In order to fully
understand the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, you MUST
understand the covenant that God made with Abraham. Most
Christians do not realize the significance of the covenant that
God made with Abraham. Furthermore, most Christians do not see
the covenant that God made with Abraham as being relevant for
today. In fact, you cannot understand how the Old Testament is
so intertwined and connected to the New Testament unless you
understand the covenant that God made Abraham. You cannot
understand how end-time Bible prophecy is so strongly associated
with major world events like the Arab/Israeli peace process and
the fight over Jerusalem unless you understand the covenant that
God made with Abraham. The covenant that God made with Abraham
is an EVERLASTING covenant (Genesis 17:7). The covenant
that God made with Abraham is the gospel of the Kingdom of God (Galatians
3:8). In this chapter, we will study the importance of the
covenant that God made with Abraham. In doing so, we will
discover that the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is the Gospel
according to Torah !!!
GOD'S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM
WAS MADE WITH JESUS
The complete
redemptive plan of God is fulfilled according to the covenant
that God made with Abraham. For this reason, Abraham is called
the father of our faith (Romans 4:16). Furthermore, God
tells us that we are to look unto (understand the covenant that
God made with) Abraham our father and Sarah which bore us. In
Isaiah 51:1-4 it is written:
"Hearken to me, ye that follow
after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the
rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence
ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah
that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and
increased him. For the Lord shall comfort Zion ... Hearken
unto me, my people: and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a
TORAH shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to
rest for a light of the people "
In Genesis
12:1-3, 7, God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees and
promised that if He would follow after God that God would make
him a great nation and give him a land. In Genesis 17:1-8,
God reaffirmed His covenant with Abraham as it is written:
"And when Abram was ninety years
old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him,
I am Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect. And I
will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply
thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face; and God talked
to him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee,
and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall
thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be
Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And
I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations
of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will
establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after
thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be
a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give
unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou
art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting
possession; and I will be their God "
The covenant that
God made with Abraham was made with Jesus at the same time. In
Galations 3:16 it is written:
"Now to Abraham and his seed were
the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many,
but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ
"
All believers who
have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior are heirs
of the covenant that God made with Abraham. In Galatians
3:29 it is written:
"And if ye be Christ's, then are
ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise
"
SEVEN PROMISES OF THE COVENANT
THAT GOD MADE WITH ABRAHAM
Exceedingly fruitful (Genesis 17:6)
Nations shall come out of Abraham (Genesis
17:6)
Kings shall come out of Abraham (Genesis 17:6)
The covenant is with the seed of Abraham (Genesis
17:7)
God's covenant with Abraham is everlasting (Genesis
17:7)
The seed of Abraham will possess the land of
Canaan (Genesis 17:8)
The possession of the land of Canaan is an
everlasting possession (Genesis 17:8)
These seven
promises have never been fulfilled in their FULLNESS. Even so,
the covenant that God made with Abraham will be fulfilled BOTH
physically and spiritually. Since the covenant that God made
with Abraham is everlasting and eternal, these promises are
still valid today and will be fulfilled through the events of
the second coming of Jesus and the 1,000 year Messianic Age.
FROM ABRAHAM TO ISAAC TO JACOB
From Abraham, the
covenant was passed to Isaac. In Genesis 26:1-4, it is
written:
"And there was a famine in the
land, beside the first famine that was in the days of
Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the
Philistines unto Gerar. And the Lord appeared unto him, and
said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I
shall tell thee of: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with
thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed,
I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath
which I sware unto Abraham thy father; And I will make thy
seed to multiply as the stars of heaven and will give unto
thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed "
From Abraham, the
covenant that God made with him was passed to Isaac and then to
Jacob. In Genesis 28:10, 13-14 it is written:
"And Jacob went out of Beersheba,
and went toward Haran. And, behold, the Lord stood above it,
and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the
God of Isaac: the land whereon you lie, to thee will I give
it, and to thy seed. And thy seed shall be as the dust of
the earth, and thou shall spread abroad to the west, and to
the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee
and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be
blessed "
Later, God
reiterated His promise to Jacob and changed his name to Israel.
In Genesis 35:9-12 it is written:
"And God appeared unto Jacob
again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him. And
God said unto him, Your name is Jacob: your name shall not
be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be your name: and
he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God
Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company
of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of
your loins "
FROM ABRAHAM TO ISAAC TO JACOB
TO THE CHILDREN OF JACOB
Jacob had twelve
sons who became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. In
Genesis 49:1-28, Jacob blesses his twelve sons. In
Genesis 49:28 it is written:
"All these are the twelve tribes
of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them,
and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he
blessed them "
THE FULL BLESSING OF ABRAHAM WAS
GIVEN TO EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH
One of the twelve
sons of Jacob was Joseph. The blessing of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob is bestowed upon the grandsons of Joseph, Ephraim and
Manasseh. Jacob adopts the grandsons of Joseph and gives them
the blessing of the covenant that God made with Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob and they are given the rights of the first born son
and the fruitful fulfillment of God's covenant with Abraham. In
Genesis 48:3-6, it is written:
"And Jacob said unto Joseph, God
almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and
blessed me, And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee
fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a
multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed
after thee for an everlasting possession. And now thy two
sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the
land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine;
as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. And thy issue,
which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall
be called after the name of their brethren in their
inheritance "
Reuben and Simeon
are the first born sons of Jacob. The double portion blessing of
the inheritance belongs to the first born son. Not only is Jacob
adopting Ephraim and Manasseh into his family by giving them his
blessing, but they are being given the double portion blessing
of the firstborn. Jacob's blessing upon Ephraim and Manasseh is
recorded in Genesis 48:13-16 as it is written:
"And Joseph brought them out from
between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the
earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand
toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand
toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.
And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon
Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon
Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh
was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God,
before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God
which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which
redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name
be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and
Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of
the earth "
EPHRAIM IS A PROPHETIC PICTURE OF
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
Generally
speaking, Ephraim is a spiritual picture of Christianity. More
specifically, Ephraim is a spiritual picture of the bride of
Christ. How is this so?
When blessing
Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob crossed his hands while imparting
the blessing. Normally, the blessing of the father is given with
the right hand and placed upon the oldest child. The left hand
would be placed upon the younger child. The right hand is
symbolic of strength and authority. However, when Jacob blessed
Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob gave the blessing of the right hand
to Ephraim, the younger, and the blessing of the left hand to
Manasseh, the older. In doing so, Jacob crossed his hands when
he imparted the blessing. The cross is symbolic of Christianity.
Ephraim is a
spiritual picture of the bride of Christ. The word Ephraim is
the Strong's word 669. The Hebrew word,
Ephraim, means "double fruit".
Being exceedingly fruitful was a promise that God made to
Abraham concerning his seed (Genesis 17:6). Being
exceedingly fruitful can only be accomplished through the help
of the Holy Spirit. Jesus prayed that His followers would be
exceedingly fruitful (John 15:8). All believers who
accept Jesus as Messiah and are exceedingly fruitful will be the
bride of Christ. These believers would consist of both physical
Jews and non-Jews and would include Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and
David.
Because there are
many misplaced teachings which exist concerning Ephraim, let me
take this opportunity to say who is Ephraim and what is not
Ephraim. Ephraim is a SPIRITUAL PICTURE of a characteristic of
the bride of Christ. Ephraim is NOT the following:
Ephraim is NOT associated with British Israelism
Ephraim is NOT associated with white supremacy
Ephraim is NOT associated with replacement
theology
Ephraim does NOT represent the WHOLE of
Christianity
Ephraim is a
spiritual picture of the Bride of Christ who is exceedingly
fruitful for the kingdom of heaven. This would consist of those
believers who are born Jewish and those believers who are not
born Jewish.
Those Christians
who are not exceedingly fruitful have the characteristic of
Manasseh. Manasseh is the Strong's word 4519. The Hebrew word,
Manasseh means "forgetful".
Manasseh is prophetic of those believers who "forget"
to love God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength and do
not grow to spiritual maturity and are not exceedingly fruitful
for the kingdom of God. Manasseh is a spiritual picture of those
believers who will be in heaven but will not be the Bride of
Christ. Ephraim is a spiritual picture of those believers who
will be in heaven and will be the Bride of Christ.
HOW ARE EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH
A SPIRITUAL PICTURE OF CHRISTIANITY?
The blessing of Ephraim was imparted upon him
whenever Jacob crossed his hands (Genesis 48:16)
Ephraim was ADOPTED into Jacob's family.
Believer's in Yeshua are adopted into the family of God (Galations
4:4-6, Romans 8:14-17, 22-23)
Ephraim is the Strong's word 669 and means, "double
fruit". God promised Abraham that his descendants would
be EXCEEDINGLY FRUITFUL
(Genesis 17:6)
a) This is a fulfillment of
those believers who are exceedingly fruitful in the Kingdom
of God through the help of the Holy Spirit and will be the
bride of Christ (John 15:1, 5, 8)
b) Ephraim is the masculine
word in Hebrew for the female equivalent Ephratah. Ephratah
is another name for Bethlehem and is the place where Jesus
was born (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1-6)
Ephraim is a term for the Northern Kingdom of
Israel who forsook God's Torah. So has Christianity. (Hosea
8:12)
Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom, instituted a
substitute place of worship (Dan and Bethel) rather than
Jerusalem (I Kings 12:29, Deuteronomy 16:16).
Christianity worships in a church rather than a synagogue
where Jesus worshiped.
Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom, instituted
substitute holidays rather than observing the dates and
times of the Biblical holidays that God gave in Leviticus 23
(I Kings 12:32-33). Christianity has adopted
Christmas and Easter from Roman Mythraism rather than keep
the Biblical holidays that God gave in Leviticus 23.
Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom, instituted a
substitute priesthood rather than have priests from the
tribe of Levi (I Kings 12:31). Christianity allows
pastors and priests to be ministers of the sheep of God who
are not anointed and called by God into their office of
ministry.
Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom, mixed paganism
with the true worship of the God of Israel and called it the
true worship of the God of Israel. God called this the
golden calf system of worship (I Kings 12:29).
Christianity has mixed Roman and Babylonian practices and
beliefs with the true worship of the God of Israel and calls
it the true worship of the God of Israel.
Just like Ephraim (a picture of Christianity) was
born in Egypt (the world), God's Bride (a remnant of
believers in Jesus) are called to leave the Babylonian
system of religious worship of God. (Genesis 48:3-6,
Zechariah 2:7, Revelation 18:4)
DELIVERANCE FROM EGYPT ON BEHALF
OF GOD'S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM
At Mount Sinai,
the covenant that God made with Abraham was made with the twelve
tribes of Jacob, the children of Israel. In Exodus 19:1, 3
it is written:
"In the third month, when the
children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt,
the same day, came they into the wilderness of Sinai ... And
Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of
the mountain, saying, Thus shall you say to the house of
Jacob, and tell the children of Israel "
God brought the
children of Israel out of Egypt because of the covenant that He
made with Abraham. In Genesis 15:13-14 it is written:
"And he (God) said unto Abram,
Know of a surety that your seed shall be a stranger in a
land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they
shall afflict them four hundred years. And also that nation,
whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall
they come out with great substance "
God called Moses
on behalf of the covenant that God made with Abraham. In
Exodus 2:23-25 it is written:
"And it came to pass in process of
time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of
Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and
their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God
heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with
Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the
children of Israel, and God had respect unto them
"
Moses delivered
the children of Israel from Egypt by the mighty hand of God.
After God delivered the children of Israel from Egypt and the
rulership of Pharaoh, God instructed Moses to take the children
of Israel to Mount Sinai. In Exodus 3:1, 11-12 it is
written:
"Now Moses kept the flock of
Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led
the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the
mountain of God, even to Horeb ...And Moses said unto God,
Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should
bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he
said, Certainly I will be with you: and this shall be a
token unto you, that I have sent you: When you have brought
forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this
mountain "
In Exodus
19:1-3, Moses brought the house of Jacob, the children of
Israel, to Mount Sinai to serve God.
GOD'S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM WAS MADE
WITH ABRAHAM'S DESCENDANTS
AT MOUNT SINAI
Many people view
the covenant that God made with Abraham and the Torah that God
gave to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai as two independent
events and two separate covenants. In reality, they are the same
covenant. The distinction is that God first made His covenant
only with Abraham and Jesus. Physically, the Torah that God gave
at Mount Sinai was given to the descendants of Abraham just as
God had promised (Genesis 17:7). Spiritually, the Torah
that God gave at Mount Sinai was given to the believers in Jesus
as Messiah (Galations 3:29). Physically, the Torah that
was given at Mount Sinai was not only made with the children of
Israel who were present but also with all future generations. In
Deuteronomy 29:14-15 it is written:
"Neither with you only do I make
this covenant and this oath; But with him that standeth here
with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him
that is not here with us this day "
Spiritually, the
Torah that was given at Mount Sinai was also given to all those
who accept Jesus as Messiah. In I Corinthians 10:1-4 it
is written:
"Moreover, brethren, I would not
that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were
under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. And were
all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea: And did
all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same
spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that
followed them; and that Rock was Christ "
Physically, at
Mount Sinai, God desired to make His people a Kingdom of
Priests. In Exodus 19:5-6 it is written:
"Now therefore, if ye will obey my
voice indeed, and keep my covenant (the covenant that God
made with Abraham), then ye shall be a peculiar treasure
unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. And ye
shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.
These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children
of Israel "
Spiritually, God
desires to make all believers a nation of priests. In I
Peter 2:5, 9 it is written:
"Ye also, as lively stones, are
built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ ...
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a peculiar people ... "
Physically, the
Torah that was given at Mount Sinai was made with the
descendants of Abraham just as God had promised Abraham (Genesis
17:7). In reality, God's Torah has existed from the
beginning of time. God's Word is His Torah. Jesus is the living
Torah (John 1:1-2). The tree of life in the Garden of
Eden was the Torah (Proverbs 3:1, 18). The Torah, the
Tree of Life, will be given in the future for the healing of the
nations (Isaiah 2:2-3, Revelation 22:1-2)
THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BECOME
A NATION AT MOUNT SINAI
As we just
discussed, God called Moses on behalf of the covenant that God
made with Abraham (Genesis 15:1-5, 13-14, 18-21, Exodus
2:23-25, Exodus 3:15-17) to deliver the children of Israel
from the bondage of the Egyptians. Since the Torah of God has
existed from the beginning of time and because the tree of life
in the Garden of Eden was the Torah and because Abraham kept the
Torah of God (Genesis 26:5), the giving of the Torah at
Mount Sinai to the children of Israel was NOT a separate
covenant from the covenant that God made with Abraham. It was a
fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that his descendants
would fulfill the covenant that God made with Abraham.
If these things
are true, then what was the significance of the giving of the
Torah to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai? The significance
of the giving of God's Torah to the children of Israel at Mount
Sinai was that the covenant that God made with Abraham would be
extended to the descendants of Abraham and they would become a
HOLY NATION UNTO GOD. Never before in history did God make a
covenant with a specific NATION of people. In Exodus 19:5-6
it is written:
"Now therefore, if ye will obey my
voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a
peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the
earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests
and a HOLY NATION ... "
GOD BETROTHED HIMSELF TO ISRAEL
AT MOUNT SINAI
At Mount Sinai,
God betrothed Himself to the children of Israel and entered into
a marriage contract with them. In Jeremiah 2:1-3 it is
written:
"Moreover the word of the Lord
came to me, saying, go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem,
saying, Thus says the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of
your youth, the love of your espousals, when you went after
me in the wilderness, in a land, that was not sown. Israel
was holiness unto the Lord, and the firstfruits of his
increase: all that devour him shall offend, evil shall come
upon them, says the Lord "
There are two
stages to the Biblical wedding. The first stage is betrothal and
the second stage is the consummation of the marriage. During
betrothal, you are legally married to your bride but you do not
physically dwell with her.
At Mount Sinai,
God betrothed Himself to Israel and entered into a marriage
contract with her. In order for the marriage to be legal, both
the bride and the groom must agree to the terms of the marriage.
The terms of the marriage are stated in a
marriage document known in Hebrew as a
Ketubah. When God betrothed Himself to Israel at Mount
Sinai, the Ketubah was seen as being
the Torah. The children of Israel
accepted the terms of the condition of the marriage by saying
the words, "I do". In Exodus 19:8
it is written:
"And all the people answered
together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do
... "
The terms and the
conditions of the marriage including the blessing for obedience
and the curses for disobedience is stated in Leviticus 26
and Deuteronomy 28. In order to understand the covenant
that God made with Abraham, we need to understand the blessings
and the curses and the consequences of both actions.
The Biblical
wedding that God gave to the Jewish people will always have two
witnesses. They are called the friends of the bridegroom. One is
assigned to the groom and one is assigned to the bride.
Spiritually, the two witnesses that Jesus is the bridegroom and
the Messiah are the Torah and the Prophets. Jesus spoke to His
disciples that the Torah, Prophets and Writings are a witness
that He is the Messiah (Luke 24:36, 44).
When God
betrothed Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai, Moses was seen as
one of the two witnesses whose primary job was to escort the
bride (Israel) to meet the groom under the chuppah
(Mount Sinai). In Exodus 19:17, Moses is seen escorting
Israel to mount Sinai which is a
type of chuppah
as it is written:
"And Moses brought forth
(escorted) the people out of the camp to meet with God; and
they stood at the nether part of the mount "
WHAT IS THE SPIRITUAL MEANING
OF BETROTHAL?
The marriage of
the children of Israel to God at Mount Sinai is prophetic of
when God will marry His spiritual bride in the spiritual
chuppah which is heaven. Spiritually speaking, everybody
who accepts Jesus the Messiah into their heart and life by
trusting in His shed blood on the tree/cross for the forgiveness
of their sins is betrothed to Jesus, our bridegroom. Until the
time of the resurrection of the dead and the marriage supper of
the Lamb, we are legally married to Jesus, our bridegroom, but
we do not physically dwell with Him.
The ketubah
for all believers who accept Jesus into their heart and life is
the Torah written upon our heart. This is the New Covenant (Jeremiah
31:33, Hebrews 10:15-16). During the time of the second
coming of Jesus, the Bride of Christ will enter into the second
stage of the Biblical wedding and will physically dwell with
Jesus during the Messianic age and for all eternity.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GIVING OF
THE TORAH AT MOUNT SINAI
The Torah that
was given to the NATION of Israel at Mount Sinai is foundational
for understanding the rest of the Bible and the covenant that
God made with Abraham. We will now examine the significance of
this event.
At Mount Sinai, God betrothed Himself to Israel.
This is the first of the two steps in marriage (Jeremiah
2:2-3)
God gave the Ten Commandments
God established and instituted the Priesthood
God commanded the building of the Tabernacle
God gave instructions concerning the Sabbath and
Biblical festivals
God gave a sacrificial system to atone for the
sins of the people so that they could come near to God
God gave a religious and civil court system
a) The HIGH PRIEST was to be
the ruler over the religious court system. His duty was to
give rulings for the people based upon God's Torah (Deuteronomy
17:8-11, Daniel 7:13-14)
Spiritually,
Jesus is THE HIGH PRIEST of God (Hebrews 3:1, 4:14)
b) The KING was to be ruler
over the civil court. The king was to know God's Torah (Deuteronomy
17:14-20)
JESUS AND HIS BRIDE WILL BE
KINGS AND PRIESTS ON THE EARTH
Jesus is the KING of all the earth (Zechariah
14:9, Philippians 2:9-11) and over the Torah based
government of God during the Messianic Age (Isaiah 9:6)
Jesus is BOTH HIGH Priest and KING before God
(Hebrews 3:1, 4:14, 7:1-4, 21-22, Revelation 19:11,13,
15-16)
God's Bride is BOTH kings and priests before God
(Exodus 19:5-6, I Peter 2:5, 9, Revelation 5:10)
God's Bride will
rule and reign with Jesus during the Messianic Age and for
eternity as kings having authority over the people on the earth
and making judgments as priests according to the Torah (Isaiah
2:2-4)
As we discussed
in Chapter 12, the Torah is a blueprint of heaven. Therefore,
everything that God gave the children of Israel at Mount Sinai
is a blueprint of heaven and a spiritual picture of eternity.
The tabernacle is a blueprint of heaven (Exodus 25:8-9,
Hebrews 8:5, Revelation 21:1-3). The Sabbath, feast days,
and new moon are a blueprint of heaven and a spiritual picture
of eternity (Colossians 2:16-17, Zechariah 14:16, Isaiah
66:22-23, Revelation 21:1)
THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD'S PROMISE TO
ABRAHAM IS CONDITIONAL UPON OBEDIENCE TO GOD AND HIS TORAH
God promised
Abraham that he would be the father of kings and nations who
would be exceedingly fruitful and who would inherit a promised
land (Genesis 17:1-8). In order to fulfill this promise
that God made to Abraham, it was conditional upon God having an
obedient people who would keep His Torah. God wanted His people
to keep His commandments (Torah) and love God with all their
heart, soul, mind, and strength. In Deuteronomy 10:12-14
it is written:
"And now Israel, what doth the
Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God,
to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and serve the Lord
thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. To keep
the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I
command thee this day for thy good? "
In order for God
to have a nation of people who would be kings and priests before
Him and who would inherit the land that God promised Abraham, it
was dependent upon God's people keeping His Torah with all their
heart, mind, soul and strength. In Deuteronomy 4:5-9 it
is written:
"Behold, I have taught you
statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded
me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to
possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your
wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations,
which shall hear of these statutes, and say, Surely this
great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what
nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as
the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and
judgments SO RIGHTEOUS AS ALL THIS TORAH, which I set before
you this day? Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul
diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes
have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days
of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons
"
The terms and the
conditions of God's covenant with Abraham expressed through the
giving of the Torah to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai can
be seen in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.
The conditional aspect of obedience to the Torah in order to
receive the blessings can be seen in Deuteronomy 28:1-2
as it is written:
"And it shall come to pass, if
thou shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy
God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I
command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee
on high above all nations of the earth: And all these
blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou
shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God
"
The connection
with God fulfilling the covenant that He made with Abraham with
God's people being obedient to His Torah can also be seen in
Leviticus 26:1-12. In this scripture passage, we see the
following:
IF you walk in my
statutes and keep my commandments and do them (Leviticus
26:3) ... then God will give:
a) Rain in due season (Leviticus
26:4)
b) Peace in the land (Leviticus
26:6)
c) Victory over enemies (Leviticus
26:7)
d) Fruitful and multiply (Leviticus
26:9)
e) Establish God's Covenant (Leviticus
26:9)
f) God setting His tabernacle
among us (Leviticus 26:11, Revelation 21:2-3)
g) You will be called my
people (Leviticus 26:12, Revelation 21:2-3)
God setting His
tabernacle among us and being called "His
people" is the terminology to describe God dwelling with
His Bride (Leviticus 26:11-12 = Revelation 21:1-3)
GOD PROMISED ABRAHAM
A LAND FOR HIS PEOPLE
The fullness of
the covenant that God made with Abraham was God's people
dwelling in the promised land, keeping the Torah and God
dwelling with His people. When God made a covenant with Abraham,
God promised Abraham the land from the Euphrates to the Nile as
His inheritance including the land of Canaan (Genesis
15:18-21, Genesis 17:8)
THE PUNISHMENT FOR DISOBEDIENCE
WAS DISPERSION INTO THE NATIONS
If God's people
were disobedient to God and disobedient to keeping the Torah of
God, they would be punished by being scattered in all the
nations of the earth. In Deuteronomy 28:15, 36-37, 45
it is written:
"But it shall come to pass, if
thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to
observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I
command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon
thee, and overtake thee ... The Lord shall bring thee, and
thy king which thou shall set over thee, unto a nation which
neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt
thou serve other gods, wood and stone. And thou shalt become
an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations
whither the Lord shall lead thee ... Moreover all these
curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and
overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou
hearkenest not unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep
his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee
"
GOD WARNS AGAINST ADOPTING
THE WAYS OF THE OTHER NATIONS
God also
instructed the children of Israel that when they entered into
the land of Canaan that they were to totally destroy the culture
of the Canaanite people. In Deuteronomy 7:1-5 it is
written:
"When the Lord thy God shall bring
thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and
hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and
the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and
the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven
nations greater and mightier than thou; And when the Lord
thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite
them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant
with them, nor show mercy unto them: Neither shall thou make
marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto
his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For
they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may
serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled
against you, and destroy thee suddenly, But thus shall ye
deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break
down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire
"
In the scripture
passage, God warned the people to not mix paganism with the
worship of the God of Israel. In the previous section, we saw
that God said that the punishment for disobeying His Torah was
dispersion into the nations of the earth. When these things
happened, the covenant that God made with Abraham could not be
fulfilled until God's people turned back to the Torah and would
keep it with all their heart, mind, soul and strength. If God's
people would repent unto God when they are scattered in the
nations of the earth, God promised to redeem His people and
bring them back to the promised land and fulfill the promise
that He made with Abraham. In Deuteronomy 30:1-5 it is
written:
"And it shall come to pass, when
all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the
curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call
them to mind among all the nations whither the Lord thy God
hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the Lord thy God,
and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command
thee this day, thou and thy children with all thine heart,
and with all thy soul; That then the Lord thy God will turn
thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will
return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the
Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven
out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the
Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch
thee: And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land
which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and
he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers
"
THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ARE COMMANDED
TO POSSESS THE PROMISED LAND
God commanded the
children of Israel through the word of Moses to possess the land
that God had promised Abraham. In Deuteronomy 1:3, 5, 8
it is written:
"And it came to pass in the
fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of
the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel,
according unto all that the Lord had given him in
commandment unto them ... On this side Jordan, in the land
of Moab, began Moses to declare this Torah saying ... Behold
I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land
which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them
"
TWELVE SPIES SEARCH OUT
THE LAND OF PROMISE
In Numbers
13:1-17, God commanded Moses to search the land of Canaan
which God had promised the children of Israel through the
covenant that He made with Abraham. A summary of the events are
as follows:
God sent twelve spies, one from each tribe to spy
out the land that God promised Abraham to possess (Numbers
13:1-17)
Only Joshua and Caleb came back with news that
the children of Israel could possess the land that God had
promised
a) Joshua was from the tribe of
Ephraim (Northern Kingdom)
b) Caleb was from the tribe of
Judah (Southern Kingdom)
Ten spies came back with an evil report but
Joshua and Caleb came back with a good report (Numbers
13:17-20, 25-33)
a) Spiritually, the ten spies =
Carnal believers with natural eyes
(Numbers 14:20-23)
b) Joshua/Caleb = Mature believers
with spiritual eyes (Numbers 14:24)
God's punishment for an evil report was traveling
40 years in the wilderness. One year for each day of
searching (Numbers 14:26-34)
GOD COMMANDS JOSHUA
TO CONQUER THE PROMISED LAND
When God
commanded Joshua and the children of Israel to enter the
promised land, God reiterated to Joshua the promise that He made
with Abraham. In Joshua 1:1-4 it is written:
"Now after the death of Moses the
servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake
unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses
my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this
Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do
give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place
that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I
given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness
and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river
Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great
sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast
"
THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ONLY POSSESS
PART OF THE PROMISED LAND
Following the
death of Joshua, the children of Israel possessed (in part) the
land that God promised (Joshua 21:43-45). The children
of Israel did not possess the FULLNESS of the land that God
promised Abraham. God promised Abraham that His descendants
would possess the land from the Nile to the Euphrates (Genesis
15:18-21) including the land of Canaan (Genesis 17:8).
Since the promise
that God made with Abraham is an EVERLASTING covenant (Genesis
17:7-8), then the covenant that God made with Abraham is
yet to be fulfilled and therefore, is still valid today. In
order to understand the Biblical background and solution to the
unsettling events in the Middle East between the Arabs and the
Israeli's and the battle over the control of Jerusalem, you need
to understand the FULLNESS of the covenant that God made with
Abraham. God's covenant with Abraham will not be fulfilled until
Jesus returns and rules and reigns during the 1,000 year
Messianic Kingdom with His Bride.
GOD APPOINTS JUDGES TO FINISH
CONQUERING THE PROMISED LAND
Following the
death of Joshua, we enter into the period of the Judges. During
this period, there was still unconquered land which God had
promised the children of Israel through the covenant that God
made with Abraham (Judges 1:27-33). During this time,
God allowed for some of the land that God promised Abraham to be
left unconquered to test the hearts of the children of Israel to
determine if they would be obedient to God's Torah and believe
the covenant that God made with Abraham. In Judges 3:1-4
it is written:
"Now these are the nations which
the Lord left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of
Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan. Only that
the generations of the children of Israel might know, to
teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing
thereof; Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the
Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in
mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of
Hamath; And they were to prove Israel by them, to know
whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the
Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses
"
THE SINS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL
IN THE PROMISED LAND
When God gave the
Torah to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai, He gave specific
instructions to the people regarding how they were to conduct
themselves in the presence of the other nations who dwelt in the
land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 7:1-5). In these verses we
see God commanded the people regarding the following things:
Do not make marriages with the daughters of the
nations who dwell in
the land of Canaan
Do not serve the gods of the nations that dwell
in the land of Canaan
Destroy the places of worship of those nations
who dwell in the land of Canaan including their altars,
graven images and groves
Spiritually, God
asks the same thing of His people today. This same culture that
existed during the days when the children of Israel were
instructed to conquer the promised land still exists today. This
culture is a Babylonian based value system of the world and its
ways. God continues to still command His people to depart from
participating in the practices of this Babylonian based culture.
However, even
today, God's people have committed the same sins as the children
of Israel. They participate in the value system of the world
rather than being separated from it. Just as God judged the
children of Israel for their disobedience, God will also judge
His people today as well. For this reason, in Revelation
18:4, it is written:
"And I heard another voice from
heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not
partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her
plaques "
While in the land
of Canaan, the children of Israel forsook the Torah of God and
the covenant that God made with Israel. They served the gods of
the Canaanite nations (Judges 2:12) and intermarried
with their people (Judges 3:5-6). Because of these
sins, the children of Israel did not conquer the land that God
had promised Abraham. Therefore, the FULLNESS of the promise
that God made Abraham remained unfulfilled. Nevertheless, when
the children of Israel repented before God of their sins, God
raised up Judges who would deliver the children of Israel from
their enemies. However, when the Judge died, the children of
Israel returned to their ways of sin and disobedience to God's
Torah (Judges 2:11-21).
One of the gods
that the children of Israel served in Canaan was Ashtaroth (Judges
2:13). Ashtaroth was the goddess of sex and fertility. Her
influence is still among God's people today. Ashtaroth is known
today as Easter. The custom of Easter eggs and rabbits is
associated with the worship of Ashtaroth and the fertility of
the earth and man. A overview of Israel's sin during this time
and God's judgment upon the people for violating the Torah and
not fulfilling the covenant that God made with Abraham is
recorded in Judges 2:11-21 as it is written:
"And the children of Israel did
evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim: And they
forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them
out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the
gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed
themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. And
they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth, And
the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he
delivered them into the hands of the spoilers that spoiled
them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round
about, so that they could not any longer stand before their
enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord
was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the
Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them
out of the land of those that spoiled them. And yet they
would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring
after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them; they
turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in,
obeying the commandments of the Lord: but they did not so.
And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was
with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their
enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord
because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed
them and vexed them. And it came to pass, when the judge was
dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than
their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to
bow down unto them: they ceased not from their own doings,
nor from their stubborn way. And the anger of the Lord was
hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people
hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their
fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; I also will
not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations
which Joshua left when he died "
ISRAEL DESIRES A KING
Following the
period of the Judges, Israel began to cry out for a king. In
I Samuel 8:1, 3-10 it is written:
"And it came to pass, when Samuel
was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel ... And
his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after
lucre, and took bribes and perverted judgment. Then all the
elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to
Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old,
and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to
judge us like all the other nations. But the thing
displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge
us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto
Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that
they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but
they have rejected me, that I should reign over them.
According to all the works which they have done since the
day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day,
wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so
do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their
voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them
the manner of the king that shall reign over them. And
Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that
asked of him a king "
God warned Israel
that if they chose a king to rule over them that they would
treat the children of Israel with hardship. Furthermore, God
warned the children of Israel that when they would cry unto God
because of the burden placed upon them by their king that God
will not listen and answer their prayer. Nevertheless, the
children of Israel desired and asked for a king so that they
could be like all the other nations. God was upset with the
people because He wanted to be their king. In I Samuel
8:18-20 it is written:
"And ye shall cry out in that day
because of your king which ye shall have chosen you: and the
Lord will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless the people
refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay, but
we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all
the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out
before us, and fight our battles "
Saul becomes the
first king of Israel (I Samuel 10). After the reign of
Saul, David becomes the next king of Israel (I Samuel
16:1-13).
GOD'S PROMISE OF MERCY TO DAVID
As discussed
earlier in this book, David was a man after God's own heart (Acts
13:22) because David LOVED God's TORAH (Psalm 119).
Therefore, God extended to David His mercy. God's covenant of
mercy with David is found in II Samuel 7:11-17 as it is
written:
"And as since the time that I
commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have
caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the Lord
telleth thee that he will make thee a house. And when thy
days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I
will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of
thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build
a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his
kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he shall be my
son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod
of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my
mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from
Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy
kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne
shall be established forever. According to all these words,
and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto
David "
God's promise of
mercy to David is found in Psalm 89:1-4 as it is
written:
"I will sing of the mercies of the
Lord forever: with my mouth will I make known thy
faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy
shall be built up forever; thy faithfulness shalt thou
establish in the very heavens. I have made a covenant with
my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant. Thy seed will
I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all
generations. Selah "
WHY DID GOD EXTEND MERCY
TO THE SEED OF DAVID?
God extended His
mercy to David on behalf of the covenant that God made with
Abraham and the Torah that was given to the children of Israel
on Mount Sinai. Even though the nation of Israel forsook the
covenant that God made with Abraham and was disobedient to God's
Torah and broke it, God promised His mercy would be extended to
David so that the covenant that God made with Abraham would be
fulfilled through the coming of the Messiah. In Psalm 89:20,
24, 28-36 it is written:
"I have found David my servant;
with my holy oil have I anointed him ... But my faithfulness
and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his
horn be exalted ... My mercy will I keep for him
forevermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His
seed also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as
the days of heaven. If his children forsake my TORAH, and
walk not in my judgments; If they break my statutes, and
keep not my commandments; Then will I visit their
transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from
him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I
not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Once I have sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto
David. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the
sun before me "
David reminded
the nation of Israel to ALWAYS remember the covenant that God
made with Abraham. In I Chronicles 16:13-18 it is
written:
"O ye seed of Israel his servant,
ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is the Lord over
God; his judgments are in all the earth. Be ye mindful
always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a
thousand generations; Even of the covenant which he made
with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac; And hath confirmed
the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an
EVERLASTING covenant, Saying, Unto thee will I give the land
of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance "
Therefore, God
extended His mercy to David so that God could fulfill the
covenant that He made with Abraham. That promise included giving
the land of Canaan as an inheritance to those who would believe
and obey the conditions of God's covenant with Abraham. Finally,
God promise of mercy to David was not a separate covenant from
the covenant that God made with Abraham but was an extension of
the covenant that God made with Abraham showing how it will be
fulfilled.
THE REIGN OF SOLOMON
Following the
reign of David, Solomon was made king over Israel. Solomon is
widely believed to be one of the wisest persons who ever lived.
Solomon wrote the wisdom of the Proverbs. But why was Solomon so
wise? The wisdom and understanding that God gave to rule the
people of Israel was a knowledge of how to keep the Torah and
the commandments of God. God appeared to Solomon in a dream and
asked Solomon what the Lord should give him. Solomon responded
by asking God for wisdom to discern between good and bad (how to
keep the Torah). In I Kings 3:9-11, 14 it is written:
"Give therefore thy servant an
understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern
between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so
great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that
Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because
thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked riches for
thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast
asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold,
I have done according to thy words; lo, I have given thee a
wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like
thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like
unto thee ... And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my
statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk,
then I will lengthen thy days "
It was during the
reign of Solomon that Israel enjoyed the conquest of its
greatest land area. The reign of Solomon is a prophetic picture
of how things will be during the time of the 1,000 year
Messianic Age.
SOLOMON'S KINGDOM IS DIVIDED
God told Solomon
to keep God's Torah and His commandments and statutes. By
failing to do so and following after other gods would result in
God dispersing the nation of Israel into the other nations of
the earth. In I Kings 9:1-9 it is written:
"And it came to pass, when Solomon
had finished the building of the house of the Lord, and the
king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased
to do, That the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as
he had appeared unto him at Gibeon. And the Lord said unto
him ... if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father
walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do
according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep
my statutes and my judgments: Then I will establish the
throne of thy kingdom upon Israel forever, as I promised to
David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man
upon the throne of Israel. But if ye shall at all turn from
following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my
commandments and my statutes which I have set before you,
but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I
cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them: and
this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast
out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword
among all people: (being scattered among the nations -
Deuteronomy 28:37) And at this house, which is high, every
one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss;
and they shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this
land, and to this house? And they shall answer, Because they
forsook the Lord their God, who brought forth their fathers
out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other
gods, and have worshiped them, and served them: therefore
hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil "
Solomon disobeyed
God and disobeyed His Torah by marrying the woman of the nations
who dwelt in the land of Canaan. God warned His people in the
Torah to not marry the woman of the nations who dwelt in Canaan
(Deuteronomy 7:1-4).
Because God
appeared to Solomon twice and instructed him to keep God's
Torah, God was angry at Solomon for his disobedience and told
him that his kingdom would be divided. In I Kings 11:9-13
it is written:
"And the Lord was angry with
Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of
Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded
this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he
kept not that which the Lord commanded. Wherefore the Lord
said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and
thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have
commanded thee, I will surely rend thy kingdom from thee,
and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days
I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will
rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend
away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for
David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I
have chosen "
Therefore, God's
reason for judging Solomon was failure to obey the covenant that
God made with Abraham and failure to keep God's Torah. Because
of this disobedience, Solomon's kingdom became divided into the
Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom
was called the house of Israel. The Southern Kingdom was called
the house of Judah.
THE NORTHERN KINGDOM OF ISRAEL
Following the
death of Solomon, his kingdom was divided just as God told him.
Jeroboam, an Ephratite became the ruler of the Northern Kingdom
of Israel. Rehoboam became the ruler of the Southern Kingdom of
Israel. Concerning the selection of Jeroboam as king of the
Northern Kingdom, in I Kings 11:30-38 it is written:
"And Ahijah caught the new garment
that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: And he said
to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord,
the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of
the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: (But
he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for
Jerusalem sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the
tribes of Israel:) Because that they have forsaken me, and
have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians,
Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the
children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do
that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes
and my judgments, as did David his father. Howbeit I will
not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make
him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's
sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my
statutes: But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand,
and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. And unto his
son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a
light always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have
chosen me to put my name there. And I will take thee, and
thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth,
and shalt be king over Israel. And it shall be, if thou wilt
hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my
ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes
and my commandments, as David my servant did, that I will be
with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for
David, and will give Israel unto thee "
JEROBOAM WAS AN EPHRATHITE
OVER THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH
Jeroboam was an
Ephrathite over the house of Joseph. In I Kings 11:26, 28
it is written:
"And Jeroboam the son of Nebat an
Ephrathite ... and the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of
valor ... ruler over all the house of Joseph "
Earlier in this
chapter, we saw how Ephraim is a spiritual picture of
Christianity in general and the Bride of Christ in particular.
Therefore, the Northern Kingdom of Israel is a prophetic picture
of future Christianity. The Northern Kingdom was known by the
following names:
The house of Israel (I Kings 12:21, Jeremiah
31:31)
The house of Joseph ( I Kings 11:28)
Samaria (Hosea 7:1, 8:5-6, 13:16)
Ephraim (Hosea 4:17, 5:3, 7:1)
THE GOLDEN CALF SYSTEM OF WORSHIP
Earlier in this
book, we saw that after God gave the Torah to the children of
Israel on Mount Sinai, the children of Israel built a golden
calf and worshiped it. We also noted that the golden calf system
of worship was mixing paganism with the worship of the God of
Israel and calling that system of worship, the worship of the
God of Israel. In Exodus 32:3-6 it is written:
"And all the people broke off the
golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them
unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and
fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a
molten calf: and they said, THESE BE THY GODS, O ISRAEL,
which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when
Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made
proclamation, and said, TOMORROW IS A FEAST OF THE LORD. And
they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt
offerings, and brought peace offerings, and the people sat
down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play "
The Northern
Kingdom, Ephraim, the house of Joseph under the leadership of
Jeroboam instituted the same system of worship by mixing
paganism with the worship of the God of Israel and calling that
system of worship, the worship of the God of Israel. In I Kings 12:28-30 it is written:
"Whereupon the king took counsel,
and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too
much for you to go up to Jerusalem: BEHOLD THY GODS, O
ISRAEL, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, And
he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And
this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship
before the one, even unto Dan "
Bethel
in Hebrew means, "House of God". Dan comes from the
Hebrew word, Din, which means, "Judgment".
This is prophetic that the people called the system of worship,
"The House of God" but God called the system of
worship, "Judgment".
JEROBOAM'S FALSE SYSTEM OF WORSHIP
Jeroboam
instituted a false system of worship which mixed paganism with
the worship of the God of Israel and called that system of
worship, the worship of the God of Israel. This is prophetic of
historical Christianity.
Jesus and his
disciples were Torah observant Jews. The original Christian
church was considered a sect of Judaism (Acts 28:22-23)
and kept the Sabbath and Biblical Festivals found in Leviticus
23 and worshiped in the synagogue. Later, when Christianity
spread into the Western world and more and more Gentiles and
less and less Jews were believers in the faith, Christianity
through the influence of the Roman Catholic church began to mix
paganism (mostly the Mythraic religion of the Roman Empire) with
Christian beliefs and practices. Modern day Christianity is
still influenced and still practices this mixture of paganism
and the true worship of the God of Israel.
The predominant
religion in the Roman Empire prior to the adoption of
Christianity was Mythraism. Mythraism was centered around the
worship of the sun god. The worship day of the sun god was
Sunday. The birthday of the sun god was December 25.
Easter was a
pagan practice of celebrating the rebirth of the fertility of
the earth in the spring of the year. Historically, Easter was
the worship of the sex goddess Ishtar. In the Bible, Ishtar is
called, Ashtoreth. God condemned the nation of Israel for
worshiping the sex goddess Ashtoreth (I Kings 11:5, 33, II
Kings 23:13). While modern day Christianity does not
LITERALLY worship the sun god or the sex goddess, it still
practices the customs of this system of worship. However, all of
these customs have been Christianized in their meaning and
understanding by the devil to disguise the original practices
and customs behind this system of worship.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
GOLDEN CALF SYSTEM OF WORSHIP
The main
characteristics of the golden calf system of worship is the
following.
Forsaking the Torah of God
A substitute day of worship
A substitute place of worship
A substitute priesthood
Let us examine
these characteristics in greater detailing seeing how these were
the sins of the Northern Kingdom and is prophetic of the sins of
historical Christianity.
Ephraim, a term for the Northern Kingdom of
Israel, forsook God's Torah and called it a strange thing (Hosea
8:12). Today, Christianity calls the Torah "a
strange thing".
Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom, instituted a
substitute place of worship (Dan and Bethel) rather than
Jerusalem (I Kings 12:29, Deuteronomy 16:16).
Christianity worships in a church rather than a synagogue
where Jesus worshiped (Luke 4:14-16).
Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom, instituted
substitute holidays rather than observing the dates and
times of the Biblical holidays that God gave in Leviticus
23.
Jeroboam changed the observance of the feast of
tabernacles to the 8th month in the year (I Kings
12:32-33) rather than the 7th month which God had
declared in Leviticus 23:34.
Christianity has adopted Christmas and Easter from Roman
Mythraism rather than keep the Biblical holidays that God
gave in Leviticus 23. Jesus kept the Biblical holidays (Luke
2:41-42)
Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom, instituted a
substitute priesthood rather than have priests from the
tribe of Levi (I Kings 12:31).
Christianity allows pastors and priests to be ministers
of the sheep of God who are not anointed and called by God
into their office of ministry.
Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom, mixed paganism
with the worship of the true God of Israel and called it the
worship of the true God of Israel. God called this the
golden calf system of worship (I Kings 12:29).
Christianity has mixed Roman and Babylonian practices and
beliefs with the worship of the God of Israel and calls it
the true worship of the God of Israel.
GOD'S JUDGMENT UPON HIS PEOPLE
FOR FORSAKING HIS TORAH
When God
betrothed Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai (Jeremiah 2:1-3),
he entered into a marriage contract with them. The terms and
conditions of the marriage contract is specified in a written
document called a Ketubah. Spiritually, God's Ketubah with the
nation of Israel is the Torah. The terms and conditions for
breaking the marriage contract is given in Leviticus 26
and Deuteronomy 28. One of the harshest judgments for
breaking the Torah is dispersion into the nations of the world.
In Deuteronomy 28:15, 36-37 it is written:
"But it shall come to pass, if
thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to
observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I
command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon
thee, and overtake thee ... The Lord shall bring thee, and
thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which
neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt
thou serve other gods, wood and stone. And thou shalt become
an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all the
nations whither the Lord shall lead thee "
Because of their
disobedience to Torah, God's judgment came upon both the
Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel. The Northern Kingdom
of Israel was taken captive into Assyria. The Southern Kingdom
of Israel was taken captive into Babylon. In addition, both the
Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom have been taken into
worldwide captivity. The Northern Kingdom of Israel has
assimilated into Gentile culture and has settled in all the
nations of the world. The Southern Kingdom of Israel has
remained Jewish and kept their identity with Torah but they also
have been taken into worldwide captivity.
THE NORTHERN KINGDOM WAS TAKEN
CAPTIVE INTO ASSYRIA
Because of their
disobedience to Torah, God's judgment came upon the Northern
Kingdom of Israel, Ephraim, the house of Joseph, because they
did not obey God's Torah but mixed the worship of the God of
Israel with paganism and called it the worship of the God of
Israel. God's judgment upon the Northern Kingdom for forsaking
the Torah of God and their captivity to Assyria is given in
II Kings 17:7-23 as it is written:
"For so it was, that the children
of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which had
brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the
hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods.
And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord
cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the
kings of Israel, which they had made. And the children of
Israel did secretly those things that were not right against
the Lord their God, and they built them high places in all
their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced
city. And they set them up images and groves in every high
hill, and under every green tree: And there they burnt
incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the
Lord carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to
provoke the Lord to anger: For they served idols, whereof
the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. Yet
the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all
the prophets and all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your
evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes,
according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and
which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their
necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not
believe in the Lord their God. And they rejected his
statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers,
and his testimonies which he testified against them; and
they followed vanity, and became vain and went after the
heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord
had charged them, that they should not do like them. And
they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and
made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove,
and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And
they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through
the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold
themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke
him to anger. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel,
and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but
the tribe of Judah only. Also Judah kept not the
commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the
statutes of Israel which they made. And the Lord rejected
all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered
them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out
of his sight. For he rent Israel from the house of David:
and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam
drove Israel from following the Lord, and made them sin a
great sin, For the children of Israel walked in all the sins
of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them; For
the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam
which he did; they departed not from them; Until the Lord
removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his
servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of
their own land to Assyria unto this day "
THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM IS TAKEN
CAPTIVE INTO BABYLON
Just like the
Northern Kingdom, Ephraim, the house of Joseph, the Southern
Kingdom did not follow God's Torah. Therefore, the Southern
Kingdom, the house of Judah, was taken captive into Babylon. The
rejection of following the Torah of God by the house of Judah is
given in II Kings 17:19-20 as it is written:
"And Judah kept not the
commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the
statutes of Israel which they made. And the Lord rejected
all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered
them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out
of his sight "
God's anger upon
the house of Judah for forsaking God's Torah can be found in
Jeremiah 44:2-23 as it is written:
"Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the
God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought
upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and,
behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth
therein, Because of their wickedness which they have
committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn
incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not,
neither they, ye, not your fathers. Howbeit I sent unto you
all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them,
saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate. But
they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from
their wickedness, to burn incense unto other gods. Wherefore
my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in
the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and
they are wasted and desolate, as at this day. Therefore now
thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel;
Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to
cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of
Judah, to leave you none to remain; In that ye provoke me
unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense
unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to
dwell that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be
a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the
wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of
their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of
your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah,
and in the streets of Jerusalem? They are not humbled even
unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my
TORAH, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before
your fathers. Therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, the
God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for
evil, and to cut off all Judah. And I will take the remnant
of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of
Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and
fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by
the sword and by the famine; they shall die, from the least
even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and
they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a
curse, and a reproach. For I will punish them that dwell in
the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the
sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. So that none of
the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt
to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should
return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a
desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but
such as shall escape. Then all the men which knew that their
wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women
that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that
dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah
saying, As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the
name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will
certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own
mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour
out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our
fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah,
and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of
victuals and were well, and saw no evil. But since we left
to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out
drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and
have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. And when
we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out
drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship
her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?
Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to
the women, and to all the people which had given him that
answer, saying, The incense that ye burned in the cities of
Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your
fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the
land, did not the Lord remember them, came it not into his
mind? So that the Lord could no longer bear, because of the
evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which
ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and
an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at
this day. Because ye have burned incense, and because ye
have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed the voice
of the Lord, nor walked in his TORAH, nor in his statutes,
nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto
you, as at this day. "
Because the
Southern Kingdom, the house of Judah, did not follow God's
Torah, they were taken captive to Babylon. In Jeremiah 25:2,
4-10 it is written:
"The which Jeremiah the prophet
spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying ... the word of the Lord
hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early
and speaking; but ye have not hearkened. And the Lord hath
sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early
and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined
your ears to hear. They said, Turn ye again now everyone
from his evil ways, and from the evil of your doings, and
dwell in the land that the Lord hath given unto you and to
your fathers forever and ever: And go after other gods to
serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger
with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. Yet
ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the Lord; that ye might
provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own
hurt. Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Because ye
have not heard my words, Behold, I will send and take all
the families of the north, saith the Lord, and
Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will
bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants
thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will
utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a
hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take
from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the
voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the
sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle
"
************************************************************
* Therefore, we can see that God judged both the Northern *
* Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom BECAUSE they had *
* FORSAKEN following His TORAH and the COVENANT that He *
* made with ABRAHAM. *
************************************************************
GOD'S JUDGMENT UPON
THE NORTHERN KINGDOM OF ISRAEL
As stated
earlier, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was also called, Ephraim
and the house of Joseph. Spiritually, the Northern Kingdom is a
prophetic picture of future historical Christianity. The book of
Hosea was written to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. In this
book, God foretold the judgments of Ephraim, the house of
Joseph, because they forsook His Torah. These judgments are also
prophetic of the judgments of God upon historical Christianity.
The following judgments are listed below:
Hosea 1:2 --> The land had departed from God
Hosea 2:5 --> Her lovers = other gods
Hosea 2:7 --> She is called to return to her
first husband (God)
Hosea 2:8 --> The corn, wine, oil (Holy Spirit)
languishes
Hosea 2:11 --> Mirth to cease (Wedding
terminology) along with:
a) Feast days
b) New Moon
c) Sabbaths
d) Destroy vines/fig
trees
Hosea 5:3 --> God is speaking to Ephraim/Northern
Kingdom (church)
The judgments of
the Northern Kingdom of Israel for forsaking God's Torah are the
same judgments that were brought upon historically Christianity
for departing the Jewish roots of Christianity. The early church
in the book of Acts was a powerful church. God performed many
signs and wonders and miracles in the early years of the church.
However, when the church began to depart from following the
Torah, the Sabbath and Biblical Festivals found in Leviticus 23,
God's manifestations of His Holy Spirit through mighty signs,
wonders and miracles began to diminish.
Then, after
mixing Roman Mythraism with Christianity, Anti-Semitism along
with bias teachings against God's Torah began to become
widespread in the church. Eventually, this ushered in the dark
ages. In forsaking the Torah, the church began to practice the
customs and ways of the golden calf system of worship and
departed from keeping the Sabbath and Biblical Festivals.
Because God's people have committed spiritual whoredom, Jesus
could not return for His Bride to marry her. His coming had to
be delayed until she repented of her sins and started to observe
the Torah. God's wait for His people to repent of their sins and
return to Torah has been nearly 2,000 years. This was prophesied
in Hosea 5:15, 6:1-4 as it is written:
"I will go and return to my place,
till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in
their affliction they will seek me early. Come, and let us
return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us;
he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days
(2,000 years) will he revive us: in the third day (1,000
year Messianic Age) he will raise us up, and we shall live
in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know
the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he
shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former
rain unto the earth. O Ephraim (Christianity) what shall I
do unto thee? O Judah (Judaism) what shall I do unto thee?
for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early
dew it goeth away "
In Hosea 5:15
it is written:
"I will return to my place, till
they acknowledge their offence"
In John 14:3,
Jesus said,
"And if I go to prepare a place
for you ..."
In Hosea 6:3,
it speaks about the return of the Messiah back to the earth as
the rain. In Hosea 6:2, it says that it will be after
two days which is a prophetic picture of 2,000 years of time.
The return of the
Messiah at His second coming is not prophesied to take place
until "they acknowledge their offence".
What "offence" does the
Northern Kingdom (Christianity)
need to acknowledge? What "offence"
does the Southern Kingdom (Judaism)
need to acknowledge? Christianity must repent and acknowledge to
God that they have forsaken Torah. Judaism must repent and
acknowledge that Jesus is Messiah. Ironically, as more and more
Christians are returning to Torah and the Hebraic roots of
Christianity, more and more Jewish people are professing faith
in Jesus as Messiah.
HOSEA MARRIES A WHORE
The book of Hosea
is written to foreshadow the judgment of the Northern Kingdom
for forsaking the Torah and mixing paganism with the worship of
the God of Israel. Even after God made a covenant with the
children of Israel at Mount Sinai and instructed them to be a
holy people (separate from the nations around them), Israel was
always tempted to assimilate themselves with the nations around
them and to follow their ways. Therefore, one of the judgments
upon the Northern Kingdom for desiring to assimilate with the
nations around them rather than remaining a separate and holy
people before God was assimilation. In order to prophecy of this
judgment of assimilation, God instructed Hosea to marry a whore.
The children born in the marriage between Hosea and the whore
named Gomer was prophetic of what would happen to the Northern
Kingdom because they committed spiritual whoredom with the
nations around them and followed after their gods. Whoredom in
the Bible is symbolic of spiritual idolatry and forsaking the
Torah and the true worship of the God of Israel. In Deuteronomy
31:16 it is written:
"And the Lord said unto Moses,
Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, and this people
will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the
strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and
will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made
with them "
In Judges
2:17 it is written:
"And yet they would not hearken
unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods,
and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of
the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the
commandments of the Lord; but they did not so "
Therefore, in
order to symbolize this spiritual whoredom committed by the
Northern Kingdom of Israel by forsaking the Torah and the
covenant that God made with Abraham, God told Hosea to marry a
whore. From this marriage, three children were conceived. In
Hosea 1:2-9 it is written:
"The beginning of the word of the
Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto
thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the
land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord,
So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which
conceived, and bare him a son. And the Lord said unto him,
Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will
avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will
cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. And it
shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of
Israel in the valley of Jezreel. And she conceived again,
and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name
Lo-ruhammah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of
Israel; but I will utterly take them away. But I will have
mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the
Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword,
nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen. Now when she had
weaned Lo-ruhammah, she conceived, and bare a son. Then said
God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I
will not be your God "
The three
children that Hosea had by Gomer were the following:
Jezreel which means "God will
sow"
Lo-ruhammah which means "No
mercy"
Lo-ammi which means "Not my
people"
When God speaks
to the Northern Kingdom saying that God will have "no
mercy" and they are "not my people
", this is the Biblical ways of saying that God will cut
off his covenant relationship with them.
GOD PROMISES TO FULFILL
HIS COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM
Even though God
said that He would cut off His covenant relationship with the
Northern Kingdom by telling him that He will show them "no
mercy" and they will "not be my people",
God makes an astonishing statement of love and mercy after He
pronounces His judgment upon His people. In Hosea 1:10
it is written:
"Yet the number of the children of
Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be
measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in
the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people,
there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the
living God "
WOW!
After making the statement to the Northern Kingdom that God
would cut them off from the covenant that He had with them
because they forsook His Torah and the covenant that He made
with Abraham, God then prophecies that He will fulfill His
covenant that He made with Abraham through this judgment !!!
THE NORTHERN KINGDOM IS
PROPHETIC OF CHRISTIANITY
In the book of
Hosea, God's judgment upon the Northern Kingdom for forsaking
the Torah and the covenant that He made with Abraham was
cutting them off from His covenant and
showing them "no mercy" because they
would be called "not my people".
These EXACT words
are used to describe those people who have accepted Jesus Christ
as Messiah. In I Peter 2:5, 9-10 it is written:
"Ye also, as lively stones, are
built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ ...
By ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the
praises of him who called you out of darkness into marvelous
light: Which is times past were NOT A
PEOPLE (Hosea 1:9) but are now the people of God
(Hosea 1:10); which had NOT OBTAINED
MERCY, (Hosea 1:6), but now have obtained mercy
(Hosea 1:10) "
Therefore, the
judgment upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel who is prophetic of
historical Christianity is summarized by the following
characteristics:
Being taken captive by the kingdom of Assyria (II
Kings 17:7-23). Prophetically, because God's people
have forsaken His Torah, God's people would live in a
Babylonian based political, economic and religious system
that would be contrary to God's Word.
God also declared that his judgement would be the
removal of her feast days, new moons, and Sabbaths because
Ephraim had worshiped idols (Hosea 2:11, 4:17, 5:1-2).
Historically, God removed the celebration of the Sabbath and
feast days from Christianity because she forsook the Torah
of God after the days of the first century church.
They would be dispersed, God would show no mercy
toward them, and they would not be called His people.
However, later God would show mercy upon His people and
redeem them. (Hosea 1:2-4,6-10, I Peter 2:5, 9-10)
By rejecting God's Torah, God people would perish
for a lack of knowledge of God's Word and therefore not be
kings and priests (God's Bride) before God. (Hosea 4:6).
Obedience to Torah was a condition for God making His people
kings and priest before Him (Exodus 19:5-6)
GOD'S COVENANT OF MERCY WITH DAVID
Even though both
the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom forsook God's
Torah and the covenant that God made with Abraham, God allowed
the tribe of Judah to remain because of God's promise of mercy
given to David. In I Kings 11:31-32, 34-36, it is
written:
"And he said to Jeroboam, Take
thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel,
Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon,
and will give ten tribes to thee: (But he shall have one
tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake,
the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of
Israel:) ... Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out
of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his
life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he
kept my commandments and my statutes: But I will take the
kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee,
even ten tribes. And unto his son will I give one tribe,
that David my servant may have a light always before me in
Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen to put my name there
"
God's covenant of
mercy with David is found in Psalm 89:1-4 as it is
written:
"I will sing of the
mercies of the Lord forever: with
my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all
generations. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up
forever: thy faithfulness shall thou establish in the very
heavens. I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn
unto David my servant. Thy seed will I establish forever,
and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah
"
God covenant of
mercy to David is an everlasting covenant. In Isaiah 55:1-3
it is written:
"Ho, every one that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money: come ye,
buy, and eat: yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and
without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is
not bread? And your labor for that which satisfieth not?
hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good,
and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your
ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I
will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure
mercies of David "
God made an
everlasting covenant of mercy with David.
Mercy in the New Testament is called grace. God made an
everlasting promise of mercy to David
and his descendants so that God could fulfill His covenant with
Abraham. In Psalm 89:28-37 it is written:
"My mercy will I keep for him
forevermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His
seed also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as
the days of heaven. If his children forsake my TORAH, and
walk not in my judgments; If they break my statutes, and
keep not my commandments; Then will I visit their
transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from
him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I
not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto
David. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the
sun before me. It shall be established forever as the moon,
and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah "
God promised
David that even though God's people would break His Torah, God
would extend His mercy to them forever. God promised that one
from the seed of David would sit on the throne of David forever.
This would be fulfilled through Jesus the Messiah. God chose to
show mercy upon the house of David and the tribe of Judah
because David kept the commandments (Torah) of God ( I Kings
11:32, 34). God did this for the sake of the city of
Jerusalem ( I Kings 11:32). Spiritually, the city of
Jerusalem is the city of God's Bride (Revelation 21).
Therefore, God promise of mercy to David was given as an
extension of God's covenant with Abraham so that God could
fulfill His covenant that He made with Abraham.
THE ROLE OF THE KINSMAN REDEEMER
TO SAVE GOD'S PEOPLE
Because God had
cut off his covenant relationship with the Northern Kingdom of
Israel, God made a provision in the Torah that a near kinsman
could redeem his brothers if their covenant was cut off from
God. In Leviticus 25:25 it is written:
"If thy brother be waxen poor, and
hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin
come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his
brother sold "
Since the
Northern Kingdom has sold their covenant inheritance with God by
committing spiritual whoredom and forsaking the Torah and
worshiping other gods, God made provision in the Torah that one
of his brothers (a member of the Southern Kingdom, the house of
Judah, the Jewish people) could redeem him. Therefore, Jesus was
born a Jew from the seed of David to redeem the Northern Kingdom
who was cut off from their covenant relationship with God. In
doing so, Jesus brought a new (or renewed) covenant which was
also Torah based. In Jeremiah 31:33 it is written:
"But this shall be the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days,
saith the Lord, I will put my TORAH in their inward parts,
and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and
they shall be my people "
Jesus came to the
earth so that God could fulfill His covenant with Abraham. This
would be accomplished by the Messiah fulfilling the role of the
kinsman redeemer and saving His people who lost their covenant
relationship with God.
Jesus came to
fulfill the following things:
Jesus came to redeem the Northern Kingdom by
establishing a new (renewed) covenant because the first
covenant had been broken because the people assimilated
themselves with the nations around them and forsook God's
Torah. In establishing a new (renewed) covenant with the
Northern Kingdom who had assimilated into Gentile culture,
God's salvation would be offered to ALL those who did not
have a covenant relationship with God through the Torah by
receiving the Messiah into their heart and life.
Jesus came so that God through the Holy Spirit
could indwell His people so that they could have the power
of God to keep His commandments and be obedient to the Torah
of God. The indwelling Holy Spirit promised to write God's
Torah upon the hearts of His people so that they would be
able to keep God's Torah in spirit and in truth. (Jeremiah
31:33, John 4:24, John 16:13, Hebrews 10:15-16, Revelation
21:1-3)
Jesus would regather those who were dispersed in
all the nations of the earth and bring them back to the land
of Israel where they would obey His Torah when they
returned. (Isaiah 49:5-6, Ezekiel 36:24-28, 37:15-27,
Acts 1:6-8)
These things
would be accomplished by the kinsman redeemer, the Messiah,
during His two comings. During His first coming, Jesus played
the role of Messiah ben Joseph, the suffering Messiah who would
die for the sins of the world and establish a new (renewed)
covenant. During His second coming, Jesus will play the role of
Messiah ben David, the kingly Messiah who will gather the exiles
of Israel (both Northern Kingdom (Christianity) and the Southern
Kingdom (Judaism) and bring them back to the land of Israel
where they would be obedient to Torah and usher in the 1,000
year Messianic Age.
JESUS CAME TO FULFILL
GOD'S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM
Jesus came from
the tribe of Judah to play the role of the kinsman redeemer in
order to fulfill God's promise to Abraham through His mercy to
David. (Romans 1:3, Hebrews 7:14, Revelation 5:5).
Jesus came to
reign over the house of Jacob forever.
The house of Jacob refers to a
united Northern
Kingdom (the house of Israel, Ephraim, the house of
Joseph) AND the
Southern Kingdom (the house of Judah, the Jewish people).
Therefore, if Jesus is going to rule over the house of Jacob (a
united Northern Kingdom and Southern Kingdom) they must be
united at some time in history so that Jesus can reign over the
house of Jacob during the 1,000 year Messianic Age and then for
all eternity. In Luke 1:31-33 it is written:
"And, behold, thou shalt conceive
in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name
JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the
Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of
his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob
forever: and of his kingdom there shall be no end
"
In Luke
1:67-73, Zacharias prophesied by the Holy Ghost that God
would redeem His people by bringing a deliver from the house of
David to fulfill God's covenant with Abraham as it is written:
"And his father Zacharias, was
filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed
be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed
his people, And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in
the house of his servant David: As he spake by the mouth of
his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand
of all that hate us: To perform the mercy
promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy
covenant; The oath which he sware to our
father Abraham"
Through the words
given to him by the Holy Spirit, Zacharias is associating God's
redemptive work to be completed through Jesus to the promise
that God made with Abraham through David. When this redemption
is complete, Jesus will rule over a united Israel, the house of
Jacob, forever (Luke 1:31-33).
Earlier in this
book, we learned that the Torah that was given to the children
of Israel at Mount Sinai was not an independent event from the
covenant that God made with Abraham. Instead, it was a
fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that God would fulfill
His oath to Abraham through Abraham's descendants. We also
learned that what made the event at Mount Sinai unique was that
it was at mount Sinai that the descendants of Abraham became a
NATION. In addition, God entered into a marriage with the
descendants of Abraham and the marriage contract was the Torah.
Because the children of Israel were unfaithful in their marriage
to God by being disobedient to God's Torah, God judged the
nation of Israel and scattered them among the nations of the
world. However, God made a promise to David that God would
extend His mercy to the nation of Israel and fulfil His covenant
that He made with Abraham through the redeemer of Israel, the
Messiah. Therefore, God's promise of mercy to David was done to
fulfill God's covenant with Abraham.
JESUS, DAVID AND THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
David is the most
predominant person in the Old Testament associated with the role
of the Messiah. David is also characteristic of the Bride of
Christ. Let us examine these truths.
First, let us see
how the Messiah is associated with David.
David was from Bethlehem, in the land of Judah (
I Samuel 17:12).
a) Bethlehem is
called the city of David (Luke 2:4)
b) Jesus was born in
Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1)
God called David, "His Son" (Psalm
89:26)
a) Jesus is called God's son (Matthew
3:16-17)
Jesus is called the "Son of David" (Luke
18:38-39)
God promised David that His throne would be
forever (Psalm 89:2-3)
a) Jesus came to sit on the throne
of David (Luke 1:31-32)
David desired to build a house for the name of
God (I Chronicles 28:2)
a) Jesus was faithful to build the
house of God (Hebrews 3:4-6)
God's covenant with David was a covenant of mercy
(Psalm 89:2-4)
a) Jesus extends mercy upon all
those who believe on His name (Luke 18:38-39)
David went from being a shepherd to a King (II
Samuel 7:8)
a) Jesus came at His first coming
as shepherd (John 10:11)
b) Jesus will come during His
second coming as King (Zechariah 14:4, 9)
a) Jesus has the key of
David (Revelation 3:7)
b) Jesus is the root and offspring
of David (Revelation 22:14)
DAVID IS CHARACTERISTIC OF
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
David is
characteristic of the bride of Christ. We can see this from the
following examples:
David in Hebrew means "Beloved". It is
the Strong's Word 1732.
a) Beloved is a term for God's
Bride (Song of Solomon 3:6)
David desired to build the house of God (I
Chronicles 28:2, 29:3)
a) The Bride of Christ set her
affections on building the house of God
(Colossians 3:1-2)
David confessed that he was a stranger and
sojourner on the earth doing the Will of God (I
Chronicles 29:15)
a) The bride of Christ confesses
that she is a stranger and pilgrim (I Peter 2:11)
David was the chosen of God (Psalm 89:3)
a) The bride is the chosen of God
(John 15:16)
David loved Jerusalem and Jerusalem is God's
chosen city (I Kings 11:32)
a) The heavenly Jerusalem is the
city of God's bride
(Hebrews 12:23, Revelation 21)
David was an Ephrathite which means "double
fruit"(I Samuel 17:12)
a) The bride of Christ bears much
fruit (John 15:8, Galations 5:22-23)
God called David his firstborn (Psalm 89:27)
a) The bride of Christ is the
firstborn of God (Hebrews 12:23)
David was anointed my God to accomplish His Will
(Psalm 89:20)
a) The bride of Christ is anointed
to accomplish the Will of God
(Isaiah 61:1,3,6,10)
David was a man after God's own heart (I
Samuel 13:13-14, Acts 13:22) because David loved God's
Torah and kept His commandments (I Kings 11:32, 38)
a) The Bride of Christ will
love Jesus and keep His commandments (John 14:15)
and be called the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew
5:19)
THE PURPOSE OF THE FIRST AND
SECOND COMING OF THE MESSIAH
The fulfillment
of God's covenant with Abraham was dependent upon the obedience
by the descendants of Abraham to God's Torah. God's covenant
with Abraham was extended to the descendants of Abraham at Mount
Sinai when they became a holy nation unto God and made a
covenant with God to keep His Torah. Because the children of
Israel broke the Torah, God dispersed both the Northern Kingdom
and Southern Kingdom into exile among the nations. God's
judgment upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel for forsaking His
Torah was cutting them off from His covenant with them. However,
because David kept the Torah of God, God granted mercy upon
David so that God could fulfill the covenant that He made with
Abraham.
The Messiah was
promised to come from the lineage of David. There are two
primary roles that the Messiah will fulfill during His first and
second coming. During His first coming, Jesus played the role of
Messiah ben Joseph, the suffering Messiah, who would be a Jew
from the tribe of Judah and who would be a kinsman redeemer to
the Northern Kingdom of Israel who became assimilated into the
nations of the world. In doing so, the Messiah would bring a new
(renewed) covenant so that the Northern Kingdom who was cut off
from their covenant with God through disobedience to God's Torah
could be grafted into a new covenant relationship with God (Romans
11:16-24). This new (renewed) covenant is also Torah based
(Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 10:15-16). The new (renewed)
covenant is the Torah written upon our hearts.
During His second
coming, Jesus will play the role of Messiah ben David, the
kingly Messiah who would gather both the engrafted Northern
Kingdom who have assimilated into Gentile culture (Christianity)
and the Southern Kingdom (Judaism) and bring them back to the
land of Israel from all the nations of the world. Upon their
return to the land of Israel from the nations of the world where
they have been scattered, they will keep the Torah of God. After
this, the Kingly Messiah will return back to the earth to dwell
with His people. This is the fullness of the completion of God's
covenant with Abraham.
THE FULLNESS OF GOD'S
COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM
The fullness of
the covenant that God made with Abraham has not yet been
fulfilled. Let's reexamine several scriptures again so that we
can understand the fullness of the covenant that God made with
Abraham. In Genesis 17:6-8 it is written:
"And I will make thee exceedingly
fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall
come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between
me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for
an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy
seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and thy seed
after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the
land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be
their God "
In Leviticus
26:3, 11-12 it is written:
"If ye walk in my statutes, and
keep my commandments, and do them ... And I will set my
tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I
will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be
my people "
In Genesis
17:6-8 and Leviticus 26:3, 11-12, we can see the
fullness of God's covenant with Abraham. It consists of the
following things:
God's people bearing much fruit (The fruitful
works of the Bride)
God's people keeping His Torah (Because it is
written upon their heart)
God's people living in the land of Israel (from
being scattered in
the nations of the earth)
God dwelling with His people (His Bride)
THE GATHERING OF THE EXILES
BACK TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL
In Acts 1:6-8,
the Apostles asked Jesus if He was going to regather the exiles
back to the land of Israel at His first coming. Jesus answered
by saying that this event would happen through the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit upon God's people to be a witness of this
restoration. In Acts 1:6-9 it is written:
"When they therefore were come
together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this
time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto
them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,
which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall
receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in
all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of
the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they
beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of
their sight "
These are the
very last words of Jesus before He ascended unto heaven.
Therefore, they are VERY significant.
The last words which we are reminded to understand prior to the
ascension of Jesus unto heaven is the regathering of the exiles
from BOTH the house of Israel, the
Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom through the outpouring
of God's Holy Spirit. This is a MAJOR
significant event and witness to the nations of the world prior
to the second coming of Jesus.
The two primary
duties of the Messiah is to bring salvation to the Gentiles and
to regather BOTH houses of Israel, the
Northern Kingdom (Christianity) and the Southern Kingdom
(Judaism) back to the land of Israel. These two things can be
seen in Isaiah 49:5-6 as it is written:
"And now, saith the Lord that
formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob
(all twelve tribes) again to him, Though Israel be not
gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord,
and my God shall be my strength. And he said, It is a light
thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the
tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I
will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou
mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth
"
Therefore, in
these two verses, we see the following two functions of the
Messiah.
Salvation to the Gentiles
Raise up the tribes of Jacob (all twelve tribes)
and restore the preserved of Israel (back to the land of
Israel). God proclaimed this to be a light (easy) thing.
During the first
coming of Jesus, He brought salvation to the Gentiles. During
the second coming of Jesus, He will restore the preserved
(remnant) of Israel back to the land of Israel by the outpouring
of God's Holy Spirit.
EPHRAIM
(CHRISTIANITY) AND JUDAH
(JUDAISM) BECOME ONE STICK
In Ezekiel
37:15-27, God promised that He would unite the two houses
of Israel, Ephraim and Judah, and they would become one stick at
the time of the reign of the kingly Messiah. When they became
united, God would bring BOTH houses
back to the land of Israel. When they returned back to the land
of Israel from being scattered in all the nations of the world,
they will keep the Torah of God in the land of Israel. Then, God
promised to dwell with His people (bride). In Ezekiel
37:15-27 it is written:
"The word of the Lord came again
unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one
stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of
Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write
upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the
house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another
into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And
when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee,
saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?
Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take
the stick of Joseph (Christianity), which is in the hand of
Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put
them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them
one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And the
sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before
their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God;
Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the
heathen, whither they have gone, and will gather them on
every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will
make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of
Israel; and one king shall be king over them all: and they
shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided
into two kingdoms any more at all: Neither shall they defile
themselves any more with their idols, nor with their
detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but
I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein
they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my
people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall
be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd:
they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my
statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that
I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers
have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and
their children, and their children's children forever: and
my servant David shall be their prince forever. Moreover I
will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an
everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and
multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of
them forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them:
yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people
"
In Ezekiel
37:15-27, we see the fulfillment of God's covenant with
Abraham as follows:
God's people living in the land of Israel (from
being scattered in the nations of the earth) (Ezekiel
37:21-22, 25)
God's people keeping His Torah (Because it is
written upon their heart)
(Ezekiel 37:23-24)
God dwelling with His people (His Bride) (Ezekiel
37:23, 26-27)
The kingly Messiah, Messiah ben David, ruling
over His people
(Ezekiel 37:22, 24)
GOD'S PEOPLE FLEEING FROM
THE LAND OF BABYLON
In Revelation
18:4, God commands His people to come out of Babylon as it
is written:
"And I heard another voice from
heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not
partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her
plaques "
There are many
babylons that have the people of God captive. There is religious
Babylon, there is financial Babylon, there is political Babylon
and there is also the land of Babylon. The land of Babylon
cannot be modern day Iraq. Very few Christians and Jews live in
Iraq. Therefore, the land of Babylon has to have a spiritual
application.
The most populous
nation in the world today of Christians and Jews is the United
States of America. The United States of America is the land of
Babylon today. God's greatest judgment of any nation on the
earth will fall upon the United States of America because no
other nation of the world has been given the freedom to preach
and hear the gospel of the Kingdom of God as the United States
of America. Yet, America is the land of abortion, homosexuality,
drugs, gambling and pornography. The United States of America is
the modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. In Jeremiah 50:4-6,
17-18, 51:50 it is written:
"In those days and at that time (a
reference to the second coming of the Messiah), saith the
Lord,the children of Israel shall come (the assimilated
Northern Kingdom/Christianity), they and the children of
Judah together (the Southern Kingdom/Jews) going and
weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God. They
shall ask the way to Zion (the land of Israel) with their
faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves
to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be
forgotten. My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds
have caused them to go astray (pastors in the church and
rabbi's in the synagogues), they have turned them away on
the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they
have forgotten their resting place ...Israel is a scattered
sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of
Assyria hath devoured him (the Northern Kingdom) and last
this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones
(the Southern Kingdom). Therefore thus saith the Lord of
hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of
Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria
... Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not
still: remember the Lord afar off, and let Jerusalem come
into your mind "
In these verses
in Jeremiah, we see the following:
The children of Israel (the Northern
Kingdom/Christianity) fleeing Babylon and seeking their way
to the land of Zion (Israel) (Jeremiah 50:4)
The children of Judah (the Southern Kingdom/Jews)
fleeing Babylon and seeking their way to the land of Zion
(Israel) (Jeremiah 50:4)
Their shepherds (religious leaders) in
Christianity and Judaism have led the people of God astray (Jeremiah
50:6)
Those who have escaped the sword (judgment upon
the land) are seeking the way to Jerusalem (Jeremiah
51:50)
EPHRAIM RETURNS TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL
TO BE MARRIED TO GOD
In Jeremiah
31:15-22, we see the prophecy of Ephraim, the Northern
Kingdom, who has been assimilated into the nations of the world
(a picture of Christianity) returning back to the land of Israel
after God chastens Ephraim for His sin (by departing from the
Torah) and bestows mercy upon him (through God's promise to
David and through the first coming of Jesus) and returns him
back to the land of Israel where God will marry His people (His
Bride). In Jeremiah 31:15-22 it is written:
"Thus saith the Lord; A voice was
heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel
weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her
children, because they were not. Thus saith the Lord;
Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears:
for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they
shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is
hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall
come again to their own border. I have surely heard Ephraim
bemoaning himself thus: Thou hast chastised me, and I was
chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou
me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God.
Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I
was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed yea,
even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my
youth. Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant child? for
since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him
still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will
surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord. Set thee up way
marks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the
highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O
virgin daughter, turn again to these thy cities. How long
wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the
Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall
compass a man "
In these verses
we see the following:
The children of Rachel, the house of Joseph
(Northern Kingdom), a spiritual picture of Christianity
being comforted (a term for the Holy Spirit --- John
16:7) to be God's witnesses to the restoration of
Israel (Acts 1:6-9) back to the land of Israel (Jeremiah
31:15-17)
The restoration happens after Ephraim, the house
of Joseph (Northern Kingdom), a spiritual picture of
Christianity repents from turning from God's Torah because
of God's mercy upon Ephraim (Jeremiah 31:18-20)
God dwelling and marrying His bride (Jeremiah
31:22). A woman shall encompass a man is an event in
the Biblical wedding ceremony given by God and practiced by
the Jewish people.
EPHRAIM (CHRISTIANITY): THE PRODIGAL
SON
In Luke
15:11-32 is a famous sermon topic within Christianity. It
is the story of the prodigal son. Almost 100% of the time when I
have heard this parable preached in church, the prodigal son is
the hard core sinner who returns to God and gives his heart and
life to Jesus. While hard core sinners need to return to God and
give their heart and life to Jesus, the context of this parable
in the days of Jesus was based upon the prophecies of the
prophets of Israel that the house of Jacob (all twelve tribes)
would be restored back to the land of Israel while keeping the
Torah.
When Jesus came
to the earth, the Northern Kingdom had already been scattered
and assimilated into the nations of the world because they
rebelled against God's Torah. Therefore, the two sons in the
story would refer to the two houses of Israel, the house of
Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and the house of Judah (the
Southern Kingdom). It was the house of Israel, Ephraim, who had
rebelled against the Torah of God and was the prodigal son.
Therefore, it was the Northern Kingdom, Ephraim, who needed to
return back home or back to God and His Torah.
Since the
Northern Kingdom, Ephraim, is a spiritual picture of
Christianity, this parable is also prophetic of future
Christianity. Following the death and resurrection of Jesus, the
early church which was a sect of Judaism and originally kept the
Sabbath, feast days and the Torah later began to depart from the
Jewish roots of the faith. As the church became more Gentile and
less Jewish, the church became more anti-Torah and anti-Semitic.
This anti-Torah and anti-Semitic attitude is still present today
within Christianity.
Since the
Northern Kingdom, Ephraim, is a spiritual picture of historical
Christianity, the prodigal son in the story refers to
Christianity and God's plea with her to return back to His Torah
and obey His commandments. For this reason, Jesus has the key of
David (Revelation 3:7) because David loved God's Torah.
In Luke
15:11-32 is the parable of the prodigal son as it is
written:
"And he said, A certain man had
two sons: And the younger of them said to his father,
Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And
he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the
younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into
a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous
living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty
famine in that land: and he began to be in want. And he went
and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent
him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have
filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and
no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said,
How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and
to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to
my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned
against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be
called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he
arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great
way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran,
and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto
him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight,
and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father
said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it
on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us
eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive
again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be
merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came
and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And
he called one of the servants, and asked what these things
meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come: and thy
father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received
him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in:
therefore came his father out, and entreated him, And he
answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I
serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy
commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I
might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy
son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots,
thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto
him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is
thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad:
for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again: and was
lost and is found "
Let us examine
the details of this parable closer so that we can understand how
the prodigal son is a reference to Ephraim who is a spiritual
picture of Christianity.
A certain man (God the Father had two sons) (Luke
15:11)
The elder son is (Judah/Judaism) and the younger
son is (Ephraim/Christianity). Judaism dates back to the
giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and Christianity dates
back to the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The younger son (the Northern Kingdom,
Ephraim/Christianity) spent his inheritance on riotous
living (by departing from God's Torah) and went to a far
country (the nations of the world) and was feeding on swine
(a reference to not obeying the Torah) (Luke 15:12-13)
Their was a famine in the land (a famine of the
hearing and teaching God's Torah/Word --- Amos 8:11)
and he (younger son/Ephraim/Christianity) decided to return
to the Father and repent before Him (for departing from
Torah) (Luke 15:14-21)
The Father was waiting for his younger son
(Ephraim / Christianity) to return to Torah. When he
repented, God the Father extended mercy to Him (Jeremiah
31:18-20) (because of God's promise to David) and
forgave him (Luke 15:14-21)
The joy of the Father was so great when the
younger son (Ephraim/Christianity) returned (back to Torah)
that God decided to fit him with the best robe (wedding
garment) and put a ring on his hand (wedding terminology) (Jeremiah
31:18-22, Luke 15:21-24)
The elder son (Judah/Judaism) was in the field
and inquired about the celebration that the father was
giving the younger son (Luke 15:25-26)
It was told to the elder son (Judah/Judaism) that
the younger son (Ephraim/Christianity) had repented
(returned back to Torah) and God was waiting for the younger
son's (Ephraim / Christianity) return and now that he has
returned, there will be a wedding party ( a marriage between
the bridegroom and the bride) (Luke 15:27)
The older son was upset giving reason to the
Father that he had never departed from the commandments
(Torah) and the Father never had a wedding party for him.
But now after the younger son had departed from Torah and
returned, the Father was having a wedding party for the
younger son. (Luke 15:28-30)
It was told the older son (Judah/Judaism) the he
was forever with the Father (Luke 15:31-32)
Therefore, God is
waiting for the prodigal son (Christianity) to repent of her
sins of departing from God's Torah. When she does, God will
celebrate with the greatest wedding party ever, the wedding
between Jesus the bridegroom and the Bride of Christ !!!
THE CONCLUSION OF THIS CHAPTER
In order to fully
understand the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and understand
the comprehensive redemption plan of God including the marriage
between Jesus and His Bride, you MUST
understand the covenant the God made with Abraham. The fullness
of the fulfillment of God's covenant with Abraham involves the
following things:
Preparing a people to be kings and priests before
God and to rule and reign with Him on the earth
God's people dwelling in the land of Israel
God's people being obedient to His Torah
God dwelling with His people for all eternity
This is the
Gospel that was preached to Abraham (Galatians 3:8) and
this is the fullness of the covenant that God made with Abraham.
This DVD series
reveals Yeshua in the entire Bible (Psalm 40:7, Luke 24:44). Yeshua is
in the Torah. He created the heavens and earth, made covenant with
Abraham, led the children of Israel out of Egypt, gave the Torah at
Mount Sinai, is the bridegroom of Israel and the glory of God that
filled the tabernacle. Yeshua died on the tree to unite the twelve
tribes of Israel (John 10:16-17, 11:49-52). Yeshua will gather the
twelve tribes of Israel during the tribulation period and be glorified.
He will reign during the Messianic Era as King over the whole earth
teaching the Torah to all nations. While revealing Yeshua from Genesis
to Revelation, this DVD series also teaches the basic principles of the
Hebraic roots of Christianity, including who is the house of Jacob,
Torah is for all believers in Yeshua, and Two Houses and the New
Testament. Finally, this DVD series gives a Hebraic perspective of the
end of days. In all, twelve hours of power packed teaching!