Israel The Chruch?

                                                                    Dan Baxley

                                                             www.yahshuaservant.com

 Still a work in Progress: 11/21/2005 

Israel, as a nation of people had been called to spread the word of the Living God to the rest of the world.  The written word and its teachings were to be shown and explained to the other nations through the demonstration of their lives, individually and as a nation.  They were to be the example of the Creator's Kingdom (Government) on Earth.  They were to be special, a Kingdom of priest (teachers) a Holy Nation (Exodus 19:5-6).  They had been given the responsibility of caring for His written word, as history bares witness.  Their failure began almost immediately, but the Creator God demonstrated His patients, His love by enduring their stiff- necked, hard-hearted attitude. 

They began their grumbling almost immediately, complaining about the water being bitter (Exodus 15:24).  Then traveled to a place called Desert of Sin "on the fifteenth day of the second month they had come out of Egypt".  Two and a half months and they had water problems.  Next they complained about not having enough food.  They felt they should be eating better, at least as good as when they lived in Egypt (Exodus 16:2-3).  Of course we should all know the story of how the Creator gave them manna from heaven in the form of early morning dew that under the sun ripened into a type of sweet bread.  Later in the afternoon quail would fly in as an offering of meat for them and this happened everyday except on the Sabbath.  They were instructed to collect a double ration on the sixth day so they had one day of food to carry them through the Sabbath day of rest, but many did not follow these instructions and went out on the Sabbath anyway (Exodus 16:24-28).  They traveled from the Desert of Sin and camped at a placed called, Rephidim.  At this site water became an issue again, but notice something of a change in their attitude; In the beginning of their journey from the “waters of destruction”, from the Red Sea crossing, from the destruction of the Egyptian army by drowning, they began the "poor me" grumbling. In this short time they had come to expect Moses to deliver, forget what happened before, the miracle of all miracles, they turned, and their complaining against against Moses and Aaron grew toward violence (Exodus 17:1-4). 

Attack of the Amalekites

Next we see this rebellious people delivered from an attack by the Amalekites.  The Creator YHWH demonstrates that He is the one in control even when flesh fights against flesh. The Living God YHWH demonstrates His ability to control events among men. Again using Moses and showing that He, the Living God, can and will use individuals.  As long as Moses held his hands up the Israelites prevailed but when he lowered his hands the Amalekites prevailed.  Joshua (YaHshua, same name as the Messiah) led the battle for Israel and overcame his adversary only so long as Moses' hands were raised, so Aaron and Hur, sat the tiring Moses down on a rock and one on each side they held his arms up and the Israelites were victorious.  Believe me, this did not go unnoticed.  The Creator God had proven that he would be on the Israelites side in battle (Exodus 18:8-13).  The Mighty God YHWH (YaHWeH) could have destroyed the Amalekites Himself.  After all He had certainly dispatched the Pharaoh and his entire army why not the Amalekites, too?  For one thing, up until this point the people of Israel had been getting a free ride and the God of Gods was offering them something never before offered to a nation of people, freedom from fighting, freedom from hunger, freedom from persecution, freedom for all of the drudgery the other nations faced, like taxes and forced conscription into the kings armies.  Israel had, in short order, demonstrated that they were not receptive to this new idea, as evidenced by their rebellious behavior.  It was time for them to get their hands dirty and to experience battle, this nasty business, life and death.  This is where we see the Creator God shrinking further into the background.  This pattern will continue with the spoiled Israelites eventually making demands for a “king like other nations”  -- an open rejection of YHWH as their King and protector, so He gave them Saul.

 After the battle with the Amalekites YHWH (YaHWeH) pronounced a harsh sentence against the Amalekites and their father.  The man Amalek, father of the Amalekites people is to be forgotten and his descendants will be troubled by war "from generation to generation".  Some might see this as being a bit overboard, but we have the answer .  Everyone in the region had heard how the YAM (IAM, God of oceans) god, YHWH, had delivered the Israelite people from certain death at the hands of the Egyptian army, the most powerful army of the day. There may have been witnesses outside the camps of Israel.  It would have been a certainty the story of these people would be circulating among the people of the area.  In fact they were being spied upon by the Amalekites.  That it had become common knowledge that the people of Israel were "special", not to us humans, maybe, but to the Creator for sure, see how He has delivered them from the Egyptians.  Amalek and his people had chosen to attack a people clearly under divine guidance.  They were not fighting the Israelites so much as the Creator Himself.  You might say, they demonstrated a lack of respect, not toward flesh and blood but toward this strange peoples God, YHWH.  Certainly the Israelites had also shown disrespect, too but they had been chosen for a special purpose, the Amalekites had not.  The only glory the Israelites, the Jews, can find for themselves in is their father Abraham, for it is through and by him that the Creator God was keeping a promise.  So, you see, the Israelites were people no better than the Amalekites as people, as humans on this earth.  As time moved on the Israelites, however, began to see it quite differently, these bratty kids became a high minded people of religion.  By the time the Messiah came to them they were so righteous, so full of themselves as people of the Temple, as God's chosen that they detested gentiles as dogs, or pigs, totally unclean.  With this attitude of holiness they denied the teaching of the Word to the surrounding nations and peoples. This attitude can even be seen among the Apostles. 

Back to the Desert of Sin

They did not want the God of the Universe talking to them, too scary, so YHWH agreed to have Moses stand between them and Him.  Picture, if you can, the people of Israel as a child, a child not ready or willing to listen to their father.  The Creator God gave them what they wanted, He didn't have to, after all, He is the Master of all.  But, He showed them kindness, not that He didn't get angry with them, but still, He endured their arrogance. 

They pressured Aaron, brother of Moses, to build an idol, a golden calf, a favorite god of Egypt is the bull.  Imagine, they sent Moses away to talk with the God of Heaven and Earth, for fear of His thunderous voice, and at the foot of the "Mountain of Laws" in a place called, Desert of Sin began to build an idol in the form of a calf, not a bull, but a calf.  Remember, at this point the first commandment had not been delivered to them, so they had plenty of room to honor God as they saw fit.  Not everyone participated in this, like many Christians today, many stood off to the side and watched all of this with fear in their hearts wisely not joining in with the revelers as they practiced their religious anxiety in the release of their wicked spirits, dancing about praising the idol.  Those standing off, separating themselves from this evil, had not forgotten how they came to be in the place below the "Mountain of Laws".  By the way, the "Mountain of Laws" is not located on the Sinai Peninsula.  By the biblical account the mountain Moses climbed had to be on the east side of the Gulf of Aqaba, on the Medina side, home turf of Moses’ father-in-law, the burning bush and the Mountain of Laws. 

In one of the most religious periods in Israel's history they had actually forgotten about the God that had delivered their fore fathers from Egypt.  You can read about what  happened in the book of the Kings.  Especially II Kings, chapters 22 through the last chapter.  Notice how nearly every character, including the king, at that time, Josiah (Yos-YaH), had the name of the Living God stamped upon them, as did the High Priest, Hilkiah (Hilk-YaH).  When you read through this history you will see how many of the leaders had names that contained the name of the God of their fathers read how far they had wandered.  This is a period just after Solomon a time of great prosperity, a time of peace and comfort.  They had not given up on “religion”, in fact, if anything, they became more religious  -- but – not toward the Creator God YHWH.  They went so far as to set up idols of other gods in the temple.  They, as a people, had become so religious that in their religious fervor the true God had been pushed aside and forgotten.  Make no mistake, the wisest of men, King Solomon, had been largely responsible for this trend in trendy religion.  Hilk-YaH, the High Priest found (like they were lost) the book of the Laws of Moses.  These books had been totally forgotten and were discovered by accident (?) during a remodeling project of the temple.  Hilk-YaH took these books and gave them to Shaphan, his secretary to take to the king.  He did that only after making a progress report on the restoration work.  Mentioning the discovery of the Book of Laws was second on his list.  In an almost matter of fact manner, Shaphan read the books Hilkiah had given him, and the kings response when he heard the words of the Book of the Laws?  He tore his robes. He knew, at that moment, how far he and the people had strayed from the true religion, the true worship.  At that moment Josiah (Yos-YaH) was converted, his heart turned, and he took immediate action.  

Jos-YaH the king, immediately began a restructuring program.  You have to read this for yourself.  Look at how far they had moved away from the true God and the true worship.  Look how the false religions had taken hold and pushed the true worship of the Creator out of the way.  The people were religious, it cannot be denied, honoring every kind of god.  They had sex gods, gods of nature, gods of the sky, gods of every element, just like their gentile neighbors, yet they still used the name of the true god when naming their children.  I kind of see that as a parallel in how people use the worship term, HalleluJah (Hallelu-YaH). 

They say it, they use it, but few even know what it means.   This term does not mean, Praise the Lord, as some assume.  It means Praise you YaH.  Check out Psalms 68:4 in the KJV  "Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him."  Yep, there it is, the name of the Living God.  You see the translators did miss a place where the name slipped through and ended up in the print.  Most modern translations change this to LORD.  Usually they admit their folly in center notes or study notes found in the preface of most bibles. It is here they readily admit to the name change, even giving illustrations of their error in a proud and vain manner.  Of course they don’t see it that way, they are only following tradition, the tradition of the men before them. 

 Revelations 3:9  Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie;  

 It is not a light thing to say you are of Israel or to pretend that you are the Jew.  How is this done?  Easy, you just claim that you are the "congregation" of God, the new Israel, that the Christian Church is Israel, or the New Israel.  Another way is to become a religion attempting to restore old covenant, trying to enforce the Laws of Moses, as the Messiah called them, upon their followers.  Some call themselves "Messianic Christians"

Israel has a future

Isreal has a future and it is defferent from that of the resurrected Saints.  Israe, all of Isreal is to live again;