Tag: replacement theology

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Torah Portion Examined

Civilisation comes through GOD’s Law and its fulfilment

I tend to read the Torah Portion every Jewish Shabbat and that includes the New Testament addition for Messianic and Gentile Believers.

Recently, we landed on Deuteronomy 28 and certain verses really struck me. What I saw was that the Hebrews were called by GOD to inspire all mankind. 

Clearly, He gave the Promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for a greater purpose beyond blessing these people and their family line. In fact, Jews were chosen and have one overriding calling: they are called to inspire the world.

Essentially, I believe I can trace that civilisation comes through GOD.

Key verses

Deuteronomy 28:1 says,

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.”

GOD gave the people the Law that they would know how to live peacefully and productively in a barbaric world.

But where there is disobedience, Deuteronomy 28:62 & 64 read as follows,

“You shall be left few in number, whereas you were as the stars of heaven in multitude, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.” 

“Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known–wood and stone.”

Jews are gifted with responsibility and talent

Throughout history, one common attack has been anti-semitism: Jews have been repeatedly accused en masse of seeking to “take over the world”. But that isn’t true. What is true is that they are blessed and inspired by GOD to lead the world, to make it a better place than it would otherwise be. It is first through GOD’s Law of Moses that the society became civilised, moving beyond the barbarism of the day. When the Law came into the world it offered hope. When the Jews failed to keep the Law, their scattering blessed the World, for even out of their disobedience and scattering, the Jews took GOD’s Word to the world.

And what about England?

Through the fulfilment of the Law through Jesus — Messiah — we see the LORD’s steady influence to civilise, protect, and make flourish mankind. GOD pours out His blessing on Gentile nations when they follow Jesus. 

Nowhere perhaps in the world do we see this anointing, this blessing, coming in greater degree than amongst the Gentiles in England. Though not as a replacement for the Covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but as a witness of the possibilities for the Gentile, we see the nation of England flourish and impact the rest of the world, especially during her Empire. 

GOD’s multiple blessings was the experience of Great Britain during the reign of Queen Victoria, and perhaps even from Elizabeth I to Victoria.

England led the world in modernisation and in missionary work to the far corners of the earth. Along with educators, medical institutions and administrators went missionaries. Infrastructure built in the days of Queen Victoria still echo in the nations that were a part of the Empire at that time. In essence, England blessed a significant part of the world, sharing the Gospel and other benefits received from GOD, such as Common Law and freedom of speech.

GOD’s intention to civilise mankind

“For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required.” (Luke 12:48). 

On this premise let’s recognise how GOD has imbued the Jewish people with the knowledge of how to please the LORD, how to bless him… so Gentiles too, and all humanity, would be blessed. The English were endowed with similar favour so long as they followed GOD. It is not through punishment but rather spiritual consequence that both nations have suffered, the Jews most of all. But we also see that, as the British have turned their backs on GOD, they have walked out from under His umbrella of His protection, and until the nation turns back, there is little hope of anything but the descent into further decline.

Final word

In giving us Jesus and the Bible — both the original Hebrew Bible and the New Testament — the world has flourished for generations.

Now, in decline, societies need to get back to the Word and faith in the LORD, to turn decay into new hope, to turn darkness once again back to the Light of Jesus.

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Torah Portion Examined

GOD’s Commitment to Israel (Torah Portion Hosea 13)

GOD’s Commitment to Israel: Torah Portion Hosea 13

God’s commitment to Israel is everlasting, even though he has extended that commitment beyond the Jewish people.

This week, the Torah Portion Hosea 13 in particular, has stuck with me.
The LORD says to the Jews, “Yet I am the LORD your GOD.” (Hosea 13:4)

Hosea 13:1-11

“When Ephraim spoke, trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended through Baal worship, he died. Now they sin more and more, and have made for themselves moulded images, idols of their silver, according to their skill; all of it is the work of craftsmen.

They say of them, “Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!”

Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud and like the early dew that passes away, like chaff blown off from a threshing floor and like smoke from a chimney.

“Yet I am the LORD your GOD ever since the land of Egypt, and you shall know no GOD but Me; for there is no saviour besides Me. I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. 

“When they had pasture, they were filled; they were filled and their heart was exalted; therefore they forgot Me.

“So I will be to them like a lion; like a leopard by the road I will lurk; I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs; I will tear open their rib cage and devour them like a lion. The wild beast shall tear them.

“O Israel, you are destroyed, but your help is Me. I will be your King, where is any other, that he may save you in all your cities? And your judges to whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’?
“I gave you a king in My anger, and took him away in My wrath….” 

Perhaps these verses grabbed my attention because I’ve been pondering lately GOD’s identity relative to other gods. Do you remember Paul spoke to the Athenians about their altar To The Unknown God and explained their unknown god was the Creator of the Universe, one not made by human hands? (Acts 17:23) Just this week I heard some new ideas about the Nephelim (giants – half angel half man; see Genesis 6:4) being behind much of the confusion, destruction and perversion arising across society in these days. I am aware that some people believe these Nephelim, who are the offspring of fallen angels called “sons of GOD” and the daughters of man, long ago were manifested as gods and given names in Greek such as Zeus, Apollo, Hermes and so on. There was nothing of this in the recent teaching, but rather sometimes, by association, GOD brings one idea (Yehovah GOD as the God of the Hebrews) to our minds in order for us to make connection with another idea (existence of other gods). So, I’ve been thinking about our Yehovah GOD in relation to other gods which man has idolised throughout history.

Any case, back to Hosea: 

In the context of Yehovah GOD declaring to the Hebrews that He is their GOD and they’d have none other (Hosea 13:4), and upon reflection of the Athenians and the fallen angels and Nephelim, I realise that whether a god has any power or not, different cultures have different gods. That the GOD of the Hebrews happened to be the actual GOD of the universe: all powerful, eternal, creator, is pretty awesome for them.

It really hits home to me, as a Gentile:

So, in Hosea 13, Yehovah GOD says the the Jews, “I AM” and He says it exclusively to them and they are to be exclusively His. 

Jesus (called Yeshua in Hebrew) tells his disciples not to go out to the Gentiles but only to those of the House of Israel (Matthew 11) and reiterates this to a Gentile woman who sought his help for her demon-possessed daughter when he says as recorded later in Matthew, “It is not good to take the children’s bread [ref to Jews] and throw it to little dogs [ref Gentiles]. And she said, “Yes, Lord, even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” And then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith. Let it be as you desire.” (Matthew 15:26-28). 

After his resurrection, Yeshua Jesus commissions his disciples to “go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

Yes, the Gentiles have been grafted in (Romans 11), adopted, welcomed into the Kingdom of GOD by faith. How heinous this must have seemed to the Jewish people of the time who had been brought up on their exclusive access to GOD; and yet those Jewish people who followed Jesus’ Way gave way to him, in faith. 

It is my heart’s desire to share Yeshua Messiah with those Jewish people who  have found the truth in Jesus. And of those still seeking more truth, yes, they need to know the Gentile Jesus is their Jewish Messiah. The Gentiles were accepted by him and have been grafted in, not to replace the Jews, but because GOD loves Jew and Gentile and his son. GOD has not excluded, replaced or abandoned His chosen children. He is still their GOD. He is simply now also GOD for the Gentiles as well, for those who will accept Him. Yeshua is Messiah to the Jews and Saviour to rest of the World,

“… It is too small a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)

Hallelujah and Amen.

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Reflections and Poetry

To be or Not to be Evangelical: response to a borrowed post

Recently, I was sent an excellent, thought-provoking post from Brian Stiller, a fellow Canadian and faithful follower of Jesus. It raises some of the issues surrounding the term Evangelical.

At the heart of Sabbath Rest Ministries is a love for Jew and Gentile — followers of Yeshua and those who are not, but who seek Truth to marry history with theology.

Here is the post

To be or Not to be Evangelical

Here is my response

Dear Brian,

This is an important post. I’m glad you’ve written it.

The problem with “Evangelical” is not political although that off-shoot has arisen because of a weakness in Evangelicalism in its own right.
There are many good things. But it has a root problem and that is anti-semitism. Luther, as you rightly point out, has a piece of Evangelicalism in his teaching; however, his teaching is also tainted with anti-semitism. But that is only half the issue addressed. The other half is that the root of Protestantism is still based on Rome, when it divided the Gentile church from its Hebraic roots.
I truly believe the LORD is not happy with anything that removes His roots from any practice.
And so, in order to be truly Evangelical, we need to address the Sabbath, the Feasts, all orchestrated by GOD – Yehovah Himself – long before even the Jews had a nation or the Hebrews a family.
The root problem with Christianity is that its roots are twisted. We need to straighten them by following Jesus, including his Hebraic roots. He came not to replace but to fulfil the Law. It is not legalism to follow GOD’s calendar, it is integral to following Jesus. If being Evangelical could include that, then the label must remain. If it cannot, then following Jesus needs to have a new label which will include re-aligning with GOD’s calendar.
Although in Canada, anti-semitism and replacement theology are not obvious, they are in the UK where I currently live. I believe we need a clean sweep of our practices to embrace the roots that Jesus and the Apostles encouraged.
Keep writing Brian. It’s good stuff.
God bless, Shalom and in His love,
Sarah