When Abram was ninety-nine years old, "..the LORD appeared to him and said, `I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.' Abram fell face down, and God said to him, `As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations . No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants. (Genesis 17:1..7 NIV)
(thy `seed' KJV, zera' in Greek also meaning crop, offspring, family, race and the use of zera' in this verse: Genesis 3:15 has enormous implications, clearly indicating that the word `seed' refers to one person, Jesus Christ).
"Talking to the serpent God said: `And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed ; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15 KJV)
The serpents seed are all descendants of Adam, in other words humanity as a whole and the woman's refers to the miracle in Sarah first producing Israel, whom God calls His first born son, and then in Mary, that resulted in the first begotten son] seed. [2233 in Hebrew: `Zera' is clearly singular, not plural, indicating that the word `seed' refers to one person, Jesus Christ] it shall bruise thy head [Antichrist], and thou shalt bruise his heel. [Jesus on the cross]."
The Greek word for woman is `Ishshah' interpreted by Scripture to mean woman, wife, bride. It's basic meaning is female as opposed to a male. In a spiritual sense God is talking about the bride of Christ and the prostitute [also a church]: Mystery Babylon, the woman on the beast, the global church led by Antichrist and the false prophet.The small horn (king) representing the Antichrist receives a fatal wound. "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." (Revelation 13:3 KJV)
"After you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you [Israel] are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God." How curious that Canaan is only mentioned once in the New Testament. "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, [thou] Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil." (Matthew 15:22 KJV) The woman was a native of `Gentile' Palestine. Before we go into the rest, what did Jesus do with this woman who represented the Gentiles? This is a most significant Scripture for the Gentiles in light of the rest of study:
"But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away [the disciple knew she had no business there]; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
[Jesus said here that his mission was to the Jews only].
"Then came she and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread [God's bread], and to cast [it] to dogs. And she said, Truth [3483, in Greek `vai nai yes, even though'], Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs [she is referring to bread, the Word of God] which fall from their masters' table [she is acknowledging here that Jesus is her master]. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great [is] thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour." (Matthew 15:23-28)
This verse leaves no doubt that this is not an automatic phenomenon. Jesus did not pray for her, he did not lay hands on her, nor use any of his directions he had for healings of Jews. He makes it clear here that a Gentile can also be saved by faith in Jesus Christ (the Master) developed by the deposit from the Word: eating crumbs from the table of the Master. That is how she developed her faith [4102 in Greek `pistis' being persuaded or having confidence in divine truth].
To find out why there is a difference between Jews and Gentiles that is not obvious to Christians we have to go further into this study. To go back to what a Gentile is we have to look at their origin. This woman came from Canaan. The word Canaan comes from the root `Kana', to bend the knee, hence to humiliate, vanquish: bring down low, into
subjection, under, humble (self), subdue. The word Canaan in Hebrew: k'na'an, is also related to merchant, traffic and associated with the Ishmaelites [Abraham's descendants of his family from Sarah's handmaiden, the Palestinians and other pure Gentiles].Looking at the Mideast, the struggle has not changed over time between God's family and the Gentile family. They are still fighting trying to establish peace and become a family, Abraham being their father. Or was Abraham indeed really the father of both children, Ishmael and Isaac? How did Sarah conceive in old age?
God speaking to Abraham: ".. the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. .. it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you... My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant [that included Ishmael who was from the Egyptian handmaiden]. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." (Genesis 17:11..14 NIV)
Next God changed their names to Abraham [85 in Hebrew is father of multitude] and Sarah [8283 in Hebrew is mistress, female noble, lady, princess, queen] from their names given at birth Abram [87 Hebrew: high father] and Sarai [8297 same root as Sarah that means to exercise dominion], to build God's plans into theirs names.
God continues his conversation with Abraham: "I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations [plural]; kings of peoples will come from her." Abraham fell face down; he laughed and said to himself,
`Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old could not? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?' [Sarah could not produce an egg] And Abraham said to God, `If only Ishmael [3458 in Hebrew: God will hear] might live under your blessing!'
Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac [3327 in Hebrew: laughter, i.e. mockery, make fun of] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him."And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a [one] great nation.
"But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time
next year.' When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him." (Genesis 17:16-22 NIV)"And the LORD visited Sarah times as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac." (Genesis 21:1-3)
[ visited: 6485 in Hebrew Paqad the Lord intervened in a miraculous way - to deposit is a term used with this word - the equivalent Greek term was that of drawing up troops for a battle used in that sense 110 times]
Sarah's son: Isaac, her first born, conceived by a visit and miracle from God is the one He establishes his covenant with. Isaac's wife Rebekah was barren also. Isaac prayed to God, and God produced an another miracle. Isaac and Rebekah came together and she became pregnant with twins. Two nations were in Rebekah. Nation one: descendants of Jacob and nation two, descendants of Esau [Jacob: 3290 Hebrew der. fr. 6117 in Hebrew `aqab': lies in wait] [Esau: 6215 in Hebrew: to handle].
"And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name [is] Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. (Genesis 35:10)
Israel [3478 he will rule as God derived from 8280 `Sarah' in Hebrew: to have power, prevail and 410 `el'- God, in Hebrew: powerful, almighty. Israel, the name is very significant].
What is very interesting here is the fact that God visited Sarah at a certain time for Isaac to be born. It stated that Abraham had stopped cohabiting with Sarah because she was barren and very old. Abraham was still capable, he had more children from other women after this birth.
"And God said unto him, I [am] God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation (body), and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins." (Genesis 35:11)
A Nation: [1471 in Hebrew: gowy, goy, massing of foreign nations, Gentiles. Derived from root of 1471: 1465: the back (body), 1460: gave, 1342: to mount up, to rise, be majestic, triumph] and a company: [6951 in Hebrew: qahal: assemblage, multitude, derived from root 6950 `qahal' to gather together]
Jacob fell in love with Rachel and served 14 years to marry her. Leah was his first wife. They were sisters and both were barren. Jacob had ten sons by Leah, sixteen children in all after God opened her womb by miracle. God remembered Rachel, Jacob's beloved, and opened her womb [another miracle]. Rachel had two sons and died in childbirth.
Jacob had sixteen children by Zilpah, Leah's handmaiden and seven by Bilhah, Rachel's handmaiden. Out of his loins we have the Gentiles and the twelve tribes (miracle children of promise) of Israel, out of which came King David and Jesus Christ."I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises; Whose [are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed [4690 in Greek: `sperma': God's power].
"For this [is] the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son [miracle]. And not only [this]; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac [Isaac entreated God, she was barren]; (For [the children] being not
yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. (Romans 9:1-13)The reason God hated Esau was the following: "Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised [his] birthright." (Genesis 25:34) In other words, food came between Esau and God.
JACOB, FATHER OF ISRAEL
"And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What [is] thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked [him], and said, Tell [me], I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore [is] it [that] thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. (Genesis 32:24-30)
"And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel [is] my son, [even] my firstborn: (Exodus 4:22) "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son." (Hosea 11:1 NIV) "The people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the
divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises." (Romans 9:4 NIV)"I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? [Was] not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness." (Malachi 1:2,3) "A son honoureth [his] father, and a servant his master: if then I [be] a father, where [is] mine honour? and if I [be] a master, where [is] my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?" (Malachi 1:6)
GOD'S MESSAGE TO ISRAEL
"Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied [him]? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil [is] good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where [is]the God of judgment?" (Malachi 2:17) "Behold, I will send my messenger (John the Baptist), and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord (Jesus Christ), whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he [is] like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
"And he shall sit [as] a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi,
and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in [his] wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger [from his right], and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. For I [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." (Malachi 2:17-3:6)
THE STEM OF JESSE
In Matthew 1 the genealogy of Jesus is given in detail. To keep the reading down the summarized book of generations, Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 1 Chronicles 1 holds the genealogies from Adam through King David. Jesse, David's father was a son's son of the tribe of Judah. David, the youngest son became king of Israel
and Solomon his son built the first temple where God actually resided and lived among the Israelites. Through 42 generations [1074 in Greek: `Genea' literally space of time, circle of time, in a derived sense a race] time moved from Abraham to Jesus Christ. His father Joseph came from the line of Judah."This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, `Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the
prophet: `The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' -which means, `God with us.' When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus." (Matthew 1:18-25 NIV)"And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7 NIV) "Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 1:78-79)
"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, `I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12 NIV) Light [5457 in Greek: `Phos': is never kindled and therefore never quenched] "I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me." (John 8:18 NIV) To prove Him wrong they hung Him on a tree to put His lights out, but He came back after three days, to prove what He had told them was true. He is inviting us to live with Him forever. He is planning to come back and collect those who want to come.
Here we have the Apostle Paul teaching the Gentiles who had accepted Christ Jesus as their Master:
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. [This event is what is called the "Rapture". It will happen prior to the day of the Lord described next. It lasts a thousand years].
"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober." (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17; 5:1-6) Let us not sleep refers to Israel which rejected the Messiah as their Savior.
"What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I [God] will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. .. O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
"[What] if God, willing to shew [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? As
he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, [that] in the place where it was said unto them, Ye [are] not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God."Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: For he will finish the work, and cut [it] short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed [Isaiah 1:9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant (8300 in Hebrew: `Sarid' survivor who escapes the great slaughter), we should have been as Sodom, [and] we should have been like unto Gomorrah]., we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
The Gentiles Are Called
"What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith [being persuaded that Jesus is the Christ]. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because [they [the Jews] sought it]
not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone [Jesus Christ]." (Romans 9:14-32 NIV)What does it mean they stumbled at that stumblingstone? The Scriptures refers to Luke 2:34 abd 1 Cor. 1:23: And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against: (Luke 2:34 KJV) But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23,24)
The body of Christ, His Church, His Bride, is made up of Jews and Greeks (Gentiles), which are "CALLED".
"So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. [But if by works, then it is no longer grace; if it were, work would no longer be work.] What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened." (Romans 11:5-7 NIV)
The word "elect": [1589 in Greek derived from 1537 `ek' now separated from it and 3004 `lego' knitted together in connected discourse the inward thoughts and feelings of the mind, resulting in the chosen]
THE TWO KINDS OF BRANCHES
"If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches." (Romans 11:16 NIV) " Firstfruits: [536 in Greek:`Aparche': Patriarchs and ancestors of the Jewish people]
"You [Gentiles] will say then, `Branches [Jews] were broken off so that I [Gentile] could be grafted in.' Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off." (Romans 11:19-22 NIV) Kindness: [5544 in Greek: `Chrestotes': mellowing all which would have been harsh and austere, kind and good in oneself]
ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED
"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery [mystery: 3466 in Greek: `musterion': locked up and unknown until revealed], brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: `The deliverer [deliverer: 4506 in Greek: `ruomai': to draw out danger with force and violence] will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
"How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! `Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?' For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him
be the glory for ever! Amen." (Romans 11:25-36 NIV)Analyzing what is meant by Jacob's having Gentile nations versus Gentiles in general. In Hebrew #1471 `Ghoy' is used through Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament. Derived from # 1465 means population of non-Israeli or heathen peoples. It is used to refer to nations at large, particularly Gentiles. In its general sense the term could even by applied to the descendants of Abraham: Moses called Israel by that word (see Exodus 33:13).
In Greek it is # 1484: `ethnos'; a nation, Paul used it for the whole race of mankind considered in a noble or enlarged view as one nation (see Acts 17:25). The Jews are generally called `Laos' (2992) a society of Christians and almost totally reserved for the elect people, the Israel of God in contrast to `ethnos' the heathen. John 7:35 gives 1672 in Greek: `Hellen' Greek speaking Grecian from European country Greece, non-Jew Gentile.
"But glory and honor and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: for there is no respect of persons with God. For as many have sinned without law shall also perish without law and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another." (Romans 2:10-15)
"But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." (Romans 2:29) Circumcision: [4061 in Greek: `peritome' spiritual circumcision by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh]
"As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." (Romans 2:10-11) "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith , without the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:28)
In general it implies such a knowledge of, assent to, and confidence in certain divine truths, especially those of the gospel, as produces good works (such as spreading the good news)] without the deeds of the law. Justified: 1344 in `dikaioo'; to bring about a desirable end in a person, to make him righteous, to recognize, set forth as righteous, declared not guilty]
By faith [4102 in Greek: `pistis' derived from 3982 `peitho' by being persuaded, by giving assent to {Jesus Christ as the Savior}. Justified by faith without the deeds of the law. trusting in and depending solely on what Jesus taught.
"And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, was able also
to perform. And therefore it was imputed for righteousness. (Romans 4:21,22)"Imputing righteousness cn be interpreted as placing a deposit to a person's account causing freedom from guilt because someone substituted in place of the guilty party. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1)