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In the Light of Jewish Customs

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 11, 1912

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 89, No. 15.

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In the Light of Jewish Customs

By F. C. GILBERT

F. C. GILBERT
It is very clear from the Scripture that the apostle Paul introduced among the Gentile Christians a number of customs that had been in vogue among the Jews, to illustrate certain truths of the gospel of Christ. Some of these customs were introduced for the carrying forward of the work of God, since they were so strongly established among the Jewish people, and since there was much in them which God knew could be utilized for the advancement of his work.
Several centuries before the advent of Christ, there arose among the Jews the custom of providing for the needy poor at Jerusalem. It came about something as follows: When the Jews entered the seventy years’ captivity in Babylon, many of them were scattered in different parts of that great empire. When the time came that the Lord desired the children of Jacob to return to their own land, he so overruled that the kings of Media and Persia issued a decree to facilitate their return, and did all they could to assist the Jews in restoring their worship at Jerusalem.
But from the Bible record we know that all the Jews who went into captivity did not go home to their own land. We find thousands returning to Palestine at the time of the command of Cyrus, king of Persia, and this was equally true when Darius and Artaxerxes issued their decrees.But many thousands of Jews still remained in the countries whither they had been scattered. This is evident from reading the books of Esther, Jeremiah, Zechariah, and Haggai. It is made clearer still by a reading of the second chapter of Acts, the first eleven verses.
During the several centuries before the advent of Christ, hundreds of thousands of Jews flocked to Jerusalem, and the holy city contained more Jews than it could well support. Frequently there were insurrections, pillages, and other causes of devastation, until thousands of the Jews of the land became poor, and were greatly in need of assistance.
Then, again, many thousands of Jews would make pilgrimages to the city, and not infrequently large numbers of these would remain in Jerusalem. This, too, naturally added to the poverty of the people, until there were large numbers of the children of Abraham who were destitute. Several times a year thousands of Jews from these other lands would come to Jerusalem to worship before the Lord. Many of these tourists were wealthy, having established large business interests in these Eastern lands. When they came into the holy land, and saw the poverty of many of their brethren in the flesh, they realized that something ought to be done in order to assist them in their need.
So there was instituted a systematic method of helping these poor Jews in Jerusalem. The Jewish brethren in the foreign lands decided that they would set aside a certain amount of money each week for these poor Jewish brethren, and then when some of the merchants would go to Jerusalem on business, or when some of the people would go to the city to worship, or when some of the proper persons would come from Jerusalem to visit their brethren in these different lands, this money was sent to their poor Jewish brethren in Jerusalem.
At the time of the advent of Christ, this had become an established custom, and in this way thousands of the poor Jews were greatly helped during their poverty and their distress. The rabbis had taken up the matter, and had systematized it in such a way that the Jews in all the lands well understood the method which had been adopted to assist the poor Jewish brethren. During the year, the rabbis would send duly constituted authorities to collect this money, and these funds were known as the money for the poor Jews at Jerusalem. After Christ had come and had declared his gospel to men, a bitter prejudice arose among many of the Jews in Jerusalem, as well as out of it, against all who accepted the teachings of the Nazarene. In fact, the time had come when any person who would accept the Saviour was anathematized, and cast out of the synagogue. To the Jew this meant social ostracism; but those having means of their own were not seriously affected by it from a financial standpoint. However, to the Jew who was poor, especially to the one who was dependent upon the gifts of his Jewish brethren, this worked a great hardship, for we know that the Saviour preached the gospel to the poor, and there were many of his followers from among this class of people. But Jesus never left those who trusted in him.
He had made provision for the poor, and told his followers that they had the poor with them always, and they could help as they desired. But we read that there came a famine in Jerusalem. It was predicted by the prophet Agabus. The apostle Paul, knowing the custom which was in vogue among the Jews to help their poor Jewish brethren, suggested, through the influence of the Holy Spirit, that this plan be carried out to help the poor brethren in Christ at Jerusalem. Therefore we read: “Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come. And when I arrive, whosoever ye shall approve, them will I send with letters to carry your bounty unto Jerusalem.” I Cor. 16: 2, 3. So it became part of the gospel plan that every person should lay by himself at home every First-day morning a certain amount of money, according to the manner which God had prospered him during the previous week. If he had been blessed of God abundantly, then when he considered his financial standing on the First-day morning, prior to the beginning of his labors for that week, he should deal with the poor Jewish brethren as God dealt with him. If he had been prospered much, then he should impart much.
I well remember, when at home in the early years of my life, how my father followed this custom regularly and methodically, for the same plan is still followed by some orthodox Jews the world over, to support the poor Jews at Jerusalem. Many a time have I seen my father early Sunday morning take account of the amount of business he had done during the previous week, and then he would take some of his money and deposit it in a tin box. This box had an opening in the top of it, and upon the face of it was placed a label written in Hebrew and reading thus: “Alms for the Poor Jews at Jerusalem.” When friends call at the house who do not live in thickly settled Jewish communities, they are invited to share the blessings of giving to their poor brethren. But the regular, pious, orthodox Jews attend to this matter most generally as the first item of business after they have conducted their worship on the morning of the first day of the week.
Periodically the Jews send a certain delegated individual who bears the credentials of the synagogue or council having this matter in charge, and the matter is attended to by him. He takes this money with him, leaves a receipt for the same, if the person desires it; if not, he goes on his way, and the money is sent to the poor Jews at Jerusalem.
Thus we can see how the apostle Paul introduced this custom in the early Christian church, that the poor brethren in Christ might be assisted; and that, not as something newly thought of, but merely as an adaptation to the work of the Christian church of a Jewish custom of long standing. In the light of this fact, it can readily be seen that there is absolutely no foundation in this scripture for the idea that the first day of the week had taken the place of the Sabbath of Jehovah, and that the people were, through this instruction, to take up collections in churches on that day. It rather taught the members of the early Christian church what was to be their first item of business on the first working-day of the week.
South Lancaster, Mass.