Who is Israel the people?
We know Jacob was the
father of the 12 tribes known as the children of Israel. Remember Jacob’s
children was already born before his name was changed to Israel. Jacob’s name
was changed to Israel after he overcame his struggle. Jacob to Israel;
“overcame with El, to strive with El, to rule with El” (Genesis 32:28). It is so important to
understand the meaning of this name change. You will know who Israel is once
you understand the reason for the name change.
Yahuah choose Israel only
as a people and made covenants only with them. Is Israel about an indigenous
group? Let us see what scripture says about what the children of Israel look
like.
·
Jacob had children from
two concubines – who were they? Were they from Jacob’s family? This is not
clear, so we must exclude this from the topic, but it is something to think
about (Genesis 30).
·
Joseph married an Egyptian
woman and had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim (Genesis 41:50-51). They were not pure Israelites,
but they received the most blessings from Jacob (Israel). Yahuah did not punish
Joseph for marrying a gentile. Ephraim received more blessings than any other
tribe of Israel. Was Ephraim and Manasseh known as gentles?
·
During the exodus out of
Egypt, a mixed multitude of people left with the Israelites (Exodus 12:38). Who were
these people and were they known as gentiles, or did they become part of
Israel?
·
The two spies, Joshua and
Caleb. Caleb was of the tribe of Judah (Numbers 13:6) but was the son of a Kenizzite. Read
Joshua 14:6 as
Caleb been from the Kenizzite/Qenizzite. Caleb was not seen as a gentile, but
as an Israelite (Numbers
13:6).
·
Ruth was a Moabite (Ruth 1:4). Yahuah blessed
her with a child – Ruth
4:13. Read also 4:14.
Was she seen as a gentile?
These are a few examples of many other.
Below is another example of Israel taking
virgin woman from another nation and gave them to the tribe of Benjamin.
Judges
21:11-14 And this is the thing
which you shall do. You shall destroy every male and every woman who has been
known by lying with a male. And out of all the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead
they found four hundred young women, virgins, who had not known a man by lying
with a male. And they brought them into the camp at Shiloh, which is in the
land of Canaan. And all the assembly sent and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who
were in the rock of Rimmon, and called out peace to them. And Benjamin came
again at that time. And they gave the women whom they had kept alive, of the
women of Jabesh-Gilead. But they did not find enough for them.
When the Israelites were scattered all over the
world, do you think they did not mix with other nations (had children with
other nations). They defiantly did mix which is how they became lost.
The Messiah Yahusha meant Israel when he said
he came only for the lost Israelites (Mathew 15:24). All the promises were made to
Israel only, not to any gentile and Messiah confirmed this.
What is a gentile or heathen? It is someone who
follows false gods, practices witchcraft, lusts, etc. A gentile is also those
who mix the truth with falsehood. Ephesians 4:17 So this I say, and witness in the Master, that
you should no longer walk as the gentiles walk. 1 Peter 4:3 For we have spent enough of our past
lifetime in doing the desire of the gentiles, having walked in indecencies,
lusts, drunkenness, orgies, wild parties, and abominable idolatries.
Yahuah does not except uncleanness even a
mixture of clean/unclean, therefore a gentile can never enter His kingdom.
Who is the true Israel? The scripture is very
clear on this point. Israel is those who hear and obey. They follow truly the
ways of Yahuah, not turning to the left or the right. Their leader is Yahuah
only. He laid down His condition for Yisrael to be His people, as we read in Exodus 19:5-6, “If you
diligently obey My voice, and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My
treasured possession above all the peoples – for all the earth is Mine – and
you yourselves become to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation.”
If you do not hear and obey then you cannot be
part of Israel. The scripture is full of stories on how most Israelites fell
away from hearing and following. The narrow path and only a few find it. Are
these that fell away from the truth still seen as Israel. Cannot be as they
overcame with the evil one - the meaning of the name changed.
When you started to hear the truth, repented of
your sins, accepted the truth spoken by the Messiah and then turned back to
Yahuah (following His commands), you went from being a gentile to becoming part
of Israel just like Ephraim, Caleb, Ruth etc. You cannot be known as a gentile.
Nothing has changed today, and will not change
in future.
I’m talking for myself: I was once a gentile,
but I heard His calling, started hearing and obeying His word. I’m now an
Israelite who hears and follows the ways of Yahuah. My forefathers could have
been from an Israel tribe that was scattered or I could be from another gentile
nation. But this does not matter because I now overcame with El. I do
make mistakes but hopefully they are not intentionally.
Are you hearing His call and obeying His
commandments, if so then you are Israel? This is where the “heart” thing comes
in, these commands are now written on your heart. The Father looks at the heart
as the commands can only be followed when it comes from the heart. Is that not
where the Ruach of Yahuah is, in the heart. Those who overcome are the true
Yisraelites. Their hearts are circumcised, they keep the law as proof of their
love towards Elohim.
If you still see yourself as a gentile, then
the messiah you are believing is not the same one that said He came only for
Israel.
As history has shown many Israelites fell away
due to not hearing and obeying, and returned to the gentile world, although
they still believed they were of Israel, but sadly will not be saved.
This is not my words but scripture.
