Who is
(And What are the Implications for Gentiles?)
By Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)
I. Torah and its Application
The Torah speaks of several different classes of people:
As we proceed through this study, please keep these classifications firmly
in mind. Failure to do so will result in much error and confusion.
The law was applied equally to
Israelites and aliens
living among them (Ger Toshav):
Shemot (Exodus) 12:47-49 The whole community of
The ‘uncircumcised male’ is also called a ‘stranger’ because he is a stranger
to the covenant. He is not allowed to partake of the Pascal sacrifice nor is he allowed
to partake of its relacement, which is called ‘afikomen’, at the seder.
Never the less, while he is among the Jews, they are to apply their law
uniformly to all, citizen and non-citizen alike.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 31:10-13 Then Moses commanded them:
"At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Feast of
Tabernacles, When all
Whether you have entered the covenant or not,
all those who reside in Israel are commanded to hear the Torah during Succoth.
Since the aliens were required to obey the same Torah law as the Jew, it makes
sense that they would have to learn the law of the land in which they were dwelling.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 16:23-31 "Then Aaron is to go into
the Tent of
Meeting and take off the linen garments he put on before he entered
the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there. He shall bathe himself with
water in a holy place and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out
and sacrifice the burnt
offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement
for himself and for the people. He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering
on the altar. "The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat must wash his
clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp. The
bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most
Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; their hides,
flesh and offal are to be burned up. The man who burns them must wash his
clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp.
"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you
must deny yourselves and not do any work--whether native-born or an alien
living among you-- Because on this day atonement will be made for you, to
cleanse you. Then, before HaShem, you will be clean from all your sins. It is a
sabbath
of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance.
Both the alien (Gentile) and the Jew were required to fast (no food,
water, bathing, anointing, or sex) on Yom HaKippurim. This suggests that
if the alien has properly prepared, then he, too, would also receive atonement
on Yom HaKippurim.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 17:10-14 "'Any Israelite or any
alien living among them who eats any blood--I will set my face against that person who
eats blood and will cut him off from his people. For the life of a creature is
in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on
the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.
Therefore I say to the Israelites, "None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living
among you eat blood." "'Any Israelite or any alien living among you who hunts
any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with
earth, Because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said
to the Israelites, "You must not eat the blood of any creature, because
the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut
off."
We have already learned that the aliens were to have the same law as the
Jew, while living among them, this command to abstain from blood receives
special emphasis. We also know that the Ger Toshav was forbidden to eat blood
from the Noachide
laws.
Bamidbar (Numbers) 9:14 "'An alien living among you
who wants to celebrate HaShem’s Passover must do so in accordance with its rules and
regulations. You must have the same regulations for the alien and the
native-born.'"
Earlier we learned that the alien living among the Jews could not eat the
Pascal sacrifice, or the afikomen, yet here we see that they are allowed
(encouraged!) to participate in all the other aspects of the Passover feast, as
long as he does so according to what the Torah has commanded. As an aside, the
Torah commands are contained in the Oral Torah as well as the Written
Torah. The Written Torah tells us to do something, while the Oral Torah tells
us how to do what is written. Therefore, we expect that the proper way
to celebrate Passover will only be found in the Oral Torah.
Bamidbar (Numbers) 15:13 "'Everyone who is
native-born must do these things in this way when he brings an offering made by
fire as
an aroma pleasing to HaShem. For the generations to come, whenever an alien or
anyone else living among you presents an offering made by fire as an aroma
pleasing to HaShem, he must do exactly as you do. The community is to have the
same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a lasting
ordinance for the generations to come. You and the alien shall be the same
before HaShem: The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien
living among you.'"
Both the alien and the Jew were allowed to bring sacrifices to the Temple.
This suggests that those who bring a sacrifice will be drawn near[2] to HaShem, whether they are a Jew or a Gentile.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:9 Count off seven weeks from the time you
begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks
to HaShem your G-d by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings HaShem your
G-d has given you. And rejoice before HaShem your G-d at the place he will
choose as a dwelling
for his Name--you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants,
the Levites in your towns, and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows living
among you.
The feast of Weeks (Hebrew: Shavuot) was to be celebrated by Jew and
Gentile. This celebration involved bring a gift to HaShem. This emphasises this
aspect over and obove have the same law for the Jews and the aliens living
among them.
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 56:1-8 This is what HaShem says:
"Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my
righteousness will soon be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, the man
who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from
doing any evil." Let no foreigner who has bound himself to HaShem say,
"HaShem will surely exclude me from his people." And let not any
eunuch complain, "I am only a dry tree." For this is what HaShem
says: "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases
me and hold fast to my covenant-- To them I will give within my temple
and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an
everlasting name that will not be cut off. And foreigners who bind themselves
to HaShem to serve him, to love the name of HaShem, and to worship him, all who
keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant--
These I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt
offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house
will be called a house of prayer for all nations." The Sovereign HaShem
declares--he who gathers the exiles of
Foreigners (Gentiles) who enter the covenant by binding themselves to the
covenant are also given the opportunity to draw near to HaShem as Jews.
Notice that the community of
Shemot (Exodus) 12:17-19 "Celebrate the Feast of
Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought
your divisions out of
The issue of chametz
during Pesach
is singled out for additional mention as being binding on both Jews and
Gentiles.
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 13:19 - 14:2 Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms,
the glory of the Babylonians' pride, will be overthrown by G-d like
In the above pasuk we see that those Gentiles who do not enter the covenant
as Jews, or do not enter a covenant as Noachide, these Gentiles will become the
servants of the Jews. Elsewhere[3] the Torah teaches us that the
Gentiles will become the inheritance of the Jews.
In this next passage we see that aliens are NOT citizens.
Yahoshua (Joshua) 8:30-35 Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal
an altar to HaShem, the G-d of Israel, As Moses the servant of HaShem had
commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book
of the Law of Moses--an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been
used. On it they offered to HaShem burnt offerings and sacrificed
fellowship offerings. There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua copied
on stones the law
of Moses, which he had written. All Israel, aliens and citizens alike, with
their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of
the covenant
of HaShem, facing those who carried it--the priests, who were Levites. Half of the people
stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal,
as Moses the servant of HaShem had formerly commanded when he gave instructions
to bless the people of
Again we see that the aliens who are living among the Jews must participate
in hearing the Torah because they, also, are subject while living among
the Jews.
II. To Whom Was The Law Given?
In this next passage we see that the Torah was given to the Jews and to all
of the aliens who came out of Egypt with the Jews. In addition it was binding
on all of the Jewish souls who would ever live.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 29:1-15 These are the terms of the
covenant HaShem commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab, in
addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb. Moses summoned all the
Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that HaShem did in Egypt
to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. With your own eyes you
saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders. But to
this day HaShem has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or
ears that hear. During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes
did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. You ate no bread and drank
no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am
HaShem your G-d. When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king
of
Other people (Ger Toshav) are
implied to have received the Law because they left Egypt with the Israelites:
Shemot (Exodus) 12:33-38 The Egyptians urged the people
to hurry and leave the country. "For otherwise," they said, "we
will all die!" So the people took their dough before the yeast
was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in
clothing. The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for
articles of silver and gold and for clothing. HaShem had made the Egyptians
favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for;
so they plundered the Egyptians. The Israelites journeyed from Rameses
to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women
and children. Many other people went up with them, as well as large
droves of livestock, both flocks and herds.
Circumcision
was a sign
of the covenant
with Abraham,
and his descendants, and is connected to the Ger Tzaddik:
Colossians 2:9-14 For in Mashiach all the fullness of the
Deity lives in bodily
form, And you have been given fullness in Mashiach, who is the head over every
power and authority.
In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not
with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by
Mashiach, Having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him
through your faith in the power of G-d, who raised him from the dead. When you
were dead in your sins
and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, G-d made you alive with
Mashiach. He forgave us all our sins, Having canceled the written code, with
its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it
away, nailing it to the cross.
The Ger Tzaddik was not born into
the Community of Israel, but rather joined that community by three
things:
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 10:12-19 And now, O Israel, what does
HaShem your G-d ask of you but to fear HaShem your G-d, to walk in all his
ways, to love him, to serve HaShem your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul, And
to observe HaShem’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your
own good? To HaShem your G-d belong the heavens, even the highest heavens,
the earth and everything in it. Yet HaShem set his affection on your forefathers
and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as
it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any
longer. For HaShem your G-d is G-d of gods and Lord of lords, the great G-d,
mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends
the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and
clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves
were aliens in
The covenantal people (Jews) are to love those who are not a part of the
covenant (aliens – Gentiles).
In the following passage, HaShem promises that Jews would be returned to
their covenantal land, after the diaspora, when they return their hearts to
HaShem.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 30:1-6 When all these blessings and
curses I have set before you come upon you and you take them to heart wherever
HaShem your G-d disperses you among the nations, And when you and your children
return to HaShem your G-d and obey him with all your heart and with all your
soul according to everything I command you today, Then HaShem your G-d will
restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all
the nations where he scattered
you. Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under
the heavens,
from there HaShem
your G-d will gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land
that belonged to your fathers, and you will take possession of it. He will make
you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. HaShem your G-d will circumcise
your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with
all your heart and with all your soul, and live.
This next passage is speaking to Jews because they are the ones who are
circumcized and they are the ones who covenanted to obey the Torah. Never the
less, the Jews will be the first to suffer for their sins, then the Gentiles
will also be in trouble. Clearly, both Jews and Gentiles have a responsibility
to obey their parts of the Torah. If we fail to study Torah we will not be
absolved of responsibility, but rather we will be judged by our failure to live
up to the parts we did know. Finally, for those who obey Torah there will be glory,
honor, and peace – to the Jew first, then to the Gentile. Notice that the Jew
is ALWAYS judged first because He is HaShem’s firstborn (only begotten) son.[4]
Romans 2:9-29 There will be trouble and
distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the
Gentile; But glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the
Jew, then for the Gentile. For G-d does not show favoritism. All who sin apart
from the law
will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be
judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in
G-d's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required
by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the
law, Since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts,
their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now
even defending them.) This will take place on the day when G-d will judge men's
secrets through Yeshua
Mashiach,
as my gospel declares. Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the
law and brag about your relationship to G-d; If you know his will and approve
of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; If you are convinced
that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, An
instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law
the embodiment of knowledge and truth-- You, then, who teach others, do you
not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say
that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor
idols, do you rob temples?
You who brag about the law, do you dishonor G-d by breaking the law? As it is
written: "G-d's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of
you." Circumcision
has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as
though you had not been circumcised. If those who are not circumcised keep the
law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?
The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even
though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. A man is
not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.
No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of
the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not
from men, but from G-d.
Aliens
(Ger Toshav) will inherit
a portion of the land.
Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 47:21-23 "You are to distribute this
land among yourselves according to the tribes of
Shemot (Exodus) 22:28-31 "Do not blaspheme G-d or
curse the ruler of your people. "Do not hold back offerings from your
granaries or your vats. "You must give me the firstborn of your sons. Do
the same with your cattle and your sheep. Let them stay with their mothers for seven
days, but give them to me on the eighth day. "You are to be my holy
people. So do not eat
the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts; throw it to the dogs.
Bamidbar (Numbers) 6:23-27 "Tell Aaron and his sons,
'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: "'"HaShem
bless you and keep you; HaShem make his face shine upon you and be gracious to
you; HaShem turn his face toward you and give you peace."' "So they
will put my name
on the Israelites, and I will bless them."
II Divrei HaYamim (Chronicles)
7:11-14 When Solomon had finished the temple of HaShem and the royal palace, and
had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of HaShem
and in his own palace, HaShem appeared to him at night and said: "I have
heard your prayer
and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. "When I shut up
the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague
among my people, If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and
pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from
heaven
and will forgive their sin
and will heal their land.
I Shmuel (Samuel) 2:22-25 Now Eli, who was very old, heard
about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept
with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So he said to
them, "Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked
deeds of yours. No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear spreading
among HaShem’s people. If a man sins against another man, G-d may mediate for
him; but if a man sins against HaShem, who will intercede for him?" His
sons, however, did not listen to their father's rebuke, for it was HaShem’s
will to put them to death.
II Shmuel (Samuel) 5:1-4 All the tribes
of
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 10:24-26 Therefore, this is what the
Lord, HaShem Almighty, says: "O my people who live in Zion, do not be
afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against
you, as Egypt did. Very soon my anger against you will end and my wrath will be
directed to their destruction." HaShem Almighty will lash them with a
whip, as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb; and he will raise his
staff over the waters, as he did in
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 43:1-13 But now, this is what HaShem
says--he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O
Egyptians (Ger Toshav) too will
bear "His name":
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 19:19-25 In that day there will be an
altar to HaShem in the heart of
Yirimiyah (Jeremiah) 12:14-17 This is what HaShem says:
"As for all my wicked
neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people
In this next passage we have a hint that after the Assyrian and Babylonian
exiles, the Jews will be dispersed among the Gentiles and lose their identity. At the
end, HaShem will regather these sparks, these so called Gentiles, and He will
reveal their Jewish soul by causing them to desire conversion and attachment to
the Jewish people.
Romans 9:21-26 Does not the potter have the
right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and
some for common use? What if G-d, choosing to show his wrath and make his power
known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for
destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the
objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory-- Even us, whom
he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? As he
says in Hoshea (Hosea): "I will call them 'my people' who are not my
people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," And,
"It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are
not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living G-d.'"
II Corinthians 6:14-18 Do not be yoked together with
unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what
fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Mashiach
and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What
agreement is there between the temple of G-d and idols? For we are the temple of the living
G-d. As G-d has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I
will be their G-d, and they will be my people." "Therefore come out
from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will
receive you." "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and
daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
We see, in the above passage, that those who are in a covenantal
relationship with HaShem, will be separate from the Gentile and will know the
clean from the unclean.
Who is the "new covenant"
for?
Yirimiyah (Jeremiah) 31:31-34 "The time is coming," declares
HaShem, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of
In the above passage, we see that the covenant that HaShem made with the
Jews and converts was a covenat of marriage! Marital
intimacy with HaShem is only available to those who ‘sign’ the
covenant by conversion or circumcision.
Bereans (Hebrews) 8:1-12 The point of what we are saying is
this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of
the Majesty in heaven,
And who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not
by man. Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and
so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. If he were on
earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already men who offer the gifts
prescribed by the law.
They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This
is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to
it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the
mountain." But the ministry Yeshua has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant
of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better
promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no
place would have been sought for another. But G-d found fault with the
people and said: "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new
covenant with the house of
The Ger Tzaddik is included in
this passage, as we will also see in the next passage:
Hoshea (Hosea) 1:6-11 Gomer conceived again and gave
birth to a daughter. Then HaShem said to Hoshea (Hosea), "Call her Lo-Ruhamah,
for I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at
all forgive them. Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save
them--not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by HaShem
their G-d." After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. Then
HaShem said, "Call him Lo-Ammi, for you are not my people, and I am not
your G-d. "Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which
cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, 'You are
not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living G-d.' The people of
The writer of Romans explains the above passage as refering to the Ger Tzaddik:
Romans 9:1-33 I speak the truth in Mashiach--I
am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit-- I have great
sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were
cursed and cut off from Mashiach for the sake of my brothers, those of my own
race, 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.
Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of
Mashiach, who is G-d over all, forever praised! Amen. It is not as though
G-d's word had failed. For not all who are descended from
Amos 9:8-12 "Surely the eyes of the
Sovereign HaShem
are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth--yet I
will not totally destroy the house of Jacob," declares HaShem. "For I
will give the command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the
nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, and not a pebble will reach the ground.
All the sinners among my people will die by the sword, all those who say,
'Disaster will not overtake or meet us.' "In that day I will restore
David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and
build it as it used to be, So that they may possess the remnant of Edom and
all the nations that bear my name," declares HaShem, who will do these
things.
The above passage is elaborated on in:
II Luqas (Acts) 15:12-21 The whole assembly became silent
as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and
wonders G-d had done among the Gentiles through them. When they finished, James
spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me. Simon has described to us how G-d at
first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. The
words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
"'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I
will rebuild, and I will restore it, That the remnant of men may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things' That have been
known for ages. "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it
difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to G-d. Instead we should write to
them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat
of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has been preached in every city
from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."
In the above passage, Yaaqov (James) is rendering an halachic decision which agrees
with Chazal. It is a pars-pro-tot for the Noachide commands.
Revelation 3:11-13 I am coming soon. Hold on to
what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will
make a pillar in the temple of my G-d. Never again will he leave it. I will write
on him the name of my G-d and the name of the city of my G-d, the new Jerusalem,
which is coming down out of heaven from my G-d; and I will also write on him my
new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Aliens (Ger Toshav) will unite
with the house of Jacob:
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 14:1-2 HaShem will have compassion on
Jacob; once again he will choose
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 56:3-8 Let no foreigner who has bound
himself to HaShem say, "HaShem will surely exclude me from his
people." And let not any eunuch complain, "I am only a dry
tree." For this is what HaShem says: "To the eunuchs who keep my
Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant-- To them I will give
within my temple
and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give
them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. And foreigners who bind
themselves to HaShem to serve him, to love the name of HaShem, and to worship
him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my
covenant-- These I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt
offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house
will be called a house
of prayer for all nations." The Sovereign HaShem declares--he
who gathers
the exiles of
In the above passage we see foreigners who keep Shabbat. From this we learn that
these foreigners are converts because Shabbat was given as a covenantal sign to
the Jews. Any Gentile who celebrates Shabbat will incur the death penalty.
Remember that the covenant that HaShem made with the Jews and converts at Mt.
Sinai, was a marriage covenant. Marital intimacy (Shabbat observance) is only available to
those who have entered
the covenant via conversion.
Many nations (Ger Tzaddik) will
convert and become "My people":
Zechariah 2:7-13 "Come, O
Zechariah 8:18-23 Again the word of HaShem
Almighty came to me. This is what HaShem Almighty says: "The fasts of the fourth, fifth,
seventh, and tenth
months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for
Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 34:17-24 "'As for you, my flock,
this is what the Sovereign HaShem says: I will judge between one sheep and
another, and between rams and goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the
good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it
not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your
feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have
muddied with your feet?
"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign HaShem says to them: See, I myself
will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you shove with
flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have
driven them away, I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I
will judge between one sheep and another. I will place over them one shepherd,
my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their
shepherd. I HaShem
will be their G-d, and my servant David will be prince among them. I HaShem
have spoken.
Aliens (Ger Tzaddik) will have an inheritance
in the land:
Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 47:21-23 "You are to distribute this
land among yourselves according to the tribes of
There is no distinction between the Jew and the Ger
Tzaddik who believe:
II Luqas (Acts) 15:7-18 After much discussion, Tzefet
(Peter) got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago
G-d made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the
message of the gospel
and believe. G-d, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving
the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between
us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to
test G-d by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor
our fathers
have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Yeshua
that we are saved,
just as they are." The whole assembly became silent as they listened to
Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders G-d had done
among the Gentiles through them. When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers,
listen to me. Simon has described to us how G-d at first showed his concern by
taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. The words of the prophets are in
agreement with this, as it is written: "'After this I will return and
rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,
That the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my
name, says the Lord, who does these things' That have been known for ages.
Amos 9:7-15 "Are not you Israelites the
same to me as the Cushites?" declares HaShem. "Did I not bring Israel
up from Egypt,
the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir? "Surely the eyes
of the Sovereign HaShem are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the
face of the earth--yet I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob," declares
HaShem. "For I will give the command, and I will shake the house of Israel
among all the nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, and not a pebble will
reach the ground. All the sinners among my people will die by the sword, all
those who say, 'Disaster will not overtake or meet us.' "In that day I
will restore David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its
ruins, and build it as it used to be, So that they may possess the remnant of Edom and
all the nations that bear my name," declares HaShem, who will do these things.
"The days are coming," declares HaShem, "when the reaper will be
overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine
will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. I will bring back my exiled
people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will
plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their
fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from
the land I have given them," says HaShem your G-d.
Yochanan (John) 10:14-18 "I am the good shepherd; I
know my sheep and my sheep know me-- Just as the Father knows me and I know the
Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not
of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice,
and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is
that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but
I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and
authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
Yochanan (John) 11:47-53 Then the chief priests
and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we
accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many
miraculous signs.
If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will
come and take away both our place and our nation." Then one of them, named
Caiaphas, who was high
priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! You do
not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that
the whole nation perish." He did not say this on his own, but as high
priest that year he prophesied that Yeshua would die for the Jewish
nation, And not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of
G-d, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted
to take his life.
Romans 4:8-17 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord
will never count against him." Is this blessedness only for the circumcised,
or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to
him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he
was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! And he received the sign of
circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was
still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not
been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he
is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also
walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was
circumcised. It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that
he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is
worthless, Because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no
transgression. Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by
grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who
are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the
father of us all. As it is written: "I have made you a father
of many nations." He is our father in the sight of G-d, in whom he
believed--the G-d who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as
though they were.
In this next passage we see that HaShem will treat those who enter the covenant,
in the same manner, whether they are Jew or Gentile.
Romans 10:8-17 But what does it say? "The
word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the
word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Yeshua is
Lord," and believe in your heart that G-d raised him from the dead, you
will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with
your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone
who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference
between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all
who call on him, For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And
how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they
hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are
sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord,
who has believed our message?" Consequently, faith comes from hearing the
message, and the message is heard through the word of Mashiach.
Romans 11:13-36 I am talking to you Gentiles.
Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry In the
hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For
if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their
acceptance be but life from the dead? 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. If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild
olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the
nourishing sap from the olive root, Do not boast over those branches. If you
do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will
say then, "Branches were broken off so that I 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 G-d did not spare the natural
branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and
sternness of G-d: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided
that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And if
they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for G-d is able to
graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is
wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive
tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into
their own olive tree! I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery,
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 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,
For G-d's gifts and his call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time
disobedient to G-d 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 G-d's mercy to you. For G-d 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 G-d! How unsearchable his judgments, and his
paths beyond tracing out! "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has
been his counselor?" "Who has ever given to G-d, that G-d should repay
him?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be
the glory forever! Amen.
Galatians 3:6-9 Consider Abraham: "He believed G-d,
and it was credited to him as righteousness." Understand, then, that those
who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that G-d would
justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham:
"All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith
are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
In this next passage we see that after Avraham became a convert, through
circumcision, after he was credited with righteousness because of his faithful
obedience to HaShem’s Torah (see B4SINAI). This should be the correct path for all believers:
Romans 4:7-12 "Blessed are they whose
transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will
never count against him." Is this blessedness only for the circumcised,
or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was
credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was
it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! And he
received the sign
of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was
still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not
been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he
is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also
walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
Ephesians 2:11-20 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by
birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves
"the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)--
Remember that at that time
you were separate from Mashiach, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners
to the covenants
of the promise, without hope and without G-d in the world. But now in Mashiach Yeshua
you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of
Mashiach. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the
barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, By abolishing in his flesh the law with its
commandments
and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the
two, thus making peace, And in this one body to reconcile both of them to G-d
through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and
preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For
through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you
are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with G-d's people and members of
G-d's household,
Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Mashiach Yeshua
himself as the chief cornerstone.
II Luqas (Acts) 10:25-48 As Tzefet (Peter) entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his
feet in reverence. But Tzefet (Peter) made him get up. "Stand up," he
said, "I am only a man myself." Talking with him, Peter went inside
and found a large gathering
of people. He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law
for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But G-d has shown me that I
should not call any man impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came
without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?" Cornelius
answered: "Four
days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a
man in shining clothes stood before me And said, 'Cornelius, G-d has heard your
prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is
called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the
sea.' So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are
all here in the presence of G-d to listen to everything the Lord has commanded
you to tell us." Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true
it is that G-d does not show favoritism But accepts men from every nation who
fear him and do what is right. You know the message G-d sent to the people of
Israel, telling the good news of peace through Yeshua Mashiach, who is Lord of all. You
know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached-- How G-d anointed Yeshua of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power,
and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of
the devil, because G-d was with him. "We are witnesses of everything he
did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by
hanging him on a tree, But G-d raised him from the dead on the third day and
caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom
G-d had already chosen--by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He
commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom G-d
appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about
him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." While
Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the
message. The circumcised
believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been
poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and
praising G-d. Then Peter said, "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized
with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." So he
ordered that they be baptized
in the name of Yeshua
Mashiach.
Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
Yet, in some way the Ger Tzaddik
are also different from the Children of Abraham:
II Luqas (Acts) 13:16-26 Standing up, Paul motioned with
his hand and said: "Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship G-d, listen
to me! The G-d of the people of Israel chose our fathers; he made the people
prosper during their stay in Egypt, with mighty power he led them out of that country,
He endured their conduct for about forty years in the desert, He overthrew seven nations in Canaan and gave
their land to his people as their inheritance. All this took about
450 years. "After this, G-d gave them judges until the time of Shmuel (Samuel) the
prophet. Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish,
of the tribe
of Benjamin,
who ruled forty years. After removing Saul, he made David their king. He
testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own
heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' "From this man's
descendants G-d has brought to Israel the Savior Yeshua, as he promised.
Before the coming of Yeshua, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of
Israel. As John was completing his work, he said: 'Who do you think I am? I am
not that one. No, but he is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to
untie.' "Brothers, children of Abraham, and you G-d-fearing Gentiles, it
is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.
Not all Jews are Abraham's children:
Yochanan (John) 8:37-59 I know you are Abraham's
descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my
word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do
what you have heard from your father." "Abraham is our father,"
they answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Yeshua,
"then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to
kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from G-d. Abraham did
not do such things. You are doing the things your own father does."
"We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only
Father we have is G-d himself." Yeshua said to them, "If G-d were
your Father, you would love me, for I came from G-d and now am here. I have not
come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because
you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and
you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the
beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he
lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me
guilty of sin?
If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? He who belongs to G-d
hears what G-d says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to
G-d." The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are
a Samaritan and demon-possessed?" "I am not possessed by a demon,"
said Yeshua,
"but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for
myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. I tell you the
truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death." At this the Jews
exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so
did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never
taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the
prophets. Who do you think you are?" Yeshua replied, "If I glorify
myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your G-d, is the
one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did
not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your
father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was
glad." "You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him,
"and you have seen Abraham!" "I tell you the truth," Yeshua
answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" At this, they picked up
stones to stone him, but Yeshua hid himself, slipping away from the temple
grounds.
In the last
days we will also see G-d reuniting Israel:
Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 37:16-28 "Son of man, take a stick
of wood and write on it, 'Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with
him.' Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, 'Ephraim's stick,
belonging to Joseph
and all the house
of Israel associated with him.' Join them together into one stick so
that they will become one in your hand. "When your countrymen ask you,
'Won't you tell us what you mean by this?' Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign
HaShem
says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph--which is in Ephraim's
hand--and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah's stick,
making them a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.' Hold
before their eyes the sticks you have written on And say to them, 'This is what
the Sovereign HaShem says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where
they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into
their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of
Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations
or be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with
their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them
from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people,
and I will be their G-d. "'My servant David will be king over them, and
they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my
decrees. They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers
lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there
forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. I will make a
covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will
establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary
among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their G-d, and
they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I HaShem make Israel
holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.'"
and:
Yirimiyah (Jeremiah) 3:14-18 "Return, faithless
people," declares HaShem, "for I am your husband. I will choose
you--one from a town and two from a clan--and bring you to Zion. Then I will
give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge
and understanding. In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in
the land," declares HaShem, "men will no longer say, 'The ark of the covenant
of HaShem.' It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be
missed, nor will another one be made. At that time they will call Jerusalem
The Throne of HaShem, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the
name of HaShem. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. In
those days the house of Judah will join the house of Israel, and together they
will come from a northern land to the land I gave your forefathers as an inheritance.
The promises made to Israel are quoted as applying to the Ger Tzaddik:
Shemot (Exodus) 19:1-6 In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt--on
the very day--they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim,
they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in
front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to G-d, and HaShem called to him from
the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob
and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I
did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.
Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will
be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, You will be for
me a kingdom of priests
and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the
Israelites."
I Tzefet (Peter) 2:1-10 Therefore, rid yourselves of all
malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn
babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
Now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living
Stone--rejected by men but chosen by G-d and precious to him-- You also, like
living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood,
offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to G-d through Yeshua Mashiach. For in Scripture it
says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and
the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Now to you who
believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The
stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," And, "A stone
that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble
because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to G-d, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of
darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are
the people of G-d; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received
mercy.
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 52:9-15 Burst into songs of joy
together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for HaShem has comforted his people, he has redeemed
Jerusalem. HaShem will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our G-d. Depart,
depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be
pure, you who carry the vessels of HaShem. But you will not leave in haste or
go in flight; for HaShem will go before you, the G-d of Israel will be your
rear guard. See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up
and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him--his
appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond
human likeness-- So will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their
mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what
they have not heard, they will understand.
Galatians 3:21 - 4:7 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the
promises of G-d? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart
life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the
Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised,
being given through faith in Yeshua Mashiach, might be given to those who believe. Before this
faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be
revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Mashiach that we might be
justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision
of the law. You are all sons of G-d through faith in Mashiach Yeshua, For all
of you who were baptized into Mashiach have clothed yourselves with Mashiach.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are
all one in Mashiach Yeshua. If you belong to Mashiach, then you are Abraham's
seed,
and heirs according to the promise. What I am saying is that as long as the
heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole
estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also,
when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the
world. But when the time had fully come, G-d sent his Son, born of a woman,
born under law, To redeem those under law, that we might receive the full
rights of sons. Because you are sons, G-d sent the Spirit of his Son into our
hearts, the Spirit who calls out, <"Abba>, Father." So you are
no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, G-d has made you also an
heir.
Ephesians 2:11-22 Therefore, remember that
formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who
call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the
hands of men)-- Remember that at that time you were separate from Mashiach,
excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants
of the promise, without hope and without G-d in the world. But now in Mashiach Yeshua
you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of
Mashiach. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the
barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, By abolishing in his flesh the law with its
commandments
and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus
making peace, And in this one body to reconcile both of them to G-d through the cross, by
which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who
were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have
access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners
and aliens,
but fellow citizens with G-d's people and members of G-d's household,
Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Mashiach Yeshua
himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together
and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built
together to become a dwelling in which G-d lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 3:4-6 In reading this, then, you will
be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Mashiach, Which was not
made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to
G-d's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel
the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and
sharers together in the promise in Mashiach Yeshua.
I Tzefet (Peter) 2:6-12 For in Scripture it says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the
one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe,
this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the
builders rejected has become the capstone," And, "A stone that causes
men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they
disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for. But you are a
chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to G-d, that you may
declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful
light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of G-d; once you
had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge
you, as aliens
and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against
your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you
of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify G-d on the day he
visits us.
Revelation 5:9-10 And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and
with your blood you purchased men for G-d from every tribe and language and people and
nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our G-d, and they
will reign on the earth."
It seems that the Ger Tzaddik as
many things in common with the Israelites. But, the very fact that the Ger Tzaddik are named separately seems to imply
a difference.
Romans 2:25-29 Circumcision has value if you
observe the law,
but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been
circumcised. If those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will
they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? The one who is not
circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though
you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. A man is not a
Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.
No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of
the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not
from men, but from G-d.
Light...
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 42:5-7 This is what G-d HaShem
says--he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and
all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to
those who walk on it: "I, HaShem, have called you in righteousness; I will
take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant
for the people and a light for the Gentiles, To open eyes that are blind, to free
captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 49:3-6 He said to me, "You are my
servant, Israel,
in whom I will display my splendor." But I said, "I have labored to
no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due
me is in HaShem’s
hand, and my reward is with my G-d." And now HaShem says--he who formed me
in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather
Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of HaShem and my G-d has been
my strength-- He says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes
of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a
light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the
earth."
Matityahu (Matthew) 5:11-16 "Blessed are you when
people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you
because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. "You
are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be
made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out
and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill
cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good
deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Some things that are specific to Israelites:
Romans 3:1-2 What advantage, then, is there
in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way!
First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of G-d.
II Corinthians 3:7-15 Now if the ministry that brought
death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites
could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was,
Will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that
condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings
righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the
surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater
is the glory of that which lasts! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are
very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep
the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But
their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant
is read. It has not been removed, because only in Mashiach is it taken away. Even to
this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone
turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Romans 9:30 - 10:4 What then shall we say? That the
Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness
that is by faith; But
* * *
This study was
written by Hillel ben David
(Greg Killian).
Comments may be
submitted to:
Greg Killian
1101 Surrey
Trace SE
Tumwater, WA
98501
Internet
address: gkilli@aol.com
Web page: http://www.betemunah.org/
(360) 584-9352
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