You Are of the (Faith of Abraham Pt 7)

 Jesus took 12 Jewish men and made them His Apostles. 

Jacob had 12 sons- all of them Jewish. The 12 Tribes of Israel.

The New Jerusalem -  when ALL who are going to be Jesus' are with Him,  will be in the NEW EARTH, that NEW CITY comes from God out of heaven itself to earth!

Rev_21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Rev_21:12  …and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the NAMES OF THE TWELVE TRIBES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISREAL:

Rev_21:14  And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the NAMES OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES OF THE LAMB.

If you are a Christian you will live in the New Jerusalem with its 12 gates engraved with the 12 names of the Tribes of the Children of Israel, and the 12 names of the Apostles. Think about that for a very long moment, especially all of you who want nothing to do with anything Jewish. 

How wondrous is the Jewish heritage we ALL share. Yes, I said ALL because not a single one of us who belong to Jesus Christ does not have a Jewish heritage THROUGH HIM. We are grafted on to the vine, we are made into the children of Abraham.

Gal 3:7  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 

Gal 3:8  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 

Gal 3:9  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 

WE ARE OF FAITH, are we not? If you are of FAITH you are a child of Abraham, the Jewish patriarch. So many CHOOSE to forget that our SAVIOR WAS JEWISH! They like to erase that part of Him and retain the Son of God, the Spirit seed part that they don't consider to be Jewish because that essence was only God which merged into the Jewish woman Mary's essence to become the human Son of God.  They let it slip from any consideration that they are truly part JEWISH if they are of the faith of Jesus! This is truth that Satan would much rather we forget about.  Does our being part Jewish through faith make us followers of the Jewish faith without Jesus? No. We are Jewish through faith and we follower the Jewish Messiah, Jesus, who took His faith and brought the truth of THAT faith to all. To distinguish it from the Jewish faith that continued to exist and practice the rites of the Jewish faith that were null and void after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the new Jewish led faith became known as Christians. Being a Christian means being a Jew by faith, and particularly a child of the Jewish Abraham, a child of God, a child of the Jewish Jesus- you cannot say He was not a Jew, you just can't. You follow the Son of God, a Jewish man who lived a life of a Jewish person from birth to death. Jesus did not turn into some mystical non-Jewish person upon His resurrection. He will forever retain a Jewish heritage, forever.

Why is this important? Because it's truth. Jesus taught that one of the greatest commandments is to LOVE OTHERS, without exception! Yet so many have a multitude of exceptions to who they choose to bestow their love upon. We are to LOVE others. It is the angels job at the end to separate those who are God's and those who aren't, it's NOT our job!  So, before you point your finger at other faith followers and declare them worthy of your hatred, your derision, your disdain remember even if they do not worship Jesus, they are still potential children of His and it's not your place to rob anyone of their chance to belong to Jesus as He may lead them to Him, and the way He leads them may have nothing to do with your preaching Jesus at them. They might not choose to follow Jesus for several years, you don't know! You have no way to know! ALL are potentially Jesus', ALL without exception. All will be given a chance, and it's not your place to determine when that chance happens. Don't ever consider yourself so important that you believe you are the only instrument to lead someone to Christ and His truth. 

God help us all to be His, through Jesus Christ our Lord and SAVIOR, now and forever, all through His mercy and grace, His forgiveness, His love!!!!!!! Amen!

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The Faith of Abraham Pt. 6 CHAPTER V. THE COVENANT WITH ISRAEL

From yesterday…

Are we to conclude, then, that all were lost who lived under that covenant, because they were all sinners, and it contained no power of forgiveness? By no means. A consideration of a few texts of Scripture will make this point clear.

1. Our Lord Jesus reminded his hearers that circumcision was not of Moses, but of the fathers. John 7:22. ((Joh 7:22  Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. ))It was a token, not of the covenant made with the twelve tribes of Israel, but, of the covenant made with the FATHERS. They were ALREADY the covenant children of Abraham,--under a covenant of faith and grace. Hence, when the law condemned them, the law which they had so solemnly promised to obey, they were turned back as their only refuge TO THE COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM. 

Of this covenant the true seed of Abraham, Christ the Messiah, was the appointed mediator. 

In this manner the LAW SERVED TO BRING THEM TO CHRIST. Gal. 3:24. 

((Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.))

As they only who are sick need a physician (Matt. 9:12-((But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick)), so must the sinner be convicted of his malady before he will apply to the great Physician for healing. And as by the law is the knowledge of sin, and by the law sin is made to appear exceeding sinful (Rom. 3:20; 7:13-- ((((Rom 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin Rom 7:13  Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. ))), nothing but the law can convince anyone of his need of a Saviour, and bring him to Christ for salvation.

How inefficient, then, to lead to genuine conversion, are all proposed systems of gospel teaching which ignore the law of God.

Continued…

2. That this position is correct, is proved by Paul in Gal. 3:16, 17, where he declares that "the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. Compare with Rom. 5:20. ((Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound))) There were many righteous, faithful ones, of whom Paul said the time would fail him to mention, who through faith wrought righteousness, out of weakness were made strong, not accepting deliverance when they were tortured, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Their faith was in every respect truly evangelical; and having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise, but saw it afar off, thus confessing, as did Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, that they were only pilgrims and strangers on the earth. But not one was saved by virtue of the covenant made at Horeb; THEIR FAITH WAS THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM, whose children they were.

The object of this covenant is further shown in the system of types or ceremonies given to them. Immediately after the covenant was ratified with the children of Israel (Ex. 24:1-8), God called Moses unto him into the Mount, where he gave him the system known as the ceremonial law. At the first the Lord commanded Moses to take from the people an offering of various valuable articles, and therewith to make a sanctuary, that he might dwell among them. The definition of this word as given by Cruden is as follows: "A holy or sanctified place, or dwelling place of the Most High." This is correct according to the etymology of the word, and according to what the Lord said: "Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." Ex. 25:8.

The sanctuary made by the children of Israel, under the direction of Moses, was a temporary or movable building, consisting of two rooms, the first called the holy, the second the most holy. In the first were a golden lampstand with seven lamps, a table of show bread, and a golden altar of incense. In the second or most holy was an ark containing the two tables of stone on which God himself had written his covenant, or law of ten commandments. And this was the only thing that was permanently kept in the most holy place. See 1 Kings 8:9.(((1Ki 8:9  There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. ))))

The order for making the ark, including its description and use, or object, is found in Ex. 25:10-22, as follows:--

"And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shall overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. . . . And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. "And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold; two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end; of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubim on the two ends thereof. And the cherubim shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. "And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel." 

But that was not the only place in the sanctuary in which the Lord said his glory should be manifested; we read as follows:-- 

"This shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord; where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory." Ex. 29:42, 43. "There was to be a continual burnt-offering at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, or holy place, and the priests daily went into the holy place to trim the lamps and to burn incense. Ex. 30:1-8. But, as Paul says (Heb. 9:7), "into the second went the high priest alone, once every year." The order of the service in the most holy place is given in Leviticus 16. Verse 29 says this service shall take place on the tenth day of the seventh month, and from the nature of the service that day was called the day of atonement. See Lev. 23: 27, 28. Lev. 16:11-14 describes the manner in which the high priest was to make an atonement for himself with the blood of a bullock. Verses 15, 16, describe the making of the general atonement, as follows:--

"Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat; and he shall make an atonement for the holy place."

This has reference to that holy place where the ark was; see verse 2; and before we read further let us inquire, Why was he to make an atonement for the holy place? Surely the holy place had given no offense. It was not capable of action, either right or wrong. The remaining part of verse 16, and verse 19, give us full information on that point:--

"And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins; and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness." "And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his fingers seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it, from the uncleanness of the children of Israel." 

Thus we see that the meaning of making an atonement for the sanctuary, or the holy place, is this: The sanctuary was defiled by the sins of the people, and as it was the place where God's glory dwelt, and where he met the priests in judgment for the violations of his law, it was to be cleansed from their sins, that their uncleanness might not remain before God,--before the throne of Judgment. During the whole year the work of propitiation was to be carried on in the service in the holy place, but the tenth day of the seventh month was the day of judgment, when all transgressions of his people were to be removed from before the Judge. It was the most solemn of all occasions in the religious observances of the nation. The high priest was to enter upon this service only after special preparation. Had he gone into the most holy without this preparation, or had he gone therein on any other day than the tenth day of the seventh month, he would have died. Lev. 16:1-4. And the people well understood the importance of the success of the work of the high priest on that day. Had he not strictly observed the order given he would have died. Had he died therein, the sanctuary would have been doubly defiled; and as it was death for any but the high priest to enter there, they could have devised no means for his removal. In the event of any failure on his part, no atonement could have been made, and their sins would have remained before the seat of judgment. Everything connected with the service of that day was calculated to deeply impress upon their minds the following words of the Lord:-- 

"Also on the tenth day of the seventh month there shall be a day of atonement; it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. And ye shall do no work in that same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the Lord your God. For whatsoever soul it shall be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. . . . It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls; in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath." Lev. 23:27-32.

All that we have here described, both the sanctuary and its service, were typical. They were illustrations of the work of Christ; and to teach the manner of his priestly work was one great object of the covenant with Israel. The book of Hebrews is mostly an argument on the priesthood, both type and antitype. After noticing the great differences between the priesthood of Christ and that of Aaron, the writer says:--

"Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest [such as he has described], who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." Heb. 8:1, 2.

And concerning the sanctuary on earth, and priestly service therein, he says:--

"Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount." Verse 5. And again, discoursing especially of the work of Christ as our high priest, he says:--

"It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the Heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." Heb. 9:23, 24.

The old covenant has passed away; the Aaronic priesthood has ended. As the first covenant was ratified or dedicated with blood (Ex. 24:6-8; Heb. 9:18, 19), and on the principle that a testament is of force after men are dead (verse 17), Christ shed his blood as the sacrifice of the new covenant (see Luke 22:20- Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. ), which made the covenant of full effect, and made all the sacrifices of the old covenant effective and their further use meaningless.

When Christ came to his own, and they received him not, but despised and rejected him, and finally delivered him to death, they fully demonstrated their unfitness to be the depositaries of God's holy law. Not only had they refused to let their light shine to the people around them, but they themselves rejected the light by crucifying the Author of it. But God was still gracious to the tribe of Israel for the father's sake. They were a disobedient and gainsaying people (Rom. 10:21); but they were the children of Abraham, from whom the Messiah must come, and so the word of salvation through the risen Messiah must be first preached unto them. Acts 3:26; 13:46. The work of the gospel must begin at Jerusalem. It was written by the prophet that the new covenant was to be made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Jer. 31:31. And by another prophet it was declared that the seventy weeks, which reached to the manifestation of the Messiah and the full confirmation of the new covenant, was appointed to that people. Dan. 9:24-27.

But this state of things was to continue only until the covenant was confirmed and offered to Israel. God had from the first included all mankind in the plan of salvation. His promise to Abraham was that in him all families of the earth should be blessed. Upon the lineal descendants of Abraham he bestowed the high honor of being the depositaries of his truth--of being that people who should carry the light to the world, and around whom the faithful should gather. In every age all who wished to might come into covenant relation with God. But the Jews were unfaithful to the trust committed to them. They not only neglected to carry the light to others, but they themselves rebelled against God. Even after they had, by severe captivity, been turned from idolatry, and had made a strict profession, they took away the key of knowledge, and would not enter into the kingdom themselves, nor suffer others to. It was because of this disposition that God cut them off. He bore long with them, but could not suffer them always to stand in the way of his plan to send the truth to all the world. In accordance with the promise, the Messiah came to them, and the gospel was first preached to them, that they might have one more opportunity to fulfill their mission. But they neglected Christ and the gospel, and so the kingdom was given to a nation that should bring forth the fruits thereof. Others received the word gladly, and proclaimed it to the ends of the earth. And so now, as was designed from the beginning, all who exercise faith in Christ are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Gal.3:26-29.