a semi-historic standpoint and put them to use. Most of the language of the shofar is long lost. There are only the four "words" that have survived. Each of those has some grounding in Scripture. It's almost like Paul's admonition to the Corinthians about praying in the spirit and with the understanding. There are four words given. If those are the only words and we only have a limited understanding, we use those four words, right? Kind of like a child only knowing mama, dada, up, and NO! To those the kid adds the occasional crying spate, foot stomping, sweet smile, etc. We have a friend in common who, when she got her shofar, could only make one sound. It was long, low, kind of blatty sounding, but somehow when she blew that tubby, less than perfect, almost a nonsense syllable instead "one of the four words", it was almost as though she were "playing in the spirit" instead of the understanding, and there was great power there. Short version? If you've got a tug on your heart, play away. You also have the advantage of having heard it played well, so you should be able to emulate that quickly enough. Clear sound is your aim from a technical point, but obedience to that tug on your heart is the real deal. If your discernment is telling you why, you can add the "words" that you know to express that, playing with some level of understanding. Does that help any?
	Blessings! Dean DeanZF


1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)


« Previous Topic · Jewish Roots · Next Topic »

Pages:
1
2