Jews for Jesus

Passover Lamb by The Liberated Wailing Wall

Passover Lamb by The Liberated Wailing Wall is a great song from their second album is a great song about Passover and the Messiah.

You can listen to it on YouTube. You can buy this song or the whole album “I am Not Ashamed” at Jews for Jesus.

Lyrics

Passover Lamb
Words by Sam Nadler & Stuart Dauermann, music by Stuart Dauermann

Pharaoh had us all enslaved, lab’ring in his land.
The Lord God heard our cry and freed us by His hand.
And by the blood of the pure and spotless Lamb
We’re free; we are all set free.
Passover’s Lamb’s blood upon the door,
Forming a cross to seal us from death’s jaw.
And by the blood of the pure and spotless Lamb,
We’re free; we are all set free.

Alleluia! Alleluia!
God of Abram,
Thank you for the Lamb.

God gave us Israel, but we turned away.
God gave the Law to us, but we disobeyed.
God gave His only Son to come and set us free.
We’re free, we are all set free.
Yes, we all did turn away and we all were lost.
So we took a perfect Lamb and nailed Him to a cross.
And by the blood of the pure and spotless Lamb
We’re free, we are all set free.

Alleluia! Alleluia!
God of Isaac,
Thank you for the Lamb.

Three days He lay; then Jesus did rise.
So all who will believe never have to die.
And by the blood of the pure and spotless Lamb
We’re free, we are all set free.
Passover Lamb’s blood upon the door,
Forming a cross to seal us from death’s jaw.
And by the blood, of the pure and spotless Lamb,
We’re free; we are all set free.

Alleluia! Alleluia!
God of Jacob,
Thank you for the Lamb.

Alleluia! Alleluia!
God of Israel,
Thank you for the Lamb.

Analysis

This is a great song from Jews for Jesus from the early 70s. It is off their second album, “I am Not Ashamed.” We do not have this one in our Friendship With God Hymnal. Next, some analysis.

This song has three verses and one course that is repeated in varying ways. The first verse is about the Exodus and the Passover lamb. The second verse is about Christ our Passover lamb dying for us. The last verse is about his resurrection (First Fruits/Easter). These verses have a pattern of seven, six, six, four, seven, six, six, four feet to them. This complexity reminds me of Joni Mitchell’s early folk music. The course is repeated once after each of the first two verses and twice after the last. The God of Abram, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel is praise. Note how alleluia is used instead of hallelujah. This is because the open vowels in alleluia work better here.

This is another great song by Stuart Dauermann co-authored with Sam Nadler.

Hymns and Songs

Jewish Evangelism

“ A Jewish View of the Trinity Based on the Hebrew Scriptures” by Jews for Jesus

Here is an article by Jews for Jesus reasoning for the Trinity from the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) A Jewish View of the Trinity Based on the Hebrew Scriptures

I’ve read a number of books on this topic, and this article from Jews for Jesus had some good arguments I hadn’t heard. It’s a good apologetic for the Trinity being in the Old Testament.

It quotes numerous scriptures and discusses the names for God, pronouns, plural nouns with singular verbs for God, plural nouns with plural nouns for God, different Hebrew words for one, and many other interesting points. It is done in a way that is easy to read.

One thing I found interesting was the examples of God having both a plural noun and plural verb. Usually in the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures)God is in the plural with a singular verb. This article gave some exceptions along with noting the more standard usage.

This article should be good as a resource for Jewish evangelism. It should also be useful in talking with other people who deny the Trinity like Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Muslims.

You can find posts like this on our website under Jewish Evangelism

Christmas carols – “ O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and Ceil Rosen

“Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel” (or “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”) is the first Christmas song we sang at the Chapel this Christmas season.

“Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel”
Text: Latin him from the 1300s; tr. John Mason Neale

1. Oh, come, Oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain: Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

2. Oh, come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.

Refrain: Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

3. Oh, come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
And drive away the shades of night,
And pierce the clouds and bring us light!

Refrain: Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

4. Oh, come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the path to misery

Refrain: Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

This version has four stanzas each followed by a refrain. There are 4 feet per line and feet are iambic (de-dum, de-dum). The first two lines of each stanza rhyme with each other, and the last two lines of each stanza rhyme with each other, too. Also, the two line of the refrain rhyme with each other.

There is so much biblical imagery in this poem. For example, Emmanuel is from the prophet Isaiah and the Gospel of Matthew meaning “God with us.” “Rod of Jesse” is another messianic title (Isaiah 11:1-2). “Key of David“ is also from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 22:22).

Ceil Rosen, the wife of Moshe Rosen (The founder of Jews for Jesus) has a connection with this song, too – “The winter I was sixteen, my high school chorus had a major role in our school’s Christmas program…Dressed in long skirts and head scarves to approximate biblical garb, we moved across the stage in a kind of slow dance, singing, ‘O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel.’ Though we had rehearsed those words many times, I suddenly found myself pondering their meaning. Was there something true about Jesus being for us Jews?”

You can read the rest of her testimony and how she helped lead her husband to Jesus the Messiah at Jews For Jesus

Music and singing is not only very enjoyable but a powerful influence, too.