09-21-2008, 06:20 AM
I would disagree. Why? If anyone desires to consider themself an Israelite, but does not do what God expects of an Israelite to do, then they are by definition not an Israelite. In other words, what does God's Scripture require of a man to be considered a member of Israel - that is, "Israel" as in how Torah defines her: a physical and spiritual entity of people, who by keeping the commandments of their God (the God YHWH), are thereby deemed His People; His Kingdom; His Body; His Bride; His Nation - a Nation separated from all other nations of the earth unto Himself? The answer, of course, is obvious. Scripture and the same God Who inspired It requires of His Israelites obedience to His commands, which are revealed in the Written Scriptures He gave to them in lightenings and thunderings from Mt. Sinai. If and when any of Israel breaks their end of the covenantal Torah contract, and continues on in unrepentance, then they lose their inheritance, because they deny the very Promises they themselves originally promised to enter into. The way back into these Promises, through Yeshua, is ONLY BY REPENTANCE.
Thereby, if you're tracking with me here, any individual or for that matter entity of people comprising themselves by name as "Israel", who do not display the Scriptural demands for this rightful title, are by definition NOT ISRAEL. In other words, a person or people can have genetic descent from the ancient Hebrews of Palestine, and yet simultaneously through their own rebellion deny themselves their SPIRITUAL inheritance. And for that matter, if you're paying attention to what Torah Itself says, rather than what religious tradition says, then you'll notice that ever so clearly, Torah Itself makes provisions for ANY and ALL living people, regardless as to ethnicity or nationality, of joining Israel and becoming an Israelite. One does this by making the decision to wholeheartedly accept upon themselves the Law (Torah) of YHWH, and put away from themselves ANY AND ALL OTHER laws, Talmudic included (the Talmud is to only be perused for reference, as with any other non-Scriptural religious text). The Torah was given from Mt. Sinai as the Covenantal Contract between YHWH and man. Thereby in not keeping It, one does not uphold their love towards YHWH, and cannot be considered a Covenant-keeper. If one does not keep covenant with YHWH, then He does not know them, nor they Him. I do however make the room for God's Grace, wherein I've drawn plenty for myself personally, through Yeshua's perfect and atoning Sacrifice, for our inescapable sins, and also the Grace for GROWING into all knowledge, understanding, and thus application of His Law to our lives. Order + Space. That's how see it.
So if you're still tracking with me here, you should be getting the sense by now that very few people on this planet seem to be manifestly displaying these characteristics as prescribed by God Himself, for a person called His Own. Certainly, whatever nation inhabits the downsized plot of ground over in the Middle East which is accused today of being "Israel", is certainly not the "Israel" that God calls true Israel. If they would desire to become what they claim to be, then they would put away from themselves all of their sins, their political agendas, their secular government, their bribery, their murders, their unjust retaliations, their micro-managing of the Arab population, their police state, their chauvinism, and their fraudulent claims to being God's People who have a right to "their" Land. If they would like it back, then God has prescribed the proper methodology for this occurrence: Repentance. So regardless as to whether a man be a Judahite, Levite, Benjamite, Reuvenite, Danite, or any other blood descendant of Jacob, they are lawfully forbidden from their Land until they corporately repent before God for the sins by which they have been and remain exiled. Repentance has consistently been THE ONLY remedy that God has accepted from Israel for return out of exile back to her Land, all throughout the Scriptures. Nothing has changed. And the fruits of the "Israeli state" more than demonstrate this truth today. A U.N. declaration and Zionism is not the power of prophecy. YHWH's Presence is. And It only has shown up throughout Scriptural history at the beckon of a rebellious People of God breaking down and casting aside their selfishness and ways of the world, and travailing out to Him in corporate repentance for their sins against Him.
So no, what is going on over in the Holy Land is not even remotely Scriptural, as per the kind of retaliation that the "nation of Israel" regularly practices. And it does not remind me of living under the Mosaic Law.
Considerately,
Ryan
Thereby, if you're tracking with me here, any individual or for that matter entity of people comprising themselves by name as "Israel", who do not display the Scriptural demands for this rightful title, are by definition NOT ISRAEL. In other words, a person or people can have genetic descent from the ancient Hebrews of Palestine, and yet simultaneously through their own rebellion deny themselves their SPIRITUAL inheritance. And for that matter, if you're paying attention to what Torah Itself says, rather than what religious tradition says, then you'll notice that ever so clearly, Torah Itself makes provisions for ANY and ALL living people, regardless as to ethnicity or nationality, of joining Israel and becoming an Israelite. One does this by making the decision to wholeheartedly accept upon themselves the Law (Torah) of YHWH, and put away from themselves ANY AND ALL OTHER laws, Talmudic included (the Talmud is to only be perused for reference, as with any other non-Scriptural religious text). The Torah was given from Mt. Sinai as the Covenantal Contract between YHWH and man. Thereby in not keeping It, one does not uphold their love towards YHWH, and cannot be considered a Covenant-keeper. If one does not keep covenant with YHWH, then He does not know them, nor they Him. I do however make the room for God's Grace, wherein I've drawn plenty for myself personally, through Yeshua's perfect and atoning Sacrifice, for our inescapable sins, and also the Grace for GROWING into all knowledge, understanding, and thus application of His Law to our lives. Order + Space. That's how see it.
So if you're still tracking with me here, you should be getting the sense by now that very few people on this planet seem to be manifestly displaying these characteristics as prescribed by God Himself, for a person called His Own. Certainly, whatever nation inhabits the downsized plot of ground over in the Middle East which is accused today of being "Israel", is certainly not the "Israel" that God calls true Israel. If they would desire to become what they claim to be, then they would put away from themselves all of their sins, their political agendas, their secular government, their bribery, their murders, their unjust retaliations, their micro-managing of the Arab population, their police state, their chauvinism, and their fraudulent claims to being God's People who have a right to "their" Land. If they would like it back, then God has prescribed the proper methodology for this occurrence: Repentance. So regardless as to whether a man be a Judahite, Levite, Benjamite, Reuvenite, Danite, or any other blood descendant of Jacob, they are lawfully forbidden from their Land until they corporately repent before God for the sins by which they have been and remain exiled. Repentance has consistently been THE ONLY remedy that God has accepted from Israel for return out of exile back to her Land, all throughout the Scriptures. Nothing has changed. And the fruits of the "Israeli state" more than demonstrate this truth today. A U.N. declaration and Zionism is not the power of prophecy. YHWH's Presence is. And It only has shown up throughout Scriptural history at the beckon of a rebellious People of God breaking down and casting aside their selfishness and ways of the world, and travailing out to Him in corporate repentance for their sins against Him.
So no, what is going on over in the Holy Land is not even remotely Scriptural, as per the kind of retaliation that the "nation of Israel" regularly practices. And it does not remind me of living under the Mosaic Law.
Considerately,
Ryan