Shalom Fellow Israelite,
We all know that Yeshua came as a kinsman redeemer to
restore the house of Jacob and set up the everlasting kingdom in that house (Luke
1:31-33). In order to do that he has
to bring back the “lost tribes of Israel”, known prophetically as the “stick of
Joseph in the hand of Ephraim” (ref. Ezekiel
37:16). Thus if we are to be his
disciples, we must hold to this vision and then to be about His business.
“For which of you, intending to
build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has
enough to finish it -- lest, after he
has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to
mock him, saying, 'This man began to
build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going to make war against
another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten
thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way
off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake
all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:28-33).
These words of Yeshua state very clearly that the price for following
Him is inestimable; it may cost anyone of us our life, and He certainly
requires, in the very “least”, the “self-life”, that is that one’s faculties
would be at His disposal and for His use. Thus, it is no small matter stepping
into His Kingdom purposes. In order to follow the beckoning of this vision one
has to count the cost.
But what about the converse? What
if one ignores the kingdom vision, and thus, by default, makes a decision not
to follow it? Or worse yet, what if one decides consciously and willingly to
lay aside and reject what he or she had known as a “vision” at some point? Proverbs 29:18 reads: “Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint”. The word for
“people” in this verse is “am”, that is a unit of people, a nation. This
(NKJ) translation happens to be accurate regarding the verb “casting off
restraint” – which is “yi’pa’ra” – root pey, resh, ayin. In most other instances
this root is used in a similar fashion, that is, “unruly”, “disheveled”,
“loosen”, in other words “lawlessness” (see, for example, Exodus 32:25).
Thus, as much as it costs to
follow the vision, the opposite (i.e. forsaking it) does not promise a
release, or relief; quite the opposite – there may be an even higher price to
pay, which is confirmed by the meaning of this verb in Modern Hebrew: “payment
of debt” or “getting even”. Thus, when a vision goes unheeded the demand for
“payment” will be there, at a great cost and at a great price.
To cite one example - YHVH sent
prophets and visionaries to the Jews in the 1800’s, declaring a message of
restoration and return to Zion and the land.
At the time the affluent Jewish communities in Germany and other western
European countries (and the U.S) were building beautiful synagogues. Many despised the poor persecuted Jews of the
East (Eastern Europe). Even though there
were warnings of “Jew hatred” in publications and newspaper articles (and news
of vicious Anti-Semitic incidents and pogroms in various places) the majority
of Jews felt that there was no need to pay attention to the Jewish Zionist zealots. Likewise, most in the Christian world were blind
to the literal fulfillment of prophecies that pertained to the Jews returning
to the land, which was viewed at most as a silly idea, for the church had replaced
them as God’s people.
There were, however, Christian
visionaries and prophets who foresaw the (need for the) return of the Jews to
the Promised Land, but their voices also went unheeded. What was the price the Jews and the Christians
paid for ignoring the vision of YHVH’s literal fulfillment of His promises to
His natural family? Very few interpret history
in light of the sovereignty of the Almighty.
Where there is no vision the people are casting off restraint, which may
even border on anarchy. Nevertheless, as
we saw, the debt that the vision demands from its opponents may be incremental. The events that took place in the course of
the 50 years prior to YHVH establishing a nation for the Jewish people, saw millions
of Jews and Christians exterminated, suffering loss and displacement, and living
in fear for their lives.
During that same time period,
however, a remnant of Jews did return and YHVH gave them their land, fulfilling
the first part of the famous Ezekiel
37:16 scripture. Shortly after 1967, the year when the nation of Judah took
back Jerusalem, the words of the prophets began to rise again, declaring YHVH’s
intention to restore the second stick of Joseph/Ephraim. A spiritual anointing,
similar to the one that was on Elijah, began to turn the hearts of the sons
back to their forefathers - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There was even a song that that came forth,
which became very popular: “These are the days of Elijah”. The non-Jews who
were awakening to their roots began to identify themselves as “Ephraim” or “sons
of Joseph”, with others labeling them “two house believers”.
However, the
majority of Christians and the Messianic Jewish leadership openly opposed this
“VISION” of the return of the “lost tribes of Israel”, and have not changed
their minds thus far. What will be the
consequence of denying, rejecting, and casting aside this present move of
YHVH’s Spirit to turn the hearts of the sons of Joseph back to the heart of
their forefathers? According to Malachi,
YHVH will lay a curse, or a hunters’ net (see Malachi
4:5-6). We are already seeing the
hunters doing what they are called by the Almighty to do (ref. Habakkuk chapter
1) What more will happen in the future if the
people do not have, or worse, ignore YHVH’s vision of present truth? Will there
be a debt to pay when the Almighty, for His part, chooses to loosen and
no longer restrain the evil forces?
The second part
of our scripture in Proverbs 29:18 says the following: “But happy is
he who keeps the Torah”. Apparently
following the vision is construed as “keeping the Torah”. The vision is within
the Torah’s precincts and gives direction and guidelines to those who are faithful
to walk in its Torah pathway, while those who do not are preparing the way, not
of YHVH, but of the lawless one (see 2nd Thessalonians 2:7-12).
Shabbat Shalom,
Ephraim and Rimona
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