09/08/13

Behold the Ruler of Israel

Matthew 2:6 - And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

I live in India; India is also referred by many as Hindustan (mostly in Hindi) and my living in India does not make me a Hindu for Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life. They willingly have been incorporating and infusing any god or every local god and local myth into its fold. Like Islam says Jesus was a Muslim, if Muhammad was born in India or anywhere near India, he and his Allah too would have been included into Hinduism.

People have a very wrong understanding about Israel or an Israelite. There are 4 types of Israelites, one which belong to the country Israel, second those who are descendants of Jacob, third those who follow Judaism and fourth those who are spiritual Israel.

Any person who dwells in Israel or gets citizenship of that country becomes an Israelite/Israeli. So every Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or any person of any religion or belief who is a citizen of the country Israel is an Israeli/Israelite.

In the Bible the Lord called Jacob Israel thus all his children also were called by the father's name Israel. That means all the 12 tribes were called Israel. People do not realize the term Jews were used for those who dwell in the district Judea. People think all Israelites are Jews but that is not the case. The other tribes that dwelled in other regions are also part of bloodline Israel.

People confuse Christians with Jews or Judaism. Jesus was born as a Jew meaning of the region and tribe of Judah but was not a Jew following the religion Judaism. Jesus always confronted the Jews (followers of Judaism) and they hated Him. Although Jews uses the books of Moses as their main foundation of belief (some also refer to the books of the Prophets, some do not) yet they defer totally with Christians for they were more disciples of Moses and less followers of YHWH, they put Moses above God and thus followed the words of Moses to the letter.

Just a few days back I was teaching on Sabbath and was amazed to learn what the Lord revealed while I was teaching. The Jews called themselves disciples of Moses and in the Bible we do not see Moses making any disciples for himself. The only people who could remotely call themselves disciple would have been Aaron and Joshua.

When Moses was alive the Israelites (before they were called Jews) many a time went against Moses' instructions and even at times wanted to kill him. They became disciples of Moses not when Moses was alive but after he died. We see God hide Moses' body because He knew what the Jews would do.

Moses is for the Jews what Mary is for the Catholics. Moses gave the Law of God and became greater than the Law for the Jews in the same way for the Catholic Mary gave birth of Jesus Christ and became greater than Christ. Mary is the Moses of the Old Testament. Even though Moses sinned many a time yet he was like god for the Jews and therefore when Stephen spoke against the Jews following another god (Moses), they accused him of blasphemy against Moses, and then against God, based on the Jewish law of blasphemy they stoned him to death. Blasphemy is a term used only when spoken / abuse against God/a god and not against a man.

If we look at scriptures the name of certain people were changed by the Lord like the Lord changed the name of Abram to Abraham and never called him Abram after that. Similarly the name of Saul (of NT) was changed to Paul and nowhere do we see Paul being referred to as Saul in the first person after that.

But in the case of Jacob and Simon, both Jacob and Simon were call Israel and Cephas respectively (Cephas in Aramaic and in Greek Peter - Jesus and His disciples spoke Aramaic so called him Cephas it was later when they went out of Jerusalem to preach and communicated more in Greek, the name Peter having the same meaning movable stone / small stone got stuck) yet many a time both these people were referred to by their original names on and off. There are sentences where both the names are used together as if they refer to 2 different people.

The term Israel means Prince (Isra) of God (el) in another words one having power with (not over) God. Jacob was called Israel for he struggled (wrestled) with God and overcame (he did not overcome God but his deceiving nature). About the descendants of Jacob no eating the hollow part of the thigh because of Jacob's struggle is symbolic since the thigh part represents prophecy and it was not yet fulfilled. In olden times people used to place their hand to the thigh of a person when prophesying over a person or other words blessing a person.

Israel was not a world name but a prophecy to the descendants of Jacob and Isaac and Abraham, not natural descendants but spiritual by faith in their God through their seed Jesus Christ. That also does not mean all Christian are now true Israelites. The term Israelite or Prince of God in other words simply means Sons of God and as Christians we are in the process of becoming Sons of God when we are led by the Spirit of God. But since we fail many a times therefore are not completely Sons of God yet, but are called Sons of God (in the making). It is only when we overcome our flesh or other words circumcision of our hearts we become real Israel / Jews of the Bible (people of God).

Today's message calls Jesus as the ruler of Israel, not of the people of the country Israel, nor the blood descendants of Jacob, nor the people who are followers of Moses (Judaism) but those who are becoming Sons of God - the real Israel.

The Kingdom of Christ is forever and no earthly Kingdom is forever. Jesus as man grew in age and His body also aged. He was born infant, became boy, then a young man and then a man. Had He live more as man He would have aged as an old man and died of old age like any other man for He was 100 percent man when He was on earth among us.

Many people presume Jesus would come of the age He was when He comes again and stick to that age forever ruling His people, they are mistaken. Surely Jesus will come again as He was when He ascended to the Father, but only to judge His people and then like Paul says we all will be transformed from these corruptible bodies to incorruptible. Flesh will no longer exist. Revelation says natural earth (creation) and hell will cease to exist. The new earth or New Jerusalem is not a natural world but a spiritual Kingdom that lasts forever (Greek word 'ge' like the Hebrew word 'erets' does not necessary point to land but the people - nation).


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, we pray for all those due to lack of understanding are confusing people of this world with your people. They think more in the flesh than in the spirit. Lord, open the eyes of your people that they may not be deceived and become victims of vanity. That they may know that You rein forever and your Kingdom is forever...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Genesis 32:24-32
24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

Genesis 34:7 And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done.

Genesis 35:10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.

Genesis 46:2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.

Genesis 46:5 And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)