Yahshua, Balaam and the Talking Donkey...

        ...Intentions of the Heart Matter to YHVH!


Shabbat Shalom!


If you have read the Torah portion for this week, you know that it is the telling of the story of Balak and Balaam (and his briefly-talking donkey) found in Numbers 22-25.  Even if you have not read this week's Torah portion recently, you are probably still familiar with the story of Balak and Balaam and the donkey.


But if (like me), before now you have not read the Torah portion along with the Haftarah portion (the portion of scripture from the prophets that is read along with the Torah portion every week) along with the B'rit Hadashah portion (the portion from the New Testament) for this week all in one session, then you (like me) probably only have a partial understanding of the complete story of Balaam as revealed in YHVH's Word.


This is now the second year that I have committed to reading the weekly Torah portion (including the Haftarah and portion from the B'rit Hadashah).  It has deeply enriched my knowledge of and understanding of YHVH's Word.  But somehow at this particular portion last year, I must have read only the part from Numbers.  I must have skipped reading the portion from the prophets and from the New Testament. 
 When I was reading the Haftarah and B'rit Hadashah portions this week, dealing with Balaam and YHVH's warnings about his intentions and actions, I was surprised to find the rest of the story that I had not noticed before!  


Perhaps many of you are like me in that you grew up learning Bible stories as children.  I learned the story of Balaam and his donkey when I was a child attending Sunday School at the local church.  But I don't remember that I ever heard the deeper story of Balaam at any other time in my life!  Sadly, I think this happens with many events recorded in YHVH's Word...we learn them as children (or in a child-like simplicity), but then we don't go deeper as we grow older.  I have skimmed over the story of Balaam as recorded in Numbers many times in my life, but up until this week I had never looked deeper into what YHVH has to say about Balaam.


So that is what I want to do in today's blog post...
I want to look deeper into the events, actions, and words in the life (and death) of Balaam as recorded in YHVH's Word.


This week's Torah Portion:  Numbers 22:2-25:9
This week's Haftarah Portion:  Micah 5:6-6:8
This week's suggested B'rit Hadashah portion: 
Romans 11:25-32; 2 Peter 2:1-22; Jude 11; Revelation 2:14-15


Let's begin with the 3 places in the New Testament where followers of Yahshua are warned not to be like Balaam.


 1    Peter, in 2 Peter chapter 2, gives us a strong warning about false prophets....how to recognize them, what they say and do, how they lead astray, what will happen to them, etc.  This is quite a strong and graphic description of and warning against false prophets.


You can take time to read the whole chapter for yourself, but I will just include a few parts of it here:  


These false prophets will "introduce destructive heresies," "exploit you with fabricated stories," "insult things about which they have no knowledge," "speak grandiosities of nothingness," "follow their old natures in lust for filth," "play on desires to seduce people."  
They are "like animals without reason," "defects reveling in their deception," "presumptuous and self-willed," "waterless springs," "mists driven by gusts of wind," "slaves of corruption," "entangled and defeated by the pollutions of the world."
They have "eyes that never stop sinning," "a heart that has exercised itself in greed," "left the straight way and wandered off."
What is in store for them?  "Their punishment is not idle."  "When they are destroyed, their destruction will be total."  "They will be paid back harm as wages for the harm they are doing."  "It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, fully knowing, to turn from the holy command delivered to them."


And then, in the middle of the chapter, in the midst of this graphic and descriptive warning, we are told in verses 15 and 16:


These people have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of doing harm but was rebuked for his sin - a dumb beast of burden spoke out with a human voice and restrained the prophet's insanity!


 2   Now take a look at the book of Jude (only one chapter long).  His message is closely related to Peter's...a warning against those who claim to be believers but are really false prophets.
Again, in Jude's letter, these people will "pervert God's grace into a license for debauchery and disown Yahshua the Messiah," "insult anything they don't understand," "defile their own flesh, despise godly authority, and insult angelic beings," "care only for themselves," "follow their evil passions," "flatter others to gain advantage," "cause divisions."
They are "filthy spots," "waterless clouds carried by the winds," "trees without fruit," "doubly dead and uprooted," "savage sea-waves heaving forth their shameful deeds," "grumblers and complainers," "scoffers following their own godless passions," "controlled by their impulses."
What will happen to them?  They will "lie exposed as a warning of the everlasting fire awaiting those who must undergo punishment." 
 Enoch said this about them (verses 14-15):  "Adonai came with his myriads of holy ones to execute judgment against everyone, that is, to convict all the godless for their godless deeds which they have done in such a godless way, and for all the harsh words these godless sinners have spoken against him."


And once again in the middle of this strong warning, Jude includes these words in verse 11:  Woe to them, in that they have walked the road of Cain, they have given themselves over for money to the error of Balaam, they have been destroyed in the rebellion of Korach.


 3   The final place in the New Testament that gives a warning about following the ways of Balaam is in the book of Revelation.  This was spoken by Yahshua himself, to the church of Pergamum.


"To the angel of the Messianic Community in Pergamum, write: 
'Here is the message from the one who has the sharp double-edged sword:  "I know where you are living, there where the Adversary's throne is. Yet you are holding onto my name. You did not deny trusting me even at the time when my faithful witness Antipas was put to death in your town, there where the Adversary lives. 
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you:  you have some people who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to set a trap for the people of Israel, so that they would eat food that had been sacrificed to idols and commit sexual sin.   Likewise, you too have people who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.  Therefore, turn from these sins.  Otherwise, I will come to you very soon and make war against them with the sword of my mouth.   Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities. To him winning the victory I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone, on which is written a new name that nobody knows except the one receiving it."'   Revelation 2:12-17


Isn't that interesting?  
Some important questions are raised in these warnings.  (??)


But first let's look in the Tanakh (Old Testament) for more warnings about Balaam.


 1   In Deuteronomy chapter 23, Moses is relating to the people what YHVH said about who can and cannot enter the assembly of YHVH.   Take a look at verses 3-5:


"No Amorite or Moabite may enter the assembly of YHVH, nor may any of his descendants down to the tenth generation ever enter the assembly of YHVH,  because they did not supply you with food and water when you were on the road after leaving Egypt, and because they hired Balaam the son of Beor from Petor in Aram-Naharayim to put a curse on you.  But YHVH your God would not listen to Balaam; rather, YHVH your God turned the curse into a blessing for you; because YHVH your God loved you."


 2   YHVH, through Joshua, says the same thing to the Israelites just before Joshua's death in Joshua 24:9-10.
"Then Balak the son of Tzippor, king of Moav, rose up and fought against Israel. He sent and summoned Balaam the son of Beor to put a curse on you.   But I refused to listen to Balaam, and he actually blessed you. In this way I rescued you from him."


 3   Let's also look at part of this week's Haftarah portion from Micah.  
Look at Micah 6:5 which says, "My people, just remember what Balak the king of Moab had planned, what Balaam the son of Beor answered him...so that you will understand the saving deeds of YHVH."


 4   Finally, one more important place in YHVH's Word will give us a warning about Balaam...the description of his death in Numbers chapter 31.


1 YHVH said to Moses, 2 "On behalf of the people of Israel, take vengeance on the Midianites. After that, you will be gathered to your people."....
7 They fought against Midian, as YHVH had ordered Moses, and killed every male. 8 They killed the kings of Midian along with the others who were slain - Evi, Rekem, Tzur, Hur and Reva, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword....
14 But Moses was angry with the army officers, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds coming in from the battlefield. 15 Moses asked them, "You let the women live? 16 Why, these are the ones who - because of Balaam's advice -caused the people of Israel to rebel, breaking faith with YHVH in the Peor incident, so that the plague broke out among YHVH's community! 


You've probably noticed that for the most part we have been working our way backwards in discovering Balaam's story.  Now we come to the story itself...this week's Torah portion found in Numbers 22-25.


As I said before, I'm sure you are already familiar with the story of Balaam and his donkey.  So I won't go into great detail or quote long passages from his story.   But I think we should look more closely at a few very important details.


First though, I'll just give a brief "nutshell" version of the story...just a reminder.


Once upon a time....The Israelites were camped near the Jordan River near Moab, ready to enter their Promised Land.  Balak, the king of Moab was afraid of them, so he summoned Balaam, who lived by the Euphrates River, to come and curse the Israelites. 
 (??  Why was Balaam summoned?  Why were his blessings and curses so well known?)


Balaam asked YHVH what to do and then told the first set of messengers that YHVH would not allow him to go with them, so they left.  Balak was upset (probably furious) and sent more messengers, "higher-ups," to convince Balaam to come and curse Israel.  Balaam asked YHVH again what to do, and YHVH said to go with the men but to only say and do what He instructed.
(?? Why did YHVH tell him to go with the men?)


Balaam got on his donkey the next morning to go with the men.  YHVH was angry with Balaam and the angel of YHVH stood in the path of the donkey, frightening her.  
(?? Why was YHVH angry with Balaam after telling him to go with the men?)


The donkey stalled...Balaam got angry and beat the donkey...the donkey started again.  The angel stood in the path...the donkey stalled and leaned, hurting Balaam's foot...Balaam became furious and beat the donkey...the donkey started again.  Once more..the donkey started out...the angel appeared...the donkey sat down...Balaam beat the donkey.  Finally, YHVH opened the donkey's mouth and allowed her to speak (something along the lines of "hey! stop that!")...and then He opened Balaam's eyes and allowed him to see the angel.


Of course Balaam fell flat on his face and repented of his sin.  
(?? What sin did he repent of?)


YHVH told him to continue with the men but reminded him again to only do and say what YHVH instructed.  Balak commanded Balaam to curse Israel.  Balaam said he could only say what YHVH told him to.


Okay, now let's begin to look a bit deeper into the rest of the story...


Balak took Balaam up on the high places of Baal to overlook Israel so he could curse them.
"Then YHVH put a word in Balaam's mouth...this pronouncement:  'Balak, the king of Moab, brings me from Aram...saying, "Come, curse Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel."  How am I to curse those whom God has not cursed?  How am I to denounce those whom YHVH has not denounced?' "  (Numbers 23:5-8)
(?? What did he really want to say?)


Balak let out a shriek of anger, "What have you done to me?! I brought you here to curse my enemies, but you have totally blessed them!"  He took Balaam up to another high place and told him to curse Israel.  Balaam went off and asked YHVH what to say.  When he came back, Balak asked him, "What did YHVH say?" 


Then Balaam made this pronouncement:
"Get up, Balak, and listen!
Turn your ears to me...
God is not a human who lies or a mortal who changes his mind.
When he says something, he will do it; when he makes a promise, he will fulfill it.
Look, I am ordered to bless; when he blesses, I can't reverse it.
No one has seen guilt in Jacob, or perceived perversity in Israel;
YHVH their God is with them and acclaimed as King among them.
God, who brought them out of Egypt, gives them the strength of a wild ox; thus one can't put a spell on Jacob; no magic will work against Israel.  It can now be said of Jacob and Israel, 'What is this that God has done?' "....
(Numbers 23:18-23)
(?? Again...what did he really want to say?)


Of course, Balak was angry, saying "Okay, so you won't curse them, but at least don't bless them!" He took Balaam to one more high place saying "Maybe it will please God for you to curse them for me from here."  (He was just an itsy bit thick-skulled!)


At this point the story turns...and Balaam seems to have a turning-point moment, a time of revelation, a real heart-change:


The scripture says that when Balaam saw that YHVH intended to bless Israel, he looked out toward the desert and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe.  Then the Spirit of God came upon him and Balaam said these words:


"This is the speech of the man whose eyes have been opened; the speech of him who hears God's words; who sees what Shaddai sees, who has fallen, yet has open eyes:
'How lovely are your tents, Jacob; your encampments, Israel!
They spread out like valleys, like gardens by the riverside...
Water will flow from their branches, their seed will have water aplenty.
Their king will be higher than Agag and his kingdom lifted high.
God, who brought them out of Egypt, gives them the strength of a wild ox.
They will devour the nations opposing them, break their bones, pierce them with their arrows.
When they lie down they crouch like a lion...
Blessed be all who bless you!
Cursed be all who curse you!"
(Numbers 24:3-9)


You can only imagine the furious response of Balak at this third pronouncement of blessing!
He told Balaam to go home without the large reward that had been planned for him.
Balaam responded that he had done what he said he would do, which was to say and do only the things that YHVH commanded him to say and do.


But as he was preparing to leave, Balaam said he had one more pronouncement - a warning of what the Israelites would do to Balak's people in the End Times (or end of days).


First he repeated his "heart-change" moment by saying that this was the speech of the man whose eyes have been opened..."


The next part is so important!  Are you paying attention?


Balaam pronounced:
"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not soon -
a star will step forth from Jacob, a scepter will arise from Israel, to crush the corners of Moab and destroy all descendants of Shet...
From Jacob will come someone who will rule, and he will destroy what is left of the city."
             (Balaam "saw" Yahshua!)
He pronounced destruction on Amalek, on the Kenites, and then he said, "Oh no!  Who can live when God does this?"
(Numbers 24:17-24)


Then the scriptures say that Balaam got up and returned home, and Balak also went his way.


This appears to be the end of the story, but immediately in the next verses we find Israel whoring with the women of Moab.  "These women invited the people of Israel to the sacrifices of their gods, and Israel joined with Baal Peor.  The anger of YHVH blazed up against Israel."  
YHVH instructed Moses to kill the leaders who had led the people into this idolatry.  Before Moses could carry out the instructions, a leader of Israel walked past, taking a Midianite woman with him.  The grandson of the priest saw this happening and followed the man and woman into the tent, where he speared them to death. This action stopped the plague that had broken out among the Israelites because of their sin...but not before 24,000 of them died.


Now...we have reached the end of the story.


At this point, many questions should have come up within each of us.


(Some of my own questions have been highlighted for you throughout the story).
(?? If Balaam really did have a change of heart and a true experience with the Spirit of God, then why did he die the way he did and why is his name recorded throughout scripture as a warning of how NOT to live and act?)
(?? Why does the scripture in Numbers not tell us the rest of the story of how Balaam was involved in leading the Israelites into idolatry and whoring with the Moabites?  Obviously, from what Yahshua said in Revelation 2, Balaam was directly involved in teaching Balak how to set a trap to lead the Israelites into sin.  When did Balaam do this, and what did he tell Balak?)
(?? Was it the greed and lust for money that got Balaam in trouble and turned his heart to do wrong?)
(?? How can God choose to speak such amazing and eternal truth through the mouth of someone who is such a destructive "betrayer"?  And for that matter, how can a donkey speak and a man not be completely astounded that the donkey is speaking?)
(??  How can we guard against false prophets who, like Balaam, say all the "right words" that sound so good and so holy and so godly and yet their intentions are to turn God's people away from Him into sin?  How can we guard our own hearts from greed and wrong ungodly 
intentions?)


I am not able to provide answers to all the questions that came up for me. 
I know that some day YHVH will show us the answers to the things we don't understand in this age.


But what I want to focus on more than anything is the SCARLET CORD that ties everything together - the sacrificial LAMB who is also the ultimate JUDGE and forever-reigning KING of the Kingdom of Israel and all the earth!


He is the only one who can keep that which we have committed unto Him until that Day of Judgment and beyond into everlasting life.


Now is the perfect time to take a look at the rest of the Haftarah portion for this week from Micah chapters 5 and 6. 
This will help tie it all together. 


I will only quote part of these two chapters, but perhaps you might be willing to read the entire portion in your Bible and really focus on how this passage connects all that we have already read.  
YHVH, give us insight into the amazing TRUTHS of how to live in Your Kingdom under Your Son the King.  Show us the TRUTH of Your everlasting covenant with Your people Israel.


Micah 5:
"...Bethlehem, so small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth to me the future ruler of Israel, whose origins are far in the past...
Therefore he will give up Israel only until she who is in labor gives birth.
Then the rest of his kinsmen will return to the people of Israel.
He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of YHVH, in the majesty of the name of YHVH his God;
and they will stay put, as he grows great to the very ends of the earth;
and this will be peace....
      (Micah "saw" Yahshua!)
Then the remnant of Jacob, surrounded by many peoples, will be like dew from YHVH....like a lion among forest animals....
Your hand will be raised over your enemies; all your adversaries will be destroyed.
'When that day comes,' says YHVH, 'I will cut off your sorceries from your land...I will cut off your carved images...no longer will you worship what your own hands have made...I will wreak vengeance in anger and fury on the nations, because they would not listen.'...


Micah 6:
"So listen now to what YHVH says:  ' Stand up and state your case....YHVH has a case against his people.  'My people, what have I done to you?...I redeemed you.... My people, just remember what Balak the king of Moab had planned, what Balaam answered him...so that you will understand the saving deeds of YHVH.'....  With what can I come before YHVH to bow down before God on high?...with burnt offerings?...thousands of rams?...rivers of olive oil?...my firstborn?...the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?...
Human being, you have already been told what is good and what YHVH demands of you - no more than to act justly, love grace and walk in purity with your God."


Have you noticed throughout these scriptures the common theme of judgment?  Did you notice the destruction and vengeance that comes as a result of sin against YHVH?  Did you notice the SWORD of judgment...the SWORD of judgment killed two people in sin and stopped the plague affecting the whole community of Israel after Balaam met with Balak.  The SWORD of judgment brought an end to Balaam's life after his sin against YHVH.  In Micah, YHVH spoke of CUTTING OFF the sin of the nations.  The SWORD of judgment was spoken of by Yahshua in Revelation 2...it will come from His mouth and He will make war against those who do not turn from their sin.  
This is such an important part of the theme of this week's Torah portion...we cannot ignore the Judgment of YHVH.  It WILL happen.


In light of this, it would also be worth it to read the last chapter of Micah.  
Yes, YHVH has a case against his people.  And yes, He chooses the end of the story to be this:


Micah 7:18-20
"Who is God like you, pardoning sin and overlooking the crimes of the remnant of his heritage?....He will again have compassion on us, he will subdue our iniquities.  
You will throw all their sins into the depths of the sea.
You will show truth to Jacob and grace to Abraham, as you have sworn since days long ago."


And to bring it full circle, I want to end by quoting from one last part of the B'rit Hadashah portion for this week...from Romans 11:


"I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but now has revealed...It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Israel, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness; and that it is in this way that all Israel will be saved.  As the Tanakh says, 
'Out of Zion will come the Redeemer;
he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob 
and this will be my covenant with them,...
when I take away their sins.' "  
(Romans 11:25-27)


I hope this journey through this week's Torah portion (complete with Haftarah and B'rit Hadashah), this journey through the life, death, and lessons of Balaam, has reminded you like it has reminded me of the importance of our intentions, our actions, our words...and mostly of the everlasting and unchanging holiness and grace and redemption found in a relationship with YHVH through His Son, the KING!


Oh the depth of the riches and the wisdom and knowledge of God!  
How inscrutable are his judgments!
How unsearchable are his ways!
For who has known the mind of YHVH?
Who has been his counselor?...
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever!
Amen.
                                        Romans 11:33-36


In the Name of our Sacrificial Lamb, Redeemer, Judge, and King...Yahshua.


Gina

The Kingdom of God

Before I get into this blog post, I want to point out that I have chosen not to include a photo or graphic with this particular blog post.
I googled the phrase "kingdom of God," and the results did not surprise me.
A wide gamut of extremes in images comes up with an internet image search for "the KINGDOM of GOD."
I think the choice to have NO image represent this blog post is the perfect representation of exactly what this post is about.
Read more to find out why...


Want to be a New Testament Church?
Throw out the New Testament.

Does that sound like a harsh and heretical statement?
Perhaps if you read the rest of the blog, you will know more of what I mean by this statement. You might even think it makes sense.

One of the leaders of the Intercessors for Israel prayer group that I have been involved in for 3 years says, "If you want to be a New Testament church like the church in Acts, throw out the New Testament - they didn't have it either."

As much as this statement grates against mainstream Christianity, the deeper point it makes is really the truth.

The early believers in Yeshua were Hebrews. They did not have the B'rit Hadashah (New Testament). They knew and lived the Tanakh, the revealed Word of YHVH, the commands of the King of the Kingdom. Many of them lived during the events of the gospels. Many of them were recipients of the letters and the ministries of Paul and the other apostles. But their "Bible" was the Word of God - the Torah (Law or Books of Moses), the Nevi'im (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings: Psalms, Proverbs, etc) - the Ta Na Kh (Tanach, or what Christians call the Old Testament). Their example was the Living Word - Yeshua the Messiah.

They knew that their King, YHVH, was going to send a Messiah for the salvation of all in the Kingdom. They recognized Yeshua as that Messiah...the true KING of Israel. He fit in perfectly as the fullfillment of all YHVH said in the Tanakh, His Word. Yeshua IS the Word. The early believers recognized this...they had read all about Yeshua throughout the Tanakh. They did not have to renounce another religion. They were not asked by Yeshua to give up their adherence to the Torah and Prophets. In fact, Yeshua also preached the Torah and Prophets - the Tanakh. He LIVED it! He wrote the Tanakh; he IS the Tanakh.


Fast-forward to today's "new testament church," who calls itself the "kingdom of God."

I think I'll begin with a story.

Recently, I was sitting around a table with a group of people ranging in age from early 20's to mid-50's. None of them knew me and most did not know each other. As the "get to know you" chit chat began, it became clear that one common factor among all of us was that each of us had past or present experience with a certain church from a well-known mainstream Christian denomination. I am not much of a chit-chat person; I prefer to listen. So I was not really an active participant in the conversation. I was working on something else, but I was listening to what was going on.

This group of people began to compare notes of their experiences with this particular church. The conversation went from the preferred type of music and songs in the worship services to who is a good singer and who is not. From there the conversation turned to what the church was like before "so-and-so" left and when "so-and-so" was there. Sunday school teachers were analyzed; church practices were judged; youth pastors were critiqued; worship service styles were discussed. And then the conversation turned to comparing this church with other area churches...none of which stood up to the group's scrutiny.

Finally, the conversation turned to the latest "Twilight" movie premier screening happening that very night. The conversation moved just as easily into discussion of which character was the favorite and how many times a certain Twilight book had been read in the last few weeks. (For those unfamiliar with this series called Twilight, it is based on a relationship between a vampire and a human.) Then the conversation turned to other recent movies, and then to other activities happening during the weekend.

Never ONCE did anyone talk about YHVH or Yeshua (or their "English" names). No one ever spoke of anything to do with the Kingdom of God, His Word, His relationship with those in His Kingdom.

At the end of the conversation, I was asked directly why I did not attend this particular church. Several people in the group showed surprise that I did not attend a church where so many other people I know go. This surprise turned to silence and a complete change of topic when I answered that I attend several Messianic congregations and that I'm involved in a prayer ministry for Israel.

I have attended many "New Testament" churches from many denominations during my lifetime (in at least 7 cities on 3 different continents) . Each speaks of the "Kingdom of God" and each has their own bit of a different spin on what exactly that means.

From my personal experience, I think it would be safe to say that the "kingdom of God" that Yeshua spoke of and that the church wants to be is something that has been confusing and elusive in much of the history of Christianity. I think this is because we have taken our focus off of the truth and foundation of YHVH's Word and instead we are guilty of making up our own rules and theological foundations, which we base on only a small part of YHVH's Word.

To be honest, I know I have spent much of my Christian life holding to and repeating the teachings that surrounded me. I only noticed that these teachings might be off track when I began to experience different and contradictory teachings from different churches and teachers/pastors. I have come to realize that the ONLY foundation I should stand upon is the Word of the KING, YHVH, whose Kingdom I want to belong to. I have also come to realize that many who say they are in the Kingdom of God don't actually stick to the laws of the Kingdom and don't teach the King's ways according to His own Word.

Now, before I continue into the real purpose of this blog post, let me clear up any doubt about what I believe about the New Testament (B'rit Hadashah). The statement I made at the beginning of this blog, "throw out the New Testament," should not be taken at face value only. I hope you can see that my point behind the statement (and the point of my friend in Intercessors for Israel) is that the New Testament CANNOT be taken alone as the basis for living in the Kingdom of God. It MUST stand on the foundation of the Tanakh. Of course the B'rit Hadashah is important! It completes the Word of YHVH...it tells the rest of the story! But to try to stand on the New Testament alone does NOT work because it is not a foundation. The Torah is the ETERNAL (everlasting, unending, for all generations to come) foundation for everything relating to the Kingdom of YHVH. If you throw out any part of YHVH's foundation, you have nothing left upon which to stand.

Yeshua, the Cornerstone of YHVH's foundation, warned us that many would think they were in the Kingdom based on their own definitions of "Kingdom of God," but they would find out that the King of the true Kingdom did not know them and they would not be allowed in.

Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants. On that Day, many will say to me, `Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we expel demons in your name? Didn't we perform many miracles in your name?' Then I will tell them to their faces, `I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!'"

We are only fooling ourselves if we base our relationship with the King on a false definition of "Kingdom." We MUST live according to the laws and commands of the King in order to be counted in His Kingdom. This means that we MUST read the King's Word and live according to His Word. Yeshua stated very clearly in John 14:10 that He was united with the Father and the Father with Him and that His words were not His own initiative but that the Father living in Him was doing His own works. Yeshua continues by saying, "If you love me, you will keep my commands....Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me, and the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him" (verses 15 & 21).
It is clear that if Yeshua is one with the Father and only speaks the Father's words, then He is talking about the Tanakh, as well as what He, as the Son of YHVH, revealed about the Tanakh in His teachings during His ministry.

If that is true, then it is also true that we cannot understand the Kingdom of God unless we understand that Israel was and is the Kingdom of God!

This brings me to the purpose of this blog post:

ISRAEL - YHVH's Chosen People.
ISRAEL - YHVH's Light to the nations.
ISRAEL - YHVH's Kingdom of priests for the nations.

Take a look at YHVH's own words on this very important topic:
(and don't just gloss over the Scriptures)

Genesis 12:1-3
"Now YHVH said to Avram, 'Get yourself out of your country, away from your kinsmen and away from your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed.'"

Already YHVH has promised Avram that the nation of His descendants will be a blessing to all the world (a light to the nations).


Exodus 19:5,6
[YHVH speaking to the Israelites in the desert just after the exodus from Egypt], "'Now if you will pay careful attention to what I say and keep my covenant, then you will be my own treasure from among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you will be a kingdom of priests for me, a nation set apart.' These are the words you are to speak to the people of Isra'el."

What is the point of having a nation of priests who are to serve YHVH and serve the people if there are no other people to serve? A nation of priests is to serve the other nations...a LIGHT to the nations!


Isaiah 49:1-7
Coastlands, listen to me...YHVH called me from the womb; before I was born, he had spoken my name. He has made my mouth like a sharp sword while hiding me in the shadow of his hand; he has made me like a sharpened arrow while concealing me in his quiver. He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, through whom I will show my glory." But I said, "I have toiled in vain, spent my strength for nothing, futility." Yet my cause is with YHVH, my reward is with my God. So now YHVH says - he formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, to have Israel gathered to him, so that I will be honored in the sight of YHVH, my God having become my strength - he has said, "It is not enough that you are merely my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the offspring of Israel. I will also make you a light to the nations, so my salvation can spread to the ends of the earth." Here is what YHVH, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, says to the one despised, whom the nations detest, to the servant of tyrants: "When kings see you, they will stand up; princes too will prostrate themselves, because of YHVH, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."


Isaiah 51:1-11
"Listen to me, you pursuers of justice, you who seek YHVH: consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were dug - consider Avraham your father and Sarah, who gave birth to you; in that I called him when he was only one person, then blessed him and made him many. For YHVH will comfort Zion, will comfort all her ruined places, will make her desert like Eden, her Aravah like the garden of YHVH. Joy and gladness will be there, thanksgiving and the sound of music. Pay attention to me, my people! My nation, listen to me! For Torah will go out from me; I will calm them with my justice as a light for the peoples. My righteousness is at hand, my salvation goes out, my arms will judge the peoples. The coastlands are putting their hope in me, trusting in my arm. Raise your eyes toward the skies, look at the earth below. The skies will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like clothing. Those living on it will die like flies; but my salvation will be forever, and my justice will never end. Listen to me, you who know justice, you people who have my Torah in your heart: don't be afraid of people's taunts, don't be upset by their insults. For the moth will eat them up like clothing, the worm will eat them like wool; but my justice will be forever, and my salvation for all generations. Awake! Awake! Arm of YHVH, clothe yourself with strength! Awake, as in days of old, as in ancient generations!... Those ransomed by YHVH will return and come with singing to Zion; on their heads will be everlasting joy. They will acquire gladness and joy, while sorrow and sighing will flee..."


Isaiah 2:1-3
This is the word that Isaiah the son of Amotz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of YHVH's house will be established as the most important mountain. It will be regarded more highly than the other hills, and all the nations will stream there. Many peoples will go and say, "Come, let's go up to the mountain of YHVH, to the house of the God of Jacob! He will teach us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Zion will go forth Torah, the word of YHVH from Jerusalem.

(This is also found in Micah 4:1-2.)


Zechariah 8:20-23
"ADONAI-Tzva'ot says, 'In the future, peoples and inhabitants of many cities will come; the inhabitants of one city will travel to another and say, "We must go to ask YHVH's favor and consult ADONAI-Tzva'ot. I'll go too." Yes, many peoples and powerful nations will come to consult ADONAI-Tzva'ot in Jerusalem and to ask YHVH's favor.' ADONAI-Tzva'ot says, 'When that time comes, ten men will take hold - speaking all the languages of the nations - will grab hold of the cloak of a Jew and say, "We want to go with you, because we have heard that God is with you."'"


Luke 2:32
Simeon says that Yeshua is "a light that will bring revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel."



Acts 13:45-47
...but when the Jews who had not believed saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and spoke up against what Saul was saying and insulted him. However, Saul and Barnabas answered boldly: "It was necessary that God's word be spoken first to you. But since you are rejecting it and are judging yourselves unworthy of eternal life - why, we're turning to the Gentiles! For that is what YHVH has ordered us to do: 'I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, to be for deliverance to the ends of the earth.' "


This brings us to a major question: what about the church in all of this?
If the kingdom really is all about Israel, then how does the church fit in? What about those from the nations of the world who belive in and follow Yeshua?

Good question.
Hard question, if we don't understand who ISRAEL is.
Replacement Theory says that the church has become the "spiritual Israel," and that the Jewish people no longer hold a place in YHVH's plan (or in receiving the promises).

But if we understand the truth of Israel as YHVH's chosen people, then we understand that those Gentiles who choose to follow the KING and live in the Kingdom of YHVH are joined to the Kingdom, the community of YHVH's chosen nation. We Gentiles who follow Yeshua and all He taught (including YHVH's Torah) are grafted into the Kingdom of Israel.

If you really want to begin to dig into the depths of this simple but amazingly unfathomable truth, then study Romans 11. I have included some bits of Romans 11 here, but to really grasp the importance and the truth, of course, takes deeper study (of the entire Word of YHVH).

Romans 11
[1-2] "In that case, I say, isn't it that God has repudiated his people?" Heaven forbid! For I myself am a son of Israel, from the seed of Avraham, of the tribe of Binyamin. God has not repudiated his people, whom he chose in advance.

[7, 11-12] What follows is that Isra'el has not attained the goal for which she is striving...."In that case, I say, isn't it that they have stumbled with the result that they have permanently fallen away?" Heaven forbid! Quite the contrary, it is by means of their stumbling that the deliverance has come to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy. Moreover, if their stumbling is bringing riches to the world - that is, if Israel's being placed temporarily in a condition less favored than that of the Gentiles is bringing riches to the latter - how much greater riches will Israel in its fullness bring them!

[15-18] For if their casting Yeshua aside means reconciliation for the world, what will their accepting him mean? It will be life from the dead!...But if some of the branches were broken off, and you - a wild olive - were grafted in among them and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, then don't boast as if you were better than the branches! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you.

[23-31] Moreover, the others, if they do not persist in their lack of trust, will be grafted in; because God is able to graft them back in. For if you were cut out of what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree! For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won't imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Israel, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness; and that it is in this way that all Israel will be saved. As the Tanakh says, "Out of Zion will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob and this will be my covenant with them, . . . when I take away their sins." With respect to the Good News they are hated for your sake. But with respect to being chosen they are loved for the Patriarchs' sake, for God's free gifts and his calling are irrevocable. Just as you yourselves were disobedient to God before but have received mercy now because of Israel's disobedience; so also Israel has been disobedient now, so that by your showing them the same mercy that God has shown you, they too may now receive God's mercy. For God has shut up all mankind together in disobedience, in order that he might show mercy to all.


Amazing Truth! What would my understanding of this be if not for the Torah, for the foundation of the Tanakh, for the Word of YHVH and the truth of His Kingdom!


Finally, let me leave you with this encouraging reminder...
Yeshua has made us - Israel and all who are grafted in by believing in Him - to be a Kingdom of priests... a Light to the nations!

Revelation 1:4-6
Grace and shalom to you from the One who is, who was and who is coming; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Yeshua the Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the earth's kings. To him, the one who loves us, who has freed us from our sins at the cost of his blood, who has caused us to be a kingdom, that is, priests for God, his Father - to him be the glory and the rulership forever and ever.
Amen.



In the Kingdom of Yeshua,

Gina