During the joyous Jewish holiday of Shavuot, many special foods are eaten to commemorate the Zman Matan Torah—"the season of the giving of the Law." The rabbis believed that the Torah was given on the day of Pentecost, fifty days after the second day of Passover. Never before had the Israelites had the Word of God written down to read and remember.

Shavuot reminds us to be thankful for God's Word and to delight in it. As the Word is read, it should bring joy, sweetness and happiness. This is why we eat sweet dairy things like cheesecake or blintzes (crepes or pancakes with a sweet cheese filling inside) on Shavuot. These foods help us remember that "honey and milk (God's Word) are under your tongue" (Song of Solomon 4:11).

As Shavuot falls in the spring, right around the time of the first harvest, people often decorate their homes and synagogues with fresh greens, flowering plants and floral arrangements. Children weave stems together to make flower crowns. All this is done to remember the thanksgiving offering brought to the Lord as thanks for providing the first harvest and provision after the winter. The Lord provided a written Word for His people to be better able to obey, and as an expression of gratitude, His people brought Him the first of the springtime harvest.

On Shavuot, most synagogues are open all night long for a special reading of the book of Ruth, one of the five megillot (scrolls, including the Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther, that are read on special holidays). The message is about a young woman who relied on the Lord to provide for her and her widowed mother-in-law’s basic needs. Ruth gleaned in the harvest fields as she hoped for her kinsman-redeemer to marry her. Although Ruth was not Jewish, she believed in the God of Israel and was rewarded for her faith. Shavuot shows us many examples of how the Lord provides for His people—in both practical and spiritual ways. As dawn approaches, you can find Jewish people walking home, having stayed up all night, ready for a little sleep and looking forward to a Shavuot brunch!

Ashkenazi Jews only eat dairy on Shavuot, but many Sephardic Jews from the Middle East, North Africa and Southern Europe eat dairy for brunch and a big meat meal later in the evening. Sephardic foods contain more punchy, zingy spices, couscous, chickpeas, eggplant and dried fruits such as apricots and dates. Below, we've shared a traditional Jewish Moroccan chicken recipe with dates, apricots, honey, cinnamon and a delicious hot/spicy taste. This dish can be made quickly and served over couscous or rice for an authentic Sephardic Shavuot evening meal. Enjoy!

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Moroccan Chicken

Prep time – 10 minutes
Cooking time – 30 minutes
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1-2 onions
• 1 14.5 oz can chickpeas
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/8 tsp spicy chili
• 2 14.5 oz cans stewed tomatoes
• 2 cans water
• 1 1/2 Tbs honey
• Apricots and dates
• 1 tsp ginger (or ginger powder)
• Pine nuts for topping
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and fry it in olive oil with the onion and garlic. Transfer to a pot with stewed tomatoes and water, and bring to a boil.

2. While simmering, add honey, cinnamon, ginger and spicy chili. Add the chickpeas and salt and pepper to taste.

NOTE: This dish is supposed to be a nice blend of sweet and savory, though usually the sweet taste is a little more dominant. If you prefer less sweetness, just add pepper and a little spicy chili, but sparingly—you can always add more later!

3. Fifteen minutes before serving, add 1/3 cup dried fruit. The dates will dissolve and the apricots will blow up like balloons.

4. Serve over rice or couscous with pine nuts as an optional topping.

Netanyahu Unites Israeli Government

In a stunning move, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu established an agreement with the opposition party (Kadima) led by Shaul Mofaz until his term ends in 2013. Netanyahu said that the new unity government, led by a coalition of 94 members of the Knesset, would bring stability to Israel. They hope to create a reasonable budget, change the system of governance, and to promote a responsible peace process. (Haaretz)

Please pray for Israel's government in this time of new decision making and teamwork.

Egypt Seizes Weapons Near Sinai

Egyptian security forces intercepted three trucks en route to the Sinai. The trucks were carrying anti-tank missiles and RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) rockets originating from Libya. They were bound for Rafah, where Egypt has an open border with Gaza. Fortunately, the trucks were stopped as a part of a routine, random security check. (Ynet)

Please pray for continued peace between Egypt and Israel, especially around the borders with Gaza.

Israel Acquires Three Submarines

Israel imported three Dolphin-class submarines from Germany, thus doubling its underwater fleet and strategically strengthening its naval capabilities. The Israeli Navy is also expanding its training course for submarine crews. These submarines provide a mobile base for gathering intelligence, dispatching commandos to distant beaches and launching conventional attacks against targets on shore, enabling Israel to defend itself from the sea. (Haaretz)

Please pray for Israel's naval defenses to be strengthened.

Café Outreach Draws Seekers in Tel Aviv

Chosen People Ministries' coffee house ministry in Tel Aviv offers live music, delicious coffee, and a welcoming atmosphere for seekers to meet believers and learn about Messianic faith. Recent events at the café have been especially fruitful: a Spanish night drew eight seekers; later, at an Argentinean grill night, two of those same seekers brought ten of their friends. A few days later, eight of them came to the service at the Spanish-speaking congregation that meets in the Tel Aviv Messianic Center. Please pray that they will commit their lives to Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah!

Please pray for the ongoing ministry at the Gospel Café.

Arab Israeli to Represent Israel in Swim Competition

An Arab Israeli swimmer will represent the country in the European Swimming Championship. The competition will take place in Hungary in June, in preparation for the Olympics. Israel is sending both Jewish Israelis and Arab Israelis to the competition. (Ynet)

Please pray for these swimmers to demonstrate peace between Jewish people and Arabs to the audience at the competition.

Israel Celebrates its 64th Independence Day

The modern State of Israel recently celebrated the 64th anniversary of its establishment. In 1948, the U.N. voted to partition the Holy Land into a Jewish and an Arab state with Jerusalem as the shared international capital. Old newsreels show dancing in the streets and joyous celebrations by the young Jewish people who came to Israel to start new lives in peace and freedom. The celebration of the Jewish State's existence is much the same today!

The day before Israel Independence Day is a day of remembrance for Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. Sirens mark a moment of silence as ceremonies take place around the country, in places such as Tel Aviv's Rabin Square, named after the assassinated Israeli Prime Minister. At sunset, Independence Day begins with fireworks and the following day, all the parks are filled with families celebrating with picnics and barbecues. Israelis mourn the loss of Israel's soldiers and civilians due to war and terrorism, then celebrate the birth of their country with joy, thanksgiving, and hope for a bright Israeli future.

Please pray for safety during this time as thousands of people are out in the streets celebrating.

Activists in Pro-Palestinian "Fly-Tilla" Denied Entry to Israel

The days after Passover were some of the busiest travel days of the year, as people returned from their holidays. During this time, Israeli authorities quietly prevented hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists from entering the country. The activists were part of a "fly-tilla" (a play on words originating from the flotilla from Turkey two years ago) and were attempting to enter the country to join potentially violent demonstrations in Jerusalem. However, their names had been compiled months in advance and sent to foreign airlines, that either canceled the flights or did not allow them to board. (Jpost)

Please pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Two Terrorists from Shalit Prisoner Swap Arrested

In October 2011, Israel released over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in a deal with Hamas, bringing home captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit after five years' captivity in the Gaza Strip. Two Palestinian terrorists who were released in the prisoner swap for Shalit have been arrested as they attempted once again to engage in anti-Israel terrorist activity. Both are Hamas operatives and have been working to recruit Palestinians from the West Bank to join the Hamas ranks, as well as coordinating plans to kidnap Israeli soldiers, illegally obtain weapons and establish more terror cells. (Jpost)

Please pray for Israel's safety, and that the other prisoners released in the deal would not return to terrorist activities.

Chosen People Ministries Prepares to Receive Summer Outreach Teams

Several groups of volunteers will soon be arriving in Israel to participate in Chosen People Ministries' various outreach activities in the Holy Land. Some of their days will be spent helping to accomplish work projects for struggling single moms. These women face the challenge of raising their children alone, paying the bills, and keeping the house in order, while dealing with a number of other difficult issues. Chosen People Ministries has a thriving ministry to single mothers, which includes both practical and spiritual help.

Pray for the Lord to bless our short-term teams with fruitful outreach throughout Israel this summer.

Three Names Added to List of Nazi War Criminals

The Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, which registers Nazi war criminals and tracks antisemitism, announced three new names on its list of most-wanted Nazis. All three fled to Canada after the War and have had their citizenship either revoked or suspended. Over the past eleven years, about ninety Nazi war criminals have been convicted of their wartime deeds by courts around the world. In addition, eighty new indictments have been filed against those suspected of war crimes. (Haaretz)

Please pray for those who committed horrible war crimes to be brought to justice.

Netanyahu one of TIME Magazine's Most Influential People

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the TIME Magazine list of 100 most influential people. He is praised for being a strong, iconic, determined leader. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor wrote the column for TIME, saying, "Netanyahu is one of these iconic Israelis, a strong leader who has excelled during a lifetime of service to the state of Israel. He deserves credit for drawing attention to the threat Iran poses to Israel, to America, to the region and to the free world. He is the right leader for Israel and the right partner for America." (Haaretz)

Please pray for Netanyahu's continued leadership of the State of Israel.

Little Time Left to Reach Holocaust Survivors

Findings from a special report on Holocaust survivors highlight the needs of this ageing population. Over the past year, 12,000 survivors passed away. Currently, there are about 198,000 Holocaust survivors in Israel; 88% of them are over the age of 75 and nearly 20,000 require special home visits and rely on others for help with their day-to-day needs. (JPost)

Please pray for the Lord to provide for the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of these survivors. Pray especially that they will hear the Gospel and put their trust in Messiah.

Israel Remembers its Fallen Soldiers

On Yom Hazikaron (Israeli Memorial Day – April 24, 2012) Israel remembered its fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism, which now number 22,993. In 2011, 126 names were added to the list. The records of fallen soldiers and civilian casualties of terrorism have been kept since the 1948 War of Independence. (Ynet)

Please pray for the families of those who have been killed in war or because of terrorism.

Israeli Water Technology to Clean the Ganges in India

Indian engineers are considering using Israeli water technologies in a national initiative to clean up the Ganges River. The river is an important fresh water source as well as a ritual Hindu holy site – but it is currently a source of infection and disease as well. The Indian delegation will meet with several Israeli companies that work with sewage purification, solid waste treatment and desalination. Israel is considered a world leader in water technologies. (Ynet)

Few Biblical passages depict suffering and atonement as clearly and poignantly as the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah. Surprisingly, this text is not the product of New Testament writers, but the message of a Hebrew prophet who lived hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Considering the important role the prophet Isaiah plays in shaping both Jewish and Christian theology, this chapter should be of interest to any student of the Bible.

The recently-published work entitled The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish and Christian Theology, edited by Darrell L. Bock and Mitch Glaser, provides an indispensable resource to anyone who desires to delve into the interpretive complexities of this chapter. Bock and Glaser have compiled contributions from a remarkable array of Christian and Messianic scholars to examine the various aspects of redemption and atonement presented in Isaiah 53.

Featuring contributions by distinguished Bible scholars, including Dr. Michael Brown and Dr. Walter Kaiser, this book offers a unique, diverse, and thorough analysis of the passage. Whether you are looking for a scholarly analysis of Isaiah 53 or ways to incorporate the chapter into a presentation of the Jewish Messiah from the Hebrew Scriptures, this book is a necessary addition to your collection. The anthology of great scholarship on a crucial passage of Scripture makes The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 an accessible and valuable resource for all, including the most erudite Bible student.

The Gospel According to Isaiah 53
$27.95
Purchase online