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.
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