Messianic Jews and Jews are offended by what transpired with Eddy Long. Well, I am too!!

Yesterday's post showed a video of Eddy Long being proclaimed "king" and being shrouded in the Torah, as a spectacle, yes, spectacle, of proclaiming him as having a new rebirth.

Now we find that there are some Messianic Jews, as well as plain Jews, who are not happy with the parody done a Long's church. The story makes for an interesting read.

Jewish leaders are criticizing a ceremony that involved a controversial megachurch leader being wrapped in a religious scroll and exalted as a "king" to the applause of his parishioners.
The video from a service last Sunday at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church shows Rabbi Ralph Messer, a Messianic preacher, instructing two men to slowly wrap Bishop Eddie Long in a large scroll that's purported to be the Torah.

Well, and not only two men touching the Torah, a woman also. That's for Orthodox Jews a big NO NO. And it's a shame that such a club is called "Baptist Church".

But here comes the criticism from the messianic jews:

Messianic Jews believe that Jesus Christ, or Yeshua, is the Messiah, putting them at odds with traditional Jewish theology. Most Jews consider the faith to be a form of evangelical Christianity.Rabbi David Shiff of Congregation Beth Hallel, a Messianic Jewish synagogue in Roswell, condemned the actions in the video."Ralph Messer in no way represents Messianic Judaism," Shiff said. "He is not affiliated with any legitimate branch of Messianic Judaism. His actions in no way reflect the position of Messianic Judaism. I found the presentation to be repulsive and inappropriate." 

He is right to condemned them. Messer knows the Judaism that he wants to know. We don't have any data saying that they used to wrap the king with the Torah, rather, that the Torah was supposed to be at the King's side, Deut. 17:18. So he should read it, not wrap himself with it!

But also no-Messianic Jews have criticised this pathetic show:

The Torah is one of Judaism's most sacred objects and Jewish groups said the notion that it was used in a ceremony at the church was offensive."The notion that he wraps Bishop Long in a Torah is horrifying simply because it's completely inappropriate. It's an awful way to use the Torah," said Bill Nigut of the Anti-Defamation League. "And it doesn't in any way approximate any Jewish ritual." 

It is the truth, there is no ritual in Judaism for what Messer passed as a Jewish enthronement,  or whatever he wanted to call his show.

The club, I mean, the church offered a statement:

Long's church, which is in Lithonia east of Atlanta, issued a statement from Messer saying that the ceremony was based on a passage from the Old Testament on restoring the Kingdom of David."My message was about restoring a man and to encourage his walk in the Lord," Messer said in the statement. "The presentation of the Scroll of Torah was simply a way of bringing honor to a man who had given his life to the Lord and had given so much to his church, the Atlanta metro area and throughout the world."It was not to make Bishop Eddie L. Long a king."

I wonder what passage he is talking about, since I don't find it anywhere in Scripture.

And he was not to make Eddie L. Long a king? He needs to watch his own video.