Pastor Appreciation Day

And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. 

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (NKJV)

This non-official holiday is celebrated annually on the second Sunday in October. 

The October month celebrates the contributions of priests, pastors, reverends and ministers in the U.S. but we can also start this custom in Jerusalem! And specifically: at Jerusalem Baptist Church. 

History of Pastor Appreciation Day

Pastor Appreciation Day began with the establishment of Clergy Appreciation Month. In Timothy 1 (5:17), Paul began the concept of clergy appreciation when he stated that the elders of the church are worthy of a double honor. He reiterated this idea in Thessalonians 1 (5: 12-13) when he stated that that those who work hard among you should be held in the highest regard for their work. This idea became Clergy Appreciation Month in 1992, established by pastors and religious workers. Eventually, Pastor Appreciation Day would form out of this month.

Fun Religious Facts

• 50% of all Christians are Roman Catholics
• There are 800 Million Protestant Christians worldwide
• 160 million of the planet’s Christians are Orthodox
• Almost 80 million Bibles are distributed all over the world each year

Celebrating Pastor Appreciation Day

You can celebrate the hard work of your pastor in a number of different ways. 

Each member of the congregation can deliver the pastor a handwritten note; a “Best Pastor in the World” T-shirt can be given to him; you can create a video presentation made of pictures of the pastor in action over the last year; or you can simply give him a heart-felt thanks. Of course, one of the most important ways to show you care is by assuring that you attend his service on this day and pay attention to his sermon.

Conclusion

Pastor Appreciation Day is the perfect holiday to show your pastor, priest or minister just how good of a job he is doing and to give him encouragement to keep the good work up.

Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. 1 Timothy 5:17 (NKJV)

Source:

http://www.holidayscalendar.com/event/pastor-appreciation-day/

Rosh haShana - The Jewish New Year

“In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest unto you, a memorial proclaimed with blasts of horns [shofar], a holy convocation… and you shall bring an offering made by fire unto the Lord.” Leviticus 23:24, 25

The Torah doesn’t call it Rosh haShana, but it is known by different descriptions.

Leviticus 23:24 mentioned the “day of blowing horns (shofarim)”. This is sometimes translated as 'trumpets'. 

Ezekiel 40:1 calls it “the beginning of the year”; while in rabbinic literature they call it “day of judgment” and “day of remembrance”.

The Hebrew month of Elul (August/September) is the month of the “High Holy Days”. The period between Rosh haShana (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is also called “the ten days of awe”, because of the need for introspection and repentance.

Rosh haShana (literally meaning “head of the year”) heralds the Hebrew month of Tishrei (September/October) (Tishrei is Aramaic for “to begin”). This year it falls on September 29^th at sundown. 

It is celebrated for two days and is seen as a Day of Judgment. 

On the first day, the tashlich (“you will cast”) ritual takes place in which “sins” are symbolically cast into open water. People also throw bread and pebbles. The days of repentance begin with Rosh haShana and climax at Yom Kippur (October 9, 2019). Religious Jews believe that even though judgment is pronounced on Rosh haShana, during the following ten days they can mend their ways and alter judgment in their favor.

Rosh haShana is a day of rest, like the Shabbat. The sound of the Shofar (ram’s horn) is intended to awaken the people from their “slumber” and alert them to the coming judgment.

In Israel people greet each other with Shana Tova (Good Year) or Shana Tova uMetuka (good and sweet New Year). Often they add Gmar Chatima Tova (May you be inscribed in the book of life).

Apple and honey, symbolizing the sweet New Year is always part of the holiday food. Other symbolic food is a fish head (“head” of the new year) and a round Challah, to symbolize the year cycle).

In ancient times Rosh haShana was the beginning of the economic year, with emphasis on the agricultural seasons and the pilgrim’s festivals (Pesach, Shavuot and Succot). It was only celebrated for one day, instead of the modern two-day holiday. 

Rosh haShana is seen as the anniversary of God’s Creation. On this day mankind passes before the Creator, like sheep before the shepherd. Three books are opened – the Book of Life, which seals the righteous, who will live. The wicked are “blotted out of the book of the living” (Psalm 69:29) while those “in between” have till Yom Kippur to repent and become righteous.

  

Judaism’s many “New Years”

• 1^st of Nissan (March/April) - “Biblical New Year” after the Exodus from Egypt. Determined the length of a king’s reign. Start of the ecclesiastical Calender.
• 1^st of Elul (August/September) – Beginning of the year to tithe animals for the Temple.
• 1^st of Shevat (January/February) – this later changed to the 15^th (Tu beShevat) and was called the New Year of trees. Calculations were made for the tithes of the fruit harvest.
• 1^st of Tishrei (September/October) – civil Hebrew Calender, legal contracts.
• 1^st January – New Year on the Gregorian Calender.

  

Religious practices:

• Many orthodox men were a Kittel (Yiddish) which is a white robe, also traditionally worn by a bridegroom, symbolizing purity. Often it is also used as a burial shroud. Isaiah 1:18 “our sins shall be made as white as snow”. It reminds them of the white linen robe the High Priest wore during Temple ceremonies.
• This is an extra busy time for organizations to ask for donations, as charity is even more important during this period.

The Value of ONE

Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. 

He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. 

Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions. 

Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching.  As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea.  

The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning!  May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”

The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”

The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”

The next day, the man got all of his friends to help the boy throw starfish into the sea. 

Adapted from The Star Thrower, by Loren Eiseley (1907 – 1977)

“A single, ordinary person still can make a difference – and single, ordinary people are doing precisely that every day.”  Chris Bohjalian

"The Star Thrower" (or "starfish story") is part of a 16-page essay of the same name by Loren Eiseley (1907–1977), published in 1969 in The Unexpected Universe. The Star Thrower is also the title of a 1978 anthology of Eiseley's works (including the essay), which he completed shortly before his death.

The original story describes the narrator walking along the beach early one morning in the pre-dawn twilight, when he sees a man picking up a starfish off the sand and throwing it into the sea. The narrator is observant and subtle, but skeptical; he has seen many "collectors" on the beach, killing countless sea creatures for their shells. 
Some excerpts:

 “            In a pool of sand and silt a starfish had thrust its arms up stiffly and was holding its body away from the stifling mud. "It's still alive," I ventured.

"Yes," he said, and with a quick yet gentle movement he picked up the star and spun it over my head and far out into the sea. It sunk in a burst of spume, and the waters roared once more.

..."There are not many who come this far," I said, groping in a sudden embarrassment for words. "Do you collect?"

"Only like this," he said softly, gesturing amidst the wreckage of the shore. "And only for the living." He stooped again, oblivious of my curiosity, and skipped another star neatly across the water. "The stars," he said, "throw well. One can help them."

..."I do not collect," I said uncomfortably, the wind beating at my garments. "Neither the living nor the dead. I gave it up a long time ago. Death is the only successful collector."

— The Star Thrower, p. 172

Later, after some thoughts on our relationships to other animals and to the universe, the narrator returns to the beach:

..."On a point of land, I found the star thrower...I spoke once briefly. "I understand," I said. "Call me another thrower." Only then I allowed myself to think, He is not alone any longer. After us, there will be others...Perhaps far outward on the rim of space a genuine star was similarly seized and flung...For a moment, we cast on an infinite beach together beside an unknown hurler of suns... We had lost our way, I thought, but we had kept, some of us, the memory of the perfect circle of compassion from life to death and back to life again." (The Star Thrower, p.181)

The story has been adapted and retold by motivational speakers and on internet sites, often without attribution, since at least the mid-1980s In this version the conversation is related between other characters, an older man and a younger one, a wise man and a little girl, or Jesus and a man. It was also adapted into a children's story in 2006. Called, "Sara and the Starfish." It re-tells the story from the eyes of a young girl as well as the starfish itself, though the moral of the story is the same as the original idea told by Eiseley.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star_Thrower

Song: The Value of One

The Mercy Gate

The Golden Gate, on the eastern side of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, features prominently among Jews, Christians and Muslims as the place of the Last Judgment. In ancient times, judgments were rendered in the gates of the city (Gen. 19:1, 23:10). Since the Messiah was to come from the East (Matthew 24:27, Luke 19:35-38), it was concluded that his judgment would be at the eastern gate. In the assumption that the dead in the immediate vicinity will be the first to be raised, Muslims, Christians, and Jews want to be buried as close as possible to this gate.

According to Jewish tradition, the Shekhinah (שכינה) (Divine Presence) used to appear through this gate, and will appear again when the Messiah comes (Ezekiel 44:1–3). Then, a new gate will replace the present one now called Sha'ar Harachamim (שער הרחמים), the Gate of Mercy.

Christians believe that Jesus passed through this gate on Palm Sunday and upon His second coming, will enter the city through this gate. (Zechariah 14:4-5.) 

Muslims call it the Bab el-Dahariyeh - Gate of Eternity, recalling the visions of Joel 4:2 and 12, or the Twin Gate, because of its shape.

In Biblical times, the gate was known as the Beautiful Gate (Acts 3:2,10.) It probably also existed during the period of Aelia Capitolina (Roman Period).

The top picture shows the Kidron Valley and part of Jerusalem’s Old City Wall with the Golden Gate, taken from the direction of the Mount of Olives.

Shavuot - the Feast of Weeks

“Celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the first fruits of the wheat harvest and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.” Exodus 34:22.

Shavuot means “weeks” and refers to the counting of seven weeks (Counting of the Omer) from the second day of the Pesach (Passover) holiday. It is the only Pilgrim festival of which the Bible doesn’t give a specific date on which to celebrate.

Pesach and Shavuot are linked together. First because of the barley and wheat harvests, secondly as a reminder that the Israelites were freed from Egyptian bondage (Pesach) and during Shavuot received the Torah on Mount Sinai. By accepting the Torah they became a nation committed to serving God.

Shavuot is called by different names. Chag Shavuot (Festival of Weeks); Chag ha Katsir (Reaping holiday); Yom ha Bikkurim (day of first fruits); Pentecost (Greek for 50).

In Israel, Shavuot is celebrated only for one day - on the 6^th day of the Hebrew month of Sivan; Jews abroad celebrate it for two days. Christians always celebrate Pentecost on the 7^th Sunday after Easter.

In ancient times the Israelites brought their first fruits to the Tabernacle in Shiloh and later to the Temples in Jerusalem. Bikkurim (first fruits) had to be brought from the “seven species” – wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.(Deuteronomy 8: 7,8)

When the first fruit appeared, the farmer would tie a reed around the fruit and declare, “this is a first fruit” and then, when the time came to go up to Jerusalem, the second pilgrim’s holiday to the Holy City, they would put their first fruits in a basket and set out for their closest assembly point.  

Pilgrims assembled in specific cities and traveled, singing and dancing, as a group to Jerusalem.

“I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD,” (Psalm 122:1)

Welcomed by the Jerusalemites, the pilgrims would sing,

“Our feet are standing in your gates, o Jerusalem!” (Psalm 122:2).

The baskets with fruits became property of the priest and Levites, who represented the “firstborn” sons of the Israelites.

The Hebrew word “Bikkurim” has the same root as “bechor” – first born. The first of everything belongs to God – man and animal alike. Israel was God’s “firstborn”, and in recognition of His ownership of the land and His sovereignty over nature, the first grain and fruits had to be offered to God.

Likewise, after Jesus’ sacrifice during Pesach, the new believers in Jerusalem that were baptized with the Holy Spirit became “first fruits” during Shavuot.

BIBLICAL TOUR TO SHECHEM – Februari 28, 2019

Even though it was raining cats and dogs and it was very cold, about 35 participants (of

whom 10 were Dutch!) joined us on our JBC pilot tour.

Our guide for the day: Pastor Al Nucciarione; our driver, Joseph, a Christian Arab, originally from Taybeh.

Because of the cold weather, the foggy bus windows didn’t allow us to see much of the beautiful road we were taking – the so-called “Derech haGav"- 'road of the back'. 

This ancient route runs all the way from Lebanon in the north to the Red Sea in the south.

The high hills/mountains of this area form the biblical 'Heartland'. Here, God gave His people many promises. Beit El (Bethel)'s and Hebron's mountains are about 1.000 meters high, while Jerusalem lies at a height of 865 meter.

Just after going through the military checkpoint at Pisgat Zeev, we enter the area that was given to the Biblical tribe of Benjamin. Jacob called his son a 'ravenous wolf', hence you'll find many road signs with a wolf. We were now 'behind' the wall which protects Israeli citizens against terror attacks.

Geva Binyamin (the hill of Benjamin) is also called Adam (see Jozua 18:24). It is situated between the Arabic Jabah and Mikhmus (Geva and Michmas).

At about 839 meter above sea level lies Gibeah (of Saul), Tel el-Ful (hill of beans) in Arabic. Gibeah was a very important city in Bible times. Judges 19-21 tells us the story of the Levite and his concubine. Israel's first king, Saul, ruled 38 years from Gibeah (1 Samuel 8:31). In the time of the divided Kingdom the city is mentioned by several prophets: Hosea 5:8-10; Isaiah 10:29). During the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD the 10^th Roman Legion camped here. Between 1948 and 1967 this area was in the hands of the Jordanians. On this spot, where king Saul had reigned, King Hussein began to build a summer palace. It was never completed, because Israel conquered the territory during the Six Day War.

Not far from Gibeah, on the side of Road no. 437 we pass a stone wall called "Kubur Bani Yirsae'il" – "the graves of the Children of Israel", which are about 2000 years old. Archeologist and Bible scholars believe that the grave of Rachel is here, and not as supposed near Bethlehem.

Genesis 35:19. Joshua 18:23 mentions the city Farah, also called Efrat (has the same Hebrew root). Because this town was situated in an area which had many barley and grain fields, it was called "Beit Lechem" – House of Bread. The Arabic name kept the Hebrew tradition alive. In the 19th century, this helped the archeologists to locate and find many original Biblical cities. Barren hills carry sound for long distances. That's why it is possible what Jeremiah describes in 31: 15 that the mourning for Rachel could be heard in Rama.

We pass the Arab town Mukhamas and the sign for the Jewish settlement of Ma’aleh Michmash. Michmash is featured in the story of Jonathan and his weapon bearer in 1 Samuel 10; 1 Samuel 13-14.  The two stone teeth in the wadi are called Bozez (Philistine side) and Seneh (Israeli side). 

According to the Bible, Migron was the area where Saul and his 600 soldiers pitched their tents before attacking the Philistines who were camped in Michmash (1 Samuel 14:2) with the dry riverbed (wadi) between them. In February 13, 1918, British troops prepared to attack the Turks also camping at Michmash. The British army knew they would lose many soldiers in this attack. On the evening before the battle, Major Gilbert leafed through his Bible in search of a name that seemed to elude him. He found the story in 1 Samuel 13 and 14 and after reading it, he awoke General Watson to share the story with him. Figuring that the area had not changed much since Biblical times, the general sent out scouts. They found the pass, which was lightly guarded by the Turks. Instead of sending out a brigade, that night the general sent an infantry unit through the pass, between the stones of Bozez and Seneh, that overpowered the Turkish guards. The next day, presuming they were surrounded by many British soldiers, the Turkish soldiers panicked and ran away. A few thousand years later, Jonathan's tactic again proved successful.

We pass the Arab city of Dayr (Deir) Dibwan, which means "the monastery of the Council".

According to many, this was the place where the prophet Elisha, on his way to Bethel, was taunted by a group of children, calling him, "Bold head!" 2 Kings 2:23. (Because Elisha cursed the children, two bears mauled 42 of them. Deir Dibwan (Doobee = bear in Hebrew) – the monastery of the two bears – that seems more plausible.

Mizpah/mitzpeh is a watch tower, which you can see scattered in the fields of this area. In Biblical times families lived in them during the harvest season. When part of a city wall, they also had a military function.

Road no. 60 is also called the Trans-Samarian Highway. This ancient road from Shechem (Nablus) to Jerusalem has become much better compared to the picture taken in 1911!

We pass the Arab ghost town of Turmus Aya, where empty villas, built by rich American Muslim millionaires, are waiting for their owners to come and live in them. One day...

Ma'aleh Levonah means "the ascent of the frankincense". The area was known for its bushes giving off white fragrant resin. This was used as frankincense in the Tabernacle in Shiloh, not far from there. In Judges 21:29 we read about a village with that name. The Arabic village still carries the same name: AlLubban ash-Sharqiya (east Levonah).

In an Arab village, we stop for sweets, coffee and toilets!

On our way to Mt. Gerizim (near Shechem) we pass through a long village called Huwara, well known because of its excellent car mechanics. Before the Intifada (uprising) these Arabs used to work in Shechem (Nablus).  When business closed (due to the many terror attacks) these mechanics opened their own car repair shops in Huwara – with great success!

Today, the Tappuach junction is freely accessible. During the Intifada it looked like a military stronghold with many security measures to protect Israelis against the constant terror attacks. Kfar Tappuach is a village near this biggest central junction in Israel. From this point one can travel through all parts of the country. Joshua 12:4 speaks about a village Tappuach (Apple). The fields belonged to the tribe of Menashe, but the village belonged to Ephraim. It lies on the Road of the Patriarchs, which Abraham, Isaac and Jacob travelled on their journey south.

Entering Nablus, (the Roman name) or Shechem, the Biblical name, we drive to the Greek Orthodox church to visit Jacob's Well (also known as Jacob's fountain and Well of Sychar). The well is 76 meters (249 ft) from the archaeological site of Tell Balata, thought to be the site of biblical Shechem, but now a notorious refugee camp.

Jewish, Samaritan, Christian, and Muslim traditions all associate the well with Jacob. The well is not specifically mentioned in the Old Testament, but Genesis 33:18-20 states that when Jacob returned to Shechem from Paddan Aram, he camped "before" the city and bought the land on which he pitched his tent and erected an altar.

The well is accessed by entering the church on the monastery grounds, and descending the stairs to a crypt where the well still stands, along with "a small winch, a bucket, ex-voto icons and lots of lit candles."

Based on a measurement made in 1935, the total depth of the well is 41 meters (135 ft).

The priest has been painting icons for many years, and pastor Al was thrilled when he saw that the old man was still there, and continued to paint! 

Our driver was able to talk to the PA policeman guarding Joseph’s tomb, and after giving him some ‘baksheesh’, the man opened the gate so we could have a glimpse of the tomb from the outside, but no one was allowed to enter! Joseph's Tomb is located at the eastern entrance to the valley that separates Mounts Gerizim and Ebal, 300 metres northwest of Jacob's Well. Joseph's tomb has been venerated throughout the ages by Samaritans, for whom it is the second holiest site, by Jews, by Christians, and by Muslims. The present structure dates from 1868. The lack of Jewish or Christian sources prior to the 5th century that mention the tomb indicates that prior to the 4th century it was a Samaritan site. 

Samaritan sources tell of struggles between Samaritans and Christians who wished to remove Joseph's bones. Joseph's Tomb often witnessed intense sectarian conflict. Samaritans and Christians disputing access and title to the site in the early Byzantine period often engaged in violent clashes. After the 6 Day war, Muslims were prohibited from worship at the shrine and it was gradually turned into a Jewish prayer room. Interreligious friction and conflict from competing Jewish and Muslim claims over the tomb became frequent. At the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000, just after being handed over to the PNA, it was looted and razed by rioting Palestinian. Presently, the tomb is guarded by PA police and no one is allowed to enter the tomb.

We drive up the mountain, pass the Jewish village Beit Bracha (House of Blessing) and ascend a steep road up to Mt. Gerizim  (Jebel etTor).  This for the Samaritans holy mountain is the home for about 376 Samaritans, the rest of the group live in Holon, near Tel Aviv. Today, there are only 812 Samaritans left.

We watch a movie about the ancient city and the Sacred Precinct, which now has become a national park. It was too cold and windy to walk around, and we were glad to be back in the (unheated) bus.

Opposite Mt. Gerizim (886 meters) lies Mt. Ebal (938 meters), with Shechem (Nablus) in between. These were the mountains where Joshua and the Israelites spoke the blessing and the curse in the "Valley of Decision". 

The Canaanite /Israelite city was called Tel Balata – now a notorious refuge camp. Moses told the people of Israel to bless Mt. Gerizim and curse Mt. Ebal. (Deuteronomy 27:11-13.) During the Roman Empire this ancient city was called "Flavia Neapolis". Because no one could pronounce it, the people called it "Nablus".

Our next stop was the Samaritan museum, where two young people gave us a short introduction on the traditions and beliefs of the Samaritans. 

These "Guardians/Keepers/Watchers (of the Torah" are an ethnoreligious group originating from the Israelites (or Hebrews). Ancestrally, Samaritans claim descent from the tribe of Ephraim and tribe of Manasseh (two sons of Joseph) as well as from the Levites, who have links to ancient Samaria from the period of their entry into Canaan.

Samaritanism, closely related to Judaism, is based on the Samaritan Pentateuch – the Five books of Moses.

The Samaritans believe that Mount Gerizim was the original Holy Place of Israel from the time that Joshua conquered Canaan. The major issue between Jews and Samaritans has always been the location of the Chosen Place to worship God: The Temple Mount of Moriah in Jerusalem according to the Jewish faith or Mount Gerizim according to the Samaritan faith.

We had the privilege to meet the present high priest, who also shared something about their customs.

When we head back to the main road in the valley, we see a palace on a hill. This house was built by an Arab who had become very rich from helping the Americans during the Gulf War. He created beautiful gardens and imported marble from Italy and Greece to decorate his palace.

The plan was to have lunch around 2.30 p.m. in Taybeh, but the weather-related traffic jam caused us to arrive about an hour later. 

Taybeh, the only Christian town left in Israel, is where our bus driver, Joseph, was born.

“Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews, but went from there to a town called (Taybe) Ephraim in the region near the wilderness; and he remained there with the disciples.” (John 11:54) Taybeh (pronounced Tie-bay) is 30 kilometres northeast of Jerusalem. From its elevated site between biblical Samaria and Judea, it overlooks the desert wilderness, the Jordan Valley, Jericho and the Dead Sea. Living amidst Muslim villages, Israeli settlements and military roadblocks, Taybeh’s inhabitants (numbering 1300 in 2010) are intensely proud of their Christian heritage.

Lunch was served in the very cold and dark church hall, because the strong winds had knocked over one of the electricity poles. After eating a nice Arab lunch, by the time we left, it started to rain again.

  

Thankfully, the trip to Jerusalem went smooth, no more traffic jams, and we dropped off near the church.

Despite the rain and cold and leaking bus, it had been a special day. We were grateful for the Lord’s protection and the wonderful things we learned and experienced that day.

To be continued – Lord willing, our next JBC tour will be to Hebron!  Definitely in better weather! 😊

The 'Valley of Decision' - Shechem in the valley

click here for a: video impression of the tour

Behind the hymns: The Love of God

“The Love of God”, written by Frederick M. Lehman, 1917    v. 3 by Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai, 1050

The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell;

It goes beyond the highest star,

And reaches to the lowest hell;

The guilty pair, bowed down with care,

God gave His Son to win;

His erring child He reconciled,

And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain:

          Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure—

The saints’ and angels’ song.

When hoary time shall pass away,

And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,

When men who here refuse to pray,

On rocks and hills and mountains call,

God’s love so sure, shall still endure,

All measureless and strong;

Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—

The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky.

“The Love of God” had its roots in an 11^th century German Jewish poem, written in Aramaic, called “Hadamut Millan”. Throughout the poem, the theme of God’s eternal love and concern for His people is evident.

The 90 (!) acrostic couplets were composed in 1096 by Rabbi Mayer of Worms, Germany. This poem was (and still is) read during Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks. The poem was read just before the Ten Commandments were recited in the synagogue. 

The second stanza of Akdamut Millan is in the Jewish Prayer Book:

    At God’s command is infinite power,

    Which words cannot define.

    Were all the skies parchment,

    And all the reeds pens, and all the            oceans ink,

    And all who dwell on earth scribes,

    God’s grandeur could not be told.

Johanan ben Zakkai, a great rabbi during the Second Temple  period(30 AD- 90 AD) who studied under Rabbi Hillel, said,  “If all the heavens were parchments, and all the trees quills, and all the seas were ink, it would still be impossible to write down even a part of what I learned from my teacher.”

In 1917, Mr. Lehman and his daughter had been composing a new hymn entitled “The Love of God”. However, after the second stanza, they lacked inspiration to complete it. During that time, you didn’t have a hymn unless it had three verses, reflecting the Trinity. 

While travelling, they visited a German insane asylum and learned that one of the patients had recently been put to death. On the wall of his cell the following words had been penciled: 

   “Could we with ink the ocean fill, 

   And were the skies of parchment made,

   Were every stalk on earth a quill,

   And every man a scribe by trade; 

   To write the love of God above, 

   Would drain the ocean dry.  

   Nor could the scroll contain the whole, 

   Though stretched from sky to sky.”

Amazed, Lehman and his daughter realized that those words perfectly matched the rhythm of their new hymn, which became the third verse. 

The hymn was published in 1920, but it would take another 25 years until the hymn really “caught on.”

The medieval prayer which spoke of the POWER of God, was translated by the man in the asylum to the LOVE of God. Even while facing execution, he praised God for His endless love, never knowing that his words would be sung by so many believers around the world.

piano version of the song

male voice choir version of the song