When I talk about The Hebrew Way, I often encounter Christians who have a better-than judgement tone in their voice when they say things like, "But the Jews were wrong." Or, "Why follow the Jews? They missed the mark."
This has troubled me because the Hebrews were of Abraham's lineage through Isaac and Jacob. Abraham is the Father of the Hebrews and his children are under the Abrahamic covenant. Does that include the Jews? Yes. Could that mean that like us, they too have struggled while they have been on their "wilderness" journey trying to keep the covenant as they understand it?
If the Jews are also under that Abrahamic covenant because they are a part of the family, could their "Pharisaical" actions at various times in history have be the result of them being "asleep"? And if they were "asleep" in a time of their "wilderness", do you not think God has anticipated that and has a plan for their redemption? How about all the other descendants of the family of Israel? Could this mean that if they too have been "asleep", and "lost" to who they are, their actions could have also looked "Pharisaical"? If you or I have been a part of the remnant of the coat of Joseph, and are of the family of Israel, while we have been "asleep", have our actions always been indicative of those who stand fast in their covenants?(See Romans 11 and Jacob 5) In the past times, during the House of Israel’s slumber, these behaviors have been the result of being “asleep”, and in our criticism of the Jews, we might not have been understanding the big picture context that God knows what He is doing.
This has troubled me because the Hebrews were of Abraham's lineage through Isaac and Jacob. Abraham is the Father of the Hebrews and his children are under the Abrahamic covenant. Does that include the Jews? Yes. Could that mean that like us, they too have struggled while they have been on their "wilderness" journey trying to keep the covenant as they understand it?
If the Jews are also under that Abrahamic covenant because they are a part of the family, could their "Pharisaical" actions at various times in history have be the result of them being "asleep"? And if they were "asleep" in a time of their "wilderness", do you not think God has anticipated that and has a plan for their redemption? How about all the other descendants of the family of Israel? Could this mean that if they too have been "asleep", and "lost" to who they are, their actions could have also looked "Pharisaical"? If you or I have been a part of the remnant of the coat of Joseph, and are of the family of Israel, while we have been "asleep", have our actions always been indicative of those who stand fast in their covenants?(See Romans 11 and Jacob 5) In the past times, during the House of Israel’s slumber, these behaviors have been the result of being “asleep”, and in our criticism of the Jews, we might not have been understanding the big picture context that God knows what He is doing.
"And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last." 1 Nephi 13:42 And I love this one. "And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last." Luke 13:30
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| Source: Destination-Yisrael.BibleSearchers.com |
"I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
"God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
"Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
"But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal..... What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
"(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. .... Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
"And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
"For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
"And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
"For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.....
"For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
"Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
"For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
"For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor?"
It's all okay and it will all work out. Yes, some back in the ancient days forsook their covenants, threw down God’s altars and slew the prophets with their swords (1 Kings 19:19), however God has a time for them, and us too. Let us not forget this. His Son's atoning power is offered to all His children.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 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. ~ Romans 8:38-39
Read more:- Romans chapter 11, and the context of this chapter
- Matthew chapter 19 verse 30, chapter 20 verse 16, and the context of these verses
- Mark chapter 10 verse 31, and the context of this verse
- Luke chapter 13 verse 30, and the context of this verse
- The Book of Nephi, in the Record of Nephi, son of Lehi
- The Book of Jacob, in the Record of Nephi, son of Lehi
- See more on the Gentile nations
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