Learning to Fear God and Receive His Peace — Israel’s Inextricable Link to Our Salvation Part 4

by | Feb 9, 2024 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

After Paul’s conversion to the Way Faith, the Nazarene assemblies that were strewn throughout the Judean region, including the Galilee and Samaria, enjoyed a season of relative peace and unity. (Act 9:31) Those coming into the Way Movement, a movement that many scholars believe the orthodox Jewish communities in the region treated as simply another Jewish sect (like the Pharisees, Sadducees, the Essenes), were being instructed in (1) the fear of Yehovah (i.e. learning to fear Yehovah through witnessing the movement of the Holy Spirit and by walking in Yeshua-centric Torah) and (2) the comfort of the Holy Spirit (aka the Ruach Kodesh). The King James Version describes members of the Nazarene or Way Movement operating within the broader Jewish Community as “walking” in the fear of Yehovah and in the “comfort” of the Holy Spirit. The Faith at that time was experiencing tremendous growth. It was truly a wonderful time to be a part of such a great move of the Holy Spirit, under the leadership of the Apostles. (Eph 2:20) In so many ways, the Kingdom of God (aka the Malchut Elohim) had once again intervened in the affairs of man and had established itself amid a set-apart people who were truly living the life abundant. (Joh 10:10)

 

Andrew Gabriel Roth’s commentary on this verse (i.e. Acts 9:31) points out an interesting contrast in what the Netsarim (aka the Jerusalem Messianics) were experiencing during this quiet but spiritually dynamic period in our Faith’s history: When the redeemed of Messiah fear Abba Yah they receive comfort. (Aramaic English New Testament) As Roth sees it, these extreme opposite emotional states are really one of cause and effect: fear God and receive God’s peace.

 

This historic situation established a Netsari/Messianic character trait that every subsequent generation of Yeshua disciples must adopt if they are going to be successful in their quest for the Kingdom of God/the Malchut Elohim. That essential character trait is having a true fear of Yehovah Elohim.

 

God Fearers

 

Those that truly “fear YHVH” such that they are obedient only to His voice and His ways — such that these take to heart the fundamental maxim that the whole duty of man is to fear Yah and keep His commandments (Ecc 12:13) — possess the Father’s Set-Apart Spirit (aka the Ruach Kodesh/Holy Spirit). The Spirit that operates in them creates in them an “I want to obey heart” (to borrow a phrase frequently used by Torah Teacher Gary Steven Simons of Triumph in Truth Ministries). And this is what the first-century Jerusalem brethren described in Acts 9 were doing: They were fearing Yehovah and living a Yeshua-centric Torah lifestyle. Because of this unique, Kingdom-driven way of life, these believers received God’s peace (aka the Shalom of Yehovah).

 

The Shalom of Yehovah

 

We frequently use the Hebrew term shalom when greeting and bidding goodbyes to one another. When our assembly leaders recite and confer Yehovah’s blessing upon God’s people with the Aaronic Blessing, there is an expectation by Yah’s people that Abba Yah will always have His face turned towards them and bestow His shalom upon them. (Num 6:26) I go into some detail about the Aaronic Blessing in my teaching entitled “The Deep Abiding Mysteries of the Aaronic Blessing.” (I will place the link to that discussion in this teaching’s transcript for your convenience.) But the shalom that flows from an obedient covenant relationship with Yehovah is not just about one having freedom from disturbances, but more so, it’s about one being whole in every aspect of their being.

 

Shaul (aka the Apostle Paul) describes this form of peace as a mystery (i.e. it surpasses human understanding). Yehovah’s shalom guards the Child of Yah’s heart and mind. (Phi 4:7) So, what is Yah’s shalom guarding the Child of Yah’s heart and mind from? It’s guarding their heart and mind against the wiles, slings, and arrows of the enemy (i.e. the enemy’s tactics, deception, and ploys). And don’t you know, beloved, that the enemy’s attacks are not always against our bodies, relationships, and material possessions? The enemy’s attacks are more times than not against our hearts and minds. (Eph 6:10-12, 15) And so, as the apostle wrote to his Philippian readers, it behooves them to receive Abba Yah’s shalom. It was, and remains even today, the only defensive weapon against the enemy’s attacks against their hearts and minds.

 

And if there is anything that we, as a people of the Malchut Elohim, need during these perilous times, both collectively and individually, is the Shalom of Yehovah.

 

Roth describes those first-century members of the Way Movement in Jerusalem as having found “peace and contentment of being.” (AENT; p. 331) And this biblical principle of Yehovah-fearers/God fearers possessing a peace that surpasses all understanding is just as applicable today as it was back then.

 

Sadly beloved, there is a drought of true God-fearers in this world, especially today. I’ll get into some reasons this is so later on in this teaching. But one of the main reasons the world today experiences a drought of true God-fearers is because of biblical illiteracy and the conditioning of believers to not fear the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

 

Biblically Defining What it Means to Fear God

 

What does it mean to fear YHVH?

 

The traditional (let’s say Christian) teaching holds that to fear God is to revere or reverence Him; to adore Him; to be loyal and faithful to Him; to trust Him; and to obey the tenets of whatever church one is a member of. Some would call this being religious or being a person of faith.

 

Most teachers reject the idea that to fear God is to possess concern or dread towards God, or to be terrified of Yah. But to a lesser or greater extent, this is what true biblical fear of God looks like.

 

When we talk about fearing Elohim, we’re not talking so much about being terrified or frightened of Yah such that we run away and hide from Him because we fear for our lives. Indeed, Yehovah does not want that type of relationship for His chosen ones.

 

Abba Yah did not intend for us to pull away in terror of Him at the display of His irresistible power on the day that He revealed Himself to us on Mount Sinai and spoke to us His ten-commandments. But as Moshe explained, it was Abba Yah’s intent “that His fear may be in you, so that you do not sin. (Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society, Holy Scriptures: Tree of Life Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2015), Ex 20:20.) Yah wanted there to be implanted into our psyche such a mind of, what I will call here, fearful respect of Him that we would not transgress His Torah.

 

What Abba wants from His chosen ones is obedience, trust, love, and a substantive intimate relationship such that they are quite aware of Who He is and the great things that He can and will do for us if we remain true to Him, and what will happen to us when we cross and transgress Him and His ways.

 

Yes, Abba Yah wants His chosen ones to revere, be loyal, impressed by, faithful towards Him, and the like. But He wants us to truly fear Him because there is great benefit to be had by us when we have trepidation, apprehension, an uneasiness, and disquietude toward Him.

 

The Psalmist wrote that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: A good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His praise endureth forever” (111:10; KJV; cf. Pro 1:7; 9:10).

 

We desperately need a measure of Godly wisdom in order to make it into the Kingdom. Our Master Yeshua came to impart His Father’s wisdom to us in a way that only He, as the Son of Yehovah, could deliver. That’s why it is imperative that we develop an intense hunger and thirst for Him and His Father’s righteousness such that we grow in Godly wisdom.

 

I believe when we turn a blind eye to what it truly means to fear Elohim, such as having trepidation, apprehension, an uneasiness, or disquietude toward Him, and we substitute the biblical meaning of “the fear of God” with milk-toast terms such as awe, reverence, loyalty, and the like, we leave open the door to making God into whatever image or likeness that we want Him to be.

 

Consider the practices of some of our Denominationalist brethren who place the entirety of their eternal security upon their warped understanding of “grace.” Their perverted grace doctrine has conditioned many of them to not fear Yehovah, as scripture teaches. To these, grace covers every fault they had in the past, that they have in the present, and that they will have in the future. Therefore, they erroneously rationalize that there’s no need to truly fear the Holy Creator of the Universe. And because there’s no need to truly fear the Holy Creator of the Universe, there is no need to obey His instructions in righteousness nor walk in our Master Yeshua’s footsteps. All one need do is to possess a cognitive understanding (i.e. believe) that Jesus died for his/her sins and ask Him to take up residence in their heart. To these, Yah has no expectation whatsoever of them. They’ve arrived and nothing Yehovah or Yeshua may say contrary to their erroneous beliefs will change the fact that they are guaranteed eternal life and a place in the Kingdom.

 

 Again, for the nominal Christian, there is no need to fear Yehovah. Sadly, this rejection of Biblically fearing Yehovah, I believe, has led to the gulf that exists between our Faith Community and Denominational Christianity. When we came into this beloved faith of ours and the scales of spiritual blindness fell from our eyes and the deafness of truly hearing Yah’s voice in our lives was unstopped in our ears, we gained an immediate fear of Yehovah. If you were like me, upon learning that we’d inherited lies, we feared the consequences of what our years of ignorant disobedience and rebelliousness would bring us if we didn’t straighten up and fly right. Our hearts were broken at the thought that we’d let our beloved Creator down because of our previous life of disobedience and rebelliousness. And it was that fear of Elohim that was finally ignited within us that led to us truly taking up our execution stake and following Yahoshua HaMashiyach for the rest of our lives (Mat 16:24; Mar 8:34; 10:21; Luk 9:23). We received, through Yah’s indwelling, Set-Apart Spirit, an “I want to obey” heart, mind, and soul. And we became fearfully sin-conscious, constantly searching for — asking Yehovah to reveal to us — those sinful elements in our lives that “doth so easily beset us” (Heb 12:1). Our greatest fear is that we will disappoint Yehovah and damage our loving, covenant relationship with Him because of some unreconciled sin. We always want to make things right with our God. So yes, we develop an perpetual, genuine fear of Yehovah.

 

True Biblical fear of Elohim affords those that would be His to come into His presence unimpeded (i.e. unimpeded by unreconciled sin) and commune with Him. The one who truly fears Yehovah knows that Abba Yah can see right through them as He is a discerner of the heart, the thoughts and intents of the human soul (Heb 4:12). Thus, he/she is careful when they come into Yah’s presence that they not be found by Him to be in an unclean state (i.e. an impure heart, mind, and body). We cringe at the thought that we may have crossed Him, disappointed Him, or worse, offended Him and transgressed His Torah. We take nothing for granted when it comes to our covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe. So we go the extra-mile by seeking His forgiveness for unreconciled sin and petitioning that we once again be permitted to enter His divine presence. We petition Him to reveal to us those things in our being that displease Him and we ask His help to overcome those obstacles to our relationship with Him.

 

 

Yah’s greatness causes those that come into His presence to not just respect and revere Him, but to tremble at His presence (Exo 14:30-31; Deu 7:21; Psa 99:3).

 

We fear certain things that if not handled properly by us, may result in our harm: Fire, electricity, water/flood, structural integrity of our homes, the integrity of our relationships, the government, nature, and so forth. The fear of such things typically don’t cause us to avoid them outright because we know there is great benefit to be had if we are obedient to their proper use; that is, if we possess a healthy fear of them.

 

If we were children who were raised by moral and loving parents, we learned to fear them. Yes, we may have revered them, but we also feared them. We feared the consequences of what might happen to us if we crossed them or transgressed their house rules.

 

Those of us who are married and we love our spouses are careful to not cause upset to our relationship (e.g. do something that our spouse won’t approve of or will be injured by such as our cheating on them and so forth). We fear the consequences of what may happen if we wrong our spouses and transgress Yah’s Torah.

 

These same principles apply to our relationship with Yehovah. It’s one thing to reverence, respect, and adore Yehovah which we are compelled to do anyway. But we enter an entirely different level of relationship with Yah when we truly fear Him as He demands of us to do.

 

We are called to be “God-fearers,” not in the classic, orthodox Jewish sense that the title once served as a bone to Gentiles who simply wanted to serve and worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob but were led to take a pass on becoming a religious Jew. But a God-fearer from God’s perspective. Where we wake-up every morning and with firm resolve “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phi 2:12; 2 Cor 2:3). Where we serve Yehovah with fear and rejoice with trembling because we know Who He truly is: that He is sovereign and all powerful (Psa 2:11). We start to learn that we are not to fear people that can only kill our physical bodies, but we fear the Creator of the Universe that can completely destroy all traces of our being in the Lake of Fire (Mat 10:28; Heb 13:6). We tremble and fear Yehovah because we know the mighty and awesome work He has done in our lives and in the lives of His set apart people throughout the ages. As disciples of Yeshua Messiah, we recognize that our whole duty is to fear Yehovah and keep His commandments, and His commandments are our Master’s commandments (Deu 8:6; Ecc 12:13; Joh 14:15). We know that when we fear our Elohim, He will deliver us from our enemies (2 Kin 17:39). In fact, our fear of Yehovah becomes our confidence (Job 4:6).

 

We humans transgress our Creator’s ways and instructions when we lose (although most of us never had it in the first place) any and all fear of Yehovah. And how do we lose fear of Yehovah? We lose our fear of Yehovah when we stop believing Him and we instead start believing people over Yah. Genuine faith and belief in Yehovah and in His Son Yeshua induce genuine fear of Yehovah. When we believe Yehovah is Who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do, then we are compelled to fear Him. It’s just that simple.

 

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Cornelius — The God-Fearer

 

Luke records Cornelius being the first “named” Gentile converted to the Netsarim (aka Nazarene) Faith. He is described as being a Caesarean native and a captain of a Roman army regiment. Spiritually, he was righteous, and he feared God, along with his entire household (Act 10:2). Cornelius “beseeched” or earnestly prayed to Yehovah throughout each day of his life. (Some have suggested that he was actually reciting Jewish liturgies as part of his daily routine.) Furthermore, Cornelius rendered many alms before the people (that is, he was a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7) to the local synagogue he attended and to the poor of his community). Indeed, given this character sketch, it is likely that Cornelius not only feared Yehovah in his person, but was a qualified “God-fearer” according to orthodox Jewish custom.

 

Many of us focus on the religious classification that the title “God-fearer” places on this man and his household, which I will not attempt to marginalize here. I do think that him being a God-fearer in the eyes of orthodox Judaism, that is a Gentile who takes up Judaism as a way of life but who chooses not to convert to Judaism (aka become proselytized which leads to physical circumcision and total conformity to the Jewish religion) for whatever reason, is a relevant factor in the storyline. But let us not be fooled into understanding the realities of the title God-fearer that Rabbinic Jews conferred upon certain classes of Gentiles. It was a porous barrier that permitted certain well-to-do Gentiles to take part in restricted worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob while maintaining “the middle wall of partition” between Jew and Gentile. The Apostle Paul (aka Shaul) recognized that Yehovah never intended for Gentiles to be excluded from worshiping and walking out a life of Torah. Yehovah used the Person and ministry of Yeshua, Israel’s Messiah, to break down the middle wall of partition that separated the Jew from the Gentile believer, bringing them together as one man. (Eph 2:14)

 

 

Denominationalists have feloniously failed to understand the meaning of the vision that led Peter (aka Kefa) to Cornelius’ home and to Cornelius and his family coming into a covenant relationship with Yehovah through Yeshua Messiah. The true meaning of the vision of the sheet knitted at its four corners holding several unclean animals descending to the apostle with a voice instructing Kefa to “rise, kill, and eat” has been feloniously misinterpreted by denominationalists for centuries, despite Kefa himself declaring the vision’s true meaning to any who has eyes to see and ears to hear. The denominationalists, as most of you know, have used Kefa’s vision of the sheet holding unclean animals to promote their anti-Torah agenda, this time focusing on Yehovah’s dietary Torah. (Lev 11:1-47; Deu 14:3-21) The truth of the matter is that Kefa’s vision was not about the free consumption of meat by God’s people, be those creatures clean or unclean. The Holy Spirit revealed to Kefa the true meaning of the vision:

 

(25) And it came to be that when Kefa entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and bowed before him. (26) But Kefa raised him up, saying, “Stand up, I myself am also a man.” (27) And talking with him, he went in and found many who had come together. (28) And he said to them, “You know that a Yehudi (aka a Jewish) man is not allowed to associate with, or go to one of another race. But Elohim has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. (29) That is why I came without hesitation when I was sent for…(34) Truly I see that Elohim shows no partiality, (35) but in every nation, he who FEARS HIM AND WORKS RIGHTEOUSNESS IS ACCEPTED BY HIM.” (Act 10; The Scriptures ISR).

 

And of course, as the story goes, Kefa delivers unto Cornelius and his household the unadulterated Gospel message. Amid Kefa’s sermon, “the Set-apart Spirit fell upon all those hearing the world. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Kefa, because the gift of the Set-apart Spirit had been poured out on the nations also for they were hearing them speaking with tongues and extolling Elohim” (Act 10:45-46; The Scriptures ISR).

 

This historic event was followed up by Cornelius and his household being water-immersed by Kefa and his evangelistic team. (Act 10:48)

 

Let us not fall for Denominationalists’ false narrative that Cornelius and all non-Jews that followed him into the Nazarene Faith began living a lawless/Torahless life upon their conversion. Let us not overlook the reality that before Cornelius and his household officially transitioned to the Nazarene Faith, they feared God, which means they walked in Yehovah’s ways to the best of their knowledge and ability. They kept Torah to the best of their knowledge and ability. And although the Gospel record of Luke is silent on Cornelius’ life after his conversion, history bears out non-Jewish converts to the Way worshiped the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and walked in His ways right alongside their Messianic Jewish brethren in their local synagogue and in fellow-believers’ homes. (Act 2:42, 46)

 

This is a primer for our upcoming discussion on the Jerusalem Council’s Edict and its bearing on our salvation and inextricable link to Israel.

 

It is my hope, trust, and prayer, beloved, that we all learn to fear Yehovah in such a way that we walk blameless before our Elohim and receive His shalom over our lives.

The Call For God’s People to be Jealous with His Jealousy — Thoughts and Reflections on Torah Reading 118

by | Feb 2, 2024 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

 

And greetings elect of the Most High. Welcome back to the Messianic Torah Observer. I’m Rod Thomas, coming to you on Preparation Day, the 21st day of the 11th month of Yah’s biblical calendar year. That translates into 2/2/2024 on the pagan Roman Calendar.

 

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to fellowship with me as we prepare to enter Yah’s Sabbath. And as always, beloved, it is my hope, trust, and prayer that this installment of TMTO finds you, your families, and your fellowships well and blessed.

 

This is “The Call For God’s People to be Jealous with His Jealousy.” This will be my thoughts and reflections on the 118th Reading in our 3-year Torah Reading cycle.”

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As has been my custom for the past year or so, I posted my thoughts and reflections on Torah Reading 117 in written format on themessianictorahobserver.org. 

 

As it turns out, this week’s Reading is a direct carryover from last week’s Reading. That reading included the story of Phinehas, son of Eleazar the High Priest at that time, executing a couple he witnessed engaged in the heinous and abominable act of Ba’al of Peor worship. (We’ll get a little into what Ba’al of Peor worship involved in just a moment.)

 

Yehovah, our Elohim, reacted favorably to Phinehas’ righteous act, describing Phinehas as being “jealous with His jealousy.” (We will talk about what that means.)

 

As a reward, Yehovah conferred upon Phinehas and his seed His “Covenant of Peace,” which we will also discuss a little later in this post.

 

 

Before we can discuss Yehovah’s reaction to and actions toward Phinehas, I want to return to last week’s Reading (i.e. 117) and look at Phinehas’ actions from a couple of perspectives. This will help establish some context for our discussion this week as well as possibly answer some questions that may crop in your mind as it relates to the story’s details.

 

I will read the last four verses of last week’s reading, which should set the table for our discussion today.

 

 

6 And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family (i.e. Zimri, the Ba’al of Peor worshiping Israelite), in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand 8 and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly (their names being later given in our text today as Zimri and Kosbi). Thus, the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. 9 Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand. (The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Nu 25:6–9.)

 

What is the background to this tragic event?

 

As mentioned in Reading 117, while we were encamped in Shittim, along the border of Moab, we had devolved as a people into unimaginable apostacy. Specifically, we had given ourselves over to Ba’al of Peor worship.

 

This form of Ba’al worship was especially heinous and offensive. Without getting too graphic, it incorporated open sex acts as a feature of worship. Recall in 25:1 that besides our rendering sacrifices and bowing down to Ba’al, we began to “whore with the daughters of Moab.” (ESV)

 

So, our apostacy wasn’t only about us committing fornication and adultery with the woman of Moab; it was more about us engaging in adultery and fornication as part of our worship of Ba’al of Peor. Moshe described us as having “yoked” ourselves to Ba’al of Peor.

 

Now, the Septuagint offers a slightly different optic and logistic to this story that differs slightly from the way the ESV and other Masoretic-based texts render this story. These two differences add a little more texture to the story that I believe we need to consider before going further into our study.

 

6 And behold, a man of the sons of Israel (i.e. a native-born Israeli) went and brought his brother (aka “adelphos” or a son of the same mother) to a Midianite woman in front of Moses and before the entire congregation of the sons of Israel, and they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of testimony. 7 And seeing this, Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, the priest, rose up out of the midst of the congregation and took a barbed lance in his hand. 8 He went in after the Israelite man into the furnace (i.e. “kaminos” or kiln for smelting, baking, burning earthenware and bricks) and pierced both of them, both the Israelite man and the woman, through her womb. Then the plague was ceased from the sons of Israel. 9 Now those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand. (Rick Brannan, Ken M. Penner et al., The Lexham English Septuagint, Second Edition. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020), Nu 25:6–9.)

 

So, the Septuagint records that an (unnamed) Israeli man brought his brother to a Midianite woman in clear view of Moshe and the entire congregation of Yisrael. Remember, as this incident is playing out, because of our apostacy, Yah’s wrath manifested throughout our encampment as a deadly plague (25:8). As a result, Moshe and the congregation of Yisra’el (presumably those who had not yoked themselves to Ba’al of Peor worship) had assembled at the entrance of the Tent of Testimony to weep and petition Yehovah for mercy. (25:6) The text described Yah as being “incensed with wrath” against us.

 

The JPS rendering, a Masoretic-based text, describes the situation where “one of the Israelites came and brought a Midianite woman over to his companions, in the sight of Moses and of the whole Israelite community who were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.” (Michael Carasik, ed., Numbers: NJPS English Translation, trans. Michael Carasik, First edition., The Commentators’ Bible (Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 2011), Nu 25:6.)

 

This nuance to the storyline suggests that there was at least one member of our congregation (possibly more, we don’t know) that was actively promoting Ba’al of Peor sex-worship to us. This individual ends up pairing Zimri with this Midianite prostitute whose name we later learn is Kosbi. In other words, this unnamed man was acting in the capacity of a “pimp” and he was engaging in such heinous and disgusting activity amid a raging, deadly plague and in plain view of Moshe and the righteous remnant of Yisra’el. This shows that there are no limits to the wicked intent of the human heart, such that, even amid Yah’s wrath, man will pursue evil. (Can you imagine what the Great Tribulation is going to be like?) Yehovah describes the human heart as being “desperately wicked.” (Jer 17:9)

 

The second nuance I need to point out to you is that the Septuagint rendering records that outraged and impassioned Phinehas (Son of Eleazar the High Priest at this time) followed the couple “into the furnace” and ran them both through with a “barbed lance” (i.e. a spear or javelin).

 

Interestingly, the JPS records Phinehas followed the couple “into the chamber and stabbed both of them, the Israelite and the woman, through the belly.” (Michael Carasik, ed., Numbers: NJPS English Translation, trans. Michael Carasik, First edition., The Commentators’ Bible (Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 2011), Nu 25:8.)

 

I don’t know about you, but the various teachings I’ve listened to in this story have always led me to believe that Phinehas executed this couple inside Zimri’s personal tent or dwelling. However, these two texts make me question this thinking. We know the assembled congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting saw this couple go into a “chamber” (JPS which J. H. Hertz in his Torah-Haftarah defines as “the inner division of the large vaulted tents that were used as the apartment of the women,” pg. 679) and or a place that housed a “furnace” (LXX); possibly a tent that members of our congregation erected for the expressed purpose of Ba’al of Peor worship that may have also housed an altar of some sort by which worshipers would render sacrifices unto Ba’al of Peor in conjunction with their abominable sex acts. Regardless, this is the place that Phinehas does them both in and it doesn’t appear to be Zimri’s personal dwelling.

 

In his “Studies in the Torah — Numbers,” Tim Hegg puts forth the theory Zimri (or a fellow Israeli) accompanies Cozbi (the Midianite sex-cult prostitute) into the Tent of Meeting to engage in their abominable act of Ba’al of Peor worship. (p. 176) Mr. Hegg supports this theory by citing that this event took place “in the sight of Moses and all Israel, who were weeping at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting” … and “that Phinehas went into the tent when he struck them through.” He further writes they (i.e. the couple) were engaging in this fertility ritual within the Holy Place and the sin of Ba’al Peor had entered into the very Sanctuary of HaShem.” (pg. 176)

 

Hegg further supports his theory by mentioning a little background information on Torah’s stance on capital punishment. He supports his theory by citing that our congregation cannot administer capital punishment without first having the alleged criminal face a court of judges who would render a capital punishment verdict based upon the testimony of two or three witnesses. Once the court renders a guilty verdict, it falls to the witnesses to cast the first stones in that individual’s public execution. (Deu 17:6-11)

We see, however, in the case of Zimri and Kosbi, that Phinehas did not adhere to this judicial process. Instead, Phinehas summarily executes the couple without deference to the Law.

 

So, we must answer the question of why Yah openly favored Phinehas for carrying out this summary execution outside of these Torah provisions. Did Yah make an exception for Phinehas because he acted with Yah’s jealousy or zeal or passion? And in my mind’s eye, this is where the theory that the couple engaged in their abominable act within the confines of the Sanctuary makes some sense.

 

For all intents and purposes, the Tabernacle was sort of its own country within the congregation of Israel. Consequently, there is a separate set of rules governing Tabernacle operations. The Levites alone were responsible for overseeing all aspects of Tabernacle operations, including enforcing the maintenance of its utter sanctity.

 

53 But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony. (The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Nu 1:53.)

 

This being the case, and if the offense did in fact take place within the confines of the Tabernacle proper, then Phinehas fulfilled his duty as a Levitical Priest. He would have upheld the sanctity of the Tabernacle as Yah tasked the Levites with doing.

 

I, however, have a hard time believing that the couple engaged in their abominable act within the Tabernacle proper. Given all that we’ve discussed up to this point, I will concede that the traditional story of the couple engaging in Ba’al of Peor sex worship took place in Zimri’s tent is not accurate. It seems to me that the couple did what they did, and Phinehas did what he did, in a tent that members of our congregation set-up for Ba’al of Peor worship that was proximal (aka close) to the Sanctuary; maybe within the confines of the Sanctuary courtyard even. I can’t image that Moshe and the attending Levites would have permitted anyone other than a qualified Aaronic Priest to enter the Tent of Meeting in the first place. But if we had erected a tent for Ba’al worship somewhere near the Sanctuary grounds, Phinehas would have been legally justified in dispatching the couple the way he did.

 

But that’s just my thoughts and reflections on this matter. What do you think? How do you read and understand these passages? What spiritual applications can you draw from this part of our story that will enhance your walk in Messiah?

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Now that we have this background established before us, we can delve into this week’s Reading, which is contained in Numbers 25:10-26:51.

 

For our time together here today, we will only discuss Numbers 25:10-15, which reads:

 

 

10And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,

11“Pineḥas, son of El‛azar, son of Aharon the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Yisra’ěl, because he was ardent with My ardour in their midst (i.e. Phinehas was jealous/passionate/zealous with My jealousy/passion/zeal), so that I did not consume the children of Yisra’ěl in My ardour. 12“Therefore say, ‘See, I am giving him My covenant of peace, 13and it shall be to him and to his seed after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was ardent for his Elohim, and made atonement for the children of Yisra’ěl.’ ” 14And the name of the man of Yisra’ěl who was struck, who was struck with the Miḏyanite woman, was Zimri, son of Salu, a leader of a father’s house among the Shim‛onites. 15And the name of the Miḏyanite woman who was struck was Kozbi the daughter of Tsur. He was head of the people of a father’s house in Miḏyan. (The Scriptures, 3rd edition. (Northriding: Institute for Scripture Research, 2009), Nu 25:10–15.)

 

 

Yah tells Moshe that Phinehas’ righteous actions turned His righteous anger/wrath away from us. Yah described Phinehas’ actions as that of being “jealous with His jealousy.” Phinehas’ jealousy prevented our destruction.

 

Who was Phinehas? He was the son of the current High Priest, Eleazar. (1 Chr 6:4-15) So, he was an Aaronic Priest serving under His high priestly father, Eleazar.

 

 

 

Let’s talk about what Yehovah meant by describing Phinehas as being “jealous with His jealousy.”

Phinehas remained in solidarity with Yehovah amid great apostasy. R. Dennis Cole describes this as “the likemindedness of Phinehas with that of Yahweh.” (R. Dennis Cole, Numbers, vol. 3B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 443.)

The Hebrew term for “jealous/jealousy” as used in our text is “qana’”. “Qana” means to express “qin’ah” (i.e. zeal or passion) against something or against the offensive actions of another. Here in our reading, “Phinehas expressed God’s own zeal; he acted on his behalf.” (Baruch A. Levine, Numbers 21–36: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, vol. 4A, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 289.) It can also be described as “to become deeply impassioned” or “to become furiously jealous.” (R. Dennis Cole, Numbers, vol. 3B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 443.) The word, from this idiomatic sense, would carry the same emotion as that of a husband who believes or knows that his wife has been cheating on him (i.e. Num 5:11-31). Such a one is sorely jealous towards his wife. Thus, in like manner, Yehovah demands faithfulness from His bride (e.g. Exo 20:4-5). Any such transgression by Yah’s set apart people to the contrary (i.e. whoring after false gods as in the case of Ba’al of Peor) is subject to Yehovah’s holy and righteous wrath, which we’ve seen manifested in the form of plagues and summary executions of members of our community throughout our story line in recent weeks.

 

Qanna/jealous/passion/zeal for the things of Yehovah as expressed in our reading is not unique to our reading passage. Eliyahu (aka Elijah) declares to Yehovah when asked why he was hiding out in a cave: “I have been very zealous (aka “qana’”) for Yahweh the God of hosts (note, the LXX records Eliyahu as answering Yah: “Being zealous (aka qana’), I am zealous (aka qin’ah’) for Yehovah because…”), for the ⌊Israelites⌋ have forsaken your covenant. They have demolished your altars, and they have killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left over, and they seek to take my life. (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), 1 Ki 19:10.)

 

Then over in Zechariah, Yehovah declares His zealousness (aka jealousy/qana’) over Yerushalayim and Zion: “Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘⌊I am exceedingly jealous (aka “qana’” for Zion⌋; I am jealous (aka “qin’ah”) for it with great wrath.’ (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Zec 8:2.) Here, Yah declares out of His zeal/jealousy/passion – His “qana’” for Jerusalem and Zion, that He will destroy (aka “killah“) those who have destroyed her.

 

Because of Phinehas’ zealous act, Yah established with him and his seed a new covenant. This new covenant Yah referred to as His Covenant of Peace (i.e. “beriti shalom”). The covenant of peace was to be an everlasting priesthood built upon Phinehas’ zealousness for His Elohim and the atonement he made on our behalf that day. Yah reckoned Phinehas as righteous because of this one righteous act (Psa 106:28-31) – his “qana’”.

 

Mattathias of the Maccabees fame, upon his deathbed, called his sons to the same level of zealousness for Torah and the Covenant that Phinehas possessed:

 

50 Now therefore, my sons, be ye zealous for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of your fathers. (The Apocrypha: King James Version (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995), 1 Mac 2:50.) 54 Phinehas our father in being zealous and fervent obtained the covenant of an everlasting priesthood. (The Apocrypha: King James Version (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995), 1 Mac 2:54.)

 

It was this zealousness that propelled the Maccabees to defeating the great Macedonian military.

 

“The Rule of the Blessings” liturgical scroll from Qumran calls for a renewal of the Covenant of Peace to be placed over the Essene Community (1QSb 3:26).

 

By virtue of his Aaronic lineage, Phinehas was already assured the priestly privileges. His righteous act and the ensuing eternal covenant of peace confirmed his divinely appointed priestly destiny.

 

Phinehas’ priesthood would later be referred to as the Zadokite Priesthood. (Eze 44:15-16) Phinehas’ priestly dynasty was chosen by Yehovah to serve Him in His House of Prayer forever:

 

15 But the Levitical priests, the descendants of Zadok, who cared for the responsibility of my sanctuary ⌊when the Israelites went astray⌋ from me, they will approach me to serve me, and they will stand ⌊before me⌋ to offer to me fat and blood,” ⌊declares⌋ the Lord Yahweh. 16 “They shall come to my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table to serve me, and they will observe my requirement. (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Eze 44:15–16.)

 

Beyond this talk of being zealous or passionate for those things that Yehovah is zealous or passionate about, the covenant of peace that emerged from Phinehas’ act is really about an everlasting priesthood (i.e. Berit kehunnat ‘olam”). This everlasting priesthood was to be headed and inspired by the zealous spirit of Phinehas.

 

It should be noted that Yah placed no stipulations upon Phinehas nor his seed in order for this covenant to remain in force. Some would label this as a unilateral or non-conditional covenant, although in reality, Yah did not cut a truly conditional covenant with us. All of Yah’s covenant promises are irrevocable and permanent, despite what we do to infringe upon or transgress the tenets of those covenants.

 

The permanence of this covenant was reiterated by Yehovah when we went into Babylonian Captivity:

 

10 For the mountains may depart, and the hills may sway, but my faithfulness shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not sway,” says Yahweh, who has compassion on you… (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Is 54:10.)

 

That same covenant of peace will continue into the Millennial Kingdom:

 

24 And I, Yahweh, I will be for them ⌊as God⌋, and my servant David will be a leader in the midst of them. I, Yahweh, I have spoken. 25 And I will make them a covenant of peace, and I will put an end to wild animals from the land, and they will dwell in the desert ⌊safely⌋, and they will sleep in the forest. (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Eze 34:24–25.)

 

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The direct descendants of Phinehas who are privileged of Yehovah to render priestly services unto Him in the Millennial Kingdom were the sons of Zadok. Zadok means “righteous”. Zadok is derived from the Hebrew noun “the Lord is righteous.”

 

Who was Zadok? He was a Levitical Priest who was loyal to King David. (2 Sam 8:17; 1 Chr 6:3-8) Zadok continued to serve as a Cohen (aka priest) into Solomon’s reign. During David’s reign as king, Ithamar’s descendants served as High Priests. The scriptures show Zadok anointed Solomon and took on the role of High Priest (1 Kin 1:39-45). However, Ithamar’s corrupted descendants, coupled with Zadok’s abiding loyalty to kings David and Solomon, led to the high priesthood being passed on to Zadok’s descendants. This change in the high priesthood was not a knee-jerk reaction to the corruption that had crept into the priestly ranks. In response to the corruption of Eli’s priestly line, Yah declared He would raise up for Himself a reliable priest (1 Sam 2:35). Thus, the Zadokite high priestly dynasty emerged. We often refer to these righteous descendants of Zadok as Zadokim or the Zadokites.

 

Despite several texts certifying Zadok descended from Aaron and Eleazar, other texts seem to suggest otherwise. Some scholars allege that Zadok was not of Aaron’s and Eleazar’s lineage and that he descended from an unknown line that certain scribes have gone to great lengths to erase. I personally doubt Zadok descended from any priestly line other than Eleazar’s and Phinehas’. We see in our reading this week that Yehovah promised Phinehas an everlasting priesthood of peace. Zadok and his priestly dynasty matches to a tee the zeal (i.e. “qana’”) for the priestly office as originated by Phinehas. Furthermore, Yehovah, through His Prophet Ezekiel certified Zadok descended from Aaron and Eleazar. (Eze 4:46)

 

The steadfast loyalty of Zadok’s sons to the exacting ways of Yehovah and their priestly responsibilities caught Yehovah’s attention. Through His prophet Ezekiel, Yah appointed the sons of Zadok to be His select priestly line to serve Him in His Son’s millennial kingdom.

 

And the chamber ⌊with its face to the north⌋ is for the priests who are taking care of the responsibility of the altar. They are the descendants of Zadok, the ones who approach from among the descendants of Levi to Yahweh to serve him. (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Eze 40:46.)

 

And you must give to the Levitical priests who are from the offspring of Zadok, the ones coming near me,” ⌊declares⌋ the Lord Yahweh, “to serve me, a bull, ⌊a calf⌋ as a sin offering. (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Eze 43:19.)

 

15 But the Levitical priests, the descendants of Zadok, who cared for the responsibility of my sanctuary ⌊when the Israelites went astray⌋ from me, they will approach me to serve me, and they will stand ⌊before me⌋ to offer to me fat and blood,” ⌊declares⌋ the Lord Yahweh. 16 “They shall come to my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table to serve me, and they will observe my requirement. (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Eze 44:15–16.)

 

11 To the priests, the ones being consecrated from the descendants of Zadok, who took care of my service and who ⌊did not go astray⌋ ⌊when the Israelites went astray⌋, ⌊just as⌋ the Levites went astray. 12 And it will be for them a special gift from the contribution of the land ⌊as a most holy object⌋ next to the territory of the Levites. (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Eze 48:11–12.)

 

What we see playing out here is evidence that Yah will surely keep His covenant promise to Phinehas of an eternal covenant of peace.

 

Loyal and zealous Zadok didn’t just serve as a priest during David’s rule. He also served as a fierce warrior in David’s army. Yehovah had taken Saul’s rule over Israel away from him and gave it over to David. (1 Chr 12) We find in 1 Chronicles and Josephus (Ant. VII. ii. 2) record of Zadok serving David as a military commander in battles against Israel’s enemies (i.e. against the Jebusites and Philistines).

 

The priests, Joshua son of Jehozadak and Ezra, that accompanied us in our return to the Land from Babylonian captivity were Zadok descendants (Ezr 7:1-7). Even during the time of our captivity, these sons of Zadok remained true to their priestly calling. As a result, Yah’s hand was upon Ezra (7:6). The zeal of the Zadokite priests remained through the time of the Maccabees, after which political intrigue all but forced them underground and out of service. Some believe, as I, that the priestly descendants of Zadok abandoned the second Temple in Jerusalem and took up residence in Qumran. The Essenes of Qumran, as evident in some of their sacred texts (aka the Dead Sea Scrolls), extolled the legitimacy and virtue of the Zadokite priesthood. Some scholars speculate that the Qumran Essenes included members of the Zadokite priesthood. I find this theory to be plausible, given the zeal we know the Essenes held for Yehovah and His Ways. These believed that the Jerusalem Temple establishment was irreparably corrupt. Thus, these Zadokim uprooted themselves from the politics and corruption of the Jerusalem temple establishment and resettled in Qumran where they safeguarded the oracles of Yehovah (aka the Dead Sea Scrolls). 

 

Interestingly, some have linked the first century Jewish sect of the Sadducees with the Zadokite priestly line. Certain scholars have declared that the title Sadducee is derived from Zadok. (Reference: Mark Allan Powel, Harper Collins Bible Dictionary) Michael Rood in his Gospel Chronology is a firm advocate of this thinking. We know from the Gospel record that the first century priestly line (i.e. the Sadducees) was indeed irreparably corrupt. To think that the Sadducees were of the same timber as the righteous sons of Zadok is suspect to me. I tend to side with the righteous Zadok line, finding her last recorded location in Qumran to be more in line with the zealous character of Phinehas to be the most plausible theory of the two.

 

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Baruch A. Levine, in his commentary on the Book of Numbers, made the bold move of renaming the Covenant of Peace to that of a Covenant of Fellowship:

 

“Behold, I am granting him my covenant, fellowship.” That is to say, my covenant will consist of fellowship. (Baruch A. Levine, Numbers 21–36: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, vol. 4A, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 289.)

 

When I first came across Levine’s statement, I rejected it outright, but then I reflected upon it. It later became clear to me that indeed one of Yehovah’s deepest desires and goals is to establish a relationship and be in loving and peaceful fellowship with His chosen ones. Yet, when we are in a rebellious state of being, as we were during our time of apostacy in Shittim, there can be no such fellowship with Him.

 

When we choose Yehovah and His ways over that of the world and its ways, we have the privilege of partaking of this covenant of peace, aka, this covenant of fellowship. Yehovah is zealous (aka “qana’”) about His standards and about His people remaining true to Him and His ways. He described Himself to us as being a jealous (aka “qana’”) God; a consuming fire (Exo 34:14; Deu 4:24). He commanded and informed us that:

 

9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them (i.e. false gods): for I the LORD thy God am a jealous (aka “qana’”) God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me…(The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Dt 5:9–6:15.)

 

We cannot truly walk in covenant with Yehovah unless we are zealous/passionate/jealous – “qana’” about the things that He is zealous/passionate/jealous about. There must be a singleness of heart and mind between us and our Elohim for there to be true fellowship. The prophet asked a key question of us as Yah prepared to punish us for our iniquities:

 

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Am 3:3.) And of course, the answer to this critical question is no. We cannot be in fellowship with the Creator of the Universe when we are at odds with Him and His ways. That’s why He brought a devastating plague upon us in response to our disgusting apostacy with Ba’al of Peor. We had broken fellowship with Him because we sought after and worshiped Ba’al. It wasn’t until Phinehas displayed such burning zeal (aka “qana’”) for Yehovah and His ways and stood against our apostacy that Yehovah stayed the plague and restored fellowship or “shalom” between us and Him.

 

Master Yahoshua possessed such passion/zeal/jealousy/”qana’” for Yehovah and His House (aka the Temple) that He cleanse the Temple Mount of the merchants and money changers (Joh 2:14-17). Such “qana’” was prophesied to be an established character trait of the Messiah:

 

8 I have become a stranger to my brothers and a foreigner to my mother’s sons,

9 because the zeal for your house (i.e. your Temple) has consumed me, and the reproaches of those reproaching you have fallen on me. (W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Ps 69:8–9.)

 

If our consuming aim is to make it into the Kingdom, we must imitate our Master Yeshua in every way possible. This includes being “qana’” or zealous for the things of Yehovah. Our “qana’” for the things of Yehovah must consume us, as it did Yahoshua and Phinehas. And if we find ourselves with such burning passion/jealousy/zeal/”qana’” for the things and ways of Yehovah, He will honor us by cutting and maintaining a covenant of peace or fellowship with us.

 

How do we get to the place in our walk with Messiah that we possess such a consuming, burning passion for the things and ways of Yehovah? Well, we must seek — pursue Yehovah’s righteousness and His kingdom. And the easiest way of accomplishing this is to believe Master Yeshua and commit to walking only in His ways. And the only way we can accomplish this is to devour Yah’s Word, pray without ceasing, obey His instructions in righteousness, and listen to His voice, because Yah’s Ways are our Master’s Ways.

 

In so doing, we begin to develop a deep and abiding relationship with Master Yahoshua and His Father. Over time, we will become jealous/”qana’” with Yehovah’s jealousy/”qin’ah” because we are being transformed into the image of Master Yeshua. (Rom 8:29; Col 3:10) Consequently, Yeshua is the splitting image of His Father. (Heb 10:1)

 

Now, more than at any other time in history, Yehovah’s elect must be “qana’” with Yehovah’s “qana’” (Num 25:11). The world has devolved to such a state that that which is good is considered by the world as evil and that which is evil the world now sees as good. (Isa 5:20) Yah declares His fierce anger upon those who embrace such foolishness. It thus falls to us, Yah’s chosen ones, to jealously walk in His righteous ways and teach the world to do so as well. Yah is counting on us to image Him in this fallen, corrupt world. He’s given us all we need to accomplish this: He’s given us His Holy Spirit and His Word. And if we are willing to hold the line, using the resources He’s placed at our disposal, we can’t help but be victorious and forever in peaceful/fellowship covenant with our Creator.

 

The apostle wrote to the Messianic Roman Assembly:

 

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ro 8:35–39.)

 

Have a blessed Sabbath and an overcoming week in Yeshua Messiah, beloved of Yehovah.

 

Take care.

 

The Inherited Lie of Replacement Theology-Part 3 of Israel’s Inextricable Link to our Salvation Series

by | Jan 5, 2024 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Greetings

This is “Exposing the Lie that is Replacement Theology-Part 3 of Israel’s Inextricable Link to our Salvation.”

 

Recap and Purpose of Post

 

In part one we interpreted Master Yehoshua’s statement to the woman at Jacob’s well that salvation is of the Jew. In Part 2, we interpreted Paul’s statement there is neither Jew nor Greek/Gentile in Messiah. In this third installment in our series, I will respond to a commenter’s statements refuting Israel’s connection to our salvation. Turns out that the commenter’s rejection of Israel is quite common among denominationalists, and dare I say, certain Messianic and Quasi-Hebrew Roots sects.

And if you are a true member of Nazarene Israel, or you are earnestly seeking truth that only comes from the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov, you’re going to want to listen to what I have to share with you in this installment of our series.

The commenter’s rejection of Israel and the role she plays in our salvation is based on popularly held, anti-Semitic, anti Torah, dare I say, anti God false doctrine. Sadly, the prevalence, dominance of this false doctrine, is leading countless souls down the path of destruction. How and why? It not only perpetuates Anti Torah, anti-god, and anti-Torah sentiments, it promotes and justifies in the minds of their unwitting members, their perverted hyper-grace and super secret, pre-tribulation rapture doctrines. 

Yeshua warned His disciples that many will come to Him in that day, seeking to enter the kingdom. And these will declare that they were born again Christians doing the Lord’s work. But the Master will send them to outer darkness, declaring that He never knew them. He will call them workers of lawlessness as they exit the gate heading to God knows where. (Mat 7:22-24) 

Beloved, we don’t want any part of that. We should be desperately desiring to receive and enter the Kingdom and hear our Master declare to us before the Court of Heaven: Well done, my good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over a few things. Come on in “ye blessed of Yehovah and inherit the Kingdom that has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Mat 25:34)

So, by the time we are done here today, beloved, we will be in the best position to discern truth from error as it relates to Israel’s inseparable link to our salvation.  

I’ve taken the commenter’s remarks and broken them down into five points of contention, all of which we will explore in this teaching.

 

  1. Matthew records Yeshua stating He was going to take the Kingdom of God from “you” and give it to a nation that will bring forth fruit. (21:43) The challenger identifies the “you” as Israel.

 

  1. Yeshua will never give the Kingdom (i.e. the covenant) back to Israel.

 

  1. The blessing that Yah promised Avraham would bring to the world is Christ Jesus, not Israel, as no blessing can ever come from unregenerated man. This, despite the fundamental fact that, without Israel, there would be no Yahoshua. He was and remains Yisra’el’s Messiah!

 

  1. The covenant that Yehovah made with Avraham was exclusive to his seed, not his physical descendants. And oh, by the way, Christians are Avraham’s true seed.

 

  1. Israel has been “broken off.” Broken off from what? Broken off from the covenant and its promises, which include their receiving and inhabiting the Land and the Kingdom and salvation, because they sinned and broke covenant with Yehovah. So, they misapply Paul’s teaching of the olive tree in Romans 11 by insisting that Jesus broke the branches of Israel off from the root of the commonwealth of Israel in order to make room for the Church Triumphant. 

 

The Kingdom is not the Same as the Covenant

 The Kingdom of God (aka the Malchut Elohim) and the covenant (be it the original or renewed covenant) are not the same, although they are inseparably linked one to the other. 

The Kingdom of Yah is every true believer’s desired, ultimate destination. It is the focal point of Yeshua and John the Immerser’s Gospel message. It is the declaration—the Good News—that the Malchut Elohim is near and that God’s people (at the time John and Yeshua preached this message; it was Israeli Jews) needed to teshuvah and be baptized (i.e. be purified) to receive it (Mat. 3:2; 4:17; Mar. 1:15). 

Yeshua Sent to the Lost Sheep of Israel by His Father 

The Gospel was first preached exclusively, with few exceptions, to first-century Israeli Jews by John the Immerser and Yahoshua and His anointed disciples. Yeshua described His mission in that regard and at that time as being restricted to the Lost Sheep of Israel (Mat. 10:6; 15:24). 

So, riddle me this Batman. Why were Yeshua’s and John’s preaching and teaching of the Gospel restricted to the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel? Because the covenant that exists between Yehovah and Israel required that the commonwealth that is Yisra’el be the first to receive it. The Plan of Salvation, Redemption, and Restoration was to be implemented by the Person and Ministries of Yeshua Messiah, but it would be born out of the covenant relationship Yah cut and possessed with Yisra’el. Again, Yehovah never-ever cut or established a covenant relationship with any other human entities or nations on this planet. To say otherwise is to add to and take away from Father’s Word, which is a transgression/violation of Torah (Deu. 4:21; 12:32; Pro. 30:6; Rev. 22:18-19). 

 

Yeshua is Yisra’el’s Messiah

 

The other thing we must keep in mind, beloved, is that Yeshua was and continues to be Yisra’el’s Messiah! Moshe declared:

 

“Yehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken…” (Deu.18.15; ASV; cf. Act. 3:22; 7:37)

 

Was it the Kingdom or the Covenant That was Being Stripped from the Religious Leaders?

 

The challenger cites Matthew 21:43 as a support for his anti-covenant doctrine:

 

43“Because of this I say to you: the reign of Elohim (aka the Kingdom of God) shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits of it. Scriptures[1].

 

This statement of the “kingdom being given to another people” was given within the context of Yeshua being challenged by the Chief Priest and Scribes (aka the elders) as to His authority to teach, preach, heal the blind and lame, and cleanse the Temple Mount of the money changers (Mat. 21:12-14, 23). And because of these Jewish leaders’ stubborn rejection of Yeshua’s Messiahship, He declared to them, not national Israel or to Jews in general mind you that the Kingdom would be given first to those who were considered least in Israel, such as prostitutes and tax collectors. He declared to His challengers that these would enter the Kingdom ahead of you. (Now, keep this phrase about these will enter the Kingdom ahead of you in mind as it will have significance in terms of the everlasting covenant Yah established and manifests among national and remnant Israel.)

 

The Problematic Pharisaic Mindset

 

Yeshua was specific in His rebuttal to these Jewish religious leaders’ challenge of His authority as Israel’s Messiah. Let us not overlook the first century Pharisaic mindset. That mindset placed the Pharisee on equal footing with Moshe: greater than Moshe even. These gave themselves the authority to make laws and rulings equal to, and many times, exceeding, that of Torah. Pharisaic rulings and laws, which they sold to the nation like that of a fence around Torah, are called TAKANOT. 

 

As an example, according to Rood’s excellent Gospel Chronology, the Pharisees (aka Prushim) enacted some 500 takanot Governing the keeping of Sabbath (Talmud, Shabbat). They insisted to the nation that they alone sat in the seat of Moshe, and that “when they make takanot, even the almighty must obey their verdict” (Rood; The Chronological Gospels; p. 18). Their rulings are often referred to as the “Oral Law” (i.e. the Talmud), which they contend are superior to the “Written Law” (i.e. the Torah).

 

As it relates to the Kingdom being taken from them as the recognized, orthodox religious leaders of their day, the Kingdom would be given to remnant Israel—Nazarene Israel—true Israel instead.

 

Who is “remnant or true Israel” then? Biblically—Hebraically—and from a covenant perspective — “remnant Israel” comprises Israelis who are in a trusting and obedient covenant relationship with the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov (Zep. 3.13; Ezr. 9.15; Isa. 10.20; Eze. 9.8). Remnant Yisra’el forms the root of the commonwealth of Yisra’el that we who are of Mashiyach are grafted into (Rom. 11). The purest of the remnant are, of course, Messianic Jews or Messianic Israelites, Hebrew followers and disciples of Yahoshua Messiah.

 

Let us not conflate possession of the Kingdom with possession of Yah’s covenant and covenant promises. Yeshua did not say that the covenant was being stripped from Israel or the Jews and handed over to the Gentiles. Not in the least. To say that this is what Yeshua was saying to these Jewish leaders in this passage is a lie from the pit of hell and a promotion of the false doctrine of “Replacement Theology”.

The Scourge and Lie that is Replacement Theology

 

A mainstay doctrine of denominationalism is that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ ushered in what many of their pastors, teachers, and preachers refer to as the Church Age. The Church Triumphant has henceforth and forevermore replaced the Jew or the Hebrew or Yisra’el as God’s chosen or favored or covenant people. This is called replacement theology.

 

Within the guise of replacement theology the Church Triumphant sees herself as having replaced Yisra’el as God’s favored covenant people. A sort of “spiritual Israel” if you will. She has become the sole entity to receive all the covenant promises that were once promised exclusively to Yisra’el. This, according to replacement theology proponents, was God’s plan from the very beginning. Yisra’el choked and couldn’t hang as she repeatedly broke covenant with the Almighty, rebelled, and sinned. 

 

Some Christian academics prefer to call replacement theology “supersessionism” or “fulfillment” theology (ref. What is replacement theology / supersessionism / fulfillment theology? | GotQuestions.org). Regardless how they attempt to market it, replacement theology, supersessionism, fulfillment theology, etc., is spurious and even anti-semitic. It is a lie from the Pit.

 

The other thing the “Got Questions” article got right in refuting replacement theology’s claims that God abandoned Yisra’el for the Church Triumphant is the inexplicable reality and existence of the Jewish nation of Yisra’el today. The writer penned:

 

 “If Israel has been condemned by God and there is no future for the Jewish nation, how do we explain the supernatural survival of the Jewish people over the past 2,000 years despite the many attempts to destroy them? How do we explain why and how Israel reappeared as a nation in the 20th century after not existing for 1,900 years?” (ibid.)

 

Oh, but the “replacers” have a rebuttal to this. These contend that the people who presently live in the Land of Israel are not true descendants of Jacob, but are, in fact, impostors. Kazars. Squatters, and so forth, which a series of DNA tests have proved otherwise (reference www.youtube.com/watch?v=OShfQbxXdol). However, these replacement proponents do not realize the foolish game they’re playing when they go out of their way to justify the lie that is replacement theology. Among several things, they are either wittingly or unwittingly calling Yehovah Elohim a liar to His face.

 

Yah, through His prophet, declared:

 

40‘And I shall make an everlasting covenant with them (i.e. Yisrael), that I do not turn back from doing good to them. And I shall put My fear in their hearts so as not to turn aside from Me. 41‘And I shall rejoice over them to do good to them, and shall plant them in this land in truth, with all My heart and with all My being.’ 42“For thus said יהוה, ‘As I have brought all this great evil on this people, so I am bringing on them all the good that I am speaking to them. 43‘And fields shall be bought in this land of which you are saying, “It is a wasteland, without man or beast. It has been given into the hand of the Kasdim.” 44‘Fields shall be bought for silver, and deeds signed and sealed, and witnesses be called, in the land of Binyamin, and in the places around Yerushalayim, and in the cities of Yehuḏah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the low country, and in the cities of the South. For I shall turn back their captivity,’ declares יהוה.” Scriptures[2], Jer.32

 

Dispensationalism—Replacement Theology’s Wicked Sister Theology

 

Sadly, this article takes an abrupt and fatal turn by offering to the reader the false oasis of another theological understanding that is related to replacement theology. It is called “Dispensationalism”. Dispensationalists, according to this article, contend that “the church is distinct from Israel” and “the terms church and Israel are never to be confused or used interchangeably.” The article lambaste Israel. It contends—and I’m paraphrasing—the Church is separate and superior to Israel in several ways. The least of which has to do with Israel being subject to curses and blessings—i.e. the Mosaic Covenant or the Law (we’ve all heard this before, that the Law or Torah is bad, even a curse)—which have sidelined her in terms of God’s plan of salvation. The church, according to dispensationalists, began on Pentecost and has—although they won’t come out and say so—replaced Israel; at least until after the rapture of the Church. Then and only then will God throw Israel a bone and “restore Israel as the primary focus of His plan.”

 

Sadly, this article is mixed with truths, half-truths, and outright lies. Unfortunately, millions of otherwise well-meaning, but sorely mistaken souls have bought into these doctrines. And this happens when generations of would be believers in denominationalism’s Jesus Christ train their members to reject the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov, and His Torah; to replace the bible’s Hebrew Messiah with their Greek Christ; to deny the reality that the events of the Pentecost just days after the Master’s ascension involved almost entirely and exclusively Roman Empire Jews; to ignore the reality that there were no so-called Christian Churches in the first-century Roman Empire, but synagogues comprising both believing Jews and Gentiles. And that it wasn’t until well into the second century, most notably the third century, that nascent Roman Catholicism forced a schism/separation between Messianic Jews and non-Jewish believers in a Greco-Roman Jesus, which resulted in the Nazarene Israelites (i.e. the Messianics) being driven underground for centuries. The proponents of “replacement” and “dispensationalism” theologies are a continuation of that Greco-Roman church that has persisted for 2,000+ years. They are the children of Roman Catholicism.

 

The replacers and dispensationalists have no true biblical basis upon which to support their claims that Israel has been kicked to the curb while they have crept in, replaced her as Yehovah’s chosen people, and absconded with God’s favor (i.e. the covenant) that once belonged to true or remnant Israel. Both of these satanically inspired doctrines were created by the enemy to foil the Creator’s Plan of Salvation, Redemption, and Restoration.

 

 

The Antisemitic Tenor of Replacement Theology

 

Let us not forget that the first converts to the true faith, overwhelmingly so, were Israeli Jews. Our Heavenly Father sent our Master Yahoshua to these individuals, not to the Gentile nations. Upon their coming into a trusting faith in Master Yahoshua, these remained Jews or Hebrew. However, these became true Israelites. Nazarene Israelis. Inheritors of the Kingdom and the Land, as Yeshua promised (Mat. 5). We, non-Jews (aka Gentiles), who’ve come into a trusting faith with the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov, having become engrafted into this commonwealth which is Yisra’el (Rom. 11), and have every right to be called Nazarene Israel. Remnant Israel. Messianic Hebrews. And because of our engrafted state, we walk in obedient covenant with Yehovah because our Master walked in the Way and He has commanded us to do likewise.

 

 

 

Why is this important to Messianic/Nazarene Israelites?

 

Beloved, I know that some of you who have listened to or read the previous two installments in this series are probably rolling your eyes and are frustrated by my persistence on this subject. Why am I so passionate about this controversial topic of Israel being inextricably linked to our salvation?

 

I’m passionate about this subject because I am passionate about you and I making it into the kingdom. The renewed mission of this ministry is firstly to promote the Gospel of the Kingdom and second, teaching and promoting the Yeshua-focused-Torah-life principles that will get us into the Kingdom.

 

What we see going on around us today in a united worldwide show of hatred and rejection of Israel is only the tip of the iceberg. Master warned His disciples that they would face persecution and martyrdom for aligning themselves with the true Mashiyach of Yisra’el. Furthermore, people who they trusted with their lives would betray them to the persecutors as their love waxed cold.

 

Despite this prophecy being contemporaneous with His disciples (i.e., they all except for John the Revelator would suffer martyrdom), that which happened to them will inevitably happen to many of us in the dark days ahead. And no doubt, some of those foretold betrayers will probably be our denominationalist cousins who have already turned away from the true faith and the Gospel and view us with the same antisemitic disdain they have for national and religious Israel. So, buckle up, beloved, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

 

The failure of the Church Triumphant leadership to groom her people to receive and enter the Kingdom is impeachable at best. I dare say felonious. They, like their first-century Pharisaic brethren before them, think they have a say as to who will receive and enter the Kingdom. They believe they control when, how, and who as it relates to the Kingdom through their anti-Torah, Greco-Roman doctrine. Their rejection of remnant Israel and Yah’s instructions in righteousness for their perverted grace theology will cause untold millions to be turned away at the gates to the Kingdom by our Master Yeshua. Yeshua will tell them He has no relationship with them (i.e., I never knew you), He has no relationship with them because these affiliated themselves with a gutted out version of the true faith once delivered which rejects Yah’s instructions and that discourages any of their members in establishing and maintaining a true and substantive covenant relationship with Yehovah through Yeshua Messiah.

 

 

The Permanence of Israel’s Covenant with Yehovah

 

No matter what foolishness our replacement-dispensationalist cousins come up with in their rejection of Yehovah and his plan for his elect ones, scripture undeniably proves the permanence of Israel’s covenant relationship with the almighty.

 

37 Look, I am going to gather them from all the lands to which I driven them in my anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath, and I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell ⌊in safety⌋. 38 And they will be for me a people, and I will be for them God. 39 And I will give to them one heart and one way, to revere me ⌊forever⌋, for good to them, and to their children after them. 40 And I will ⌊make⌋ with them ⌊an everlasting covenant⌋ that I will not turn away from them, my doing good to them, and my reverence I will put in their hearts so that they will not turn aside from me. 41 And I will rejoice over them to do good to them, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness with all my heart, and with all my inner self.” (Jer.32; LEB)

 

         And I will make with you an everlasting covenant,

The enduring loyalty promised to David. (Isa.55; Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

 

 

And I shall give their reward in truth, and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9“And their seed shall be known among the nations, and their offspring in the midst of the peoples. All who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed יהוה has blessed.” (Isa.61; The Scriptures ISR)

 

 

60“But I shall remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I shall establish an everlasting covenant with you. (Eze.16; The Scriptures ISR)

 

 

26“And I shall make a covenant of peace with them—an everlasting covenant it is with them. And I shall place them and increase them, and shall place My set-apart place in their midst, forever.

27“And My Dwelling Place shall be over them. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.

28“And the nations shall know that I, יהוה, am setting Yisra’ěl apart, when My set-apart place is in their midst—forever.” ’ ” (Eze.37; The Scriptures ISR)

 

And so we find in these riveting verses promise after promise made Yehovah to Israel that He is going to remember the covenant He has with them, and from that covenant He’s going to create an expansive addition to the covenant He originally cut with them. This renewed covenant will be exclusive to Israel. It will be a covenant of peace. It will be an everlasting covenant. This everlasting covenant of peace (i.e., shalom) is none other than the well known and recited renewed covenant.

 

31“See, the days are coming,” declares יהוה, “when I shall make a renewed covenant with the house of Yisra’ěl and with the house of Yehuḏah,

32not like the covenant I made with their fathers in the day when I strengthened their hand to bring them out of the land of Mitsrayim, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares יהוה.

33“For this is the covenant I shall make with the house of Yisra’ěl after those days, declares יהוה: I shall put My Torah in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.

34“And no longer shall they teach, each one his neighbour, and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know יהוה,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares יהוה. “For I shall forgive their crookedness, and remember their sin no more.” (Jer.31; The Scriptures ISR; cf. Heb.8)

 

 

This renewed covenant forms the basis of the Kingdom of Yah that exists within us today, as well as the eschatological or soon coming kingdom that will crush and eliminate all earthly kingdoms in its wake!

 

The God of Heaven will establish a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, a kingdom that shall not be transferred to another people. It will crush and wipe out all these kingdoms, but shall itself last forever…(Dan.2.44; Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

 

The other thing that we see here in terms of this renewed covenant—which by the way does not void or annul the original covenant Yah cut with Yisrael—is that it will be a “unilateral covenant”. A unilateral covenant (aka an unconditional covenant) is one where Yah alone promises to act on Yisra’el’s behalf without Yisra’el being obligated to do anything in return. It’s a one-sided covenant, if you will. And this unconditional covenant comprises Yehovah gathering the two-divided Houses of Yisra’el into one and implanting in the minds and inscribing upon the hearts (i.e. the newly circumcised hearts) of the people of both houses His Torah. This sovereign act will eliminate the rebelliousness (aka the stiffneckedness) that Yisra’el had become universally known for. In so doing, Yehovah Elohim will be forever Yisra’el’s God and Yisra’el will forever be Yehovah’s set-apart people. Before the renewal of this everlasting covenant, Yisra’el was required to walk according to the tenets of the original covenant, which we know they failed miserably at. Now, Yah will fix it within every biological descendant of Jacob (yes, even the stiffnecked orthodox Jew), not just the engrafted of the commonwealth of Jacob, where they will walk in Yah’s ways without fail or error. Yah will reprogram every Israeli and remove all impediments to their covenant relationship with Him. Each Israeli will have a personal relationship with Yehovah. The same personal covenant relationship many of us possess even today. And last, Yah will forgive Yisra’el all her sins.

 

Talk about grace!

 

Yeshua Backs up the Permanence of Israel’s Covenant

 

Yehovah restricted Yeshua’s one-year ministry to the lost sheep of Israel, with just a handful of exceptions (Mat. 10.6; 15:24). This restriction applied to Yeshua’s one year mission as well and to His disciple’s initial ministry work. All this meant was that the Gospel was not to be shared with the “ethnos” or people of the nations (aka the Gentiles) at that early stage.

 

Why? Isn’t the Gospel for all of humanity?

 

Yes indeed, the Gospel is meant to reach all of humanity. However, the replacers and dispensationalists of denominationalism sadly reject the framework upon which the Gospel would rest and then go forth to all the world under the auspices of Yeshua’s Great Commission.

 

Let’s face it, beloved: Replacement theology is ignorant wishful thinking. It’s wishful thinking as if someone knows they owe the IRS a ton of money and they ignore the monthly demand letters and delude themselves into thinking that the IRS is eventually going to forget that they owe the money and slip away forever quietly in the night. Crazy! It ain’t going to happen. That’s just crazy talk. The truth of the matter is that the IRS is ruthless and they will come for and eventually get the money they claim they owe unless the one who owes faces the reality and deals amicably with the IRS to resolve their tax problem.

 

Speaking of problems: false doctrines such as replacement theology and dispensationalism and such take hold when so-called believers (1) choose to not believe Yehovah and His Son Yeshua but choose to believe their pastors, teachers, ministers, friends, the internet, and so forth; and (2) when so-called believers pick which portions of Yah’s Word they will accept and walk in (e.g. eliminating the Torah or the entire Tanakh because it doesn’t work for them). And so, when we eliminate half of Yah’s instructions in righteousness and choose to believe that Yah doesn’t mean what He says, we set ourselves up for failure and an eventual “I’ll pass on you coming into the Kingdom because I don’t have a relationship with you. So don’t let the gates of the Kingdom hit you on the way out.”

 

 Of the 16-mentions of covenant in the Brit Hadashah (aka the New Testament), not one of those mentions has anything to do with Yehovah establishing a covenant with anyone other than Yisra’el.

 

 

  1. Action

 

 

So then, beloved, where does this leave the replacers and dispensationalists and denominationalists in terms of Yisra’el and her inextricable link to our salvation? Well, simply this: they, like each of us, must shake-off the lies they’ve inherited from their fathers and get on-board Yah’s covenant train; the train that He commissioned only with Yisra’el.

 

And here’s the most exceptional news: If we enter into and walk in that essential covenant relationship with the Almighty through the Person and Ministries of Yeshua today, along with true Israel (i.e. become a Nazarene Israelite), we can begin enjoying and benefiting from the fatness that comes from the root that is the commonwealth of Yisra’el (i.e. the benefits and favor of being Yah’s chosen one with all the privileges that are associated therein; a partaker of the covenant promises; blessed of Yah and His grace-even His salvation) before the general redemption of Yisra’el that is soon to come.

 

 

Please understand me beloved.

 

I’m not advocating or promoting a forced or even an unreasonable love for the modern state of Israel. We all know that there are many shortcomings when it comes to the modern state of Israel. What I am advocating and promoting, however, is respect and hope and prayer for Israel, especially remnant Israel; true Israel. And I’m sorry: our western society has over the last several decades conditioned their subjects to reject any and everything related to Israel because of the very topic I discussed with you in this teaching: replacement theology. Many of us simply can’t get over ourselves and the deeply ingrained rejection of all things Israel.

 

Replacers and dispensationalists would have us all reject the concept of a covenant and faith that is built around Yah’s people and that the rest of us have been invited to be a part of that a covenant relationship through the Person and Ministries of Yeshua. To these it feels more appropriate to point out the shortcomings of Jews and past and present modern Israel and declare that they are so much better than Israel; that God has chosen them as the Church to be His favored ones. And they do this not seeing the horrendous shortcomings of the so-called Church that has terribly failed to do that which they claim she was commissioned to do.

 

We who’ve chosen to walk in Covenant with the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov have become one with remnant Israel through the Person and Ministries of Yeshua Messiah. This is the only game in town beloved and we should rejoice and be glad in this amazing Plan of Yah to reunite humanity unto Himself for the rest of eternity.

 

If Jehovah has an exclusive plan for Yisra’el such that all Yisra’el will be saved (Rom. 11:26), how do we non-Jewish believers in Yeshua factor into that plan? Well, Paul and the prophets of old reveal how this is going to all play out. And Abba willing, we will explore this plan in the next and final installment to this series.

 

So, let us pray for the peace of Yerushalayim; for the nation state of Israel that is home to remnant Israel (although many are still in exile throughout the world); that unbelieving Yisra’el will have those scales removed from their eyes and that they will recognize Yahoshua whom they pierced, teshuvah and be reunited with Yehovah forever (Zec. 12.10; Joh. 19:37).

 

And lastly beloved, I would be remiss if I didn’t invite those of you who may be listening or reading this post, who have not entered and are not walking in a true and substantive covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe, to do so today. Simply believe that Yeshua, Yehovah’s Son, bore your sins on His execution stake and His blood can atone for those sins. Repent, ask Yehovah to forgive you of your sins, and sin no more. And because you believe Yeshua, you are compelled to act. And that act is to be water immersed and then begin walking uprightly before your Creator. Walk steadfastly in a covenant relationship with Him. Turn your life entirely over to Him. Seek His Kingdom and His righteousness. Today is the day of salvation beloved. Don’t let another day go by without getting right with Yehovah.

But Paul Said There is Neither Jew Nor Greek–Part 2 of Israel’s Inextricable Link to our Salvation Series

by | Dec 22, 2023 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

This is “But Paul Said There is Neither Jew nor Greek—Israel’s Inextricable Link to our Salvation Part 2

In part 1 of this series, I gave what I hope was a clear explanation of why I was led to explore Israel’s unshakable link to our salvation, which in great part was due to the troubling calls for the extermination of Israel throughout the world. As I read article after article, and watched newscast after newscasts that were capturing images of the violent protests against the nation, I could not help but think that these people have no idea what they’re calling for. I was disturbed and angered by their words and their violent actions against Jews around the world and against those who stood with Israel, not just on moral principle mind you, but more so, on biblical principle. And the most tragic aspect of this whole antisemitic uprising throughout the world is the number of young people who have been foolishly and ignorantly sucked-up in all of this foolishness and evil. They have no clue of the hell they are calling down upon themselves. These have been terribly harmed by their parents and whatever church or fellowship they may have had the meager opportunity to attend and learn from. Most have never been exposed to Torah, much less the true Gospel message.

 

Yah was clear:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee (i.e., both Avraham and those who will be in covenant with Avraham’s God): and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Gen 12:2-3 KJV)

 

Thus, my hope is that these antisemites might come to their senses, given what we know happened on October 7th in the Land of Israel, and simply do an about face and repent for the error of their ways. And what made this all the more devastating to me was that countless self-professing people of faith were joining that antisemitic chorus on various and sundry platforms.  Truly, this crisis has unmasked, at least in my mind, the realities of the unredeemed and ignorant heart of humanity in this world today.

So, I began the discussion with a look at the story of the Yeshua and the Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s Well. And if you’ve not had the opportunity to read or listen to that teaching, I would humbly encourage you to do so, simply by clicking on this hyperlink. That historic interaction between Yahoshua and the Samaritan Woman revealed to the unredeemed world one of the most fundamental realities of the true Faith once delivered: Yeshua stated to the woman that “salvation comes from the Yehudim/Jew” (Joh. 4:22). And so, we explored what Yeshua meant by his shocking statement.

And let me just say that there is a reason that I used the term “inextricable” to describe the link that Israel has to our salvation. Inextricable, according to the Oxford Dictionary, means “impossible to disentangle or separate.” A good synonym for inextricable is inseparable. Indeed, I feel very strongly that when it comes to the issues related to our individual and collective salvation, we cannot dismiss Israel from the equation whatsoever. Now, don’t get me wrong beloved, I’m not saying that we are saved because the modern nation state of Israel exists. Not in the least. What I am saying is that our salvation is based upon the covenant that Yehovah cut with Israel. Israel was the only entity that Yah cut this covenant with. And it is that covenant that ultimately leads to our salvation. A covenant ends with the death of one of its signatories. Of course, Yehovah is God Almighty and can never die, which leaves Israel. If Israel were to cease to exist, then the covenant would become null and void and our hope for salvation would also become null and void. The apostle wrote that “all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:26), and if this is indeed the case and we are truly engrafted into the commonwealth of Israel and are in an obedient covenant relationship with the God of Israel, our salvation is certain.

In this 2nd installment of the series, we will explore one of the Apostle Paul’s most sighted but misunderstood statements in the whole of his written catalogue. Paul writes to his followers in Galatia and Colossae that there is neither Jew nor Greek (aka Gentile) as it relates to the Body of Mashiyach/Messiah (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11). So, what did the apostle mean by this statement? On the surface, it would appear that the apostle’s statement here completely challenges my belief that Israel is inseparably tied to our salvation. But as we will see in just a few, the apostle’s fundamental statement that there is neither Jew nor Greek in Messiah by no means undermines Master Yeshua’s statement that salvation is of the Jew, nor the overall premise of this teaching series.

Paul and Hebrew Roots Series

A few years ago, I launched an ambitious teaching series with a subtitle of Paul and Hebrew Roots. My purpose in delivering those teachings was to bring to the light of clear and true understanding some of the apostle’s more challenging writings. Indeed, the Apostle Peter is correct in his statement that some of the writings of his apostolic colleague Paul are hard to understand, which leads the unlearned and unstable to twist unto their own destruction (2 Pet. 3:15-16). Throughout that series, I emphasized that modern-day western pastors, teachers, and preachers should not use Paul’s writings as glorified and sanctioned, contrived set of manuals to operate their churches. But—and this is a fundamental principle that every Nazarene must understand in their studies and read of Paul’s writings—that in every instance of his writings Paul was responding to either a question or set of questions or a problematic situation or set of situations that were ongoing in the assemblies he oversaw, and that someone in the know brought those issues to his attention. Thus, the apostle’s letters were meant to inform and correct on the topics and issues that were brought to his attention by concerned assembly members. His letters were not meant to be used as standards by which Christian churches are to operate.

The Wise Application of the Apostle’s Writings

That being said, we can presume that Paul did not waste precious parchment or write off-the-cuff, contrived, unnecessary words in his epistles. Each epistle ministered to a specific Messianic assembly who were going through some stuff at the time they were written. Now, this doesn’t negate the inspired nature of the apostle’s writings, nor does this reduce the universal application of certain of his teachings, as long as those instructions relate to a similar situation that may be ongoing in one of our modern day fellowships or assemblies, taking all things, of course, into consideration.

With this background given, we are left to determine what question or issue was the apostle responding to when he made the statement that there is neither Jew nor Greek/Gentile? Well, the apostle sort of answers this question for us at the outset of this letter:

6I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from the One who called you by the grace of Messiah, to a different “good news” — 7not that there is another, but only some who are confusing you and want to distort the Good News of Messiah. Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society, Holy Scriptures: Tree of Life Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2015), Ga 1:6–7.

The Galatian Problem

Clearly, the apostle was alarmed by the assemblies in Galatia deviating or moving away from the true Gospel that was once delivered unto them to (Gal. 1:6) to a false Gospel (1:6-7). Obviously, there was an individual or a group of individuals, no doubt a member or members of the Galatian assembly, that were actively “confusing the Galatian Messianics by distorting the Gospel of Mashiyach.”

Identifying the Distortionist

So, riddle me this batman: Who were the individuals creating the confusion in the Galatian Assembly? It’s quite possible that some of them (presuming there were more than one culprit) were of the pesky early Gnostic contingent that was slowly infiltrating first century Messianic assemblies throughout the Roman Empire. However, our concern in this post has to do with the apostle’s statement, there is neither Jew nor Greek/Gentile. Therefore, it’s a reasonable guess that the individuals in questions are what many in Christendom have named as Judaizers, or as Messianic Torah Teacher Tim Hegg of Torah Resources calls them “Influencers.”

The Galatian Assembly Make-up

Sticking with Mr. Hegg for just a bit longer, it is prudent for us, before we go any further in our inquiry, to first understand the make-up of the Galatian Assemblies.

Unlike our present-day community set-ups, where one can drive down any of the streets of this nation and come across various denominational churches with a rare Jewish synagogue in the midst thereof, first-century communities of the Roman Empire did not have such a composition. There were no so-called Christian Churches that were separate from Jewish synagogues. In fact, people in the first-century Roman Empire viewed and treated the first century Way Movement or the Messianic Faith as a Jewish sect, such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, the Essenes, and others. Therefore, the make-up of these assemblies were, what we’ll refer to as Rabbinic Jews who possessed a trusting Faith in Yahoshua as their Messiah (we might call them Messianic Jews today), and Gentiles who had become Jewish proselytes, or those that would be described as God-fearers who had a trusting faith in Yeshua as their savior. In short, the Galatian Assembly likely comprised both Messianic Jews and Gentiles.

Were there more Jews than Gentiles, or vice versa in the Galatian Assembly, it is impossible to tell. Luke writes that Paul and his evangelistic team, comprising of Priscilla and Aquilla, had gone “over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples” (Act. 8:23). Luke’s text is specific that Paul and his team ministered to disciples that were members of Galatian synagogues (8:26). So, from the terms used by Luke—those terms being that of disciples and synagogues—we can conclude that, at the very least, Messianic Jews populated the Galatian Assemblies. Now, apart from Galatian Jews, history bears out that Celtic descendants primarily peopled first-century Galatia (Wikipedia-Galatians (People). Thus, as the Gospel message spread throughout that region, and given the fact that Paul is even addressing the difference between Jews and Gentiles in his epistle to the Galatians, shows that a sizeable number of Galatian gentles peopled the Galatian Messianic assemblies as well.

When Sectarian Halachah Collides with the Gospel

Unfortunately, the Messianic assemblies in Galatia, as well as the assemblies of Rome and Colossae, had a handful of [Pharisaic] Messianic Jews who clung to their sectarian Jewish Halachah. Matthew referred to their sectarian Jewish Halachah, that the Pharisaic sect of Judaism added to, and many times, made to supersede true heartfelt Torah obedience, as the “traditions of the elders” (Mat. 15:2). Yeshua criticized the Pharisees’ over-dependence on the tradition of the elders (15:3). He charged they were transgressing the commandments of God (i.e. Torah) for the sake of their traditions (i.e. their sectarian Halachah).

Never to be deterred in their staunch adherence to the traditions of the elders and worship of their Jewishness, these influencers or Judaizers insisted to the point of occasional physical confrontation, that any Gentile who would seek to enter the Messianic Faith had to first convert to Judaism. This process is called proselytization. The proselyte, upon converting to Orthodox Pharisaic Judaism, was then required to walk in strict accordance with the traditions of the elders. This is what sectarian Halachah is: an adherence to a sect’s set of instructions and commandments in order to be accepted as a member of that sect.

Beloved, do you see any problems with putting sectarian Halachah ahead or in front of one coming to an obedient covenant relationship with the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov?

The problem with this contentious situation, at least in Paul’s eyes (as it should be in all our eyes), was that if this perversion of the Faith were permitted to continue unabated within the Galatian Assembly by these influencers or Judaizers, the essentiality of Faith in the Person and Ministries of Yeshua would take a back seat to works of the flesh or to sectarian Jewish Halachah, which was contrary to the set-apart tenets of the original Gospel Message that was taught and preached by Yeshua Messiah and His appointed and anointed apostles.

As far as the apostle was concerned, Jewish sectarian Halachah was not the issue per se. Yeshua never condemned the traditions of the elders. What He condemned was the transgression of Torah that strict adherence to sectarian Halachah brings (i.e. when the traditions of the elders become equal to and or supersede or replace Yah’s Torah).

The critical issues that these first-century assemblies were having to deal with then had to do with the gross misplacement of spiritual priorities. At question was who or what were the new Gentile converts to the Messianic Faith being pushed to put their trusting Faith in? What relationship were the new Gentile converts being steered towards? I’ll tell you: the Gentile converts were being steered towards placing their eternal security in Pharisaic Judaism and to establish a relationship with the Jewish religion over that of establishing a trusting covenant relationship with Yehovah Elohim through Yeshua Messiah. In other words, beloved, these Judaizers or influencers were promoting to, and sometimes, forcing incoming non-Jewish converts into religion (i.e. Pharisaic Judaism) over that of steering them towards the true Faith once delivered to the saints (Jud. 1:3). In this respect, it became a question of one’s Jewishness versus one’s obedient-faith-based covenant relationship with Abba Yah through Yeshua Messiah and this alarmed the apostle and drove him to make the statement that in Mashiyach there is neither Jew nor Greek/Gentile.

(If you haven’t had the opportunity to read or listen to my teaching series entitled “A Question of One’s Jewishness,” I would humbly encourage you to check it out at your leisure).

The Heart of the Problem was Faith and Covenant Relationship

At the heart of this critical situation, the Judaizers promoted almost a worship of their Jewishness, (i.e. their circumcision even) and a covenant relationship with their sectarian Jewish community over a true and set-apart covenant relationship with the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov. Seeing the Gentile converts develop and maintain a trusting Faith relationship with Yehovah through Yeshua Messiah was of little concern to them. This spiritual situation had salvific consequences associated with it. And these influencers, as Hegg refers to them, were hell-bent on dragging as many potential non-Jewish Messianic converts down the road of destruction as they could (Mat. 23:13-23).

Sectarian Halachah Supplanting the Gospel

So, what the apostle was responding to when he made the statement that there was neither Jew nor Greek as it relates to the Body of Messiah, was the Judaizer-influenced Gospel that was supplanting the Gospel of the Kingdom which is the bedrock of the true faith once delivered. In his response to this critical ongoing crisis, was the Great apostle to the Gentiles removing the commonwealth of Israel from the equation that supports the Gentile’s ultimate salvation and covenant relationship with Yehovah? No. In fact the Jew’s foundational role in humanity’s salvation would remain irrevocably intact. In fact, it must remain intact in order for Yah’s Plan of Salvation, Restoration, and Redemption to formally, as planned from the foundation of the earth, play out (Rev. 13:8).

The Modern Day Messianic’s Challenge

This is one of the many challenges that we as Nazarene Israelis must deal with as it relates to walking out our Faith amid a Pauline-based Christian-Torah-Rejecting—many times antisemitic—Church Body. Paul was one of the most brilliant Messianic Jews of his day. Unfortunately, much of what he wrote regarding our Faith is hard for most people in our community to understand. In fact, even his apostolic colleague, Peter (aka Kefa) referred to the difficulties of some of Paul’s writings:

14Therefore, loved ones, while you are looking for these things, make every effort to be found in shalom, spotless and blameless before Him. 15Bear in mind that the patience of our Lord means salvation—just as our dearly loved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom given to him. 16He speaks about these matters in all of his letters. Some things in them are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist (as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures)—to their own destruction. Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society, Holy Scriptures: Tree of Life Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2015), 2 Pe 3:14–16.

The inherent difficulties of some of the apostle’s writings, however, do not grant any would be child of the Most High license to kowtow to the antisemites of the world or the Torah-haters, both of which write-off Israel’s role as it relates to our salvation. Despite the twisting of Paul’s writings that too many so-called bible scholars, teachers, preachers, and pastors have undertaken in order to promulgate their anti-Torah, antisemitic agenda, Paul was anything but pro-Israel and pro-Jewish (Rom. 9:1-5). In fact, nowhere do we find in the whole of the Holy Writ where Paul gave up or denounced being a Jew. Of any apostle, he perfectly understood the inextricable link that exists between Israel and humanity’s salvation.

Israel’s Physical and Spiritual Advantage

When asked what advantage did the Jew have as it related to the Messianic Faith, he responded with profound brilliance:

2Much in every way! Because firstly indeed, that they were entrusted with the Words of Elohim. 3For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief nullify the trustworthiness of Elohim? 4Let it not be! But let Elohim be true, and every man a liar, as it has been written, “That You should be declared right in Your words, and prevail in Your judging.” Teh. 51:4  The Scriptures, 3rd edition. (Northriding: Institute for Scripture Research, 2009), Ro 3:2–4.

I speak the truth in Messiah, I do not lie, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Set-apart Spirit, 2that I have great sadness and continual grief in my heart. 3For I myself could have wished to be banished from Messiah for the sake of my brothers, my relatives according to the flesh, 4who are the children of Yisra’ěl, to whom is the adoption, and the esteem, and the covenants, and the giving of the Torah, and the worship, and the promises, 5whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Messiah according to the flesh, who is over all, Elohim-blessed forever. Aměn. 6However, it is not as though the word of Elohim has failed. For they are not all Yisra’ěl who are of Yisra’ěl, 7neither are they all children because they are the seed of Aḇraham, but, “In Yitsḥaq your seed shall be called.” (Ber. 21:12) 8That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of Elohim, but the children of the promise are reckoned as the seed. The Scriptures, 3rd edition. (Northriding: Institute for Scripture Research, 2009), Ro 9.

Israel’s Role and Relevance

So, from these two key Pauline passages, we get a full and true sense of what the apostle received from his Master Yeshua in terms of the realities of Israel’s role—her relevance—to the Creator’s Plan of Salvation, Redemption, and Restoration for humanity: the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov entrusted to Israel the safekeeping and practice of His oracles. Those oracles are Yah’s Torah. Yehovah’s instructions in righteous. Therefore, through Israel, Yehovah created the only means of human salvation; not just because Yeshua was descended from the Tribe of Judah (which He was) or that Israel was and remains the custodian of His eternal Words of Truth (which they were and are). But more so, Yah cut/made a covenant with Israel, which is the only means by which the whole of humanity can draw near and enter a covenant relationship with Him. And for one to truly enter a covenant relationship with the Almighty and be saved, they must be engrafted into the commonwealth of Yisrael. (And we’ll get into this bottom-line concept of the Gentile being engrafted into the commonwealth of Israel in our next installment to this series.)

Salvation is of the Jew

So here we have it. The great apostle to the Gentiles wrote of Israel’s inextricable link to our salvation in the most brilliant of prose. Master Yeshua didn’t dismiss Israel from the salvation equation, neither did any of His sent ones or Talmidim or apostles. Indeed, salvation, as Master Yahoshua stated to the Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s Well, is of the Jews (Joh. 4:22).

The Obvious Meaning to Paul’s Statement

So then, what did the apostle mean by his statement that there is neither Jew nor Greek/Gentile/Barbarian? Well, when we bring all that we’ve discussed into the context of this verse, the answer to the question of what Paul meant by there is neither Jew nor Greek/Gentile should be obvious.

No one’s ethnic, social, economic, cultural, or gender, including being a Jew, makes any difference to the court of heaven in its ruling of who is justified. Justification is independent of any human markers. It is based entirely upon one’s trusting faith in the Person and ministries of Yeshua Messiah. Justification or being pardoned by a holy, just, and righteous God is a gift. We cannot earn it in any way, shape, or form. And this set-up for humanity’s redemption was and continues to be worked out through Yisrael, Yah’s covenant people. Entering and remaining in an obedient covenant relationship with the gracious God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov is the second thing that humans must engage in for their salvation. Apart from Yehovah and Israel, there are no other parties to the established covenant agreement. Yah cut or made an exclusive covenant with Israel and every human who seeks to be saved must attach themselves to that covenant and walk in it. We accomplish this only through the Person and Ministry of Yeshua Messiah.

And let us not get hung up on the two human classifications that Paul uses in his statement: Jews and Gentiles. According to the Hebraic worldview, there are just two classes of people in the world: [True or Remnant Hebrews/Jews] and [unredeemed] Gentiles/strangers/sojourners. This helped God’s people to discern who were His and who were not. At its core, because of the Person and ministries of Yeshua, we consider any soul that is not a biological Jew or Hebrew an Israeli or Israelite in the eyes of Yehovah when they enter and walk in covenant with and believe the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov.

Yehovah made it perfectly clear when He was cutting the covenant with Israel that there is only “one law and one manner for you (i.e. native-born Israelis), and for the stranger that sojourneth with you (i.e. those who were not biological descendants of Ya’achov/Jacob)” (Num. 15:16). Thus, within the context and confines of the Covenant that Yehovah cut with Yisrael, any who would truly obediently walk in covenant and trust in Yehovah were citizens of Yisrael and of the Kingdom. And if we truly consider this Hebraic worldview to have been valid back in the day, then we have a good understanding of what the apostle meant by there being neither Jew nor Greek in Messiah.

Unfortunately, first-century Pharisaic Jews twisted Yah’s differentiation between those who are His (i.e. true Jews or Hebrews) and Gentiles (i.e. the unredeemed souls of the world) by teaching their sons and daughters to look down upon any who were not native or biologically born Jews. Even in her oppressed state, first-century Pharisaic Judaism was excessively bigoted.

This liturgy gives us a sobering glimpse into this bigotry:

“Blessed are You, Adonai our God, King of the Universe, Who did not make me a Gentile. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, King of the Universe, Who did not make me a slave. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, King of the Universe, Who did not make me a woman. (Attributed to R. Y’hudah b. Elai and R. Me’ir by y. Berchot 7.18 and b. Menachot 43b.)

Obviously, Yehovah never viewed Gentiles, much less slaves and women, in such a disgusting light. Such twisted thinking people as these, who were entrusted with the oracles of Elohim and abused their privilege and honor, will have a lot to answer to at the Great White Throne judgment.

But this twisted worldview was not Yah’s worldview. As Yah sees it, even biological Jews who don’t walk in covenant are as any unredeemed soul in this world. In sync with this Godly worldview, Paul wrote that what makes one a “[true] Jew is not that which is physical such as circumcision or culture or heritage or pedigree, but what makes one a [true] Jew is that which is inward such as found in the state of their heart—Rom. 2:28-29).

Tim Hegg puts a beautifully tied ribbon on this discussion with his statement:

“This is the point: all who are ‘in Messiah,’ are justified by faith and thus all are equally justified. There are no levels of righteousness in the eyes of God for those who are in His Son. Thus, the equality Paul stresses here is one’s standing as righteous before God” (Commentary on Galatians, p. 162).

Indeed, the existential thing that is at stake here is not what human-physical classification (such as being a biological Jew) qualifies or makes one eligible for salvation and receipt of the Malchut Elohim (i.e. the Kingdom of God), but how any rational human, regardless their human classification, is legally deemed as justified by a holy, just, and righteous Elohim.

Two Crucial Considerations Regarding Our Salvation

There are two things to consider here: (1) In the Kingdom of Elohim, Orthodox Messianic Jews are no better or no worse than their Gentile or non-Jewish counterparts. Now, this understanding by no means shows that there is no longer any Hebrew or Jewish relevance or that Yisrael doesn’t matter in Yah’s overall grand plan of salvation. Yisrael very much matters. Furthermore, it means that through the Person and ministries of Yeshua Messiah, the Gentile (aka the Ger), who was once lost, without hope, and far from the presence and attention of Yehovah, was now brought near unto Him (Eph. 2:13). This one, Paul explains, is joined fitly with their true Hebrew/Jewish counterparts. Indeed, the once unredeemed non-Jew, through faith in the Person of Yeshua Messiah, has been granted full-unrestricted access and inclusion into the commonwealth of Israel and the Body of Messiah. No matter what the Orthodox Jewish rabbis may think or say about non-Jews of this world, both the Messianic Jew and the engrafted redeemed non-Jew are, through Yeshua, in every respect a unified body. Thus, there is no need for incoming non-Jews to convert to Judaism in order to partake of the rich covenant promises that belong to true Israel.

The bottom line is this beloved—which the Judaizers/Influencers of Paul’s day missed—humanity’s salvation is inextricably linked to remnant Israel, true Israel, Yah’s chosen ones. Through the Person and Ministries of Yeshua Messiah, humanity is inextricably linked to true Israel, not by conforming to sectarian religious Halachah, but by adoption and an engrafting into the commonwealth of Israel—trusting and walking in covenant with Yehovah. And true Israel possesses the only existing covenant agreement with Yehovah on the planet.

Abba willing, in Part 3 of this series, I would like to dig into what this engrafting into the commonwealth of Israel biblically means and how it really works.

Secondly: Those who are Messianic Jews or non-Jews who have been engrafted into the commonwealth of Israel must bear in mind that receipt and entry into the Malchut Elohim (aka the Kingdom of Yehovah) come first and foremost through their trusting Faith in Yehovah and His Son Yeshua Messiah. Paul declared to his Messianic Ephesian readers that it is by grace that we are all saved, through faith; and that salvation is not based upon anything that we, Yah’s netzers, do. Our salvation is founded first and foremost upon our trusting faith. No amount of Torah commandment-keeping will save us. No amount of obedience to Jewish traditions will usher us into the Kingdom. It’s faith in the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov through the Person and Ministries of Yeshua Messiah that makes us eligible (i.e. meeting the basic criteria) for salvation and to receive the Kingdom. To be qualified to receive the Kingdom (i.e. possessing exceeding criteria), however, we must be in an obedient, covenant relationship with Yehovah through the Person and Ministries of Yeshua Messiah. The would-be child of the Most High must meet both elements (trusting faith and obedient covenant relationship) if they are to receive eternal life and become a citizen of the Malchut Elohim.

The Example of Abraham

We find the fullness of this understanding in the story of Abraham. The apostle states it was Abraham’s faith that resulted in Him being reckoned or credited or counted (i.e. “logizomai”) as righteousness (Rom. 4:9). He wrote that “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3). Even more so, he declared that of Abraham: “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith” (Rom. 4:13). James, the half-brother of our Master Yeshua Messiah, recorded that it was because of Abraham’s trusting faith that righteousness was imputed unto him, and that Abraham’s extraordinary faith merited him the appellation of “Friend of God” (Jas. 2:23).

However, the scriptures do not stop at faith and Avraham’s resulting imputed righteousness (i.e. imputed righteousness being a gift of Yehovah that comes through trusting faith; also referred to as justification). The writer of the Book of Hebrews spends a great amount of time laying out the case for Abraham’s “actionable” righteousness (i.e. righteousness that comes through one’s obedience to Yah’s instructions or Torah, and conformity to the covenant Yah shares with them) that led to fulfillment of Yah’s promises to him:

8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he was to receive as an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he migrated to the land of promise as if it were foreign, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob—fellow heirs of the same promise. 10For he was waiting for the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God…17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had received the promises was offering up his one and only son— 18the one about whom it was said, “Through Isaac offspring shall be named for you.” 19He reasoned that God was able to raise him up even from the dead—and in a sense, he did receive him back from there. Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society, Holy Scriptures: Tree of Life Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2015), Heb 11.

The trusting faith of Avraham that resulted in both his inputted and actionable righteousness is a great example of what this whole discussion is about. As we witness the prevalence of antisemitic violence and rhetoric worldwide, supposedly in response to Israel’s war against the terror organization Hamas, we are reminded of the undeniable link between Israel and our salvation. Additionally, those who call for the destruction of Israel are also calling for their own destruction.

Closing Thoughts

The Psalmist counseled his readers to pray for the peace (aka the shalom) of Jerusalem and the one who does not bow to the evil of this world and follows through with this admonition secures unto themselves prosperity (i.e. “shalah” which means quiet, rest, even shalom or wholeness of being) (122:6). The prophet Jeremiah affirmed this counsel and promise: Jer 29:7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

Israel’s Inextricable Link with our Salvation Part 1

by | Dec 1, 2023 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

This is “Israel’s Inextricable Link to our Salvation Part 1.”

Back on 10/13/2023, I posted a teaching and discussion entitled Ministry Update and My Thoughts and Reflections on Hamas’ Invasion of Israel. In the Hamas’ Invasion of Israel portion of the post I expressed my concerns that the evil that Israel experienced and has since 10/7/2023 may have been, in great part, because of Yehovah’s arms of protection being loosened from Israel because she has and continues to violate the terms of the covenant agreement she’s had with Yehovah from back at Mount Sinai, as recorded in the Book of Exodus. Israel is as secular a nation as any of the modern western nations of the world are today. However, Yehovah, their Elohim, still shares a covenant agreement with her that requires she keeps the tenants of their covenant agreement. If she keeps her end of the covenant agreement, she will receive countless blessings (Deu. 28:1-14). Failure to keep the tenants of the covenant, according to Yehovah, would cause her having to endure many curses (Deu. 28:15-45). Part of the curses for her failure to walk in Yehovah’s covenant involves Yah’s hedge of protection being lifted from over her.

I also addressed several other concerns related to Israel, especially as it relates to End Times Prophesies.

Since that post, a lot has happened in the world revolving around Israel’s war against Hamas. Unfortunately, much of what has occurred around the world in response to this crisis has tended, shockingly, to lean on the side that is against Israel.

Now, I’m not here to rehash world events since October 7th since I’m pretty sure this audience is pretty much up to speed on such things.

But I will make this one comment regarding the violent protests we see taking place around the world in favor of the terrorists and that are calling for the extermination of all Jews in Israel and throughout the world.

When we put ourselves in positions where we are promoting and advocating for the destruction of Israel, who happen to be the only people that have a covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe, political opinions aside (although I’m not a fan at all of the Zionist government of the nation state of Israel because of their extreme secularism), when the people of this nation engage in such ignorant and foolish behavior, they are cutting off our noses to spite their faces. Let us never forget that there is a remnant or a true Israel in the Land that we must love and pray for, regardless of what our political views of the modern nation of Israel happen to be.

And let us not forget Yehovah’s declaration to Avraham that He would bless those that bless Him and His descendants, as well as He would curse those that curse Israel (Gen. 12:3). So, when this nation calls for the extermination of Israel (and by extension we who are Nazarene Israel), they are actually calling for their own destruction, which by the way, is only adding to the mounting charges against them and the other western nations that stand before the Court of Heaven. How foolish is it to call for the elimination of Yehovah’s covenant people on top of the nation’s moral crimes of abortion and advancement of the LGBTQ agenda, just to name a few of this nation’s trespasses against the Almighty? Indeed, Yah’s righteous judgment is coming to this nation in a terrible way, and when it finally does come, what will the nation’s peoples of the world have to say? How can and will they defend the foolishness and rebellious actions they’ve waged against Yehovah and His chosen ones? They won’t be able to say anything to sway Yah’s righteous indignation.

Because of the broad display of antisemitism that has overtaken the world in the past 55 or so days, it has led me to conduct a teaching series on Israel’s inextricable link to humanity’s salvation.

What do I mean by this? Well, quite frankly, without Israel, there is no salvation to be had by anyone.

It was in the Spring of 27 CE when Yeshua, attempting to avoid a premature confrontation with the Jewish religious establishment, packed up, gathered His disciples, and departed Judaea for the Galilee. The trip required Him to transit Samaria or Shomeron (Joh. 4:1-4), a trip of about 70 or so miles.

One of the first cities in Samaria that He transited through on this trip was Shekem, which is in Samaria. As the story goes, Yeshua, tired from the journey, sat by Jacob’s Well while His disciples went on to another Samaritan city to purchase provisions (Joh. 4:5-6; Gen. 33:19). It just so happened that a woman of Samaria came to draw water from the well where Master Yeshua had sat down to rest. The Master was thirsty from the long journey but unfortunately, He did not have any implements or containers in which to draw water. So, He asked the woman if she would be so kind as to draw some water from the well for him to drink (Joh.4:7).

Shocked that a Jew would ask a Samaritan for a drink of water, much less a Samaritan woman at that, she queried Yeshua what was behind His going against the cultural norm of the day which held that Jews had nothing to do whatsoever with Samaritans. The first-century Jew, by the way, viewed and treated Samaritans as dogs (Joh. 6:9). This was an unfortunate mindset shared by most first-century AD orthodox Jews who, not only with arrogant pride, looked down upon Samaritans as being worthless beings, but this bigoted mindset applied to all non-Jews (aka Gentiles). Rabbinic Orthodox Jews firmly believed that their bigotry against non-Jews was warranted because the Torah instructed them to not have anything to do with any people who were not Jews. But this mindset and treatment of Gentiles by Rabbinic Jews of the first century was a lie from the pit of Hades itself. Anyone who possesses even a modicum of Torah understanding knows that Yehovah’s Torah was meant to be followed by all of humanity; Hebrew and non-Hebrew alike.

Yah declared: “There is one Torah for the native-born and for the stranger (non-Hebrew) who sojourns among you” (Exo. 12:49; The Scriptures ISR).
“One Torah and one right ruling is for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you” (Num. 15:16; The Scriptures ISR).

Exodus 22:21, Yehovah commanded native Israel: “Do not tread down a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Mitsrayim” (Exo. 22.21).

Again, Yah instructs: “And do not oppress a sojourner, as you yourselves know the heart of a sojourner, because you were sojourners in the land of Mitsrayim (Egypt)” (Exo. 23:9; The Scriptures ISR).

Love for the sojourner or stranger was to be the same as love one would have for a fellow Hebrew: Leviticus 19:10–“And do not glean your vineyard or gather every grape of your vineyard, leave them for the poor and the stranger. I am Yehovah your Elohim” (The Scriptures ISR).

And there are other Torah passages where Yehovah shows His love and care for non-Hebrews, despite the stiffnecked Jews of the first century having an opposite feeling and mindset towards them. Indeed, Yeshua, our walking-talking Torah Messiah, defied the anti-Gentile sentiments of His day. Despite his earthly ministry targeting the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel, He not only healed a Gentile Woman (Mat. 15:21-28) and the servant of a Roman Centurion (Mat. 8:5-13), He revealed His identity as HaMashiyach (the Messiah) to this Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well (Joh. 4). Thus, we can clearly see that the first century orthodox Jew’s despisement of the Gentile or the non-Jew was not biblically warranted, otherwise Yeshua would not have done what He did with these non-Jews.

Getting back to our original story, the Samaritan woman’s questioning of Yeshua about her drawing water for Him to drink led to a fascinating conversation that included (1) Yeshua publicly declaring to the woman, who then spread the message throughout the city of Shekem, His Messianic identity. (And get this, one of the first people that He publicly announces His true identity to is not to another Jew, but to a Samaritan woman–a non-Hebrew woman! Imagine that!) (Joh. 4:25-26). (2) Her life’s story without the Samaritan woman ever revealing it to Yeshua (Joh. 4:15-17). And (3) a revealing Yah’s earth-shattering Plan of salvation, redemption, and restoration to the woman that would take human communing with the Creator of the Universe from the physical to the spiritual (Joh. 4:19 -24).

And this is the passage that forms the crux of my discussion today. It reads:

(19) The woman said to Him (the Him being Yeshua), “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. (20) Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, but the Yehudim (that is, the Jews) say that Yerushalayim is the place where men should worship.” (21) Yeshua replied, “Madam, believe Me, the day is coming when they will not worship the Father in this mountain or in Yerushalayim. (22) You gentile Samaritans worship, but you do not know Him who is to be worshipped. We Yehudim know whom we worship, for salvation comes from the Yehudim…” (Joh. 4; Rood’s Chronology).

Salvation comes from the Yehudim or the Jew. What in the world did Yeshua mean by that shocking statement? Well, we intend to take somewhat of a deep dive into this statement and see if we can answer this question.

Denominationalists have been indoctrinated over the centuries to believe that their salvation has nothing whatsoever to do with the Hebrew or the Jew, despite Yeshua making the clarifying statement to the Samaritan Woman that salvation is of the Jew or Yehudim (Joh. 4:22). The rejection of the Jew from Yehovah’s salvation, redemption, and restoration equation smacks of antisemitism and the erroneous doctrine of “replacement theology.”

In many ways, the Samaritan Woman was like so many nominal Christian believers who believe that they and their faith hold the keys to the Kingdom when she confidently declared that her religion’s fathers worshiped God on Mount Gerizim which was held as the holy mountain upon which the community worshiped Elohim (Joh. 4:20) . But it took Yahoshua to put the woman in her place, correcting her and informing her that her people were ignorant as it relates to the true worship of the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov (Joh. 4:22). Clearly, the Samaritans had a head knowledge of Yehovah, but they did not possess a true and substantive relationship with Him, which sadly is the same case with so many people of faith.

There are several interpretations of John 4:22 where Yeshua tells the Samaritan Woman that salvation is of the Jew, but they all pretty much fall short of the full story that is behind what Yeshua was attempting to put forth to the woman at the well.

The vast majority of conservative, denominationalist believe that Yeshua in His statement that “salvation is of the Jew” was referring to two sides of a spiritual equation that directly involved the Jew’s tenuous link to the salvation of humanity. The first side of the equation conceded Judah’s preservation of the oracles of God (as stipulated in Rom. 3:2; Heb. 5:12; 1 Pet. 4:11), which foreshadowed Yah’s ultimate plan of salvation, working first with the Hebrews, and then to be worked and made accessible to all humanity under the auspices of the renewed covenant and the Gospel Message. The second half of the equation holds that the Machiyach, the savior of the world, would descend from Judah as opposed to being descended from the Samaritans or any other Gentile, non-Jewish people. And this second portion of the equation is the prevailing understanding and belief of much of Christendom.

In making what may appear as a rather rude statement from our Master in Him saying to the Samaritan woman that you (i.e., you Samaritans) 22“You worship what you do not know…”The Scriptures, 3rd edition. (Northriding: Institute for Scripture Research, 2009), Jn 4:22…was taking the position that He was indeed a Yehudi (i.e., a Jew) and that He and His people were correct in the manner and in the God to whom they worshiped. This, of course, suggests that the Samaritans were off in the manner of their worship and the God to whom they worshiped. It was not simply a question of the rote manner in which the Samaritans worshiped compared to Him and His fellow Yehudi brethren. Rather, it was, as always the case, a question of relationship. What is the relationship that the Samaritans had with the Elohim of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov compared to the relationship that Yehudah had with Yehovah Elohim? For it was the relationship that Yehovah held with Yehudah that facilitated or provided the pathway or through-point by which it may save humanity. You see, the nature of the relationship that Yehudah had with Yehovah was that of covenant. Consider how Yeshua responded to the Samaritan’s question: You worship what you do not know.

Now, we’ve spoken quite often on this program about the Hebraic concept of knowing Yehovah and His Ways as opposed to knowing about Yehovah and His Ways. The Hebraic term for “to know” is “yada.” Yada, beloved, denotes an intimate level of recognizing or personally knowing, not about, but knowing Yehovah and His Ways. I know about a great many people, places, and things, but I personally know just a few individuals. And when it comes to the yada level of knowing, I know my Elohim and my Savior, and on a human level, I know just a few individuals like Hilary, my children, my dad, and my brothers.
Unfortunately, this crucial element of the relationship is missing from many denominationalists’ understanding of this verse. For without the essential element of Yah’s covenant relationship with Yisrael, Yeshua’s statement that salvation is from or of the Jews is simply a parenthetical statement of fact, when the truth of the matter is that Master’s statement encompasses so much more.

The scriptures, the very foundation bedrock of our Faith, record Yehovah cutting a covenant with just one nation: Yisra’el. It goes back to the day when Yisra’el was encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai and Yehovah proposed to Yisra’el the following covenant that would form the framework upon which our salvation would rest:

3And Mosheh went up to Elohim, and יהוה called to him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you are to say to the house of Ya‛aqoḇ, and declare to the children of Yisra’ěl: 4‘You have seen what I did to the Mitsrites, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5‘And now, 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—6‘and you shall be to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation.’ Those are the words which you are to speak to the children of Yisra’ěl.” The Scriptures, 3rd edition. (Northriding: Institute for Scripture Research, 2009), Ex 19:3–6.

And it was there, at the foot of the Mountain of Yehovah, that He spoke the non-negotiable terms of His covenant agreement to Yisra’el (Exo. 20:1-23:33). Yisra’el had previously consented to the terms of this covenant agreement before Yah had even delivered it, and even after hearing the terms of the covenant agreement, they once again consented to it (Exo. 19:7-8; 24:3-4 respectively). But Yehovah had Moshe codify the terms of the covenant in a cepher (or simply in writing) and sealed the covenant with blood sprinkled upon it and upon the children of Yisra’el, the recipients of the covenant (Exo. 24:4-8) and with a celebratory meal with 70 of the Elders of Yisra’el on the Mount of Yah (Exo. 24:9-11).

Of course, biblical history bears out that Yisra’el broke covenant with Yehovah multiple times. Because Yisra’el did not keep her end of the covenant agreement, Yehovah had every legal right to annul the covenant agreement and end His relationship with her. Yet His steadfast love, righteousness, will, and plan would not permit Him to do that. Instead of annulling His covenant with Yisra’el, His unfathomable wisdom led Him to create and establish an upgrade to the Mosaic Covenant that would put much of the spiritual heavy lifting upon the Father’s shoulders:

(31) “See, the days are coming” declares Yehovah, “when I shall make a renewed covenant with the house of Yisrael and the house of Yehudah…” Stop!
Nowhere does the Father stipulate He was making a covenant with any people outside the House of Yisrael and Yehudah. Period. This is crucial information that anyone who has aspirations of making it into the Kingdom of Elohim (aka the Malchut Elohim) understands: there is but one covenant between Yah and humanity and that covenant with the one that exists between Yehovah and Israel.

Continuing:

(32) “Not like the covenant I made with their fathers in the day when I strengthened their hand to bring them out of the land of Mitsrayim. My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares Yehovah. (33) for this is the covenant I shall make with the house of Yisrael after those days, declares Yehovah: I shall put My Torah in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people. (34) And no longer shall they teach, each one his neighbour, and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know Yehovah, for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares Yehovah. “For I shall forgive their crookedness, and remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31; The Scriptures ISR).

Beloved, despite the replacement theology advocates’ firmly entrenched belief and teaching that the renewed covenant is all about the Church Triumphant, they are sorely lacking in their understanding. Yah says here through the Prophet Jeremiah that He was going to make a renewed covenant with “The House of Yisra’el (i.e., the exiled tribes of Yisra’el, otherwise referred to as the 10-Lost Tribes of Israel) and with The House of Yehudah” (i.e., the Jews). This covenant does not name any other signatories or parties, which means if any who are not of Yisra’el who want to reap the benefits of the covenant promises, they must somehow become Israelites themselves.

And the process by which the non-Hebrew is transformed or made into an Israelite we will cover the next addition to this series: “Israel’s Inextricable Link to our Salvation Part 2.” In that and the following additions to the series, we will come to learn that without Israel, the world is without hope, for salvation was and is of the Jew.

So, when we see countless thousands throughout the world blindly calling for the destruction of the Jew, it becomes abundantly clear that the world at large does not know the amount of fire and brimstone they are calling upon themselves, not just from a moral standpoint (Gen. 12:3–such that Yehovah will bless them that bless Israel and curse them that curse Israel), but also from a salvation standpoint whereby the salvation of humanity is founded only through the renewed covenant of Yehovah for Israel. Without Israel, there is no salvation.