From: Eddie Chumney
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: Chapter 2: Who is the church and who is Israel?
CHAPTER
2
WHO IS THE CHURCH AND WHO IS
ISRAEL?
from
the book by Eddie Chumney
"RESTORING
THE TWO HOUSES OF ISRAEL"
Copies can be purchased for individual or
group study by
writing to me (Eddie Chumney) at: (chumney@hebroots.org)
PART
1 of 2
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CHAPTER
2
WHO IS THE CHURCH AND WHO IS
ISRAEL?
(Part
1 of 2)
In order for full restoration to come to
both the house of Judah
(Judaism) and the house of Israel (Christianity), both houses of
Israel need to understand the Biblical terms "church" and "Israel."
In today's world, the term "church" is traditionally identified and
associated with the house of Israel (Christianity) while the term
"Israel" is traditionally identified and associated with the house of
Judah (Jews/Judaism).
In this chapter, we will examine the Biblical
terms "church" and
"Israel." In doing so, we will discover that the "church" was
born
at mount Sinai. Furthermore, we will discover that the Biblical term
"Israel" refers to the family (mishpochah) of the G-d of Israel that
is likened in the Bible to an "olive tree." In the Biblical "olive
tree" allegory, "Israel" consists of the natural root of the olive
tree (natural born Jews). The wild olive branches are those who have
been grafted (non-Jews from the nations who believe in the G-d of
Israel and have accepted Yeshua/Jesus as the Jewish Messiah
[Mashiach]) (Romans 11:13-26) into the natural root. As long as there
is a sun, moon and stars in the heavens, the natural root (natural
born Jews) will remain a part of the olive tree of the G-d of Israel
(Jeremiah [Yermiyahu] 31:35-37).
THE GREEK WORD FOR CHURCH IS
EKKLESIA
In the King James translation of the Bible, the
English word
"church" is only found in the New Testament (Brit Hadashah). For
this reason, the word "church" is most often associated with the
house of Israel (Christianity). The English word "church" is the
Strong's word 1577 in the Strong's Greek dictionary. It is the Greek
word, "ekklesia." In the Strong's Greek dictionary, the Greek word,
"ekklesia" is defined as "a calling out, a popular meeting, a
religious congregation, a Jewish synagogue or Christian community of
members on earth or saints in heaven or both."
THE HEBREW
WORD FOR CHURCH IS KAHAL
In the Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament
numerically coded to the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, it will
give a more complete and detailed definition of the Greek word,
"ekklesia." The Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament
will define the Greek word, "ekklesia" to mean "an assembly" and will
explain that the corresponding equivalent word in the Septuagint
(Jewish Scriptures translated into the Greek language/the Old
Testament [TeNaKh]) as being the Hebrew word, "kahal." The Hebrew
word "kahal" is the Strong's word 6951 in the Strong's Hebrew
dictionary and is defined to mean, "an assembly, congregation,
company, multitude."
ECCLESIASTES
IS DERIVED
FROM
THE GREEK WORD FOR CHURCH
The book of the Bible named "Ecclesiastes" is derived
from the
Greek word "ekklesia." In the introduction to the book of
Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible (King James Version)
by Spiros Zodhiates published by AMG publishers, the following
observation is made about the title of the book, "Ecclesiastes":
"The title of this book in Hebrew, Qoheleth (6953), is
the word
translated as `Preacher' in chapter one, verse one. The
English
title is the transliteration of the title in the
Septuagint, the
Greek translation of the Old Testament. The Greek word
Ekklesiastes, which means `speaker of a called out
assembly,' is
derived from the word ekklesia (1577) which is the New
Testament
word for `church'."
THE CHURCH WAS
BORN AT MOUNT SINAI
I was taught within Christianity (house of Israel) from the time
that I was a little boy that the "church" was born in Acts 2 with
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) upon those who
were gathered in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) for the Biblical feast of
Pentecost (Shavuot). After being taught this, I discovered that I was
told the correct DAY that the church was born (the Biblical feast of
Pentecost/Shavuot), however; as I began to study the Hebraic/Jewish
roots of Christianity, I discovered that the birth of the "church" actually
happened nearly 2,000 years earlier at mount Sinai.
In Stephen's sermon in Acts 7, he makes mention of Moses (Moshe)
and the event that happened at mount Sinai in Acts 7:37-38 as it is
written:
"This is that Moses, which said unto the children of
Israel, A
prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your
brethren, like unto me; him shall you hear. This is he,
that was
in the CHURCH in the wilderness with the angel which spake
to
him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received
the
lively oracles [the Torah] to give unto us."
In Acts 7:37-38, Stephen is referring to Deuteronomy
(Devarim)
18:15-16 as it is written:
"The Lord 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; According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord
thy
God in Horeb in the DAY OF THE ASSEMBLY."
The word in Deuteronomy (Devarim) 18:16 translated in the King
James Bible as "assembly" is the Hebrew word "kahal" which is the
Greek word "ekklesia" and is the English word "church." In the King
James translation of the New Testament (Brit Hadashah), the Greek
word "ekklesia" translated into English as "church" in Acts 7:38 was
referring to Deuteronomy (Devarim) 18:16 which describes the event
that happened at mount Sinai (Horeb) as the day of the
assembly/kahal/church/ekklesia.
Three times in the book of Deuteronomy (Devarim), the G-d of
Israel by the pen of Moses (Moshe) through the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) describes the event that happened at
mount Sinai as the day of the assembly (kahal/church/ekklesia). The
occurrence in Deuteronomy (Devarim) 18:16 has already been quoted.
The other two references are in Deuteronomy (Devarim) 9:10 and
Deuteronomy (Devarim) 10:4. In Deuteronomy (Devarim) 9:10 it is
written:
"And the Lord delivered unto me two tables of stone
written with
the finger of God; and on them was written according to all
the
words, which the Lord spake with you in the mount out of
the
midst of the fire in the DAY OF THE ASSEMBLY."
In Deuteronomy (Devarim) 10:4 it is written:
"And he wrote on the tables, according to the first
writing, the
ten commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the
mount out
of the midst of the fire in the DAY OF THE ASSEMBLY: and
the
Lord gave them unto me."
G-D'S
CHURCH/ASSEMBLY IS
A
MIXED MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE
The G-d of Israel is not a respecter of persons but considers all
those who call upon His name to be members of His family
(mishpochah). In Acts 10:34-35 it is written:
"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I
perceive
that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he
that
feareth him, and worketh righteousness is accepted with
him."
Those who were at mount Sinai when the "church" was
first born
consisted of the natural born descendents of Abraham (Avraham), Isaac
(Yitzchak) and Jacob (Ya'acov) and a mixed multitude who believed in
the G-d of Israel and who left Egypt (Mitzrayim) with the children of
Israel. At mount Sinai, they were called the house of Jacob. In
Exodus (Shemot) 19:1-3 it is written:
"In the third month, when the children of Israel were
gone forth
out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the
wilderness of Sinai. For they were departed from Rephidim,
and
were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the
wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount. 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."
In addition to the natural born descendents of Abraham (Avraham),
Isaac (Yitzchak) and Jacob (Ya'acov) who are called the house of
Jacob, a mixed multitude who believed in the G-d of Israel and who
left Egypt (Mitzrayim) with the children of Israel were also present
at mount Sinai. In Exodus (Shemot) 12:29-31, 37-38 it is written:
"And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote
all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of
Pharaoh
that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive
that
was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And
Pharaoh
rose up in the night, he, and all his servants and all the
Egyptians . and he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and
said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both
ye
and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye
have
said ... and the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses
to
Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men,
beside children. And a MIXED MULTITUDE went up also with
them;
and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle."
Therefore, the "church" that was born at mount Sinai
consisted of
the natural born descendents of Abraham (Avraham), Isaac (Yitzchak)
and Jacob (Ya'acov) called the house of Jacob and a mixed multitude
from Egypt (Mitzrayim) who feared and became believers in the G-d of
Israel following the plagues in the land of Egypt (Mitzrayim). It was
the mixed multitude who sojourned out of Egypt (Mitzrayim) with the
house of Jacob and became an assembly/kahal/church/ekklesia of people
unto the G-d of Israel at mount Sinai.
G-D'S
SPIRITUAL CHURCH
IS
A MIXED MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE
WHO
BELIEVE IN THE JEWISH MESSIAH
The spiritual (eschatological)
assembly/kahal/church/ekklesia of
people unto the G-d of Israel consists of both natural born Jews and
non-Jews who accept the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach) Yeshua/Jesus as the
promised Messiah (Mashiach) of the G-d of Israel. In Galatians 3:26,
28 it is written:
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ
Jesus
[Yeshua HaMashiach] . there is neither Jew nor Greek, there
is
neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:
for you
are all one in Christ Jesus [Yeshua HaMashiach]."
In Romans 10:9-13 it is written:
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and
shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from
the
dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth
unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation. For the Scripture [TeNaKh / Old Testament]
saith,
Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed [Isaiah
28:16].
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek;
for
the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved.
[Joel 2:32]"
WHO
IS ISRAEL?
What does the Biblical term Israel mean and how does it relate to
the family (mishpochah) of the G-d of Israel and believers in
Yeshua/Jesus as the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)? In the Bible, the
house of Jacob (consisting of the house of Israel and the house of
Judah) is allegorically described as being likened to an olive tree.
In Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) 11:1, 6, 16-17 it is written:
"The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying
. Proclaim
all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets
of
Jerusalem, saying . The Lord called thy name. A green olive
tree
. and the branches of it are broken. For the Lord of hosts
that
planted thee . of the house of Israel AND of the house of
Judah."
The branches of the original natural olive tree (the house of
Israel AND the house of Judah) were broken. Therefore, the broken
branches needed to be redeemed, restored and grafted again back into
the original natural olive tree. How did this happen?
JACOB'S
NAME IS CHANGED TO ISRAEL
In order to understand who is Israel (Yisrael), you need to
understand the origin of the name of Israel (Yisrael). Israel
(Yisrael) is the name give to Jacob (Ya'acov) by the G-d of Israel.
In Genesis (Bereishit) 32:24-28 it is written:
"And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man
with him
until the breaking of the day. 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, and he wrestled
with
him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he
said,
I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said
unto
him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 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."
JACOB
HAS TWELVE SONS
WHO
BECOME THE HOUSE OF JACOB
Jacob (Ya'acov)/Israel had twelve sons. The descendents of Jacob
(Ya'acov)/Israel were called the children of Israel or the house of
Jacob. The descendents of Jacob (Ya'acov)/Israel, the house of Jacob,
entered into a covenant with the G-d of Israel at mount Sinai (Exodus
[Shemot] 19. The descendents of Jacob (Ya'acov)/Israel, the house of
Jacob, broke this covenant. In doing so, the branches of the original
olive tree were broken.
THE HOUSE OF JACOB IS DIVIDED
FOLLOWING
THE
REIGN OF SOLOMON
Followed the reign of Solomon (Shlomo), the house of Jacob
(Ya'acov) was divided into the Northern Kingdom (house of Israel) and
the Southern Kingdom (house of Judah). This was done because the G-d
of Israel judged Solomon (Shlomo) because he broke the Torah/covenant
of the G-d of Israel by marrying foreign wives who caused the nation
of Israel to worship foreign gods. In I Kings (Melachim) 11:1-5 it is
written:
"But king Solomon loved many strange women, together
with the
daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites,
Edomites,
Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which
the
Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in
to
them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they
will
turn away your heart after their gods [Deuteronomy 7:1-4]:
Solomon cleaved unto these in love. And he had seven
hundred
wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his
wives
turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon
was
old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods:
and
his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the
heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth
the
goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination
of
the Ammonites."
Therefore, Solomon's (Shlomo) kingdom (the house of Jacob) was
divided into Northern Kingdom (house of Israel) and Southern Kingdom
(house of Judah). In I Kings (Melachim) 11:9-13 it is written:
"And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his
heart was
turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto
him
twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he
should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which
the
Lord commanded. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon,
Forasmuch
as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant
and
my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely
rend the
kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy
father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy
son.
Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give
one
tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for
Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen."
THE
NORTHERN KINGDOM IS CALLED
THE
HOUSE OF ISRAEL
Jeroboam, Solomon's (Shlomo) servant, became the ruler of the
Northern Kingdom who consisted of ten tribes. In I Kings (Melachim)
11:26, 28-32 it is written:
"And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of
Zereda,
Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow
woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king .. and
the
man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor: and Solomon seeing
the
young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over
all
the charge of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at
that
time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet
Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad
himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the
field: And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him,
and
rent it in twelve pieces: And he said to Jeroboam, Take
thee ten
pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold,
I
will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will
give
ten tribes to thee: (But he shall have one tribe for my
servant
David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I
have
chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)"
The Northern Kingdom was called the following names in the Bible:
1. The house of Israel (I Kings 12:21, Jeremiah 31:31)
2. The house of Joseph (I Kings 11:28)
3. Samaria (Hosea 7:1, 8:5-6, 13:16)
4. Ephraim (Hosea 4:17, 5:3, 7:1)
THE
SOUTHERN KINGDOM IS CALLED
THE
HOUSE OF JUDAH
Rehoboam became the leader of the Southern Kingdom. The Southern
Kingdom was called the house of Judah. Both the Northern Kingdom
(house of Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (house of Judah) broke the
Torah/covenant that the G-d of Israel made with the house of Jacob
(Ya'acov) at mount Sinai. Therefore, according to the words of the
covenant, both the Northern Kingdom (house of Israel) and the
Southern Kingdom (house of Judah) were dispersed into the nations of
the world. In Deuteronomy (Devarim) 28:15, 36-37, 64 it is written:
"But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken
unto the
voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his
commandments
and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all
these
curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee . The Lord
shall
bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee,
unto a
nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and
there
shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone. And thou shalt
become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all
nations whither the Lord shall lead thee . And the Lord
shall
scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the
earth
even unto the other; and thou shalt serve other gods, which
neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and
stone."
THE
NORTHERN KINGDOM
IS
TAKEN CAPTIVE TO ASSYRIA
The Northern Kingdom (house of Israel) was taken captive by the
nation of Assyria (II Kings [Melachim] 17:7-23). In the fullness of
time, they lost their identity as the house of Israel and became
assimilated into all the nations of the world.
THE
SOUTHERN KINGDOM
IS
TAKEN CAPTIVE TO BABYLON
Meanwhile, the Southern Kingdom (house of Judah) was initially
taken captive by the Babylonians. The G-d of Israel declared through
the prophet Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) that the duration of the Babylonian
captivity was to last for 70 years (Jeremiah [Yermiyahu] 25:1-11).
Following the 70 years of Babylonian captivity, a remnant of people
from the Southern Kingdom (house of Judah) returned to the land of
Israel during the days of Ezra and Nehemiah.
THE
SOUTHERN KINGDOM
IS
THE JEWISH PEOPLE
Those from the Southern Kingdom (house of Judah) who returned
from Babylon with Ezra and Nehemiah were called Jews. In Ezra 2:1,
5:1 it is written:
"Now these are the children of the province that went
up out of
the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom
Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto
Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one
unto
his city . Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and
Zechariah
the son of Iddo, prophesied unto THE JEWS that were in
Judah and
Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto
them."
In Nehemiah 1:1-2 it is written:
"The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it
came to pass
in the month of Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in
Shushan the palace, That Hanani, one of my brethren, came,
he
and certain MEN OF JUDAH; and I asked them concerning THE
JEWS
that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and
concerning Jerusalem."
THE ROMANS TAKE
THE HOUSE OF JUDAH
INTO
WORLDWIDE CAPTIVITY
Following the destruction of the second Temple (Beit HaMikdash),
the Roman Empire took the Southern Kingdom (house of Judah) captive.
From this captivity, the Southern Kingdom (house of Judah) was
eventually taken captive into every nation of the world. In spite of
this worldwide captivity, the Southern Kingdom (house of Judah) has
never lost their identity of being a nation of people called Jews
from the Southern Kingdom (house of Judah) even unto this day.
WHO ARE JEWS AND WHO
ARE ISRAELITES?
The descendents of Jacob (Ya'acov)/Israel (house of Jacob
consisting of all twelve tribes) are Israelites. The descendents of
Jacob (Ya'acov)/Israel (house of Jacob) were divided into Northern
Kingdom (house of Israel) and Southern Kingdom (house of Judah). The
descendents of the Northern Kingdom (house of Israel) lost their
identity of being a nation of people from the Northern Kingdom (house
of Israel) when they were taken captive by the nation of Assyria
(around 721 BCE) and assimilated into all the nations of the world.
However, the Southern Kingdom (house of Judah) never lost their
identity of being Jews from the Southern Kingdom (house of Judah)
during their worldwide captivity.
In a strict definition of the literal (peshat) Biblical word Jew,
Jews are descendents from the tribe of Judah. However, in a broader
definition of the literal (peshat) Biblical term Jew, those tribes
from the Southern Kingdom (house of Judah) were also called Jews in
the Biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The Southern Kingdom (house
of Judah) consisted of the tribes of Judah, Levi and a part of Benjamin.
Meanwhile, those tribes from the Northern Kingdom (house of
Israel) are not Biblically called Jews because they are not from the
Southern Kingdom (house of Judah). Instead, the Northern Kingdom
(house of Israel) is called Israelites.
Therefore, ALL Jews (those from the Southern Kingdom) are
Israelites (a subset of all twelve tribes). However, not all
Israelites (those from the Northern Kingdom) are Jews (from the
Southern Kingdom).
THE
NORTHERN KINGDOM IS CUT-OFF
FROM
THE NATURAL OLIVE TREE
The judgment of the Northern Kingdom (house of Israel) for
forsaking the Torah/covenant of the G-d of Israel at mount Sinai was
that they would be cut off from the natural olive tree. Their
judgment is given in Hosea (Hoshea) 1. In this chapter, the G-d of
Israel told the prophet Hosea (Hoshea) to marry a whore named Gomer
(Hosea [Hoshea] 1:2-3. The children born from this marriage would be
a prophecy of the future judgment of the Northern Kingdom (house of
Israel). There are three children born from this marriage who are
mentioned in Hosea [Hoshea] 1. The names of these three children are
Jezreel (Hosea [Hoshea] 1:4, Lo-ruhamah Hosea [Hoshea] 1:6 and
Lo-ammi Hosea [Hoshea] 1:9).
Jezreel is the Strong's word 3157 in the Hebrew dictionary. The
Hebrew word Jezreel comes from two Hebrew words. These two Hebrew
words are Zarah (2232) and El (410). Zarah means "to sow or scatter."
El is the Hebrew word for G-d. Therefore, the Hebrew word Jezreel
means "G-d will sow or G-d will scatter."
Lo-ruhamah is the Strong's word 3819. The Hebrew word Lo-ruhamah
comes from two Hebrew words. These two Hebrew words are Lo (3808)
which means "no or not" and Ruhamah which comes from the Strong's
word (7355) racham which means "mercy or compassion." So, the Hebrew
word Lo-ruhamah means "no mercy or no compassion."
Lo-ammi is the Strong's word 3818. The Hebrew word Lo-ammi comes
from two Hebrew words. These two Hebrew word are Lo (3808) which
means "no or not" and ammi which comes from the Strong's word (5971)
am which means "people." So, the Hebrew word Lo-ammi means "not my
people."
The forefathers of the Northern Kingdom (house of Israel) along
with the Southern Kingdom (house of Judah) were called together the
house of Jacob (Ya'acov). In Exodus (Shemot) 19:3, the house of Jacob
(Ya'acov) entered into a marriage covenant (Jeremiah [Yermiyahu]
2:1-3) with the G-d of Israel at mount Sinai. At that time, they
became a called out people unto the G-d of Israel known in Hebrew as
a kahal (assembly) and in Greek as an ekklesia (church). In doing so,
the rights of this covenant gave the house of Jacob (Ya'acov) an
eternal inheritance if they were obedient in keeping the covenant
(Exodus [Shemot] 19:5-6). However, by breaking the terms of the
Torah/covenant that the G-d of Israel made with His people, the G-d
of Israel is now telling the Northern Kingdom (house of Israel) that
they are no longer His people and He will no longer have mercy upon
them. In doing so, the G-d of Israel divorced the Northern Kingdom
(house of Israel). In Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) 3:6, 8 it is written:
"The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the
king, Hast
thou seen that which backsliding Israel [house of Israel]
hath
done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under
every
green tree, and there hath played the HARLOT . And I saw,
when
for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel [house of
Israel]
committed ADULTERY [was unfaithful to the terms of the
Torah/marriage covenant at mount Sinai] I had put her away,
and
given her a bill of DIVORCE."
In giving the Northern Kingdom (house of Israel) a divorce (get),
they lost the inheritance that was rightfully theirs by being a
member of the family (mishpochah) of the G-d of Israel. The G-d of
Israel declared that they would not be His people and that He would
have no mercy upon them. Therefore, they were cut off (karet) (3772)
from the natural olive tree.
(End
Part 1 of 2)
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