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January 15,2017 |
| Not My People | ||
The Bible makes many references to a particular group of people. There would be a time when God would say they were not his people, but later this people would be called his people. This people was prophesied from long ago and prophecies about them continue into the future. In this lesson we'll learn about this people and find that they are us.
Very soon after King Solomon died, the nation of Israel was split into two nations. We often refer to them as the Northern Tribes and the Southern Tribes. The Bible refers to them as Israel or Ephraim in the north and Judah in the south. The name Ephraim was used because that was the largest of the 10 northern tribes. The name Judah was used because that was the largest of the 2 southern tribes. Benjamin was the other.
Jeroboam, the king of the norther tribes, was afraid that he would lose his kingdom. Specifically, he was afraid that his people would go down to Judah for the feasts, as they were required to do twice a year, and not come back. Therefore he created worship centers in the north, placed idols in them, and told the people to worship them. He even created his own feast day for them.
God was deeply offended by that. Isaiah prophesied:
[...] within another 65 years Ephraim will be shattered, so that it is no longer a people (Isaiah 7:8)
Isaiah didn't provide the details but we know them now. The Assyrians would attack from the north and conquer the northern tribes. The people were taken away and spread throughout the Assyrian kingdom. In their place people from other places were moved into northern Israel.
Through a long succession of kings that varied from bad to horrible, the northern tribes had never turned back to God.
Hosea had also prophesied about this. God had instructed him to name his children in a particular way
[…] Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them. 7 But I will have compassion on the house of Judah […]. 9 Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people and I am not your God." (Hosea 1:6-9)
In this way God completely rejected the northern tribes and they were spread throughout the world of that time and were mixed into the world. No trace of them as a people remains. At times since then there have been tantalizing hints that some of the people of the ten tribes turned back to God and kept themselves separate. In Jesus' time Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian, believed they were still there.
"[…] wherefore there are but two tribes in Asia and Europe subject to the Romans, while the Ten Tribes are beyond the Euphrates till now, and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers." (Flavius Josephus)
There are lots of theories on that. But Hosea continues:
Yet the number of the sons of Israel Will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; and in the place where it is said to them, "You are not My people," it will be said to them, "You are the sons of the living God." 11 And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together […] (Hosea 1:10-11)
I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, and I will say to those who were not My people, "You are My people!" and they will say, "You are my God!" (Hosea 2:23)
God is saying that he made a promise that the people of the sons of Israel would be a huge number and he will be true to his word. Therefore there will be a time when they will be gathered together again.
But notice the change in them as they come back. They left as the "house of Israel", as Ephraim, but they come back as "the sons of the living God." A change has happened. This is a reference to Christians. Ephraim was driven out into the world and out of the world would be called a new people. This new people would be joined to the sons of Judah.
Even before the Israelites entered into the promised land, Moses said this change would come. He told the Israelites that they were a stiff-necked people and they would choose to sin against God and a change would come.
Then He said, "I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; for they are a perverse generation, sons in whom is no faithfulness. 21 They have made Me jealous with what is not God; they have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation" (Deuteronomy 32:20-21)
God refers to these people, to the world, as a people who were not his people. He also refers to them as a foolish people. Other translations use words like "a nation without understanding". The point is that they will be a people that know nothing of the ways of God and therefore are disobedient.
That is what we see happening in the New Testament. After the Jews reject their message, the apostles take that message to the Gentiles. One Hebrew word, goyim, is being translated as world, nations, peoples, and Gentiles in different places, but they all mean the same thing.
The apostle Paul also talks about this change
But I say, "Did not Israel know beforehand?" Moses spoke thus: "I shall make you jealous by a people that is not a people and by a people that is disobedient I shall anger you." 20 But Isaiah was bold and he said, "I appeared to those who did not seek me and I was found by those who did not ask for me." 21 But to Israel he said, "I reached my hands out all day to a contentious and disobedient people."
1 But I say, "Has God thrust away his people?" God forbid! I am also from Israel, from the seed of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 10:19 - 11:1)
Paul also adds the clarification that Israel was not thrown away in this change. We saw that supported above by Hosea in the gathering together of Judah and Israel.
In the verse above, Paul asks, "Did not Israel know?". His point is that Moses had told them this change would come so it shouldn't have been a surprise when it came.
Paul quotes Hosea as he applies Hosea's words to the Gentiles who have turned to God.
For we are called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles. 25 Just as it says also in Hosea: "I shall call those who were not my people, 'My people', and you who were not beloved, 'Beloved'. 26 For it shall be in the place where they were called, "Not my people", there they shall be called children of the living God." (Romans 8:24-26)
Peter also refers to Hosea for this purpose.
You are those who at the first were not considered a people, but now are the people of God, neither were mercies upon you, but now mercies are poured out upon you. 11 Beloved, I beg of you, as wayfarers and as foreigners, depart from all these desires of the body that make war against the soul, (1 Peter 2:10-11)
The words "wayfarers" and "foreigners" are likely references to Christians as a type of Ephraim.
So far we've seen a few mentions of a re-unification of the House of Ephraim and the House of Judah. Whether that is the literal Ten Tribes (Ephraim) and also Christians or just Christians as a type of Ephraim doesn't interest us here. Other verses talk about this re-unification.
I want you to know my brethren, this mystery, lest you would be wise in your own opinion, that blindness of heart has for a little time come to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles will come in. 26 And then all Israel shall have life, according to what is written: "The Savior shall come from Zion and he shall turn away evil from Jacob, 27 And then they shall have the covenant which comes from my presence, whenever I shall have forgiven their sins." (Romans 11:25-27)
Paul is saying that there will be a time when all of the nations have joined the covenant that will join. Until then the blindness that is on Israel (House of Judah / Jews) will remain. With the blindness removed, God will forgive them and join them together in a new covenant where he will be present with them.
This is a reference to the second coming and the events associated with them.
The Bible book that speaks the most about this return and rejoining of the house of Israel is Ezekiel. It begins in Ezekiel 36:2.
Thus says the Lord God, "Because the enemy has spoken against you, 'Aha!' and, 'The everlasting heights have become our possession,' 3 therefore prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord God, "For good reason they have made you desolate and crushed you from every side, that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations and you have been taken up in the talk and the whispering of the people."'" 4 Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the forsaken cities which have become a prey and a derision to the rest of the nations which are round about, 5 therefore thus says the Lord God, "Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey." 6 Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, "Thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have endured the insults of the nations.' 7 Therefore thus says the Lord God, 'I have sworn that surely the nations which are around you will themselves endure their insults. 8 But you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come. 9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you will be cultivated and sown. 10 I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities will be inhabited and the waste places will be rebuilt. 11 I will multiply on you man and beast; and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited as you were formerly and will treat you better than at the first. Thus you will know that I am the Lord. 12 Yes, I will cause men - My people Israel - to walk on you and possess you, so that you will become their inheritance and never again bereave them of children.'
13 "Thus says the Lord God, 'Because they say to you, "You are a devourer of men and have bereaved your nation of children," 14 therefore you will no longer devour men and no longer bereave your nation of children,' declares the Lord God. 15 "I will not let you hear insults from the nations anymore, nor will you bear disgrace from the peoples any longer, nor will you cause your nation to stumble any longer," declares the Lord God.'"
16 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 17 "Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. 18 Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. 19 Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. 20 When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, 'These are the people of the Lord; yet they have come out of His land.' 21 But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.
22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord God, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23 I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord," declares the Lord God, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. 24 For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28 You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29 Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. 30 I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 I am not doing this for your sake," declares the Lord God, "let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!"
33 'Thus says the Lord God, "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. 35 They will say, 'This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.' 36 Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the Lord, have spoken and will do it."
37 'Thus says the Lord God, "This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock. 38 Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am the Lord."'"
15 The word of the Lord came again to me saying, 16 "And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, 'For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.' 17 Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. 18 When the sons of your people speak to you saying, 'Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?' 19 say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand."' 20 The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. 21 Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms. 23 They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.