03/11/11

Israel is not Israel, but you are

Romans 9:8 - That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

One of the greatest obsessions of many Christians especially those from USA and Europe is the country Israel. More than keeping their eyes on the Kingdom of God they are day in and out focused on what is happening in Israel and with the people of Israel. They have been deceived big time.

When one speaks in a worldly way of an Israelite there are three aspects to that person, one he dwells in the country named Israel, he follows the religion Judaism and lastly he is a descendant of Abraham. A person may have one, two or all the three aspects listed above.

The Bible does not refer to people staying in the land as Israelites but those who are chosen by the Lord, those who worship Him and keep Him commandment. There are scriptures where God refers to people dwelling among God's people as not Israelite but 'stranger that sojourneth among you'. God had laws concerning Israel's relationship with them. Thus any person living in the land marked as Israel, may be a citizen of the country Israel but is not an Israelite whom God has chosen.

Coming to Judaism; though these people follow Moses and worship Yahweh yet they are not heirs to the promises of God. One needs to understand all the promised are connected to the Seed of Abraham and Paul clearly define this 'Seed' as Jesus Christ. That means all the promises of Abraham are only to those who believe in Jesus Christ. We need to remember that the Jews reject Jesus Christ. They may call Him a Prophet but they believe Him to be a false prophet and one who is burning in Hell. So Jews are actually unbelievers. They are as much Christians or far from the Kingdom of God as is a Muslim.

Now regarding their blood connection to Abraham, in the verse prior to today's message Paul clearly put all those who descend from Israel (Jacob) are not Israel. The word 'Israel' is made of 2 words 'Isra' and 'El'. The first means 'prince' or 'one having power' and the other is used for 'God', so together they mean 'Prince of God' or 'one have authority of the Lord'.

If one looks at scriptures you will find the Israelites were sometimes referred as children of Israel and in the same scripture also called children of Jacob. It was God who said to Jacob 'no more will you be called Jacob but Israel', so did God break His own commandment?

When God said this He did not refer to Jacob as He did with Abraham when He changed his name from Abram. Jacob was a deceiver and when chosen of God was renewed to a new being. The new being was referred to by the Lord as Israel and that is the reason the decedents of Jacob kept shuffling between being children of Jacob and being children of Israel depending of them keeping the commandments of God.

The Jews today may have a lot of mixed blood but the Jews during the time of Jesus were told by Him that they were not children of Abraham. If those of pure Abrahamic blood were not considered Israelite then how can those of mixed blood be?

Paul also says a Jew is not one who is follows the traditions of the Jews like being circumcised but a real Jew is the one who is circumcised in the heart.

In short being an Israelite has to do more with the inner-man more than to do with the physical man or the man of flesh. Being an Israelite is a very high stage of spiritual growth and also referred as Sons of Zion.

Therefore being an Israelite is a promise to the children of God, who are chosen of God, people who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and spiritually blessed with the promises of Abraham because of becoming the spiritual children of Abraham, people who have received authority from Jesus Christ and by the working of the Holy Spirit in them becoming truly Princes of God.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord God You are spirit and your Kingdom is not of this world. This world will perish and nothing of this world will remain. The people of this world have their eyes of the land of this world which they have not received and will never receive by your true children have their eyes on the true Promised Land which is Heaven. It is only after crossing the river Jordan (means descendant) the Israelites reached the promise land. They being of flesh did not really get the land but we being true spiritual descendants of Abraham by our faith in Jesus Christ will surely enter the Promised Land. Lord, open the eyes of those who are deceived by Satan and are distracted from the Truth. Let them not lose the riches of your Kingdom...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Exodus 19:3 - And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;

Numbers 24:5 - How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!

Psalms 149:2 - Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

Isaiah 46:13 - I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

Micah 1:13 - O thou inhabitant of Lachish [means invincible - people who have self-confidence] , bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

John8:39-44
39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Romans 2:26-29
26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Romans 9:6-11
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

Romans 11:5-8
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
8 (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.

Galatians 3:14 - That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Romans 4:9-13
9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
13 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.

Luke 9:1 - Then he called his twelve disciples [whom He had chosen] together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

Matthew 22:14 - For many are called, but few are chosen.

John 15:16 - Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Uploading a teaching on this topic on SavedByFaith (written long back) please download the pdf and read it.

http://www.savedbyfaith.info/Am_I_an_Israelite.pdf

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