Subject: God and Israel - Part II Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 22:57:30 +0000 To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
From: Luana Fabry <sos@fan.net.au> To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com Subject: God and Israel - Part II SO GREAT A REDEMPTION! The subject of God's relationship with Israel has been at the centre of every theologian's theology for nearly two thousand years. In every era and in every Christian institution, the subject of `Israel' has been discussed again and again, to the point where we might say it has been the most talked about issue in the history of the Church. What of Israel? Does she still occupy a place in the History of God? Did He not divorce her? Often we limit ourselves to just one small aspect of YHVH's plan for His Chosen Nation. We fail to see the `bigger picture' and thus form conclusions based on what we would like our theology to be. My attention was drawn to the `bigger picture' when I began to notice Hebrew terminology such as "God's redemptive process", or His "plan of redemption". I began to realize that this plan was put in motion before the creation of the world - it was then that the "Lamb was slain". Throughout the history of His Chosen Nation, we see this plan of redemption unfold. And it still continues to unfold, for it has not yet reached its fullness. Why was there need for a `plan of redemption'? What does it mean to be redeemed? The story of Israel really begins in Egypt. For hundreds of years the Chosen of YHVH were slaves - held captive by their captors. They were a people in physical bondage to say the least and most probably in mental bondage as well, for it is certain that after such a long time, they had grown accustomed to thinking like slaves. The Tanakh (Old Testament) tells us that YHVH redeemed His people out of Egypt: "Therefore say to the Israelites: `I am YHVH, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people and I will be your God" (Exodus 6:6,7). God redeemed Israel by His own mighty hand. He did so while they were still slaves. They were certainly not a `saved people', yet they became a redeemed people. When He then brought them to Sinai and delivered to them His Torah, He enabled them to become a `saved' people. We have heard that at Sinai YHVH betrothed Himself to Israel by giving her His Torah. The Torah is the Kettubah - marriage contract - between God and Israel. The Torah defines the requirements of the contract and the consequences (blessing or curse) of keeping it or breaking it. The Torah is a very important document. If we say that it has been done away with, we are in fact saying that there is no longer a marriage-contract between YHVH and Israel. In Judaism, the marriage contract is given at the betrothal and at this point, the Bride and Groom become bound to one-another. Although at Sinai, Israel was betrothed to YHVH, the Marriage Feast is yet to come. It wasn't long before the people of Israel broke the Kettubah by going after other gods. To YHVH, this was an act of adultery and according to His own Law, not only did a man have the right to divorce his adulterous wife, but the penalty for adultery was death. The Scripture is clear in saying that YHVH did in fact divorce Israel: "I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries" (Jeremiah: 3:8). But YHVH loved His Bride with an everlasting love, which created in Him a dilemma: "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?" (Hosea 11:8). So great was the love of YHVH for His Bride, that rather than allowing her to undergo the death penalty, He redeemed or ransomed her by paying the required price Himself - death. This was done in the person of Yeshua, who as Kinsman Redeemer, redeemed and atoned with his own blood. The written Torah could not redeem Israel. The Torah was not given for the purpose of redemption but rather as `instruction' - torah. Redemption however, the act of purchasing back, came through the Living Torah, Yeshua. At this point, it is necessary to explain the difference between redemption and salvation: The Hebrew word for redemption is geullah. It means `ownership through payment'. When YHVH redeemed Israel, He bought her. He now owns her. This is an interesting concept because, unlike salvation, redemption is a `one sided' thing. YHVH redeemed regardless of whether Israel acknowledged it or not. Salvation, on the other hand, is a conscious act on the part of those `being saved'. The Hebrew word for salvation is yeshu'ah (or yahshu'ah - YHVH saves). Yeshu'ah means health, wholeness, prosperity, deliverance and restoration. Paul says in Romans 8:18-25, that all of creation is waiting for the completion of God's plan of redemption when we will be fully saved; when there will be no more sickness or death, no more poverty or weeping. According to the Talmud's commentary on Passover, there are four stages in God's plan of redemption. My understanding of the fulfilment of these four stages is as follows: 1. I will take you out: This speaks of YHVH taking the Israelites out of Egypt and delivering them from bondage and slavery. 2. I will save you: This speaks of Israel's change of status from `slave' to `Bride', by the giving and receiving of Torah at Sinai. 3. I will redeem you: This speaks of YHVH redeeming his unfaithful Bride by paying the penalty of her sin with His own life in the person of Yeshua. 4. I will take you: This speaks of the wedding ceremony between YHVH and His Bride which will usher in the Messianic Era. This entire process is found in Exodus 6:6,7: " I will bring you out from under the yolk of the Egyptians. I will free (save) you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people." God Himself completed each stage of redemption while Israel was still in bondage. Each stage was a sovereign act of God. Two thousand years ago, on the hill called Golgotha, Israel's death penalty was paid, once and for all time. It has been done and no-one can add or take away from it, neither can Israel earn this redemption - it is YHVH's gift to His Bride. The Redemption took place before the Day of Pentecost; before the Good News was preached and long before the B'rit Chadasha (New Testament) was written. This is the Good News: "Israel, your Bridegroom has redeemed you! He has paid the penalty for your sin! Return now with all your heart and walk in His ways." So what of those who don't recognize who their Redeemer is? Or more accurately, what their Redeemer did? Paul says in Romans 3:3: "What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all!" God Himself knew that Israel would not know who her Redeemer was. He says in Hosea 11:3, "But they did not realize it was I who healed them..." And again in Isaiah 45:4 "I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honour, though you do not acknowledge me." In the Scriptures, YHVH reveals His redemptive identity but many have not understood it. Isaiah 43:1&3 says: "Fear not, for I will redeem you; I have singled you out by name, you are mine... For I YHVH (the LORD) am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Y'shuah (salvation). Again in Psalm 27:1 we read that "YHVH (the LORD) is my light and my Y'shuah (salvation)". Throughout Israel's history, the Father, the Great `En Sof' who is Spirit, has revealed Himself through a visible image. This `image of the invisible God', dined with Abraham, revealed Himself to Moses and wrestled with Jacob. He came as YHVH Yireh - YHVH who sees; YHVH Rapha - YHVH who heals; YHVH Shaddai - YHVH the Almighty; YHVH Nissi - YHVH my Banner. He revealed Himself in many ways and by many Names. Two thousand years ago, the visible image of the invisible YHVH came in garments of flesh as YHVH Y'shuah - YHVH who Saves. Soon, Israel will recognize him because soon, like Joseph, their Redeemer will reveal Himself to them. This event in history will usher in the Messianic Era - God's final stage of redemption. Then Israel will say, as it says in Psalm 118:14: "YHVH is my strength and my song; he has become my Y'shuah." These last two thousand years, the Jews of history have been unaware of who ransomed them. Yet they continue to exist as a witness to the God of History. Their very existence proves that God exists. He has continued to reveal His faithfulness; He has preserved them and His Torah among all the nations where they have been scattered. Even in their partial blindness, and through all their horrendous persecutions, most continued to love Him and keep his Torah and chose to die rather than bend the knee to their persecutors. Even on the way to the gas chambers they recited "Shema Israel, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad" - "Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is One." Israel is still the betrothed of YHVH. She is the One He has prepared for Himself. In Hosea 2:19 He says, "I will betroth you to me forever." And in Jeremiah 31:3,4 He says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness (chesed). I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel." Virgin Israel? Yes, because He has redeemed her from her adultery. This is the `Renewed Covenant' - a covenant of redemption; a covenant where each individual is responsible for his own sin and has a choice of entering into and staying within the Redeemed Bride of YHVH, by loving Him and keeping His Commandments. Through Yeshua's death and resurrection, Gentiles too can become part of the Redeemed Bride by also loving YHVH and keeping His Commandments. In a little while, the full number of Gentiles will have come in to the Household of Israel and then all Israel will become His Glory! "O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins." Psalm 30 :7,8 "`For your Maker is your husband - the YHVH Shaddai is his name - the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer... The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit - a wife who married young, only to be rejected,' says your God. `For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,' says the Lord your Redeemer.'" Isaiah 54:5-8. "...He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption." Hebrews 9:12 Luana Fabry Beit Y'shua Ministries **********************************************************************