Devarim 30:1-10 “And it shall be, when all these words come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you shall bring them back to your heart…..
This really means, you read from the beginning of Bereshit/Genesis until the end of Devarim/Deuteronomy. And by every Word that Abba Yahweh speaks you ask Him for forgiveness where you went wrong and promise Abba Yahweh the do it good.…….
among all the gentiles where יהוה your Elohim drives you,
2 and shall turn back to יהוה your Elohim and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today……
You, Ephraim and Yehudah say that already together: Devarim 5:27 ‘You go near and hear all that יהוה our Elohim says, and speak to us all that יהוה our Elohim says to you, and we shall hear and do it.’…… You should say it again Ephraim and Manasseh when Messiah Ben Yoseph ‘knock’s on the ‘door’ of your heart.’
with all your heart and with all your being, you and your children,
3 then יהוה your Elohim shall turn back your captivity, and shall have compassion on you, and He shall turn back and gather you from all the peoples where יהוה your Elohim has scattered you.
4 “If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under the heavens, from there יהוה your Elohim does gather you, and from there He does take you.
5 “And יהוה your Elohim shall bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. And He shall do good to you, and increase you more than your fathers.
6 “And יהוה your Elohim shall circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed, to love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being, so that you might live,
7 and יהוה your Elohim shall put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.
8 “And you shall turn back and obey the voice of יהוה and do all His commands which I command you today.
9 “And יהוה your Elohim shall make you have excess in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground for good. For יהוה turns back to rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers,
10 if you obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim, to guard His commands and His laws which are written in this Book of the Torah, if you turn back to יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being.
That is the Promise from Abba Yahweh the only Way, no other Way is accepted….
Torah for The WatchMen. Collected Torah comments from different resources. This blog is a part from the website: ‘The WatchMen from Israel’.
Jerusalem, Kislev 1, 5776 / Friday, November 13, 2015
Yaʽaqoḇ 1:1 Yaʽaqoḇ, a servant of Elohim and of the Master יהושע Messiah, to the twelve tribes who are in the dispersion: Greetings.
Isa 48:20 “Come out of Baḇel! Flee from the Chaldeans (Muslims)! Declare this with a voice of singing, proclaim it, send it out to the end of the earth! Say, ‘יהוהhas redeemed His servant Yaʽaqoḇ!’
Isa 59:20-21 “And the Redeemer shall come to Tsiyon, and to those turning from transgression in Yaʽaqoḇ,” declares יהוה.
21 “As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” said יהוה: “My Spirit that is upon you, and My Words that I have put in your mouth, shall not be withdrawn from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” said יהוה, “from this time and forever.”
Eph 6:17 Take also the helmet of deliverance, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of Elohim….
*****
Tree of Life Messianic Ministries: Shabbat Shalom! Torah Portion for November 14, 2015 Toldot
Your weekly Torah portion from Etz Chayim!
Shabbat Shalom!
Blessings in Yeshua from: Sharan and Mordecai Silver along with Etz Chayim-Tree of Life Messianic Congregation and Tree of Life Messianic Ministries.
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BATTLEGROUND
BY ETZ CHAYIM-TREE OF LIFE MESSIANIC CONGREGATION ELDER PAUL GASSER.
Paul is also a graduate student in the Master’s program with JSI University.
This past week, due to Halloween, I was asked many times from many walks of life about what spiritual warfare is. Depending on whom I speak to, I must guide my answers. Why? Because of the many different beliefs people hold concerning this topic.
In both Christian and Jewish beliefs, they believe in a “satan”. Yet the belief is much different. Christians believe that there is a battle going on between God and satan (good and evil), while Jews believe that the battle is between satan and man, not satan and God. “For Jews, anything that even remotely conflicts with the idea that Gd is One and Indivisible will be rejected out of hand because it precludes true pure monotheism. The idea that there is a Gd in heaven above who fights against a god of the underworld, or of hell, or a Good Gd who is in eternal opposition to an Evil Gd, is not monotheism.” (whatjewsbelieve.org)
Christian theology uses two main Scriptures in the “New Testament” to back up their belief of good verses evil – fighting for souls: Luke 10:18 and Revelation 12:9. However, the foundation for these Scriptures, the Tanach or Torah, does not back up this belief. In Isaiah 14:4-14, which is used to back up these two Scriptures, the person being spoken of is the king of Babylon, not “lucifer or satan”.
In EVERY instance “hasatan” is used in the Tanach, God has initiated the discussion or hasatan is acting as a prosecuting attorney or “D.A.” There is no battle between God and hasatan, hasatan must get permission from God to do anything. So hasatan is in essence, “working for God”, not fighting against HIM. Does this mean spiritual warfare is not real? Never! The battle is between us and hasatan.
Hasatan is an angel, created by God. Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! (1Cor. 6:3 ESV) How are we to judge them? By the Torah. Does judge mean condemn or send to hell? No! That is God’s place. We are to judge them in what they say or how they influence us, as it relates to Torah.
So what is a battle ground during this time of year? You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? (1 Cor. 10:21-22 ESV) When we try to do things opposite of God, like halloween, Christmas, Easter, and even Sunday church (instead of Shabbat), then we are partaking of the table of demons. Especially when we know the truth about the feast days of God and the pagan roots of other festivals. We are then in true rebellion to God. When we try to mix them, or bring Yeshua into them (syncretism – mixing pagan & Biblical practices), we become ever more deceived. How dark then is your light?
The battle ground lies in what you are going to choose. Not what other people are choosing, but what YOU are choosing. We are held accountable for the things we know. The more you “know”, the more accountable to GOD you have become. Thus one must walk a closer line then others whom do not know the truth. Are we coming out of such things, or justifying our staying in them? “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Josh. 24:15 ESV) Which will you choose?
Shavua Tov!
Paul
SHABBAT SHALOM or GUT SHABBOS from
Rabbi Mordecai Silver, Ph.D.
Rabbi/Dr. Mordecai Silver, Ph.D., is the Rabbi of Etz Chayim-Tree of Life Messianic Congregation for the past 20 years. Mordecai is also the CEO of Judaic Studies Institute and Rosh or Head of the JSI Beit Din and has oversight of the rabbinic students. Rabbi/Dr. Silver is also Vice-Chancellor with JSI University.
Message 11-14-15
Toldot-Generations
Genesis 25:19-28:9
Malachi 1:1-2:7
Romans 9:10-16
Introduction
The story begins when Isaac is forty years old, and Rebecca is experiencing a difficult pregnancy. Learning from God that she is pregnant with twins who will become two different nations, Rebecca is also told by the Almighty that the older of the twins will someday serve the younger.
Genesis 25:21-26
21 And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” 24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau.26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. (ESV)
Don’t you find it interesting how Esau and Jacob were already struggling in their mother’s womb before they were even born? This did not bode well for the future of these two men from who would come forth the Edomite and Israelite nations. This passage is so prophetic about what was to come and the history between these two men and their descendants. The struggle within Rebecca would be just the beginning of a struggle that would be lifelong and will not be settled until Yeshua returns. You have to ask yourself why YHWH would send Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to a land that would be inhabited by nations that would plague the Israelites and later the Jewish people to this day. He planted them in a place that would bring trial after trial on the patriarchs and their descendants. He also tells Rebecca that the older brother would be the stronger, yet he would serve the younger brother much in the same way as Israel dominates its neighbors though, as I am writing this, the chess board in the Middle East is in flux. Russia is moving in military equipment and men in Syria on the pretense of helping to restore order to Syria and to fight the ISIS threat. Though allying themselves with Iran, Iraq, Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon does not say much about their choice of allies, then again it says a lot about them.
From Jewishanswers.org:
Modern Descendants of Esau
The verse in Genesis (25:30) informs us that Esau himself was called Edom: “And Esau said to Jacob: ‘Pour me some of that red stuff because I’m tired’ – therefore he called him Edom”. Later in Genesis (36:9), the Torah tells us that Esau was the ‘Father’ of the Nation of Edom: “These are the generations of Esau, the father of Edom”.
Now it is clear from the Talmud and other sources that the Romans are viewed as descendants of Esau; when Rebecca was informed that she would have twins, G-d said to her: “There are two nations in your womb.”
The Midrash on this verse plays with the Hebrew word for nations (based on the strange way the word is written in the Torah Scroll): “Read this as ‘two aristocrats in your womb’, Adrianus in Rome and Shlomo in Israel, Antoninus in Rome and Rebbi (Rabbi Judah HaNasi) in Israel.”
The Talmud shows that historically the Jews took the Roman’s connection to Esau very seriously: “Once the Romans decreed that no Jew could study Torah, keep the Shabbat, or circumcise a child…the Jews organized a demonstration by night and shouted: BY GOD! ARE WE NOT CHILDREN OF ONE FATHER? ARE WE NOT THE CHILDREN OF ONE MOTHER? WHY ARE WE BEING SINGLED OUT FOR ILL-TREATMENT? The Romans canceled the decree.” (Rosh Hashana 19a)
Whether or not a particular person or nation is a biological descendant of Esau is obviously impossible to determine and not really important; what is essential to understand is that the world view of Esau has been passed down as a cultural inheritance throughout history from Edom, to the Roman Empire, to the Catholic Church, to Modern Europe, and most recently to the United States and its ’empire’ – in other words, western civilization as a whole. This world view has obviously been in a constant state of evolution throughout the generations – America, the land founded on tolerance has been a most fertile land for the Jews – Europe, on the other hand, was a nightmare; this dichotomy in Esau’s personality is brought out by our Sages in these two seemingly contradictory sources. On the one hand the Medrash states: The name Esau has the same numerical value as Shalom (Peace).” (Kalla Rabati,3)
On the other hand, the Talmud analyses a verse in psalms: ” ‘Do not remove his bit…'(Psalms 140:9) – said Jacob to the Holy One: Master of the Universe – do not allow Esau his hearts desire…this refers to Germany of Edom, for if they were to be allowed loose, they would destroy the world! (Talmud Megilla, 6a-6b).
The inference in this article is that the descendants of Esau can be found in modern western nations who may resemble through their actions Esau. In most instances, these nations were for but mostly against Israel and the Jewish people, and you can see this in the behavior of many western nations today by how they act towards Israel and the Jewish people who live in their countries. Jewish people are leaving many European countries. Everything that is recorded in the Bible repeats itself throughout history because there is a connection, and there is no way you can get around it even if you deny the existence of God, and that is at your own peril! As we read the story of Esau and Jacob and YHWH’s words to Rebecca, we see the future as it’s unfolded over thousands of years. Who knows how much longer this world as it is will continue on? That is up to the one who created it. We are not that far removed from the creation story in the opening of Genesis, so let’s take a quick look back.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. (ESV)
In these verses we see God the Father, YHWH, God the Spirit, the Ruach, and God the Son Yeshua, the light of the world. All three parts of what is known as the Godhead are present here in these opening verses of Genesis. Even in these verses, we can see how things are being set up for the conflict between good and evil, light and darkness because in verse four, we are told the Father separated the light, Yeshua, from the darkness, Satan. There will be conflict between them until Satan is be cast into the Lake of Fire, and that does not take place until after the Messianic Age ends. Now you might disagree with me, and that is your right, and you should be digging into the word of God on your own. Read it slowly, and dig into the Word to find the truth. I may be wrong, you may be wrong, or we both could be right or wrong, but we should be able to talk about the Word and agree to disagree when it becomes necessary. Sometimes we need to separate ourselves and go different ways. It’s not about forcing one opinion on another; it’s about discovering the truth of God’s Word. In the end, Jacob and Esau had to part ways and go in different directions; sometimes we have to do the same.
Malachi 1:1-5
1 The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. 2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.'” 5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!” (ESV)
<08130> שָׂנֵא sane )971b(
Meaning: to hate
Origin: a prim. root
Usage: detest(1), enemy(3), enmity(1), foes(1), hate(78), hated(28), hated her intensely(1), hates(19), hating(2), hatred(1), turned against(1), turns against(2), unloved(7).
These are pretty harsh words coming from the Lord God, people. He clearly says He hates Esau but loves Jacob. One follows the ways of YHWH; the other one chooses to go down a different path a path that takes him away from God and closer to the Adversary. So, when people talk about God is love, you need to remember it was God who created good and evil, life and death and sin. He brought it into being lest we forget that. It was done for a reason and a purpose for us and even for the angels, angelic beings that made their own choice to turn their backs on their Creator, and you have to ask yourself, why if they were in His presence in the heavenly realm they chose to follow Satan. Go figure! YHWH turned against Esau because he turned away from God’s way. He chose to walk a different way, while Jacob did everything he could to find his way to God. It wasn’t easy for him, but he persevered, and in the end he found his way to an encounter with God, and out of that struggle he was given a new name, one that would echo down through the ages and never disappear even when the land did.
Romans 9:10-16
10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad– in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls– 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. (ESV)
The Apostle Shaul tells us that our calling comes from God and is not based on the works we do but because of God. You might take this to mean that it does not matter what you do in life, but the kicker here is it is up to God, not up to us as to what will happen when all is said and done. We are told it is up to God, who has mercy and compassion on who He chooses to, but if our works do not matter, why do we follow Torah – because the Torah points us in the right direction, and yes God knows what we are going to do even in the womb, but that is God and not us, so we need to focus on ourselves and try to be an example for others. As we work on ourselves to bring our lives into conformance with Yeshua who is our example, we have no idea how we affect others who knew us when and now know us after. God can change lives no matter where or what we once did or how we acted if it was contrary to Torah. Torah is our guide, and Messiah pointed us to it over and over and used Torah to defeat Satan. Torah has to have a purpose because Abraham is commended for having faith and Torah. This is a package deal, people, and you turn to Messiah by faith, but when you turn to Him, you need to follow a new road different than the one you were on. This road is the one Messiah walks, and we are called to walk this road with Him and this road is Torah.
What can we learn from the story of Jacob and Esau? This is the story of one trying to find his way in a life of trials, while the other one had life kind of easy and chose to do things his way, even when it hurt his parents. Esau wanted to live in the moment, while Jacob searched for the way to bring him back home and to a relationship with the Holy One of Israel, the people who would one day take his name for themselves. He was born Jacob and became Israel. It wasn’t easy – it was a hard road, but in the end it was a road best travelled alone as he had to figure out things for himself, but God knew where Jacob’s road would lead him to, and he loved him for persevering in the journey. He hated Esau because Esau was the first-born and entitled to so much, but entitlement does not mean a thing when it comes to God, and the Apostle Shaul hits is right on the head when he tells us YHWH is the judge who knows the beginning and the end. We are all on the same road together bringing us to the end of the journey. At some point, the road leads right to God where we will all be judged according to His justice not ours.
Acts 15:7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” (ESV)
We are all the same when we stand before God for the final judgment. Do it with fear and trembling.
Blessings in Messiah Yeshua,
Mordecai Silver
Torah Man says: “Our words may hide our thoughts but our actions will reveal them.”
PRAYER POINTS WITH RABBI MORDECAI SILVER
ADAPTED FROM: FROM PRAYING WITH FIRE 2
MAKING IT DIFFERENTOne of the Jewish people’s sages, the Chofetz Chaim said, “The power of the Jewish people’s prayer was as real as the power of an army. He knew that if only the “troops” would rally their strength and take up their arms – the power of prayer – there was hope. The tide of battle could be reversed.
Today, many of us hold our most powerful weapon – prayer – idly at our sides, perhaps not quite convinced that it can save us. The incessant march of world events seems far beyond our sphere of influence.
However, the suffering during the “birth pangs of Mashiach” will persist only until we fully grasp and internalize its message. As soon as we allow our belief in praying to YHWH to flow from our minds into the deepest recesses of our hearts, we will find our capacity for the kind of prayer we need and desire. The kind that can bring Mashiach in an instant.
But the goal is not our suffering; it is our stark recognition, deep into the core of our beings, that crying out to YHWH – tefillah/prayer fueled by a strong, underlying emunah/faith – is our first and last hope.
Points to Ponder
For many people trust in YHWH is not reflected in their initial response to troubles.
A true ingrained belief in YHWH impels us to cry out to Him and rely on Him alone.
Our sincere prayers have the power to bring Mashiach in the manner of “achi-shenah,” earlier than the designated final time, shortening the period of our travail.
Revelation 2:8 “To the angel of the Messianic Community in Smyrna, write: ‘Here is the message from the First and the Last, who died and came alive again: 9 “I know how you are suffering and how poor you are (though in fact you are rich!), and I know the insults of those who call themselves Jews but aren’t- on the contrary, they are a synagogue of the Adversary. 10Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Adversary is going to have some of you thrown in prison, in order to put you to the test; and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful, even to the point of death; and I will give you life as your crown. 11 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities. He who wins the victory will not be hurt at all by the second death.”‘ (CJB)
RECONCILIATION
Rabbi Philip Hammond, Ph.D., lives in Austalia and is the Rosh or Head of the JSI-Judaic Studies Institute Reconciliation Outreach between Judah, the Ten-Tribes’, and the Nations. Rabbi/Dr. Hammond is an Associate Professor with JSI University and Dean of Students.
RECONCILIATION OUTREACH
Written by Rabbi Philip Hammond, Ph.D.
Posted in Reconciliation Teachings
Rabbi Hammond is the Rosh and Vice-President
of JSI’s Reconciliation Outreach
RECONCILIATION TEACHINGS FROM THE APOSTOLIC WRITINGS.
FAMILY BREAKDOWN – THE REMEDY – WEEK FOUR.
This week we are going to view how the parable of the “lost son” is an outline of what has and is taking place in the reconciliation of the Two Houses of Israel. Last week we went through the story and briefly viewed the various behaviours and responses of the central characters in the story. We looked at how the younger son was absorbed with satisfying his own wants and the result of this rebellion. We looked at the different responses from the father and the older son when the younger son returned to the fold. So with this in mind let us now have a brief look at how this story relates to the Two Houses/Kingdoms of Israel.
We opened this series by viewing the recorded events in 1Kings chapter 11 and 12 that outlined the schism of Israel. We know this resulted in the formation of two kingdoms or Two Houses of Israel. We have the Northern Kingdom [Israel made up mainly of ten tribes], commonly called and known now as the House of Ephraim/10 tribe Israel, and we have the Southern Kingdom [Mainly two tribes, Judah and Benjamin] commonly called and known as the House of Judah. The records show that the Northern Kingdom set up their own rules and religious regulations generally ignoring the Torah of Moshe.
“For Israel had torn [itself] away from the house of David, crowning Jeroboam son of Nebat [over themselves], and Jeroboam pushed Israel away from following HASHEM and caused them to commit a grave sin. The Children of Israel went in [the way of] all the sins of Jeroboam, which he committed, they did not turn away from them, until HASHEM removed Israel from His Presence, as He had spoken through the hand of all His servants the prophets. So Israel went into exile from their land to Assyria, to this day.” 2Kings 17:21-23 [AST]
This resulted in them losing their identity and being scattered throughout the nations, thus becoming “lost”. In other words the “House of Ephraim/Israel” is labelled as “lost” because they indeed lost their way and identity becoming estranged from the instructions of HaShem.
Judah on the other hand, for the most part, have been following the instructions of HaShem and as such have kept their identity and cannot be described as “lost” in this context. Granted this is a simplistic overview but it should help us view the parable of the lost son in the light of the reconciliation process.
With this in mind let us once again bring the main characters of this story into focus. We have the family, the father and the two sons. The biblical picture being painted for us is as follows. The family represents the Whole House of Israel, the father represents our heavenly Father, the older son represents the House of Judah and the younger son represents the House of Israel/Ephraim.
If we re-read the parable viewing the father as HaShem, the younger brother as Ephraim and the older brother as Judah, we have a picture of our past history as a nation, a picture of our nation at present, and a picture of our nation in the future. The past is shown when the younger son [Ephraim] decided to leave the father’s house and go into a far country. This reflects the Northern Kingdom under Jeroboam leaving the instructions of the Father and following their own man made instructions that also employed the rituals of other faiths and gods. Sadly this is a picture of today’s Christian church, an organisation whose “kings” take the people away from the teachings, values and instructions of HaShem. It is well recognised amongst many biblical scholars that Christianity very likely makes up the majority of present day Ephraim.
Now keep in mind that in the Ancient Near East it was customary for the inheritance only to be given when the father had died. So it would be fair to say that the younger son [Ephraim] had totally removed from his mind any thoughts that the father or family had any value. He saw the ways of the father [HaShem] as outdated and dead – a “thing” of the past. He [Ephraim/Christianity] was eager to leave behind the instructions of the father, and move onto new teachings and develop for himself a whole new way of living. The younger son approached the father determined to go his own way and demanded his inheritance, and as we witness the father allowed it without argument. This alludes to the historical event of Ephraim/Israel being scattered throughout the nations.
We fast forward to today and we find the pattern continuing. Do we not witness the Christian Church refusing to acknowledge the validity of the torah, preferring to follow their own set of rules instead of the Whole House instructions of the Father. For instance modern day Ephraim would rather worship on Sunday instead of the Sabbath. This modern day Ephraim has changed the Moedim /Appointed days of the Father to suit their political purposes. Christianity celebrates the unbiblical days of Christmas, Easter, and Sunday. They engage in eating unclean foods and the list goes on.
We know from the parable the time arrives when the younger son finds himself starving in the pig pens. This is now beginning to unfold. A small section of Ephraim is beginning to realise it is starving for food – spiritual food from above. There is an awakening amongst the ‘Northern tribes”, some are realising that they have been spending time in pig pens consuming food that has carried them so far, but it ends in starvation and death. Ephraim due to the decisions made by them in past generations have constantly fed on a diet of error and falsehood. None the less Ephraim/younger son doesn’t stay lost/dead. He realises he has been residing in a foreign, strange, and distant land, consuming products that are far from the Promised Land. Ephraim begins to realise the error of his ways. Ephraim finally admits he has been living a life that has had him adhere to the false teachings and deceitful promises of pagan kings and gods. Ephraim comes to the realisation that life is found in his Father’s house and the values taught therein. Ephraim knows he must arise, leave behind the pig pens and associated filth and return home via the narrow way.
“Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to destruction is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a confined road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
It is vital for any who have strayed from the Father’s house to understand that in order to return and partake of the wealth found therein, they must recognise they are standing in pig pens. They must return by following and adhering to the narrow protective path of the Torah. The younger son/Ephraim fully understood this after he came to his senses. He knew he had sinned against heaven and needed to admit this before the Father and perform Teshuvah. The father/HaShem had been waiting for the return of this one who had lost his way due to leaving the household and following the pagan ways of the nations.
This is mirrored today in the fact that HaShem is waiting for Ephraim to come home. He is waiting to rejoice in the homecoming of this “lost house” of Israel.
Praise HaShem there are signs this is taking place as Christians slowly acknowledge the fact they have been following the rules and constitutions of man not HaShem. It must be stated that it is not only Christians who make up the House of Ephraim, but they are a large component of this House. The question Ephraim must ask itself is who and what does it love. Who is Ephraim dedicated too?
Past history shows that Ephraim often strayed from its dedication and faithfulness to HaShem. A few examples taken from the book of Jeremiah will give evidence of this.
“4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord,
“What injustice did your fathers find in Me,
That they went far from Me
And walked after emptiness and became empty?
6 “They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord
Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and of pits,
Through a land of drought and of deep darkness,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no man dwelt?’
7 “I brought you into the fruitful land
To eat its fruit and its good things.
But you came and defiled My land,
And My inheritance you made an abomination.
8 “The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
And those who handle the law did not know Me;
The rulers also transgressed against Me,
And the prophets prophesied by Baal
And walked after things that did not profit. Jeremiah 2:4-8 [NASB]
6 Then the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there. Jeremiah 3:6 [NASB]
However it wasn’t only the House of Israel/Ephraim that was faithless to HaShem Judah was guilty as well. Judah also must ask who it is dedicated too. Why is Judah jealous of Ephraim/Israel? Who does Judah want to please, HaShem or the over bearing leaders of its House? Can Judah show the same love for Ephraim that the Father has shown? Has Judah always had the best interests of the Father’s Household at heart? Further examples from Jeremiah answer these questions.
7 I thought, ‘After she has done all these things she will return to Me’; but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also. 9 Because of the lightness of her harlotry, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. 10 Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 3:7-10
For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem,
“Break up your fallow ground,
And do not sow among thorns.
4 “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord
And remove the foreskins of your heart,
Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
Or else My wrath will go forth like fire
And burn with none to quench it,
Because of the evil of your deeds.” Jeremiah 4:3-4 [NASB]
So we should be in little doubt that both Houses of our nation have been rebellious in their behaviour on various occasions and continue to be so. Judah continues to show frustration and little regard for its “younger brother”. Judah considers itself pious and righteous because it has for the most part stayed in the Father’s house. However there is to be some interesting developments when the House of Israel/Ephraim repent of their rebellious ways and return to the ever loving Father.
Consider the following verses of scripture in light of our subject.
11 And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say,
‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord;
‘I will not look upon you in anger.
For I am gracious,’ declares the Lord;
‘I will not be angry forever.
13 ‘Only acknowledge your iniquity,
That you have transgressed against the Lord your God
And have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree,
And you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares the Lord.
14 ‘Return, O faithless sons,’ declares the Lord;
‘For I am a master to you,
And I will take you one from a city and two from a family,
And I will bring you to Zion.’
15 “Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding. Jeremiah 3:11-15
The House of Ephraim will return and take up residence once again in the family home and obey the Father’s instructions. The Father will pour out His love and mercy and pronounce Ephraim/Israel more righteous than treacherous Judah. This is the equivalent of the father putting the robe, ring on the hand and sandals on the feet on the younger son in our parable from the book of Luke. One other important point not to miss is the fact that when Ephraim repents [Teshuvah] and comes home the Father will then give them shepherds who are faithful to Him, shepherds who will feed them on the beauty of the Torah. The Torah is the path to knowledge and understanding. The Torah is actually a living “organism”; it is life and provides life. Yeshua HaMoshiach is the Living Torah, and it is none other than He who is calling “Lost Ephraim” home. He is leading the way. Ephraim would do well to actually follow in His footsteps, the footsteps of Torah, instead of just talking about it.
When Ephraim does Teshuvah [returns home] we are told they will be seen by the Father as more righteous than treacherous Judah. To grasp the importance of this statement let us explore the expanded meanings of the words: Righteous and Treacherous.
Righteous/Tsadeq/Tzedeq – The Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew tells us the root meaning of this word is: Satisfy objective justice. The word is also used to describe: Complete restoration, declare right, vindicate. It is worth noting that present day Judah uses the wordTzedeq to describe one who is righteous through application of Torah. It is also worth noting that a few in the House of Judah are beginning to call Yeshua a Tzedeq.
Treacherous/Bagad – The Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew tells us the root meaning of this word is: Cover, present outer appearance.
We now ask why Ephraim [upon Teshuvah] is considered more righteous than Judah, who is called treacherous? I would suggest it is because Ephraim’s Teshuvah, when done, is genuine. There is no cover up; there is circumcision of the heart, not just a shallow outward appearance. On the other hand, Judah who resides in the Father’s House, looks the part, performing the rituals, dressing in the correct uniforms, and speaking with well a trained tongue. Judah is called bagad because underneath the outer appearance of righteousness lies a proud haughty heart. This is exposed when Ephraim returns home and is called righteous and given a place of authority. Make no mistake the Father still loves Judah as much as Ephraim and no doubt appreciates the aspects of loyalty that Judah has displayed over time. Yet both sons/Houses fall well short of following in the perfect instructions and example of the Father.
For us today the story is yet to be played out. Ephraim is beginning to question the move away from the family home. None the less Ephraim is far from performing Teshuvah, as there is still a considerable amount of his share of the estate to squander. However there are those few from Ephraim that are breaking away from the majority and wanting to return home. No doubt the Father can see them coming up the hill from “Egypt”. The Father is running out to embrace them in His loving arms. The Father rejoices, but the older brother [Judah] is scowling somewhat in the back room. Judah is showing signs of jealousy by questioning the actions of the Father. How dare a “fatted calf” be killed to welcome this wayward son/Ephraim home and Judah has declined to come and eat of this calf.
Stop for a moment and view what we have before us. We have a younger son/Ephraim returning to the household, a loving and happy father/HaShem who rejoices with this return, and a jealous older son/Judah who refuses to partake in the celebration. Remember the main “players” in the parable that I listed earlier – The family [The whole House of Israel], the father [HaShem], the older son, [Judah] and the younger son [Ephraim]. Well there is one more – The “fatted calf”. I am persuaded this calf represents HaMoshiach Yeshua in type. Allow me to briefly explain this thought.
Is it not the death of Yeshua that has allowed Ephraim to celebrate their return to the Father’s House? Ephraim cannot celebrate this return and therefore take part in the “feast” until it has completed Teshuvah. They may eat other calves outside of the Father’s House, thinking they are actually partaking of the “fatted calf”, but in fact on close inspection it has flecks from a golden calf embedded in the flesh. To partake of the “fatted calf”, supplied by the Father, Ephraim has to come home upon repentance, and embrace the Father’s instructions. Then the Father will greet Ephraim with a loving royal kiss and openly state, “for this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.”
Judah has no interest in coming to eat of this “fatted calf” supplied by the Father. Judah is jealous of the position the Father has given Ephraim and wants the “status quo” to continue. Judah will not accept the Father’s decision to supply this “fatted calf” and stubbornly refuses to join in this wonderful celebration of returning Ephraim. The situation is the same today. Judah shows very little interest in the return of Ephraim. Judah is very jealous of those from Ephraim who have undergone Teshuvah, and have embraced the Torah. Judah wants nothing to do with Yeshua, and refuses to come to the family celebration. Judah lacks the love of the Father and wants the current status quo to continue. Sadly, except for the very few, most of Judah wants to push returning Ephraim out of the House. Judah appears threatened by this return. It must be said this is somewhat understandable, considering the problems Judah has had with Ephraim over the years. Yet, if the Father embraces the return of Ephraim, [which He does], then should not Judah also?
A fully repentant Ephraim, circumcised of flesh and heart, embracing the Father’s instructions [Torah], is desperate to reconcile with brother Judah. Ephraim is not responsible for the Father’s choice in restoring its authority and choosing the “fatted calf”. Ephraim is responsible for their behaviour towards the Father and their brother Judah and Judah is responsible for their behaviour towards the Father and their brother Ephraim. Both “sons” need to look to the Father for example of leadership, taking more than one leaf from His book [Torah] and applying it to our lives.
If it wasn’t for our proud hearts and stiff necks we could bend forwards in prayer and humility seeking the way forward for reconciliation between all family members. Unfortunately instead of being full of the Father’s love, we [both Houses] find our hearts uncircumcised and full of pride, displaying rigid and stiff necks bent on doing our own will instead of the Father’s will. This is going to change as it must, but we have a journey to travel before we reach that point. Thankfully regardless of our present position we can agree that:
Truly there is no God like our God, the God of Israel and no nation like the Nation whom He elected.
Blessings to all citizens of biblical Israel,
Rabbi, [Prof] Philip Hammond. PhD.
CURRENT STAFF:
Rosh: Rabbi/Dr. Philip Hammond, Ph.D.
Advisory support: Rabbi/Dr. Mordecai Silver, Ph.D.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:
Build a bridge of trust, respect and harmony between the two houses
Help with the process of healing and forgiveness between the two houses
Educate both houses on the positions held by the other
Work towards the return of the whole house of Israel to The Promised Land
Develop a core body of people who are passionate about the biblical prophecies of the eventual reconciliation of all Israel, who can carry this project forward in a mature and responsible manner
Provide material that will help with the education of both houses
Hold meetings with various, people, bodies and institutions that have an interest in this work
Above all, to glorify the Holy One of Israel
So we begin this work, with courage, wisdom, patience, humility, and love; praying that Hashem will provide all these along with our other needs as He sees fit. If you have an interest in becoming involved in some way, please contact Rabbi Philip Hammond at: philliphammond04@gmail.com
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