The Nature of God These icons indicate that teacher’s notes or useful web addresses are available in the Notes Page. This icon indicates the slide contains activities created in Flash. These activities are not editable. For more detailed instructions, see the Getting Started presentation. 1 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 Why do Jews believe in God? Jews believe that there is only one God and that he created the Universe. They believe that we have only to look at the world around us to know that he exists. The world is complex with everything having its place and interacting with everything else. This, say Jews, could not have happened by chance. The world must have had a creator, and this creator was God. Jews believe that God has chosen them to be His special people and has revealed Himself to them throughout their history. He first revealed Himself to Abraham and made a covenant with him. He has also intervened in history to protect the Jews (the Exodus) and punished them when they have done wrong (the Exile). 2 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 For Jews the whole of their history is proof that God exists. Even the suffering of the Jews during the Holocaust is proof of God’s existence for many Jews because they felt His presence in their suffering. The Shoah eventually led to the re-establishment of the State of Israel, a fulfilment of Gods promise to Abraham. For Jews, Jerusalem is their historical homeland. The Western Wall is their most sacred place of worship. 3 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 What do Jews think God is like? 4 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 God intervening in the world The Jews believe that God has influenced what has happened in the world through the prophets that He has sent to them. If Jews were not living the way that God wanted them to, the prophets were sent to tell them what was wrong, how they should put it right, and how God would punish them if they did not. Sometimes the prophets told of a perfect time to come, the Messianic Age, when the world would live in peace and harmony in the way that God had intended at creation, before humans used their free will to turn away from Him. 5 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 Miracles Jews believe that God has physically intervened in the world by performing miracles. On these occasions, God has suspended the normal laws of nature for a specific purpose, to either help the Jews (e.g. providing manna for them in the desert) or to teach them something (e.g. the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel). Do you believe that miracles are possible? Can you think of any other explanations for events believed to be miracles? 6 of 30 © Boardworks Ltd 2005