Creation to Completion: A Guide to Life's Journey from the Five Books of Moses

by Russell Resnik

Publisher:

Messianic Jewish Publishers

, 2006

Overview

Have you ever wondered if the Pentateuch­the Five Books of Moses­is relevant to your life? Do you think the Law, the Torah, has been relegated to a relic from another era? How do the commandments, given to the Jewish people, contribute to society today? In Creation to Completion, Russell Resnik answers these questions, offering insight into the Torah. He shows that the Creator still desires his creatures to participate in bringing the Creation to completion. After each commentary, he presents a challenging thought "For the Journey."

Contents

Top Highlights

“The Lord does not simply harden Pharaoh, but he strengthens him to do what he really wants to do. God does not override Pharaoh’s freedom of will, but reinforces it. Pharaoh might waver under the mounting weight of the plagues, but the Lord helps him to persevere and do what he really desires to do.” (Page 60)

“The Hebrew word Torah is derived from the root vrh yarah, which can be translated as ‘instruction’ or ‘teaching.’ Torah, even in its legal aspects, is not just a list of rules, but a teaching on how to live. In Jewish thought, this aspect of Torah is called halakhah, which means literally, ‘the walk.’” (Pages xxii–xxiii)

“S. Sod—the mysterious or secret meaning. This level of interpretation is often based on gematria, the numerical value of Hebrew letters.” (Page xx)

“Exile from the Garden sets the stage for the human quest throughout the rest of Torah, and into our own times, the quest for the Tree of Life. Traditional Judaism sees Torah as the Tree of Life, In the synagogue service, after reading from the Torah scroll, one of the men will grasp its handles and lift it high for the whole congregation to see, calling out, ‘This is the Torah which Moses placed before the children of Israel at the command of the Lord. A Tree of Life it is to those who take hold of it.’ Cleaving to Torah, then, will open the way back to the Tree of Life.” (Page 5)

“In this version of the story, the tablets of the Ten Commandments are the ketubah. This essential part of the traditional Jewish wedding is a marriage contract signed by the bride and groom before the ceremony can begin. Likewise, the glory-cloud over Sinai is the huppah, the marriage canopy, under which the bride and groom stand as they are joined in matrimony. With these essentials in place, God seals his union with Israel: ‘I will take you as my people, and I will be your God.’” (Page 68)

Praise for the Print Edition

Paul urged Timothy to study the Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16), advising him to apply its teachings to all aspects of his life. Since there was no New Testament then, this rabbi/apostle was convinced that his disciple would profit from studying the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, and the Old Testament. Given first to the nation of Israel, God intended these teachings to be useful for all people, Jewish or non-Jewish. Now, Rabbi Resnik has written a warm devotional commentary that will help you understand you understand and apply the Law of Moses to your life in a practical way.

—Coach Bill McCartney, Founder and Chairman, Road to Jerusalem, Former President of Promise Keepers

In a time when the knowledge of Scripture is in decline in America and around the world, we desperately need a book like this to encourage people to re-engage with God's Word. Russ Resnik has done a commendable job of joining scholarly insights with warm-hearted application. His extensive interaction with rabbinic sources may be challenging to some but certainly will open up a whole new world to those interested in learning about the Jewish roots of the Messianic faith.

—David Brickner, Executive Director, Jews for Jesus

Product Details

• Title: Creation to Completion: A Guide to Life's Journey from the Five Books of Moses
• Author: Russ Resnik
• Publisher: Messianic Jewish Publishers
• Publication Date: 2006
• Pages: 256

About Russell Resnik

Russ Resnik encountered Jesus (Yeshua) in the early 1970s. He founded and was the first rabbi of Adat Yeshua, a Messianic congregation in Albuquerque. Today, he serves as executive director of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations, an association that establishes, strengthens, and multiplies congregations for Yeshua. He authored Gateways to Torah, his first work on the Five Books of Moses, written from a Messianic Jewish perspective. Russ and his wife Jane live in Albuquerque and have four children and six grandchildren.

In 1941, The United States is drawn into World War II. During that same year, Dr. Henry Einspruch publishes his classic book, The Yiddish New Testament, a breakthrough in evangelistic literature for Jewish people. Over the following decades, the publications of Lederer/Messianic Jewish Communications have been widely used to impact thousands of Jewish people with the Good News of Messiah. These books and tracts have been distributed in the Orthodox Jewish community, have been given out to Jews in the former Soviet Union, and have been used by Messianic congregations and Jewish outreaches all over the world. Messianic Jewish Publishers mission is two-pronged: Reaching out to Jewish people with the message of Messiah and teaching the non-Jewish spiritual family about their Jewish roots.