The Lord chose His people from the seed of the first named Hebrew, Abram. They were to be His people and He was to be their Lord. His covenant with Abraham was to bless him and make a great nation of his people, to make his name great, and to make him a blessing.(1) Abraham's son, Isaac, blesses his own son, Jacob, saying, "May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed".(2)
A common thread is woven throughout the text, that those who bless the nation of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, will themselves be blessed. The Lord, Jehovah, will shower blessings on the nations who treat Israel favorably. Such an account is recorded in the book of Numbers. The King of Moab, Balak, called upon the prophet Balaam to condemn the Israelites.(3) Yet, he was unable to do so. On many different altars, Balak admonished Balaam to deliver a curse. Still, he lifted his eyes and spoke a blessing from the Lord Jehovah on the tribes of Israel, saying, "Blessed be every one that blesseth thee, And cursed be every one that curseth thee".(4)
The Israelites are God's chosen people, but bringing the message and gift of salvation to the Gentiles (non-Jews) was always in His generous, glorious plan. In Isaiah, the Lord says, "I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."(5) This was confirmed by the prophet Simeon's response to the infant Jesus, "For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."(6) The precious blood of Christ covers the Gentile nations, making them heirs to the inheritance, already prepared for the Jews. "Members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus".(7)
For this reason, the Jew and Gentile are both redeemed through the messiah, Christ Jesus. Romans 10:12-13 states, "For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him". (8) There is one God who justifies both the circumcised and the uncircumcised through faith.(9) "to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God." (10)
It seems that we, as Christians, are prone to forget that Jesus, Yeshua, was a Jew, born into the nation of Israel. He is the root of Jesse.(11) He is the "King of Kings and Lord of Lords"(12) , the "Son of the Most High" (13). We have our inheritance through him, the lion of the tribe of Judah.(14) Christ has justified the Gentiles. We are heirs to the promise through the seed of Abraham and the blood of Yeshua.(15) "There can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise."(16)
People of the Lord, we must not forget our beloved brothers and sisters in Israel. The covenant (17) made with Abraham, the oath to Isaac, confirmed with Jacob, was an everlasting one.(18) They are still His covenant people. One day the Gentiles will be united as one stick with the Jews in the hand of the Lord.(19) For it is the Gentile that was grafted (20) in to the "root of Jesse". There is one inheritance through the blood of the lamb. The light was brought into the world for all to share.
Be vigilant in your prayers for the nation of Israel. Be alert to the events occurring between nations. Heed the admonition of the Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He will bless those who bless Israel. He too will curse those who curse them as He pleases.
Isaiah 46:
9 Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come. I say:
My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.
13 I am bringing my righteousness near,
it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed.
I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel. (21)
(1)1 Corinthians 12:13 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
(1) Genesis 12:2-3 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
(2) Genesis 27:29 May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed."
(3) Numbers 22:6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
(4) Numbers 24:1-9 And when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, And the man whose eye was closed saith; He saith, who heareth the words of God, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open: How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel! As valleys are they spread forth, As gardens by the river-side, As lign-aloes which Jehovah hath planted, As cedar-trees beside the waters. Water shall flow from his buckets, And his seed shall be in many waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted. God bringeth him forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox: He shall eat up the nations his adversaries, And shall break their bones in pieces, And smite them through with his arrows. He couched, he lay down as a lion, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Blessed be every one that blesseth thee, And cursed be every one that curseth thee.
(5) Isaiah 49:6 "yea, he saith, It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."
(6) Luke 2:28-32 (KJV) 28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
(7) Ephesians 3:6 "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 Christ Jesus."
(8) Romans 10:12-13 "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.'"
(9) Romans 3:28-30 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: 30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
(10) Romans 2:9-11 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.
(11) Isaiah 11:10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
(12) Revelation 19:16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
(13) Luke 1:32-33 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
(14) Revelation 5:5 "and one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof.
(15) Galatians 3:8-9 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed. So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.
(16) Galatians 3:28-29 There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise.
(17) Genesis 17:1-6 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
(18) 1 Chronicles 16:16-17 The covenant which he made with Abraham, And his oath unto Isaac, And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
(19) Ezekiel 37:19 say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them with it, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in my hand.
(20) Romans 11:16-20 And if the firstfruit is holy, so is the lump: and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive, wast grafted in among them, and didst become partaker with them of the root of the fatness of the olive tree; glory not over the branches: but if thou gloriest, it is not thou that bearest the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
(21) Isaiah 46:9-13 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness. I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel.
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