First Fruits of Zion is a Messianic Jewish ministry that is part of a prophetic movement of God in which his spirit is returning his people to a proper biblical foundation rooted in Torah, Israel, and the Messiah. We specialize in the study and teaching of Scripture from its historical, linguistic, and cultural context. We use the latest scholarship, ancient Jewish sources, and extra-biblical literature to present a Messianic Jewish reading of the Bible and early Jewish-Christianity. Learn more at http://www.ffoz.org
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First Fruits of Zion offers a Messianic Commentary series titled "Torah Club". Find out more about these in-depth Bible study resources through these videos and at www.torahclub.org.
At the dinner table, families and friends gather for festive meals to celebrate the God-given gift of the Sabbath. Three traditional meals throughout the day (and one more the following night) help...
Lighting Shabbat candles is one of the most universal and longstanding Jewish practices. By participating in this tradition, your family connects with today’s Jewish community worldwide and the gen...
Parents are in a position to entreat God in prayer for their children in a way that no one else can. Numerous biblical examples show that parents not only have the power to pray, but the power to b...
The Sabbath is holy time. God made it that way as a part of the natural created order. But we only benefit from that holiness by formally and outwardly acknowledging it, and that is what Kiddush is...
We at Vine of David have composed an alternate form of the second paragraph of Kiddush for Messianic Gentiles that reflects their unique identity and relationship to the Sabbath. The blessing was c...
Music has a way of touching the heart like nothing else can. Certain melodies and words spark something in our souls that wakes us up and fills us with a sense of God's presence and his greatness a...
The Sabbath meal is an act of worship and a sacred ceremony. It is a perfect opportunity to inspire our family and guests and to encourage and enlighten one another with food for thought from the S...
For those of us who serve the God of Israel, food is not merely a way to sustain our bodies or entertain our taste buds. For us, eating food serves holy purposes. It gives us the energy, health, an...
Something bothered the sages of Israel when they read Exodus 20:8. The verse does not simply say "Remember the Sabbath," indicating the need to set apart the Sabbath at its outset on Friday evening...
Every meal of the Sabbath is a sacred occasion. But one of the Sabbath meals stands out as a truly spiritual experience unlike the others. The third meal of the Sabbath occurs in the afternoon towa...
The Torah instructs us to set apart the Sabbath day as holy. Separation is the essence of holiness. At the onset of the Sabbath, we mark it by the lighting of candles and by reciting Kiddush. Likew...
In Jewish thought, the Sabbath is like an honored royal guest that comes to visit us each week. When the Sabbath leaves, it would be inappropriate to dive eagerly into our weekday cares. On Saturda...
Shalom Aleichem was written in the seventeenth century and illustrates the Talmudic legend regarding angels who come at the onset of the Sabbath to observe a whether a person’s home is well-prepare...
The passage from Proverbs 31 is a poetic and vivid portrayal of a righteous and accomplished woman. This passage is sung on erev shabbat as an ode to the mother of the home and righteous woman ever...
Hadar Levushah was written by Aaron Eby. The name Aharon is encoded in its verses. This song combines the mystical idea of the Sabbath as a bride with our Master Yeshua’s statement that the Sabbath...
Baruch El Elyon was written by Baruch ben Shmuel, who lived in Germany in the thirteenth century. This song is normally sung at the Saturday morning meal and expresses that whoever keeps the Sabbat...
This Erev Shabbat Zemer was composed by Aaron Eby. The phrase chai Yeshua (Yeshua lives) is encoded in its verses. This song recalls themes of Sabbath found throughout the Hebrew Bible as well as t...
Lechem Bemalchut Shamayim was written by Aaron Eby in collaboration with Troy Mitchell. The text of the chorus comes from Luke 14:15 which recounts the delighted reaction of one of those listening ...