Customer Reviews

Celebrating Biblical Feasts: In Your Home or Church

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Martha Zimmerman's Celebrating Biblical Feasts: In Your Home Or Church is a unique and highly commended cookbook showcasing recipes appropriate for meal time celebrations of such High Holy Days as The Sabbath; The Passover; The Omer; Shavuoth; Rosh Hashanah; Yom Kippur; and Sukkoth. Information is also provided with respect to diverse other aspects of celebrating these High Holy Days. An informed and informative chapter is devoted to each of these special feasting occasions from a New Testament perspective. These are dishes that would grace the dining table of any family of faith.

While this book did contain some good ideas, overall I was not impressed. Only the Levitical feasts are covered (no Purim or Hanukkah). This is fine, but I would have expected some explanation of WHY Purim is omitted, at least. The book falls short of being either "free" of Jewish tradition, or of being Jewish: the formal Jewish "flavor" of the celebrations is kept, along with many of the extra-biblical Jewish ceremonies, and yet blessings are changed and other traditions are added. The author does not make it clear which components are altered (or even THAT they're altered - I only know because I'm slightly familiar with the holidays already).

The layout of each chapter is difficult to follow, as the biblical reasons for celebrating, the traditional means of celebration, and the author's ideas are all jumbled together. I was also not crazy about the fact that several Bible translations were used and most of them were very loose ones - even some of the blessings and other parts of the ceremonies are quotes from paraphrases.

If you have no desire to use the book as a reference and simply want someone to tell you exactly what to do, you might appreciate the book. It also addresses the Passover Seder more thoroughly than some other books (although the ceremony and the reason behind each element are in different parts of the book, making it difficult to decide whether you want to incorporate them all). If you are looking for a solid introduction to the reasons for the holidays, for the historical means of celebrating each holiday, for a more "relaxed" idea of Christian celebration, for a thoroughly Jewish treatment of the holidays, and/or for something which incorporates Purim and/or Hanukkah, keep looking.

(See my review of Barney Kasdan's _God's Appointed Times_.)

In the Old Testament, we find that God ordained special days of feasting and celebrating for the Israelites. These were days for the people to come together for rest and refreshment and to glorify Him.

In reading through Exodus and Deuteronomy we learn that by observing these special days, the Israelites would never forget how God had provided for them in the dessert and continued to provide with bountiful harvests after He delivered them from slavery. They were reminded, with each celebration, that they were to leave their old ways of life behind and live a new life with Him. With every celebration they renewed their commitment and trust in the Almighty God. In studying the New Testament, we find Jesus also observed these God ordained holidays.

As Christians in our modern world, I think that we would do well in observing some of these traditional Jewish celebrations, renewing our commitment and giving glory to God for His deliverance and care.

That's why I found the book "Celebrating Biblical Feasts" by Martha Zimmerman, intriguing.

In her book, Ms Zimmerman shows the significance of the ancient feasts from a New Testament perspective. She includes step-by-step guides for the celebration of seven feasts ordained in the Old Testament.

The Sabbath
The Passover
The Omer
Shavuoth
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Sukkoth

Included are recipes for traditional Jewish dishes that give an authentic flavor to the celebration and fun activities for family members bringing home the deeper meaning and the reason for celebration.

The book "Celebrating Biblical Feasts" is an effective teaching tool for Biblical truths, more than simply a Sunday school lesson, but as a way of life in the home. In observing these celebrations we can give God the glory He deserves and perhaps we will remember to look forward to one more glorious feast that is yet to come --
described in Revelation 19:6-9..."Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!"

A must have for anyone who would like to incorporate biblical teaching with biblical living. Get out of traditionalism. This book will teach how to celebrate the celebrations that Yashua or Jesus Celebrated which is essential to any one who is a Christian. Buy this book or study the same principals which are in the bible. It also has recipes in it that are greatly enjoyed by my palette.

This book makes a valiant attempt to attract Christians by including NT teachings in it's primarily OT discussion about the Biblical Feasts. It's frequent use of scriptures is also commendable. Nevertheless, the author places heavy emphasis on observing the Biblical Feasts utilizing the teachings and traditions of Judaism. Sorry, am not interested.